Terry Locke Answers
Q: What aspect of school district operations do you think need to be changed?
I believe the budget process should be changed to a committee of stakeholders for input from October to March of each year.
Q: What or which position did you support during the recent teachers’ strike?
I took the position that the government created the entire mess by not bargaining in good faith. They did this knowing that they would pass legislation taking away the teacher’s rights to bargain.
I support the teachers on this issue as the government fully anticipated that the only reaction left to the teachers was to strike.d
Q: Do you feel there are too many special needs children in a class room? What will you do to be sure these children receive the help they need?
I believe that Special Needs includes a number of categories. I believe we have to research the model we are currently using for the delivery of education to all the categories and make sure it works for the classroom in general.
What are your priorities in dealing with a system which is under funded?
I believe Trustees should be continually lobbying government for proper funding which would include a funding formula that works. We have to get back to some targetted funding and not have any flexibility on targetted funds.
Q: What plans do you have to help dilute the current tension between the School Board and the Teachers Association?
I think most of the tension is again created by government through their bargaining association, BCPSEA. I commend the principals for their understanding and goodwill shown at the picket lines. This will help to settle the situation.
The provincial government directed School Boards not to spread the days of lost wages over a number of months. Unfortunately, School Boards acccepted this mean-spirited directive. I truly believe that this represents a lost opportunity to show compassion and support to our outstanding teaching staff.
Q: How will you communicate to the broader public and appease their concerns?
I believe we should create a Trustee’s Newsletter and send it home every two months.
Q: Do you have any comments on the report recently released by Vince Ready? What impact do you think it will have on you as a School Board Trustee?
I don’t believe the Ready Report and the recommendations were up to the high standards expected of him. If the government was serious about the concerns put forward by teachers, they would have appointed Mr. Ready as an Industrial Inquiry Commissioner with binding arbitration authority.
Q: The present bargaining process between the government, school boards and teachers obviously does not work well. What are your major goals for a new bargaining process?
All the trouble in education started with provincial bargaining protocols that meant the government had to approve everything that school districts did at the bragaining table through their agent, BCPSEA.
My view is that we should bargain regionally with our employer groups and BCPSEA should be disbanded.
I believe the budget process should be changed to a committee of stakeholders for input from October to March of each year.
Q: What or which position did you support during the recent teachers’ strike?
I took the position that the government created the entire mess by not bargaining in good faith. They did this knowing that they would pass legislation taking away the teacher’s rights to bargain.
I support the teachers on this issue as the government fully anticipated that the only reaction left to the teachers was to strike.d
Q: Do you feel there are too many special needs children in a class room? What will you do to be sure these children receive the help they need?
I believe that Special Needs includes a number of categories. I believe we have to research the model we are currently using for the delivery of education to all the categories and make sure it works for the classroom in general.
What are your priorities in dealing with a system which is under funded?
I believe Trustees should be continually lobbying government for proper funding which would include a funding formula that works. We have to get back to some targetted funding and not have any flexibility on targetted funds.
Q: What plans do you have to help dilute the current tension between the School Board and the Teachers Association?
I think most of the tension is again created by government through their bargaining association, BCPSEA. I commend the principals for their understanding and goodwill shown at the picket lines. This will help to settle the situation.
The provincial government directed School Boards not to spread the days of lost wages over a number of months. Unfortunately, School Boards acccepted this mean-spirited directive. I truly believe that this represents a lost opportunity to show compassion and support to our outstanding teaching staff.
Q: How will you communicate to the broader public and appease their concerns?
I believe we should create a Trustee’s Newsletter and send it home every two months.
Q: Do you have any comments on the report recently released by Vince Ready? What impact do you think it will have on you as a School Board Trustee?
I don’t believe the Ready Report and the recommendations were up to the high standards expected of him. If the government was serious about the concerns put forward by teachers, they would have appointed Mr. Ready as an Industrial Inquiry Commissioner with binding arbitration authority.
Q: The present bargaining process between the government, school boards and teachers obviously does not work well. What are your major goals for a new bargaining process?
All the trouble in education started with provincial bargaining protocols that meant the government had to approve everything that school districts did at the bragaining table through their agent, BCPSEA.
My view is that we should bargain regionally with our employer groups and BCPSEA should be disbanded.
posted by tony cooke |
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