The I Support BC Teachers thread

[Mike Vanderhoek]

So you were just fishing for a response from someone lol ? and pounce!

I am under informed as most of us here probably are but don't admit, I don't pretend to know more than I do. I simply stated what I saw on the video is all. I simply do not have a clear picture of it all....

You asked if anyone was going to address the video. I simply mentioned what was said and what is there to address ? Not many people here like CC anyways, the video is taken out of context as well as it is edited. I don't know what you want people to say. Other than to slam CC more over this, not saying she is not part of the problem here for sure.

She never took credit for the students outcomes, again she acknowledged it. I don't know what numbers from what side to believe but it appears to most the teachers aren't asking too much and want what was rightfully given to them in a court ruling, so what she is talking about doesn't add up unless surprise there is fibbing from either side.

I don't believe I have any agenda, can say I am more honest then others appear and am always happy to share an opinion, apologies to you if that bothers you by making me look dumb ?

I believe the teachers should be given the resources and time they need to educate our children and there should be a very good reason such resources are unavailable, I think if something was ruled in court it needs to be honored unless an appeal process is underway.

[Balls of Bure]

I'm not taking sides cause everyone involved looks pathetic.

Sure ting dere pally boy

[Balls of Bure]

Try to be honest with your posts. If you have an agenda or an opinion, just state it. Don't play dumb. It's a bad look.

Bahahahahahaha, NDerP supporters at their flip flopping finest.

[Balls of Bure]

Teachers are really starting to wriggle around on the rope they hung themselves with.

Smell that? Fear and panic. Just go back to work already.

[Remy]

Teachers are really starting to wriggle around on the rope they hung themselves with.

Smell that? Fear and panic. Just go back to work already.

I'm concerned here, who's attending the under side of your bridge, or do you somehow get wifi down there?

[Gross-Misconduct]

So you were just fishing for a response from someone lol ? and pounce!

I am under informed as most of us here probably are but don't admit, I don't pretend to know more than I do. I simply stated what I saw on the video is all. I simply do not have a clear picture of it all....

You asked if anyone was going to address the video. I simply mentioned what was said and what is there to address ? Not many people here like CC anyways, the video is taken out of context as well as it is edited. I don't know what you want people to say. Other than to slam CC more over this, not saying she is not part of the problem here for sure.

She never took credit for the students outcomes, again she acknowledged it. I don't know what numbers from what side to believe but it appears to most the teachers aren't asking too much and want what was rightfully given to them in a court ruling, so what she is talking about doesn't add up unless surprise there is fibbing from either side.

I don't believe I have any agenda, can say I am more honest then others appear and am always happy to share an opinion, apologies to you if that bothers you by making me look dumb ?

I believe the teachers should be given the resources and time they need to educate our children and there should be a very good reason such resources are unavailable, I think if something was ruled in court it needs to be honored unless an appeal process is underway.

Not really. I respect people who are honest as to what side of an argument they are on. Not someone pretending to be just an observer who in fact has already taken sides.

Personally, I think both sides have to take blame on this debacle. But when CC, who I don't like at all (see, state your agenda like me) does her usual BS spin routine, I let people know. That's all.

[bolt]

Christy Clark is our Redford. How could she rack up a credit card bill of over $450,000 in 1 year and the bc rail bribery takes the cake.

[EmployeeoftheMonth]

Hmm, thats funny. A couple of posts ago you admit to being 'under informed' and yet now you seem to have a clear picture of it all.

Try to be honest with your posts. If you have an agenda or an opinion, just state it. Don't play dumb. It's a bad look.

He said he was under informed on an issue in one post and then gave his take on the video you posted in another post.

Don't be such a dick about it. You were totally fishing for a reaction to the video and went after the first person who said the first thing not in favor of it.

Everybody who doesn't agree with everything you say isn't necessarily on the other team.

I fully support the teachers but I think the video you posted is meh and does very little to opening up any actual discussion. What do I know though...I voted for Dix.

[qball]

I think the issue with Smyth's article is going to be the fact that while EAs definitely do vital work with students, Smyth oversimplifies the issue as simply student to adult ratio. EAs do not create the lessons or educational programs, the teacher of the specific class does; EAs are indispensable in carrying out and assisting with their assigned special needs student(s), but the planning, prepping, and evaluating is done by the teacher. This becomes more difficult with more IEPs (Individual Education Plan) being required to address the diverse needs that occur more and more now in the classes.

So although well-meaning and cost-saving in intent, increasing the numbers of EAs does very little at actually alleviating the difficulties of high numbers of IEPs in a given class.

The reality for me, as a high school math teacher, is that regardless of how many special needs students I have in my classes, EA's (SETA's in my district) are of essentially no value to me. There are very few EA's/SETA's in my district capable of competently doing math beyond a grade 7/8 level, so they simply become another person I have to manage & instruct, rather than a help to my students.

To make matters worse, they often come to my classes with the same math issues/phobias they developed when they were in school and unknowingly project those onto the kids they work with (who are often the most vulnerable in the first place)!!!

The worst one's will actually try to argue with me - in front of the class - when they think I'm doing something incorrectly, when in actuality, they have absolutely no clue what they're talking about. It absolutely infuriates the kids, frustrates me, and wastes far too much of all of our time...

[EmployeeoftheMonth]

The reality for me, as a high school math teacher, is that regardless of how many special needs students I have in my classes, EA's (SETA's in my district) are of essentially no value to me. There are very few EA's/SETA's in my district capable of competently doing math beyond a grade 7/8 level, so they simply become another person I have to manage & instruct, rather than a help to my students.

To make matters worse, they often come to my classes with the same math issues/phobias they developed when they were in school and unknowingly project those onto the kids they work with (who are often the most vulnerable in the first place)!!!

The worst one's will actually try to argue with me - in front of the class - when they think I'm doing something incorrectly, when in actuality, they have absolutely no clue what they're talking about. It absolutely infuriates the kids, frustrates me, and wastes far too much of all of our time...

While that's unfortunate that they argue with you (because they shouldn't) your expectation that they are able to teach the work is just as unfortunate.

Their job is primarily controlling and managing behaviors while helping the students to understand. There are aids out there that should only be used in very specific circumstances but (and I'm purely judging from this post so grain of salt the hell out of this) it seems perhaps your class room is a little too rigid for those kids to be successful. Helping the aids is helping the students.

[qball]

While that's unfortunate that they argue with you (because they shouldn't) your expectation that they are able to teach the work is just as unfortunate.

Their job is primarily controlling and managing behaviors while helping the students to understand. There are aids out there that should only be used in very specific circumstances but (and I'm purely judging from this post so grain of salt the hell out of this) it seems perhaps your class room is a little too rigid for those kids to be successful. Helping the aids is helping the students.

Where exactly did I say I expect EA's/SETA's to be able to "teach the work"?!

What I do expect is that, after sitting through a lesson and writing notes for those students with written output issues, an adult in my classroom should be able to help students work through any problems/issues they're having with the material. And to be clear, I'm talking about Math 8 or Math 9 here - not Pre-Calculus 12. It's not 'rocket science' at this level: ratios, rates, proportions, percent, area, surface area, volume, basic algebra... Things a 'somewhat' educated adult should be able to manage.

In terms of "controlling and managing behaviours", these are rarely issues when students are able to do the work required of them. When they can't do the work, or get access to the assistance/support required to help them through it, the inappropriate behaviours start to appear. When I have to spend 10+ minutes every class, explaining to an EA/SETA why what they're trying to do is wrong or doesn't work, that is time I can't spend working with students - helping them find their mistakes, fix them and ultimately begin to understand the material. Even worse is the time it takes to correct problems students are having because they followed incorrect instructions from an EA/SETA.

Don't get me wrong, there are many situations in my school where an EA/SETA is an invaluable help. Unfortunately, without some basic content knowledge and confidence, my Math classroom isn't one of them.

[EmployeeoftheMonth]

Where exactly did I say I expect EA's/SETA's to be able to "teach the work"?!

What I do expect is that, after sitting through a lesson and writing notes for those students with written output issues, an adult in my classroom should be able to help students work through any problems/issues they're having with the material. And to be clear, I'm talking about Math 8 or Math 9 here - not Pre-Calculus 12. It's not 'rocket science' at this level: ratios, rates, proportions, percent, area, surface area, volume, basic algebra... Things a 'somewhat' educated adult should be able to manage.

In terms of "controlling and managing behaviours", these are rarely issues when students are able to do the work required of them. When they can't do the work, or get access to the assistance/support required to help them through it, the inappropriate behaviours start to appear. When I have to spend 10+ minutes every class, explaining to an EA/SETA why what they're trying to do is wrong or doesn't work, that is time I can't spend working with students - helping them find their mistakes, fix them and ultimately begin to understand the material. Even worse is the time it takes to correct problems students are having because they followed incorrect instructions from an EA/SETA.

Don't get me wrong, there are many situations in my school where an EA/SETA is an invaluable help. Unfortunately, without some basic content knowledge and confidence, my Math classroom isn't one of them.

To some people it might as well be.

I'm just saying perhaps part of the problem is your expectations. There seems to be an awful lot of finger pointing however I can see where you're coming from and understand how that would be frustrating. Most aids should be placed in certain situations based on their strengths, but I believe the same thing about teachers to be fair.

[aGENT]

Only the sheeple with blind support for the Liberal party believe CC anymore.

Here she is reading from a script (as usual) And doing what she does best; Spin, spin, spin.

My favorite part is when she takes credit for BC's successful student outcomes

Don't know if this has been posted yet but it seems some folks in here likely would be interested.

https://www.change.org/p/bc-citizens-recall-premier-christy-clark

Help stop the BC Liberal's systematic and intentional destruction of the public systems that support our most needy and complete disregard for our democratic and legal systems.

This of course begs the question of who do we replace her with?

[Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw]

Iker calls again for arbitration, Fassbender refuses again. Week 3, here we come.

[Common sense]

Don't know if this has been posted yet but it seems some folks in here likely would be interested.

https://www.change.org/p/bc-citizens-recall-premier-christy-clark

This of course begs the question of who do we replace her with?

I suppose it's possible to recall her as the MLA for Westside-Kelowna (certain rules apply),

To dethrone her as the Premier, there would need to be a leadership nomination, in which case, those protesting her as the premier would need to become card-carrying BC Liberal members to cast a vote (oh the irony)

[aGENT]

I suppose it's possible to recall her as the MLA for Westside-Kelowna (certain rules apply),

To dethrone her as the Premier, there would need to be a leadership nomination, in which case, those protesting her as the premier would need to become card-carrying BC Liberal members to cast a vote (oh the irony)

I think if it got to the point of her being recalled, the liberals would be busier with PR concerns than worrying about CC's political career.

[Heretic]

Don't know if this has been posted yet but it seems some folks in here likely would be interested.

https://www.change.org/p/bc-citizens-recall-premier-christy-clark

This of course begs the question of who do we replace her with?

Yeah...I agree with you there...maybe you should run J.R.?

[aGENT]

Yeah...I agree with you there...maybe you should run J.R.?

I'm WAY too honest and straightforward for politics. I'd never get elected.

[Heretic]

Instead they waste our tax dollars on misleading advertising...

Province once again rejects BCTF’s call for binding arbitration

Education minister calls the request a “ploy” to gain public support

Anita Bathe September 8, 2014 3:23 pm

VICTORIA (NEWS1130) – BC’s education minister is once again rejecting a proposal from the BC Teachers’ Federation for binding arbitration.

Peter Fassbender says there are two very clear things in his mind. “One, I believe the BCTF executive knew when they called for [binding arbitration] that this government would not agree to it. That ploy was to make them look like they’re trying to be reasonable, trying to come to a path to a settlement through binding arbitration.”

He says the proposal for binding arbitration is the BCTF’s attempt to deflect any responsibilities from itself and put it all on the government. “I can say very clearly, we want to negotiate a settlement, we want a mediated settlement. We do not want the pre-conditions that have been put on, even in the suggestion of arbitration, those should not even be in the mediation discussions because that’s what mediation is all about.”

Fassbender says binding arbitration won’t be considered by the government because it takes the responsibility away from both parties and gives it to a third-party. “That is not in the cards. It is not fiscally responsible to do that for the taxpayers of British Columbia.”

“Today I am saying to Mr. Iker, if you’re serious about wanting to get a settlement, why do you not do what I asked you a week-and-a-half ago? Ask your members this Wednesday for the ability for the executive to suspend strike action for whatever period of time would be involved for us to negotiate and mediate a final settlement.”

When it comes to the issues of class size and composition, Fassbender says the government wants to negotiate those at the table. ”When I had Mr. Iker and Mr. Cameron in my office, I said ‘let us take the court case and any attendent results of any grievances that are attached and put it to the side until it runs its course. None of us know how long that’s going to be, let’s park it. But, let’s deal with class size and composition at the bargaining table.”

He adds it even says in the court ruling those issues should be dealt with at the table. “The ruling was based on a previous contract, that contract no longer exists. To suggest you put everything aside until a court rules means that we’re not going to negotiate class size and composition? We need to negotiate it, we’ve said that.”

Earlier, Iker announced teachers would vote on Wednesday on whether to end the strike if the province agreed to binding arbitration.

http://www.news1130.com/2014/09/08/province-once-again-rejects-bctfs-call-for-binding-arbitration/

[TOMapleLaughs]

"That ploy was to make them look like theyre trying to be reasonable, trying to come to a path to a settlement through binding arbitration."

Um, I think it worked.