Lee Mossman is running for school trustee in Kelowna (SD23). I emailed him some questions. Below is his response for those of you who will vote in this district. - My view on the recent education dispute is quite lengthy but Ill break it down into generalities. First off, this dispute was at least 12 years in the making and depending on who you talk to, it goes back to the WAC Bennett days and the string of changes to not only to the system itself but the districts, their roles and their dealings with teachers. The most recent 12 years lead me to my current perspective. That being, the Provincial Government under Gordon Campbell sought to make dramatic changes to the tax structure and promote significant cuts for business in hopes of stimulating the economy. One could argue that education was underfunded already, but these policies and changes further scaled back funding across all sectors including education. If revenues go down then public service funding must suffer. Ultimately, Districts and School Boards were forced to run operating budgets with less and less as the years rolled on. The combination of the economic collapse in 2007-08 and further tax cuts made thing even worse. The fighting at the bargaining table over funding and the quality of education and delivery of services was further inflamed when the Government forced a new contract on the teachers and subsequently lost the decision in court as well as their appeal on that decision. Having been involved in Public Sector bargaining, mediation and arbitration for nearly 15 years, I can tell you that I am less than impressed with the behaviour of the government in this dispute. A lot has been made about the issues around class size and composition, standardized testing and SPCs and a whole host of other issues. The problem is much bigger than any one issue. That issue is funding and more specifically the way revenue and taxation is structured in this province. The solution lies there. In the meantime we must address the challenge before us and come up with innovative solutions to them. As far as Private and Charter Schools, I am assuming you are referring to the current system and not the Privatization of Schools which I am dead set against. There is a place for Private Schools in our system and while some people I talk to have varying degrees of opinion on them, it is not an issue for most, including myself. As always, funding and curriculum are a sensitive issue and must be addressed fairly. I have read the Skills for Jobs Blueprint and while there are some great ideas incorporated, there just as many questions. Some of the data is dated and is reactionary. Even if the data were reliable, the lag between identifying needs and developing and delivering training will mean that our education system will trail the economy rather than lead it. We’ll be graduating students for the jobs that existed two to five years earlier. Further troubling is the matter of funding as I believe we are already underfunded. Where is the capital for the changes to infrastructure and the dramatic shift in added staff for these new programs? The government intends to commit 25% of post-secondary operating grants to training “that matches high-demand occupations and jobs.” Nowhere is the danger of short-term thinking more apparent in the Blueprint. Post-secondary institutions will fail if faced with so much instability in their funding. These issues more than anything else must be dealt with as well as other changes in how such dramatic changes can be absorbed by the system without further straining an already underfunded public service. The answer is in a co-operative effort that includes all the stakeholders and experts. Not just the government and special interests. I believe that every child and parent of a child as well as all citizens benefit from a good quality education that creates a prosperous future for BC. As you may have deduced, I am not a big fan of the Liberal Government. What I am a big fan of is respectful and meaningful dialogue that is directed to finding solutions to hard problems. Getting to the root of the problem and not getting lost in its symptoms. With my current position as President of CUPE Local 338, I have a long track record of negotiating and resolving difficult conflicts and dealing with difficult people. I have served as a member of several PACs and chaired several committees on those PACs. I also served on the first SPC group at Raymer Elementary when it was implemented. Have been a volunteer when my daughters went through the school system, whether it was coaching, serving lunches, chaperoning or fundraising. I have a fondness for the many wonderful people I met and would love to get back into the game and help in any way I can. I hope that gives you a little bit to work with. Thanks for your time and I commend you for getting out there and getting the information you need. Sincerely, Lee Mossman
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 04:59:33 +0000
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