Municipal Election
I hope that all of you in Vancouver are planning on voting on Saturday. Here's where you can find out where you vote and how to register / get a ballot when you arrive: http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/ctyclerk/election2005/index.htm
1. The current board have been unfailing advocates for public education. The board consists of child-care advocates, inner-city advocates, disability activists, queers, check your head members and ex-teacher-union presidents. They have successfully passed motions curtailing advertising in schools, promoting class size and composition language in our "contract", and seriously undermined the totalitarian way that board and senior management have dealt with rank-and-file school board employees. This last effort has created better relationships between teachers and administrators, teachers and Parent groups, and effectively created more autonomy for individual schools to focus on or address needs of their particular school communities.
2. The current board has acted as an opposition to the Liberal government. They have blocked, stalled or minimized the effect of terrible cuts to schools. For example, when we recieved our last round of funding cuts, the board passed a budget that only removed staffing from management and district positions. No teaching or school staff were laid off. (funny how that works... getting rid of one principal saved 3 teachers).
3. They're wacky and smart. Read Andrea Reimer's blog. http://www.vangreens.bc.ca/andrea/ Angela Kenyon gave a campaign speech that included a limerick ending in "proletarian".
4. They are the first trustees I have ever heard invoke discussion about civil society when talking about education. They espouse and carry out an approach to education that includes working for social change while at the same time not losing sight of the minutia of day-to-day operations.
5. My job and others like it: This board has the first PRIDE advisory committee in the world, and has facilitated the creation of a flourishing Social Responsibility committee that, despite its liberal name, has brought antihomophobia and queer advocacy policies into effect, funded a full-time antiracism position, a half-time antihomophobia position, and supported initiatives for student leadership that explicitly name activism as a goal. While there is always room for improvment here, I think that with another term they can finish what they've started.
These trustees have spent the last 3 years making silk purses out of sow's ears. I have more to say if you are interested. SATURDAY!!!! VOTE!!!!!
1. The current board have been unfailing advocates for public education. The board consists of child-care advocates, inner-city advocates, disability activists, queers, check your head members and ex-teacher-union presidents. They have successfully passed motions curtailing advertising in schools, promoting class size and composition language in our "contract", and seriously undermined the totalitarian way that board and senior management have dealt with rank-and-file school board employees. This last effort has created better relationships between teachers and administrators, teachers and Parent groups, and effectively created more autonomy for individual schools to focus on or address needs of their particular school communities.
2. The current board has acted as an opposition to the Liberal government. They have blocked, stalled or minimized the effect of terrible cuts to schools. For example, when we recieved our last round of funding cuts, the board passed a budget that only removed staffing from management and district positions. No teaching or school staff were laid off. (funny how that works... getting rid of one principal saved 3 teachers).
3. They're wacky and smart. Read Andrea Reimer's blog. http://www.vangreens.bc.ca/andrea/ Angela Kenyon gave a campaign speech that included a limerick ending in "proletarian".
4. They are the first trustees I have ever heard invoke discussion about civil society when talking about education. They espouse and carry out an approach to education that includes working for social change while at the same time not losing sight of the minutia of day-to-day operations.
5. My job and others like it: This board has the first PRIDE advisory committee in the world, and has facilitated the creation of a flourishing Social Responsibility committee that, despite its liberal name, has brought antihomophobia and queer advocacy policies into effect, funded a full-time antiracism position, a half-time antihomophobia position, and supported initiatives for student leadership that explicitly name activism as a goal. While there is always room for improvment here, I think that with another term they can finish what they've started.
These trustees have spent the last 3 years making silk purses out of sow's ears. I have more to say if you are interested. SATURDAY!!!! VOTE!!!!!