IN ANTICIPATION that the contract dispute with teachers will be over within the next several weeks, the Coast Mountains School District announced today it expected to issue complete second term report cards by the end of this month.
Teachers hadn’t been filling out report cards or having formal meetings with parents since the start of the school year as part of a limited job action designed to press the province to negotiate a new labour contract.
That left the school district’s principals mailing out blank first term report cards to parents and guardians.
But Bill 22, when passed, will end the job action and put in place a mediator in hopes of reaching a contract.
An end to job action means full report cards will be prepared and issued.
School board chair Art Erasmus said Bill 22 could pass and become law by the time spring break, which runs March 19-23, is over.
“We are speculative at best that the legislation may pass while spring break is on,” Erasmus said today.
At the same time, the school district is canceling early dismissal for next Wednesday and Thursday, March 14 and 15.
These were days set aside so parents and guardians could meet with teachers and discuss students’ progress.
With the district now looking ahead to an end to the teachers’ job action and the resumption of report card preparation later this month, it decided early dismissals weren’t necessary.
“Parents will be given as much pre-notice as possible to understand how Term Two reporting and meeting procedures with teachers will take place, and in the meantime, are encouraged to call teachers directly for updates on the performance of their children in the classroom,” the school district announcement said.
Teachers today were back at work following a three-day strike to back contract demands.
