Emergent bulletins are distributed to all school districts as issues arise. Some are more reference based for practitioners, others more time sensitive for both trustees and district staff.
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The LRB issued a further letter late this afternoon, which provides as follows:
“The direction to mark the exams as scheduled must be given full effect. To that end, to the extent to which any further clarity may be required, pursuant to B21/2012, BCTF members are directed to mark the English 10 and Socials 11 provincial exams as they have in the past. I reiterate that administrators are to be used to the best extent possible in the marking of exams.”
LRB letter on further instructions for making of provincial exam
The LRB has now issued further directions in this matter which support BCPSEA’s position (see attached decision B21//2012). The LRB has found that the appropriate criteria to assess an administrator’s ability to mark the essay component of the identified exams.
Attachment: LRB decision B21/2012
To mark the 10th anniversary of Bills 27 and 28, the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) is organizing a protest for Friday, January 27, 2012, which they are calling a “Dark Day for Public Education in BC”. The BCTF is asking teachers to mark the occasion by wearing black in their classrooms, and have supplied local teachers’ associations with buttons, t-shirts, bumper stickers, pamphlets, and other promotional items. With respect to the protest planned for Friday, January 27, 2012, BCPSEA’s position is that teachers should not wear in the classroom buttons or t-shirts with political messages that may engage students in the teacher’s political views on Bills 27 and 28. If teachers wear attire with political messages in the presence of students, they should be reminded that this is not permitted under the arbitral jurisprudence and should be asked to remove it from the classroom.
It is our understanding that some local teachers’ associations are sending home union materials to parents through students on the issue of the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). The same legal principles and procedures will apply to FSA materials as with any other union materials going home to parents on an educational issue.
The BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) and the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) have recently reached agreement on class/program composition and formation activities related to the beginning of the second semester.
On August 23, 2011 BCPSEA reached a signed agreement with the BCTF on a resolution process to resolve the approximate 10,000 classes that are presently under grievances for the 2006–2010 school years. The process has now been successfully completed for the 1,668 classes under grievance covering 18 school districts for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years. All class size grievances for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years have now been resolved. BCPSEA is very pleased how this process worked and would like to thank each district and local association involved.
Attachment: Signed agreement on a resolution process
Memorandum of Agreement Template and Ratification
Attachment: Memorandum of Agreement Template
BCPSEA Responses to Comment made by the President of Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association
In a decision released today, the BC Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) in respect to the decision of Arbitrator John Hall on the preliminary issue of whether the union’s grievance pertaining to student code of conduct requirements under Ministerial Order 276/07 is arbitrable.
While the LRB dismissed the BCPSEA reconsideration application, finding that asking the LRB to make the determination regarding reimbursement sought to have the LRB “directly intervene in the dispute between the parties in a manner well beyond the Board’s established approach to essential services designations,” the LRB directed that the remedy lies in re-addressing the fundamental approach to essential services designations in the education sector.
The LRB observed that, “as noted, the approach adopted by the parties in Phase 1 simply has not worked. It has not been balanced or effective in putting pressure on both parties.”
Attachment: LRB decision on Reimbursement