1. education
2. school

SCTA SPRING NEWSLETTER 2015
INSIDE:
Letters to the Editor
Post and Fill
Extended Health Benefits
Social Justice
Important Dates
Curling Bonspiel
SCTA Executive Nominations
Teacher Professional Development
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www.scta46.org
A NEW GENERATION OF SUNSHINE COAST TEACHERS
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree…
Jane, Peter & Mike Metcalfe
Sean & Stephanie Smith
Kurt, Chelsea & Mark Heidebrecht
Did you know?
A New Teacher Gathering, organized by the SCTA and SD 46 was held at the RC Golf Course on February 5.
The SCTA hosted BCTF New Teacher Workshops on October 23 and February 23. Our current Teacher FTE is
about 200 - there have been 52 new teachers inducted to the SCTA in the past 3 years! The SCTA and SD46
encourage and support Teacher Mentorship.
SCTA TEACHER CELEBRATION: Thursday, June 18, 2015 Roberts Creek Golf Club
Retiring Teachers to date: Lynn Moran, Helen Blank, Mary Chambers, Annie Kranenburg,
Rolf Drexl, Peter MacDonald, Karen Webb, Susan Mearns…
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Another Brick in the Wall
The Education Statutes Amendment Act - Bill 11 purports to strengthen
accountability. Bill 11, however, distracts attention from growing
concerns about underfunding in BC public schools. If government truly
cared about improving public education they would reverse cuts they
announced in February.
Bill 11 expands the minister’s ability to replace democratically elected
school board members with government appointments. By centralizing
control, the government forces school boards to make further cuts. In
other words: implement the cuts or we’ll do it for you. This Legislation,
apparently helpful in establishing a framework for teacher professional
development is irrelevant; teachers across the province successfully embrace locally determined topics for
their own continued learning toward improving practice and meeting students’ needs.
The Sunshine Coast Teachers’ Association and our School District actively promote and support numerous
meaningful initiatives. If government desires changes to professional development perhaps showing respect
for teachers’ professionalism and autonomy, and providing funds for training are good places to start.
While government pretends to find efficiencies their true agenda in cutting teacher positions, refusing to fund
seismic upgrades to buildings, reducing administration and school support staff is ever-apparent: dismantle
public education.
Louise Herle
Sunshine Coast Teachers’ Association President
Re: Editorial: “Cuts like a knife.” Friday, March 27, 2015
Thank you for your strong editorial about provincial cuts to public education. “Where is SD46 going to find its
share of … $54 million in ‘administrative savings’?” you ask. As a teacher and a parent, I agree that the
education every student is entitled to is at risk. I see first hand in the classroom how budget cuts each year
impact my students. Next year, there will not be as many books bought. Maybe we will run out of paper.
Some hungry students get a free cafeteria card at my school to buy lunch. I hope there is enough money for
free cards next year. Our school board chair, Betty Baxter, wrote a letter last week to Minister of Finance de
Jong telling him that our district has used any administrative savings long ago.
In the meantime, the government has put forward Bill 11, which has thrown out a red herring by taking away
control of professional development from the professionals, while at the same time, continues to restructure
public education. If Minister of Education Fassbender doesn’t think a board is doing a good enough job
cutting its budget, it can override the democratically elected board. There is no appeal. Which of our local
schools will Minister Fassbender close?
Are we democratic citizens going to sit by while the one of the foundations of our society, public education, is
destroyed? Thank you to brave editors who keep our attention to this crucial issue.
Susan Telfer
Teacher, Elphinstone Secondary
HEALTHY BUDDIES
Congratulations David Barnum & Valerie Ryden! nominated for the SFU Faculty of Education Cmolik Prize for
the Enhancement of Public Education in BC. http://www.sfu.ca/education/cmolik-prize/2015.html
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POST & FILL
Teacher Placement Night - Wednesday, April 29
District Administration is currently developing staffing plans: considering budgets, teacher seniority,
necessary qualifications, experience, leaves and retirements, as well as student enrollment. Teachers are
encouraged to consult their administrators regarding September 2015 assignments, school timetables and
schedules. A surplus line will be drawn: at or below this line all teachers may become surplus, pending
placements. Teachers will receive written notification of the date and time range that they must be available to
be contacted by telephone April 29. They will also receive an updated seniority list. SCTA President Louise
Herle and Vice President Karen Bozak will work at the SBO with Assistant Superintendent Greg Kitchen and
Human Resources Officer Tara Sweet on Teacher Placement Night. Selection of positions begins with the
most senior teacher. Teachers may only “bump” if they are displaced - either by being declared surplus prior
to, or by being bumped, on Teacher Placement Night.
This can be a stressful evening, particularly for those with less seniority; you are invited to contact SCTA Office
with any questions you may have, and to support your colleagues.
3 Key Points:
• Update your qualifications and experience with District Human Resources
• Be sure you understand the information available; ask questions so that you are equipped to
implement a ‘Plan B’ if necessary
• Consider more than one course of action: a Posting FTE cannot be split; however you may combine
Posting FTEs if scheduling permits
Teacher Placement Night is just the beginning of the 2015/16 Post & Fill process. If you bump into a position,
that new position becomes your FTE in this District. Regular Post & Fill continues after Teacher Placement
Night. You can regain FTE and apply for Continuing Positions. Posting periods will be for 3 DAYS ONLY from
May to September. After September 1 all postings will be Term Certain. Term Certain postings give you
temporary FTE.
Our District supports teacher-initiated transfers! Teachers have until May 31 to request an exchange with a
teacher at another school in this District as long as they are qualified for the job. Consult SCTA for details.
EXTENDED HEALTH BENEFIT CLAIMS
Pacific Blue Cross has updated their adjudication system and website to reflect the negotiated improvements
in the provincial standardized EHB plan. The improvements are retroactive to August 1, 2014. If you incurred
costs after August 1, 2014, and were reimbursed by PBC at the old benefit levels, you can now resubmit your
claims to be re-adjudicated for reimbursement at the new benefit levels.
For example, if a member purchased eye glasses in September and was reimbursed $200, the old limit, the
member can now fill out a special retroactive reimbursement form to receive up to an additional $200, as the
new limit for eye glasses is $400.
Teachers will find a summary of the improvements and new benefit levels, including the special Claims
Resubmission Form, on the PBC microsite for teachers at www.pac.bluecross.ca/teachers/.All resubmissions
for retroactive reimbursements must be submitted on the approved form, and must be submitted by mail.
The deadline for members to submit these retroactive claims for re-adjudication is April 30/15.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE
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REAL Men (Respect, Equality, Advocacy, Love):
Preventing Violence Towards Women on the Sunshine Coast.
You’re at a party and a group of your friends are talking and laughing when one of them makes a sexist
comment. It is offensive but a number of your friends laugh. Do you join in, do you ignore the comment and
walk away or do you take a stand and speak up?
A group of men and women on the Sunshine Coast are involved with a project entitled REAL Men. The
project will utilize the bystander approach, pioneered by Dr. Jackson Katz of Mentoring in Violence
Prevention (MVP) Strategies, which focuses on young men not as perpetrators or potential perpetrators, but
as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers and support abused ones. Likewise, the model
focuses on young women not as victims or potential targets of harassment and abuse, but as empowered
bystanders who can support abused peers and confront abusive ones. This positive approach has the effect of
reducing men’s defensiveness around the discussion of these issues, which provides the basis for the
emergence of more proactive and preventive responses.
Jackson Katz’ TED Talk: “Violence Against Women It’s a Men’s Issue”
www.ted.com/talks/jackson_katz_violence_against_women_it_s_a_men_s_issue?language=en
Over the next two months, the project organizers will be recruiting 20-30 key influencers in the community to
receive MVP training. This highly interactive workshop introduces the participants to the MVP philosophy
and prepares them to train a number of high school students with existing or developing leadership ability.
The key influencers will teach the high school “mentors” how to use MVP materials and lead small-group
discussions with younger students who are approaching the age of boyfriend/girlfriend relationships.
Promoting respectful and loving attitudes and advocating for equality in relationships at an early age will pave
the way for the prevention of violence towards women.
The recently released documentary about redefining the meaning of masculinity: The Mask You Live In
will be shown in April in Gibsons. The screening will be free to the public. Stay tuned for the exact date.
The Mask You Live In trailer: https://youtu.be/hc45-ptHMxo
The REAL Men project is presented by Sunshine Coast Community Services Society. Updates on the project
can be found on their website and Facebook page.
“Real Men” Advisory Committee Contacts:
David Hallstead,Teacher Gibsons Alternative School [email protected]
Wayne Spychka 604-885-5554 [email protected]
Moosehide Campaign www.moosehidecampaign.ca/
White Ribbon Canada www.whiteribbon.ca/
United Nations HeforShe campaign www.heforshe.org/
Men In Training www.facebook.com/MITmenintraining
BCTF AGM
SCTA Delegates gave up a portion of their spring break to network, discuss and debate on your behalf at the
BCTF AGM. Sincere thanks to Derek Apple, Louise Herle, Brett Jasch, Paddy MacCallum, Jay Walls.
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IMPORTANT DATES
SCTA
Committee Meeting
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Tuesday, April 7
Many thanks to Ian Thomson for
organizing the Curling Bonspiel!
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School PD Day
Friday, April 10
PD Committee Meeting
Tuesday, April 14
BCTF Pension Seminar SCTA Office
Friday, April 17
Earth Day
Wednesday, April 22
National Day of Mourning
Tuesday, April 28 11:00am Dougall Park Gibsons
Deadline for Nominations - SCTA Executive Positions
Tuesday, April 28
Social Justice Committee Meeting
Tuesday, April 28
Teacher Placement Night
Wednesday, April 29
District OH&S Meeting
Thursday, April 30
PD Day (.5 School / .5 Admin)
Monday, May 4
Diana Foster a new recruit to the SCTA team.
SCTA Executive Committee Meeting
Tuesday, May 5
School H&S Meetings
Thursday, May 7
Application Deadline - PD Grants
Friday, May 8
SCTA Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, May 12
International Day Against Homophobia
Saturday, May 16
Victoria Day Holiday
Monday, May 18
PD Committee Meeting
Tuesday, May 19
Social Justice Committee Meeting
Tuesday, May 26
District OH&S Meeting
Thursday, May 28
BCTF Representative Assembly
Friday, May 29 & Saturday, May 30
Joint SCTA Executive/PD/SJ Committee Meeting
Tuesday, June 2
Teacher Retirement Celebration
Thursday, June 18 Roberts Creek Golf & Country Club
National Aboriginal Day
Saturday, June 21
Admin Day
Friday, June 27
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
SCTA EXECUTIVE POSITIONS
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President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Local Representative to the BCTF
Communications Officer
Professional Development & Mentorship
Social Justice
TTOCs and New Teachers
Health and Safety
Aboriginal Education
All positions are elected, one-year terms
Deadline for nominations: Tuesday, April 28th, 2015
SCTA Constitution & By-Laws:
5.8.1 SCTA members must declare their intention to run for
executive positions 2 weeks prior to the AGM. All candidate
names will be communicated to SCTA members and school sites
via mass email, fax and posters in the school run.
5.8.2 Nominations from the floor of the AGM will be accepted
for any vacant SCTA Executive positions – positions that had no
nominees 2 weeks prior to the AGM.
SCTA Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
4:00 pm
Send nominations to SCTA Vice President
Karen Bozak – [email protected]
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TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
TRAVEL GRANTS 2015
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: MAY 5, 2015
!
One $2000.00 Out-of-Province Grant
Two $1000.00 In-Province Grants
to be drawn at the May 12 SCTA AGM
HOW TO APPLY
Email SCTA Professional Development & Mentorship Chair Paddy McCallum
[email protected]. Provide details including name and cost of the
event and travel, the reason you want to attend, and how you might
share your learning with other teachers in SD 46 upon your return.
Attend the May 12 SCTA AGM
in order to be eligible for the draw.
Applications due May 5, 2015
Louise Herle at Rideau Hall with the Governor General
November 4, 2014
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