It’s back-to-school season and teachers across British Columbia are buzzing with excitement, just like their students.
Getting to meet the kids they will mentor, preparing new lesson plans, and setting goals for the year is something just about every teacher looks forward to.
Of course, with ongoing school staffing shortages, teachers are also doing mental gymnastics to figure out how they will fill gaps yet again to support their students.
In two consecutive annual surveys, B.C. teachers have reported higher workloads than the year before. They say they are expected to do more with less and their most vulnerable students are the first to lose services. This has an impact not only on those students, but on the morale of the teachers who care for them—15 per cent plan to leave the profession within two years.
Public education is at a crisis point after decades of chronic underfunding, and it’s time for dramatic investment in retention and recruitment to correct course. But rather than focusing on problems, let’s imagine what a well funded system could mean for students. With a provincial election on the horizon, this is a year to dream.
What if every school had a dedicated counsellor? What if they could say to each student who knocks, “I’m so happy you’re here, I’m ready to listen,” rather than, “I have to fill in for Grade 5 math again, I really hope you come back next week.”
What if there were enough teachers on call to fill routine classroom absences, so the librarian could keep the library open? What would it mean to that kid who depends on the library as a safe space, who discovers worlds within books where they are fully accepted as they are?
What if there was an education assistant available for every Grade 1 to 3 classroom, so that kids with special needs could experience the early intervention that would set them up for success for years to come?
What if every creative kid had access to music class, every sports team had a coach, every class involved a lesson that teachers had dedicated time to prepare?
These should not be “what ifs;” British Columbia’s families deserve better. Teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions—let’s make this dream a reality.
