On May 14, the voters of this province will be going to the polls to cast their vote for the party that will form the next government of British Columbia.
In anticipation of that, the BC School Trustees Association (BCSTA), representing all 60 boards of education in the province, has begun an election campaign to raise the profile of public education amongst voters and the candidates running for office.
Our campaign, “MeToo!” is designed to get conversations going about the value and worth of public education, locally and provincially.
It gives citizens and candidates the opportunity to declare, “We value public education.” This is our opportunity to forge a vision for one of our province’s most valuable resources: public education.
We know that there is no greater determinant of the long-term well-being for British Columbia and its citizens than the quality of its public education system.
When students succeed, British Columbia succeeds.
BCSTA, boards of education and individual trustees will be asking candidates to commit to a set of core values.
It is through legislation that the co-governance relationship between government and boards of education is established.
We are seeking a commitment to the continuance and strengthening of the co-governance relationship between boards of education and government. We want government to work more closely with us, their co-governors, on the development of policy, legislation and initiatives affecting public education and student achievement. The interests of citizens and the students of B.C. are best served through collaboration and consultation.
We are strongly encouraging government to continue to work with boards of education to increase support for early learning programs, including processes for cross-ministerial co-operation and funding.
School District 51 has worked hard to increase success rates for our Aboriginal learners, who account for 26 per cent of its students.
Our graduation rate for Aboriginal students stands at 93 per cent. We are doing well, but there is still work to be done as the negative effects of the residential school legacy in B.C. continue to be felt in the public education system. Trustees are seeking a commitment from government to collectively re-double efforts to recognize the culture and history of Aboriginal peoples in provincial curriculum.
Publicly elected school trustees are very proud of the success of B.C.’s public education system, but we have increasing concerns about the impact of funding pressures on the system.
While we fully understand the realities of the current global and provincial economies, we also know that our students’ futures cannot wait.
Trustees ask that government commit to predictable and stable funding, which includes the annual addition of dollars to address cost pressures. (Cost pressures include items like teacher pension and Medical Services Plan increases, rise in utility costs, negotiated salary increases and more.)
So, in these last weeks leading up to the May 14 election, we hope that you will express your support for public education.
Join your local trustees at all-candidates meetings where we will be asking candidates to commit to the above values. Go to Facebook.com/METOOBC and like us, tweet out what you value about public education to @BC_STA#METOOBC or check out the website www.meetoo.bc.ca. Let’s get the conversation going.
– Teresa Rezansoff is chair for the SD51’s board of education