[BC省新聞] There will be a price to pay if teachers don't write report cards face, job, teachers, receive, reports

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There will be a price to pay if teachers don’t write report cards, employer says

British Columbia’s teachers could face financial penalties if they refuse to issue report cards this December, according to their employer.
On Friday — the day B.C.’s high school students didn’t receive their midterm reports due to teachers’ job action — B.C. Public Schools Employers’ Association chairwoman Melanie Joy said teachers could pay the price if report cards don’t go home in December.
“It’s really important for the parents to have those marks,” Joy said. “We have asked the teachers not to escalate the strike — we see that as an escalation if they choose not to do report cards.
“The employer does have options that we can respond with. Two of the examples that have been put out to the public are the [benefit] premium payments being paid by the union rather than being paid by the employer, and cuts in pay.”
Public awareness of the ongoing labour dispute has been limited because, for the most part, classes are continuing as normal, but administration employees are taking on extra responsibilities and pressure on the system is building, according to Joy.
“At some point the employer will very carefully have to make the decision to put the pressure back on the union,” Joy said before admitting that a lockout of teachers is not a probable option right now.
B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Susan Lambert said teachers are “committed to communicating the progress of students with parents.”
Joy said, “I know some teachers are putting out marks by email or getting in touch with parents.”
Meanwhile, talks between the two sides have slowed over how and what to bargain. Teachers want to bargain professional development and job postings locally with school districts.
“That’s the only objective that doesn’t touch the cost mandate at all,” said Lambert. “We thought starting at that may be able to kick-start negotiations and create some momentum.
“We’ve shifted six items from the local table up to the province, but haven’t had any kind of counter-offer from government at all — there’s no willingness to compromise.”
Joy responded, “Some of the issues with bargaining locally is ... around the lack of expertise we have in our districts now.
“It’d be difficult to go bargaining against the BCTF — it’d never be truly local bargaining.”
When asked about the ability of the BCTF to outmanoeuvre local school districts at the bargaining table Lambert said, “You know who the heavy hitters are? Teachers.

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“What we want is a process where teachers bargain across the table with school district administration and school trustees.”

As the labour dispute drags on, a four-day week is appearing to be the norm for Vancouver’s public high school students, with Friday being another non-instructional day.

Labour Day, Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day holidays combine with professional development and district closures days to make eight of the 15 school weeks just four days long this fall.

The majority of school weeks after Christmas break could also be short (14 out of 24 weeks) depending on when each Vancouver public school schedules its individual professional development days.

This was a bid by the Vancouver school board to save money after last school year’s $18-million budget shortfall.

“Lots of districts did go to a four-day week,” Lambert said. “It has nothing to do with sound educational principles.”

Vancouver district teachers now get six professional development days.

“As a parent, I have to say you never want your kids to not be in school,” said Joy. But, she added, “Those professional development days are important as well — you can’t dismiss the importance of those when used properly.”

A current BCTF proposal includes giving teachers an additional five paid days per year for professional activities.

Lambert said these days would be taken at different times by teachers and not result in additional days off for students.
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High Schools around the lower mainland were quiet on Friday afternoon, October21, 2011 as the students had a Pro-D day. The students did not receive their midterm reports because of ongoing bargaining between the teachers and the province.