Dale Bass – Kamloops This Week
Postings are expected this week for additional teaching staff in the Kamloops-Thompson school district, hirings that will flow from the $50 million the provincial government injected into education earlier this month.
The money comes as a result of the provincial government’s loss in November to the B.C. Teachers’ Federation in the Supreme Court of Canada. The court restored clauses eliminated from the teachers’ contract by then-education minister Christy Clark in 2002 dealing with class size, the number of special needs students who can be in a class and the number of specialist teachers required in schools.
The district received $1.37 million to add teaching staff and will be using it to add to all secondary schools and 14 elementary schools. Once that phase is complete, another 13 schools will be considered if any money remains.
The plan is the result of discussions between the district administration and the Kamloops-Thompson Teachers’ Association (KTTA). Board chair Meghan Wade said she is happy with the decisions reached, a sentiment echoed by KTTA president David Komljenovic.
The plan includes:
Secondary schools:
• Brocklehurst Middle, 1.7 full-time equivalent positions (FTE);
• Barriere .4 FTE;
• NorKam Senior, Valleyview, South Kamloops, Sahali, Kamloops School of the Arts and Westsyde, .5 FTE;
• Chase, Clearwater, Logan Lake and Twin Rivers Education Centre, .2 FTE.
Elementary schools:
• Parkcrest, South Sahali, 1.5 FTE;
• David Thompson, Beattie, Marion Schilling, RL Clemitson, Kay Bingham, Arthur Hatton, Raft River and AE Perry, 1 FTE; • Haldane, .8 FTE;
• Summit, Aberdeen and Juniper Ridge, .6 FTE.
Phase 2 schools that will be reviewed after the initial hirings include Arthur Stevenson, Barriere, Dallas, Dufferin, Lloyd George, Logan Lake, McGowan Park, Pacific Way, Rayleigh, Sun Peaks and Westmount elementaries, as well as Bert Edwards Science and Technology School and Kamloops School of the Arts.
