Local teachers anxious to move forward following ratification of class-size deal

The local teachers’ association is thrilled with the vote to ratify an agreement with the provincial government, says president Susan Bauhart.

“It’s a great thing for public education,” she said.

Across B.C., teachers voted 98.4 per cent in favour of ratifying the agreement to restore collective agreement language from 2002, which will involve adding more teachers and decreasing class sizes.

The results of the vote are not revealed for each district.

“I can say that ours was a very, very strong vote,” said Bauhart.

The agreement will be implemented for the 2017-18 school year.

“There will be a lot to do,” she said. “Right now, we are moving forward, and that’s where the focus has to be.

“While it’s a shame the last 15 years had to happen,” she said, referring to a long legal battle between the government and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, “I think the focus has to be full speed ahead in terms of complying with this agreement.”

Although the ratification is good news, there will be some challenges with implementing the changes, said Bauhart.

“Our schools are at 104 per cent capacity right now, and if new classrooms are required or new spaces are required in individual schools, space could be an issue,” she said.

Central Okanagan school district superintendent Kevin Kaardal agreed space is going to be an issue for local schools.

“Getting additional teachers is always good for the district,” he said. “There will be some parts that are outstanding, and some parts because of the space issue we’ll struggle with a bit, but we’ll figure it out.”

The district has been meeting with the local teachers’ union to talk about plans to implement the agreement, said Kaardal.

“The first step is understanding what that language specifically means and moving forward from there and implementing it and understanding what our budget is going to be.”