Editor: As the teachers continue their “work to rule” campaign, it should be noted that the principals and vice-principals are the unsung heroes in keeping schools running with a minimum of disruption to the students. In many schools, principals and vice-principals also teach.
They do this in addition to the management and leadership they provide to keep schools running effectively and ensuring student success. Since the commencement of the school year, these individuals have taken on many extra tasks as they continue to demonstrate that they are the ones who truly care about pupils and their welfare.
If there has not been much noticeable disruption at your neighbourhood school, it is because the administrators are doing all the supervision and were required to send out “report” cards. They have had to supervise government exams, or supervise and mark the FSAs — all duties of teachers. Meetings with parents concerned about their child’s progress but unable to get information from the teacher have taken additional time as administrators try to help these individuals.
As teachers refuse to do “extra” duties, administrators have taken over coaching of teams as they know this is a very important part of school life for many students. Principals and vice-principals are exhausted as they try to keep their school functioning with some degree of normality.
With BCTF strike guidelines, teachers are not permitted to meet with administration so any collaboration as to what is best for learning to occur is nonexistent. Collegiality and cooperation within schools has suffered substantially.
Parents need to know about their child’s progress. Students should have opportunities for a variety of extracurricular activities. Administrators should be able to show the educational leadership so necessary in schools but they currently are stretched beyond reason doing other duties. It is time for the impasse in negotiations between the BCTF and the government to end.
Joy Ruffeski,
Langley
