Welcome to another glimpse of my life in black and white. After reading my post, please continue on in the blog circle to see a glimpse of Melissa’s life in black & white.
It’s September… and it should be the second week of school for my son. Usually by now he is settled into his classroom, pencils sharpened and notebooks tucked into his desk. He would be telling me about who he gets to sit with, who is and isn’t in his class this year, and what his first impressions are of his new teacher. But this year is different.
Here he is waiting for his little brother to finish breakfast so we can leave the house. But he’s also waiting to start fourth grade.
This year has started the way the school year ended in June… no kids in the classroom and no teachers doing their jobs. Instead they are walking the picketlines outside of empty schools, trying to fight so my son can have an education he deserves.
The BC Government is slowing tearing away at the foundations of public education. Students in BC get $1000 each less funding than other provinces. Teachers are spending money out of pocket to create resources, learning materials and educational supports. Children with special needs are losing access to much needed supports. The government insists there is no money to meet the demands teachers are placing on them for (well deserved) wage increases, and class size and composition. While I understand budgeting, the government is also being unrealistic with it’s expectations of these hard working individuals. Class size restrictions and composition supports were stripped out of the contracts with teachers a few years ago. These need to be returned. Two courts have ruled that the government needs to bring this back. And yet, the fighting continues. Caught in the middle are the kids. Kids like my son, who is a well behaved student, who does his work and doesn’t need much help. The silent ones who don’t have behavioural issues or extra needs that demand more time. Classrooms have gotten so crowded and teachers are dealing with so many challenging students, they don’t have much time to spend with someone like my son. They don’t have help to deal with those that need extra attention. Their time is spread thin. My child deserves better than this. Yet we can’t afford to place him in private school. We can’t afford to have me stay home and homeschool him. Why should we have to do that? My husband and I were educated through the public school system. My children have a right to that same education.
Wage issues aside, these two opposing sides need to get it together. They need to negotiate, mediate, arbitrate… whatever it takes to get the kids in the classrooms – with the supports they need; with teachers who feel valued and supported; with the education they all deserve.
I am frustrated, tired, angry… and most of all sad for my son, and the thousands of other students out there waiting… just waiting…
