50 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

A by-election for Schoolboard 61 will be held this month due to financial disclosure statements issues by the elected trustee, Catherine Alpha.

Advance polls are Wednesday, June 17, and Wednesday, June 24th, at the Victoria School Board offices on 556 Boleskine. Election night is on June 27th at 556 Boleskine.

One of the candidates in the running is Mark Walsh, who lost out in the last election by 1 position, and who has already served as trustee with SD61. He's a younger candidate and doesn't tow the party line, something we could use more of in this region.

[phx]

I predict an exceptionally low voter turnout.

[rjag]

What a waste of money. If she isnt eligible then the seat should be offered to the next in line. Problem solved, no taxpayers gouged.

Seemed all the other folks managed to fill their forms out correctly and on time, so crap happens, learn from it and be better prepared next time.

[think local]

A by-election for Schoolboard 61 will be held this month due to financial disclosure statements issues by the elected trustee, Catherine Alpha.

Advance polls are Wednesday, June 17, and Wednesday, June 24th, at the Victoria School Board offices on 556 Boleskine. Election night is on June 27th at 556 Boleskine.

One of the candidates in the running is Mark Walsh, who lost out in the last election by 1 vote, and who has already served as trustee with SD61. He's a younger candidate and doesn't tow the party line, something we could use more of in this region.

Doesn't to the party line? Have you checked the voting records? If so, you'll notice that he votes (I believe) without exception along with Tom Ferris, Jim Holland, and Michael McEvoy. If he were on the board now this list would include Dave Pitre.

Here is more information about Catherine Alpha's situation:

What happened?

The School District Secretary-Treasurer did not advise Catherine that her Election Financing disclosure forms were completed on the wrong forms until after both the initial deadline and the late-filing deadlines had passed. If these deadlines are missed by a Trustee, the Local Government Act clearly states that the Trustee must give up his or her seat and is barred from running in the next election. This is the situation Catherine has been put in.
Trustees rely heavily on the School District Secretary-Treasurer to assist them with their responsibilities. School Regulation 2110 sets out the following specific responsibilities of the Secretary-Treasurer:

• "ensures compliance with legal requirements imposed by the School Act and other legislation regarding financial, Trustee and Board related matters,"
• "ensures that the Board acts in a manner that complies with the law,"
• "responsible for assisting the Board in conducting its affairs effectively and efficiently,"
• "anticipates legal problems and advises the Board on action that may be required to deal with these matters,"
• "prepares information required by the Board,"
• "identifies and recommends matters requiring Board action," and
• "provides all possible support to Board ... where individual skills/experience are of use."

Catherine provided the School District, and thus into the care of the Secretary-Treasurer, all of the election financing information required by legislation on March 12 - before the filing deadline. However, the information was provided on the incorrect forms. Despite having these forms in his possession and despite the responsibilities listed under Regulation 2110, the Secretary-Treasurer reported the problem April 23, when it was too late for Catherine to resubmit the information on the correct forms.
Now the over 10,000 people who voted for Catherine have been disenfranchised and the School Board is committed to a costly, unanticipated, and possibly unnecessary By-Election.
What is Catherine doing now?

Catherine is taking all steps possible to resume her role as School Trustee and return to the Board of Education to continue with her election commitment to fight for fully-funded, quality public education.
Catherine immediately prepared and resubmitted her financial disclosure information on the correct forms. She has met the School District Superintendent, the Board of Education Chairperson, and the Deputy Minister of Education to explore all avenues that would lead to resumption of her responsibilities on School Board. As a VPEC member, she continues to work as closely as ever with VPEC and together we are determined to see her return to the Board to campaign for public education.
Catherine has written the Minister of Education (responsible for School Act) and the Minister of Community Development (responsible for Local Government Act) advising them of the circumstances of the disqualification from the School Board and asking them to exercise their authority to allow her to resubmit the financial disclosure documents so that she may resume her role as a duly-elected School Board Trustee. To date, the Ministers have not made any decision.
Catherine has retained legal counsel and has already identified legislation that may allow the BC Supreme Court to grant an extension of the filing time for the financial disclosure documents, or to provide other forms of relief from disqualification given the circumstances.
What is the current Board of School Trustees doing?

VPEC is disappointed that the majority of the Board (Tom Ferris, Dave Pitre, Jim Holland, Elaine Leonard, and Michael McEvoy) have proceeded with unnecessary haste to formalize Catherine's disqualification from the Board and to call an expensive By-Election.
Catherine advised the Board that the only issue with her financial disclosure was the format in which the information was presented and that it was otherwise complete and submitted on time. She also advised the Board that she would learn by the week of May 11 if the Ministers of Education and Community Development would extend the deadline for resubmitting her documents.
Despite the possibility of Catherine being reinstated shortly, these Board members convened an extraordinary Board meeting on May 4. The purpose of the meeting was to hear the Secretary-Treasurer's report that disqualified Catherine. These five Trustees then proceeded, again with unnecessary haste, to appoint a Chief Election Officer to conduct a By-Election to replace Catherine. As the remaining three Trustees (Bev Horseman, Peg Orcherton, and John Young) clearly argued in support of fair process, the appointment could and should have waited until May 15. Unfortunately, they were the minority and were not able to defeat the motion.
What is VPEC doing?

VPEC is supporting Catherine and fighting to keep strong voices for public education and adequate provincial funding at the School Board table.
We are asking questions!

• Why was it that the Secretary-Treasurer, whose responsibilities seem to so clearly point to assisting the Trustees with legal issues, reported the problem with Catherine's paperwork only after it was too late?
• Why are current Trustees acting with such haste to hear the formal disqualification of Catherine (one of the most outspoken Trustees for full public education funding) and to call a By-Election when there is time to wait to hear from the Minister of Education?

VPEC is raising money for the Legal Fund to Return Catherine to School Board. Catherine is hitting every avenue to resume her role as School Trustee. We will learn shortly if the BC Supreme Court will be the only alternative. A legal challenge before BC Supreme Court will cost thousands of dollars. Catherine cannot be expected to pay these costs personally. Catherine has already incurred legal costs from work done to prepare submissions to the Ministers of Education and the Minister of Community Development.

[martini]

Well I'll be voting for Mark. He's got the experience behind him as a trustee.

[think local]

We'll be voting for Tamara Malczewska who is most closely aligned with Catherine Alpha. We need strong advocates who will stand up for public education.

Mike, I hoping you'll share how it is that Mark doesn't tow the party line. This hasn't been my observation at all.

[think local]

Here's what other people in the community have to say about Tamara Malczewska:

"Tamara Malczewska has the brains and courage to advocate strongly for public education. Tamara's investigative and research skills will be valuable assets as the board strives to clarify it's values and accountability. Tamara works hard and her commitment to the future of public education is a boon to the citizens of SD61. I endorse her whole-heartedly."
Jessica Van der Veen
Founder, LANDS!
(Let's Agree Not To Dispose of Schools) "Compassionate, positive, organized, energetic, perceptive, skilled...
all of these words describe Tamara in her roles as parent and as Chair of the Viva Youth Choirs Society of Victoria. What wonderful attributes for a School Trustee!"
Connie Foss More
Artistic Director, Viva Choirs
"Tamara Malczewska is committed to continuous learning. Her belief - knowledge is power! - is at the core of her public service."
Peter McCoppin
Former conductor of Victoria Symphony,
Host Broadcaster and Executive Coach

What Tamara stands for:

Every child matters

• smaller class sizes

• full support for students with special needs

Schools for communities

• no public school closures

Access for all children

• full public funding for all programs

[Bob Fugger]

Here's what other people in the community have to say about Tamara Malczewska:
"Tamara Malczewska has the brains and courage to advocate strongly for public education. Tamara's investigative and research skills will be valuable assets as the board strives to clarify it's values and accountability. Tamara works hard and her commitment to the future of public education is a boon to the citizens of SD61. I endorse her whole-heartedly."
Jessica Van der Veen
Founder, LANDS!
(Let's Agree Not To Dispose of Schools) "Compassionate, positive, organized, energetic, perceptive, skilled...
all of these words describe Tamara in her roles as parent and as Chair of the Viva Youth Choirs Society of Victoria. What wonderful attributes for a School Trustee!"
Connie Foss More
Artistic Director, Viva Choirs
"Tamara Malczewska is committed to continuous learning. Her belief - knowledge is power! - is at the core of her public service."
Peter McCoppin
Former conductor of Victoria Symphony,
Host Broadcaster and Executive Coach

Based on these ringing endorsements, it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to guess what party line she'll be toeing.

As for Catherine Alpha, do we really want a trustee who can't even be trusted to fill her paperwork in properly? Even more damning is that she was running as part of a slate and therefore had a support network assisting her.

[Jill]

I will also cast a vote for Tamara. Given the number of trustees on the board who have served multiple terms, I can't see that Mark Walsh's "experience" is needed. I'd rather hear a new voice, especially given the way so many of the returning trustees have handled the Catherine Alpha situation.

[martini]

I will also cast a vote for Tamara. Given the number of trustees on the board who have served multiple terms, I can't see that Mark Walsh's "experience" is needed. I'd rather hear a new voice, especially given the way so many of the returning trustees have handled the Catherine Alpha situation.

Another new voice would be Paul Greig.

[rjag]

Got home today and theres a recorded message from the GVTA asking me to vote for Tamara......She just lost my vote.

I'm more interested in someone who will be an independent thinker and theres no way she will come across as that with the local union pumping her up.

Just a typical case of get the seat and nepotism will follow.....

[think local]

The GVTA had a very, straight forward and transparent criteria for supporting trustee candidates.

It is as follows:

• reject class sizes & compositions unsuitable for student learning
• oppose the misuse of standardized tests and the FSA
• only support a needs budget
• insist on open, public school board meetings
• rebuild collaborative decision making
• oppose school closures and the sale of school lands
• support full, free, local collective bargaining

What objection do you have to this list? Is there a problem with Tamara agreeing with any of these criteria...because that's all that's been done here. Tamara agreed with these statements and was therefore, endorsed strongly by the GVTA. The GVTA Annual General Meeting based on this, said that Tamara was a good candidate and was deserving of support.

The GVTA has only directed messages to it's own active and retired members, encouraging support for Tamara. No teacher was instructed who to vote for. The GVTA knows that teachers will always make up their own mind.

rjag, are there any of these principles listed above that you disagree with?

I'm sorry rjag, that you think the trustee election boils down to whether the teachers association supports candidates or not. What matters to me is whether the candidate will be an advocate for class size, open transparency, appropriate class composition, won't participate in the sale of schools and stands up for full public funding.

[Bob Fugger]

^^Maybe I don't not understand economics too good, but I don't get this kneejerk opposition to school closures. Why, in this age if fiscal restraint/uncertainty, would someone not look at liquidating underperforming capital assets in order to fund other programs? Look, most schools were built at a time when families were having 2-3 kids and numbers warranted all of this construction. But as the birth rate has plummeted, why do we need to keep all of these surplus buildings heated and grounds mowed? To me, it's simple demographics.

[LJ]

It is as follows:

• reject class sizes & compositions unsuitable for student learning
• unsuitable in who's estimation? The GVTA? Give me a break!
• oppose the misuse of standardized tests and the FSA
• misuse in who's estimation? the GVTA? LOL
• only support a needs budget
• more like a "wants" budget
• insist on open, public school board meetings
• no problem
• rebuild collaborative decision making
• collaboration among whom? parents and the school board - no problem
• oppose school closures and the sale of school lands
• is there not an economist among you who can tell you this is pure feather bedding?
• support full, free, local collective bargaining
• ahhh the old whipsaw eh?

.

..

[think local]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jill
I will also cast a vote for Tamara. Given the number of trustees on the board who have served multiple terms, I can't see that Mark Walsh's "experience" is needed. I'd rather hear a new voice, especially given the way so many of the returning trustees have handled the Catherine Alpha situation.

Another new voice would be Paul Greig.

I'm surprised by an "endorsement" of sorts for both Mark Walsh and Paul Grieg. They appear to me as polar opposites, Paul being fairly closely instinct with Tamara and Catherine. Paul has spoken very openly at public meetings stating that he believes the only right decision is to reinstate Catherine Alpha.

Quote:
Originally Posted by think local
It is as follows:

• reject class sizes & compositions unsuitable for student learning
• unsuitable in who's estimation? The GVTA? Give me a break!
• oppose the misuse of standardized tests and the FSA
• misuse in who's estimation? the GVTA? LOL
• only support a needs budget
• more like a "wants" budget
• insist on open, public school board meetings
• no problem
• rebuild collaborative decision making
• collaboration among whom? parents and the school board - no problem
• oppose school closures and the sale of school lands
• is there not an economist among you who can tell you this is pure feather bedding?
• support full, free, local collective bargaining
• ahhh the old whipsaw eh?

.

Are you suggesting class size and composition are educationally sound for students the way they are now? Are you suggesting teachers know nothing about good or appropriate testing? Or that the budget deficits now and the inadequate funding formula are able to meet the needs of all public school students as exists right now? Feather bedding???? Local bargaining meets the needs in local communities. Provincial bargaining is a waste of time and doesn't meet the varying needs in individual communities.

I'm curious what Mark Walsh thinks of local, collective bargaining now that he too is a union member? This is a serious curiosity and a good question for the upcoming candidate forum if it does indeed take place.

Selling schools is not a financially responsible decision to make. With rising costs of real estate and little sizable land left to purchase what will happen when declining enrollments are a thing of the past and these schools are needed again. Long term leases are also a problem. There are many solutions that involve community and keeping schools in communities that should be addressed before any talk of school closures are even entertained, never mind decided before community consultation has even occurred, as has been the case in the past.

It is interesting to hear that at a recent school based trustee candidate forum, the 4 running candidates were asked their thoughts on school closures. I heard that Mark Walsh suggested he'd made a mistake when voting to close schools and wouldn't do it again. Yet when these trustees that voted in favour of closing schools talked in the past they've said that they had no choice but to close them. I wasn't at the recent forum so didn't hear this first hand but if Catherine Alpha isn't reinstated and the by-election continues this would be a good question for the upcoming trustee candidate forum.

[rjag]

The GVTA had a very, straight forward and transparent criteria for supporting trustee candidates.

It is as follows:

• reject class sizes & compositions unsuitable for student learning
  Give me a break. What standards will you base this test on, National, International, or a Dart board? No 2 classes are the same and stuff like this is the old square peg and round hole argument
• oppose the misuse of standardized tests and the FSA
  Listen, its a job, teachers get paid to be there for so many hours a day and if their employer asks them to do something they dont like, well fine, they can talk to the employer, express their concerns, but at the end of the day, if the boss wants it, then just do it. Teachers are so paranoid that they will be 'exposed' as under performers. Ive yet to read about a teacher being fired for underperforming, face it keep your head down and unless you're a pervert odds are you can underperform all the way to your indexed pension.
• only support a needs budget
  Again, teachers should....teach. If they want to be administrators and budget, then prove everyone else to be wrong, open a private school with union money and run it based on all the demands placed by the union.
• insist on open, public school board meetings
  No issues with that, unless its to do with personell issues
• rebuild collaborative decision making
  Kind of like the private getting invited to meet with the Generals to decide when to attack?...err no, teachers should teach and if they want to get involved they can do this after hours on their own dime.
• oppose school closures and the sale of school lands
  Sure, why not, its good optics, maybe express support for human rights in Iran too. Push all the right buttons, just make sure theres underlying sound concrete reasons why before committing to such statements.
• support full, free, local collective bargaining

HAHAHAHAHA, This of course should have been at the top of your list. No better way for the tail to wag the dog than having this power. As stated earlier, how come the union doesnt prove everyone wrong by opening a school and doing all the things they believe is not be done right.....prove the powers to be wrong.

btw, my wifes a teacher and we get into some interesting discussions, but one thing we both agree on, is the blatant misuse of union dues to promote political agendas. Now thats unethical.

[think local]

As I said above, the largest voting body of the GVTA voted on this issue, the Annual General Meeting. Every member has voice and voting rights. I believe I'm correct in stating that every member present at that meeting voted in favour of endorsing Tamara. Therefore, it was a membership decision. If your wife disagrees she should attend these meetings and speak. It is by far one of the most democratic unions I've ever observed. I can't understand this why teachers would not, should not get involved in politics, standing by to watch from the sidelines, while public education is being eroded by politicians. Teachers are members of the community who have every right to speak up about what's going on in the public education system. They've gone to great extremes I would say to stand up for public education and haven't been heard and the system is still eroding. Again, if your wife disagrees (or even agrees) and wants to speak on issues such as this, getting involved and attending meetings is the best way to be heard.

[martini]

I'm surprised by an "endorsement" of sorts for both Mark Walsh and Paul Grieg. They appear to me as polar opposites, Paul being fairly closely instinct with Tamara and Catherine. Paul has spoken very openly at public meetings stating that he believes the only right decision is to reinstate Catherine Alpha.

I'm not sure how interjecting Paul's name turned into a polar endorsement.
It was in response to Jill as she was looking for a new voice without board experience. Paul had not been mentioned here.
He is also not connected to the GVTA. I think it's only fair to give voters all the choices they have.

[rjag]

Thanks,
I agree, that teachers have every right to stand up and offer an opinion. This is what democracy is all about, everyone should have an equal voice. However as with any group that sacrifices individual opinion in the hope for a collective voice, certain agendas come to the forefront and usually end up being agendas from a vocal minority.

Localising collective bargaining imho is pandoras box. The rights of the children to obtain a consistent level of education regardless of loation or demographic should be the priority over everything else.

There is a failure in the system and its not just the union, its the boards working with limited budgets, its the Ministry mandating inane policies and its the taxpayer that doesnt stand up and take notice.

To be quite honest, the 3 districts on the lower Island should be amalgamated, theres no reason why smaller schools cant be used for other things outside of school hours such as recreation facilities or adult education to generate additional revenues. Also why does each school need a principal and a vice principal? Why cant a principal manage for example 3 schools with the VP's reporting to them. Save a couple of hundred g's right there.

[Holden West]

Oh, brother; look who's back:

Georgia-Anne Jones

On the web: jones.georgiaannejones@gmail.com

Background: Georgia-Anne Jones has run for mayor in the past two Victoria municipal elections.

What do you think is the most pressing issue facing the Greater Victoria school district? How would you address it if elected?

If teachers are not losing any pay when they get their week off next spring, is that why they spent $50,000 electing Ms. Alpha to the school board? So that no one on the school board would question this decision, which only costs the poorest people with the most children a lot of money. I requested the school board remove a book my children were forced to read in Grade 5. It shows children hog-tying other children and leaving them on the edge of a canal under a bridge – hidden. It's OK, though, because they're green. When I requested the school board remove this garbage from the curriculum, I got smirks and insane comments from most on the school board.

What would you improve about the school board or its processes?

I have to run in order that others like myself who know the proper books for children to be reading with tasteful art by proper artists etc., can have their input and let common sense rule the day.