Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:
This letter will serve as an update regarding our current labour relations challenges and what you can anticipate in terms of year-end routines and summer activities.
At this point in time there has been little progress in resolving the labour dispute between the BC Public Sector’ Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) and the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF). This news is unfortunate, and again, we appreciate your patience and understanding in the face of the disruptions to the school year we are experiencing. Below is what can be expected in terms of year-end reports and summer school.
Year End Reports
Elementary Reports K-7
Unfortunately the strike action will not allow for the distribution of complete report cards for Grades Kindergarten to 7. You will receive an email notification from your school indicating your child’s progression to the next grade and his or her attendance for the year. If you do not have an email address registered at your school, you’ll receive this brief report by regular mail delivery.
Secondary Grade 8 and 9 Reports
The strike action will also not allow for the distribution of complete report cards for students in grades 8 and 9. You’ll receive a partial report in the mail that includes attendance and term one and two marks from earlier in the year. There will be no comments, description of work habits or term 3 or final marks, as these are not available.
Secondary Grades 10-12 Reports
The strike action does not allow for production of complete report cards for Grades 10 -12, but you will receive a report which includes attendance and final marks for the year, as the Labour Relations Board (LRB) has ruled this information essential. There will be no comments or descriptions of work habits in these reports, as this information is not available.
Summer School
On June 25, there were two significant events that may help inform us about our summer school programs. The first news is that the BCTF has confirmed that they will picket summer school locations if there is no settlement by June 30. This would mean that our schools will remain behind picket lines and will be closed. Without our summer school teachers in attendance, summer school cannot function.
The second significant event is that BCPSEA has applied to the Labour Relations Board (LRB) to designate the Remedial portion of summer school an essential service. The Remedial program is an important but small aspect of the entire summer school program. It gives students who have failed to pass a core course during the year the opportunity to take it in the summer and receive a passing mark.
We will not know the outcome of the LRB ruling until as late as Friday, June 27. BCPSEA is not pursuing a ruling on full credit or “academic” summer school as an essential service, so that program is in jeopardy if strike action continues past June 30.
We are still hopeful that something may emerge that permits summer school to proceed in its full scope. An agreed upon collective agreement at the bargaining table is still possible. We know that the BCTF and BCPSEA continue to talk together but progress is indeed slow and not overly encouraging.
In light of this uncertainty, we are delaying the start of all potential summer school programs until July 7. If there are no pickets we will be able to have all programs proceed on July 7. Regardless, we will make and announce the final decision on summer school by the afternoon of Thursday, July 3.
I sincerely wish I had more encouraging news for you. This has been a very difficult spring and the conclusion of the school year is not what you or our staff would have wished. Thank you for your patience under trying circumstances. Please continue to watch our district website (www.sd38.bc.ca) and Twitter feed (@RichmondSD38) for ongoing updates.
Sincerely,
Monica Pamer, EdD
Superintendent of Schools
