The proposed agreement provides $400 million for hiring of - TopicsExpress

The proposed agreement provides $400 million for hiring of specialist and classroom teachers over the life of the six-year agreement. Every dollar in this annual fund will be used to hire BCTF bargaining unit members. We estimate that about 850 additional teaching positions will be created province-wide each year for the life of this agreement. Could someone help with this? I thought that this was to help support the kids and this agreement seems to mean all that money goes toward more teachers - which I have no problem if we need more teachers - but does this help classroom sizes? For instance, we have a huge number of teachers wating to teach in Victoria but this hasnt helped classroom sizes. Also, Educational Assistants are CUPE members so this clearly isnt to hire more of these. I honestly need help understanding how agreement is about the kids. Im not making a statement either way. I just dont understand. If its about making teachers more satisfied in their jobs, then I can understand. However, this wasnt the rhetoric I kept seeing on facebook for the past few months. Rather, it was about class size and composition - needs for classroom support. No one said the priority was for 10 minutes of extra classroom prep time or more teachers to be hired or even higher pay. Is this really want the teachers want? I want them in school like the rest of the province but this cant be what this was all about.