The week
Monday magazine
By: John Threlfall
August 27, 2008

…“The ideal class size depends on the mix of students, the teacher, the additional resources that may be available to assist that teacher and the subject matter being taught,” says Bond. “This balanced approach ensures school districts have the flexibility to meet the varied needs of students while recognizing the importance of class size. We have also created a process for consultation so that parents and educators have the opportunity to be a part of the creation of classes that best meet the needs of students.”

Alas, this doesn’t fly with the BCTF. “A lot of promises were made, but nothing was delivered,” says Lanzinger. “The government refuses to provide the resources to get the job done. There is no new money to reduce class sizes and nothing to help students with special needs.”

Good thing there’s a pair of elections coming up during the 2008-09 school year. “Teachers in B.C. are looking forward to the opportunity to ensure education issues become top of mind as voters head to the municipal and provincial polls,” says Lanzinger. “We are going to work with parents in every community to protect public education and improve learning conditions . . . today, more than ever, we need to stand together to protect and enhance our public education system.”

Bond has no problem with this plan. “We believe locally elected [school board] trustees are in the best position to make decisions that affect education in their districts,” she says. “I assume any candidate running for a trustee position in British Columbia is interested in and committed to public education. That only makes sense. Having been a three-term school trustee, I worked with dedicated and ‘education-friendly’ trustees for years. I know that they run for public office because of how much they care about students and their success.”…