It has been nothing more than an expensive babysitting service the last few weeks anyways. No one has been hardly anything anyways.

The teachers said that they would not be on strike Monday and parents and students planned accordingly. Now they tell them that today is the kids last day of school. How does that affect elementary kids that now have a couple hours notice that they have to say goodbye to their teacher today? This is not putting the kids first. This sneaky move over Monday’s “study session” just cost them a lot of support.

Not like this has been a big surprise secret gitterdun. The Liberal government has had over 24 months to settle a contract. The easiest target to blame is the BCTF. I support the teachers. Most teachers would like nothing better than to have this settled and have their students finish the last couple of weeks. But when they have to deal with a bully what option do they have. The 10% roll back was a slap in the face and escalated this to this level.

57chevy…..

Is your version of the Liberal government settling the contract to simply give the teachers every single thing they want???

And I guess your version of a “bully” is a government who just doesn’t questions the teachers demands and simply pays???????

Your version is much better gimmeabreak.

57chevy..

Yes how dare the teachers want a limit on class sizes, how dare special needs students get TA’s so the teacher can focus on teaching, how dare our kids want a good solid education.

But I guess in your eyes its all about wages. ( if you work I am sure you would love to work for less and less money every year )I guess in your eyes its okay for he government to rip up legal binding contracts ( which they got a 2 million dollar fine for)

Crusty Clark can charge $475,000 on her credit card for a year that I am sure thats okay in your eyes as well.. its only twice as much as our previous premier.. so when she said families first.. I guess she meant hers only.

Funding for students has gone from #2 in Canada to the second lowest under the BC Liberals. And you wonder why there have been issues with the BCTF and this gov’t?

I googled BC TEachers salary grid:
http://www.bctf.ca/uploadedfiles/public/bargainingcontracts/teachersalaryrankings2013-14brief.pdf
A first year teacher with a Bachelor’s degree : $45909
After 10 years teaching, which it takes to reach the maximum:$74353
That doesn’t seem to be a lot for people who take 6 years of university to become a teacher. In fact it’s probably a lot less than the income of some of the posters who attack teachers.

“Yes how dare the teachers want a limit on class sizes, how dare special needs students get TA’s so the teacher can focus on teaching, how dare our kids want a good solid education”
Those are all nice little feel good talking points from the BCTF P Val but there is a problem. Not one of those items is being negotiated in this contract, nor can it be. So that’s leaves wages and benefits. Pretty tough to get public support when the negotiations are all about the wallet EH?

Oh man…I make much more than 75 grand a year….and I didn’t go through 6 years of university….

People are quick to jump down teachers throats. They keep saying that it should be about the kids. Well…you know what? It’s damn expensive to live in this country these days. When the average home runs 400k and the price of everything keeps going up you can see where the teachers have to say that enough is enough and more money is needed.

The problem is….where does that money come from? Us taxpayers. You can’t get blood from a stone. I can’t afford to pay any more taxes. Can you?

Then where is the Government in all this? Those greedy SOB’s are quick to vote themselves hefty pay increases year after year with little regard as to where the money comes from. They say that they need good wages to attract good people. Well…you know what? That argument is a two way street. You need good wages to attract GOOD teachers!

I know LOTS of public sector employees that are only in the public sector because their spouse or partner makes good money in the private sector. Ask a ‘part time’ paramedic just how many hours they need to work in order to make a ‘living’ wage.

I have a great idea. Lets roll back political wages and pensions and start paying the people who really do all the work more money.

It is up to the Union to propose a new contract to the government to initiate negotiations. As far as I’m aware, the BCTF didn’t even make any proposals until last minute.

Posted by: 57chevy
The Liberal government has had over 24 months to settle a contract

BC Education Minister Fassbender even spoke to the lack of a proposal from the teachers and their Union with this quote:

“We’ve been asking the BCTF to put their offer on the table this whole time. The bottom line is, we have said consistently we want to stay and negotiate but the BCTF needs to come to the table.”

It is hard to make a deal when you don’t even have a proposal.

“I’m aware, the BCTF didn’t even make any proposals until last minute.”
timeforjustice, then what are the comments teachers’ outrageous demands based on ?

I don’t believe very much that this gov’t comes out with. Remember the Liberals saying that there would be no HST?
Why would you decide now that they deserve any credibility?

BC Liberals = arrogance, deceit & lies.

When considering the provincial budget, I can’t help but wonder value do we get for our resources?
It seems ridiculous to me that such a resource rich province should rate 12th out of 13 in education spending
among provinces and territories and 9th out of 10 among provinces.
In the soft wood lumber dispute, I recall an American telling me that they were doing us a favour. He said that Washington state was not prepared to give its trees away so cheaply.

The Liberals are very good at appointing their friends to various boards, such as the BC Ferries Board (an entity that I’m sure WAC Bennett never envisioned) at $40000 to $50000 per year each.

The Liberals attack on teachers stems, I believe, because teachers were critical of the Liberals lack of support for education. Hence, for 12 years the Liberals have been targeting education and teachers particularly.
I do not believe the Liberals are concerned about or care about students.

I also believe the following post by OsborneNovels in The Province:
Anyone who belittles teachers is ignorant in the extreme. I’m not a teacher, but as a parent and grandparent I must say they are the unsung heros as keepers of the education of our most valuable resource.

Screw the BCTF and their minions. “it’s all for the kids” BS dosen’t wash.

I would have compassion for teachers,but their same old expression, “isn’t your child worth it” bull. My child is worth any good education, just too bad the children can’t get a good education with more bad than good teachers out there. Don’t get me wrong, there is good teachers out there that care about their students, but most don’t as by the years my children have spent in the school system. Smaller classes, less work load, but pay me more because ” isn’t your child worth it?”