This is an open Letter to MLA's Pat Bell and Shirley Bond:
On behalf of the 900 teachers teaching in School District #57 I am formally asking you to speak on behalf of the students, parents, teachers and trustees with both Education Minister George Abbott and Premier Clark in regards to giving our local school Board some budgetary certainty in their efforts to plan for the 2011-2012 school year.
As you know the BC Supreme Court, after a nine year delay, recently found your government to have violated the Charter rights of all BC teachers by enacting Bills 27 and 28 in 2002.
These Acts along with the Amendment Act of 2004 have been ruled invalid and unconstitutional. Your government will be on the hook for costs and damages as well as being responsible for repairing the damage you have done to the learning environment in our schools.
Justice Griffin gave your government until April 2012 to address the repercussions of your illegal actions. I am asking you to begin making amends before that date in the interests of our learners and teachers. Currently the school Board is preparing a budget without any information about what you will be doing to repair the damage your illegal legislation inflicted. The effects of Bills 27 and 28 have been to remove 40 per cent of the learning specialist teachers from our schools.
These learning assistance teachers, special needs teachers, counsellors and librarians should be back in our schools this September meeting the needs of our learners and you should not force our local Board to do a massive mid year reorgansization due to your reluctance to follow the direction of the Courts in a timely manner. I ask that you provide our Board with budgetary certainty and resources so that they may follow the judgement and be legally organized for this September.
You acted illegally in 2002 in an effort to cut 275 million in funding from public education, be honourable and follow the law now that you know what you did was wrong and illegal.
Matt Pearce
Vice-president P.G. district teachers Association
Prince George
