To: Premier Gordon Campbell & Education Minister Shirley Bond

From: Vancouver Public Education Project

Re: Provincial school capital funding policy and the stalled seismic upgrade program

Some 800 seismically substandard schools have been identified in BC. BC parents were reminded just last May by the earthquake in Sichuan Province, China of the tragic results when schools collapse.

The Premier must address his government’s failure to follow through on his commitment to seismically upgrade all BC schools in 15 years. In Vancouver, 17 high-risk schools were given top priority, with a promise to complete seismic upgrades by 2008. To date, construction has yet to begin on most and none are finished. Why must our children attend schools that are often the most vulnerable buildings in our communities?

Related to this issue, the Premier recently announced a “Neighbourhoods of Learning” program to start in his own riding. This program exempts selected schools from the provincial rules that limit both the size and cost of school construction – or seismic reconstruction – based on the number of students enrolled. The exemption is to allow for extra space to accommodate community use of the school building – a well-established concept from which many school communities could benefit. Clearly the Premier has recognized the urgency of reviewing Provincial policy on educational facilities funding. However, the fact that two of the six pilot schools are within the Premier’s own riding raises serious equity concerns. This is especially the case when you consider that:

• 177 BC public schools outside the Premier’s constituency have been forced to close in the past 8 years.
• Provincial funding to existing community schools has been drastically cut.
• Other neighbourhoods and communities have had to build more modest new facilities.
• The pilot schools were selected without public consultation and without regard for the lengthy and costly public facilities review process undertaken by the Vancouver Board of Education
• Expanding the “Neighbourhoods of Learning” mandate province-wide and implementing other initiatives (publicly-funded early childhood programming) are laudable goals, but will have significant fiscal implications for Boards of Education, and
• If not properly funded, these initiatives may further derail the fundamental and critical task of making our public schools safe, effective, accessible learning environments for all K-12 school children.

Providing funds to fix serious deficiencies in the existing school system must be confirmed as a top priority.

We urge Premier Campbell to demonstrate to BC parents and education stakeholders how he intends to honour his 2005 promise to seismically upgrade all at-risk public schools in BC by 2019 – with clear milestones, timelines, accountability, annual budget allocations and reporting. We also expect that before rolling out new initiatives such as the Neighbourhoods of Learning, there be a clear commitment from government to provide the necessary additional funds, with priorities set in a transparent and equitable manner and proper consultation to ensure these are compatible with local priorities. The Province needs to stop expecting Boards of education to do more with shrinking dollars.

Signed by

Patti Bacchus is a former director of BC Society for Public Education and coordinator of Vancouver Parents for Successful Inclusion and parent of two children in Vancouver schools. She is a prospective Vision school board candidate.

Jane Bouey is former Vancouver school trustee, currently serves on the Vancouver School Board’s Pride Advisory Committee, and is a long time advocate for an inclusive, quality, public education system. She is a prospective COPE school board candidate.

Bill Bargeman is Past President of Vancouver Secondary Teachers Association. He is a prospective COPE school board candidate.

Julianne Doctor is a former Director of the BC Society for Public Education and is the current PAC chair and District Parent Advisory Council representative at Vancouver Technical Secondary.

Catherine Evans is a Director of the BC Society of Public Education and long-time public education advocate. She is a prospective Vision city council candidate.

Glen Hansman is the President of the Vancouver Elementary School Teachers Association.

Ruth Herman is a former Vancouver school trustee, chair of the COPE Education Committee and long-time education activist.

Barbara Laird is an advocate for people with developmental disabilities and has served for 15 years on the VSB’s Special Education Advisory Committee.

Helesia Luke is a Director of the BC Society for Public Education, parent and founding leader of the Vancouver Save our Schools. She is a prospective Vision school board candidate.

Allison McDonald is a Director of the BC Society for Public Education, and founding member of Vancouver Save our Schools.

Adrienne Montani is the Provincial Coordinator of First Call: BC Child & Youth Advocacy Coalition and a former Chair of the Vancouver School Board.

Kelly Read is a member of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council.

Dawn Steele is a founding leader of Vancouver SOS, parent and long-time advocate for special education.

Kathy Whittam is a founding Director of the Charter for Public Education Network and parent to a toddler and a teen.

Allan Wong is a Vancouver School Board trustee.

Starting in September 2008, articles, information and resources will be posted on this site about advocacy for Vancouver schools. In preparation for the upcoming Board of Education elections, we’ll be posting tools to help parents, educators and community groups organize all-candidates meetings. We’ll also be asking candidates for their views on the issues and posting their answers here on the “Election Report Card’ page.

We invite you to:

read about our activities and history show your support by adding your name and comments to on the ‘endorsers’ page bookmark this site for future reference and forward this link to your friends and colleagues

Since launching that letter, Project participants have organized additional initiatives including launching this website and planning an upcoming election ‘Report Card’ on school trustee candidates.

We invite you to participate in this project. Read the letter and add your support, add your thoughts on current education related news and visit often to read the latest on school board issues.

An Open Letter to Prospective School Board Candidates from the Vancouver Public Education Project

Vancouver’s public schools continue to be eroded by provincial underfunding, a narrow and flawed “accountability” agenda, and an absence of leadership at the school board level. Where once the VSB took leadership in recognizing the needs of its diverse student population by being an outspoken voice for adequate provincial funding, and by developing a model of public engagement in budget and policy formation, in recent years it has lapsed into reacting to events and/or apologizing for provincial assaults instead of standing up for students with a proactive strategy for defending and rebuilding public education.

A majority of our current trustees have publicly stated that it is educationally appropriate for thousands of students to learn in overcrowded classes. They have voted to reduce supports for vulnerable students, despite significantly increased enrolment of students with special needs. This impacts all classrooms and reduces the individual attention that all students need to achieve their potential.

Quality public education in Vancouver can not withstand this continued lack of vision, failure to advocate and loss of transparency. In the past three years, we’ve seen record numbers of school-aged children in Vancouver choosing alternatives to public schools (BC Stats, 2007). This decreased enrolment reflects an erosion of public confidence and is having a devastating impact on our schools as it further reduces funding and leads to possible school closures and further reductions to educational services to students.

Vancouver’s schools deserve to be adequately funded by government in order to meet the learning needs of all children. We need elected trustees who can effectively advocate for that funding, not trustees who cut services to students.

The recently formed Vancouver Public Education Project (PEP) has come together to engage all advocates of a strong public education system to reverse the current direction and unite in ensuring that school trustees elected in the 2008 Board of Education elections are strongly committed to rebuilding confidence in Vancouver’s public schools. We want to see candidates committed to a broad, comprehensive vision of public education, working together in a united effort to stand up for our schools and our students.

The undersigned representatives of parents, educators and the public hereby call on all prospective progressive school board candidates to unite and join us in this effort.

Further, we also call on progressive trustee candidates who are considering running in the 2008 Board of Education election and who share our commitment to restoring confidence in Vancouver’s Public Schools to run under a common slate with a common platform and participate in a common campaign. Further, we call on our friends, co-workers, neighbours and colleagues to add their names to this letter to demonstrate their support of a common slate, platform and campaign – one that is dedicated to rebuilding Vancouver’s public education system.Signed by:

Patti Bacchus is a former director of BC Society for Public Education and coordinator of Vancouver Parents for Successful Inclusion and parent of two children in Vancouver schools.

Jane Bouey is former Vancouver school trustee, currently serves on the Vancouver School Board’s Pride Advisory Committee, and is a long time advocate for an inclusive, quality, public education system.

Bill Bargeman is Past President of Vancouver Secondary Teachers Association.

Julianne Doctor is a former Director of the BC Society for Public Education and is the current Chair of Vancouver’s District Parent Advisory Council.

Catherine Evans is a Director of the BC Society of Public Education and longtime public education advocate.

Glen Hansman is the President of the Vancouver Elementary School Teachers Association.

Barbara Laird is an advocate for people with developmental disabilities and has served for 15 years on the VSB’s Special Education Advisory Committee.

Helesia Luke is a Director of the BC Society for Public Education, parent and founding leader of the Vancouver Save our Schools.

Allison McDonald is a Director of the BC Society for Public Education and is the Chair of King George Secondary School PAC.

Adrienne Montani is the Provincial Coordinator of First Call: BC Child & Youth Advocacy Coalition and a former Chair of the Vancouver School Board.

Kelly Read is a member of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council.

Dawn Steele is a founding leader of Vancouver SOS, parent and long-time advocate for special education.

Kathy Whittam is a founding Director of the Charter for Public Education Network and parent to a tot and a teen.

We invite you to endorse this letter by clicking here or the comment link below and adding your name.