Vancouver School Board fired

[Urbane]

Political ideology gets in the way of doing the right thing.

Very true but not in the way that you meant it. Did you read Gary Mason's column that I linked? I can't think of another group in this province that has been more into ideology trumping doing the right thing than the Vancouver School Board. The government waited too long to boot them but in the end they got it right. Politically, it may be a mistake but I have to credit the government with doing the right thing. And better late than never.

[Gone_Fishin]

Agreed.
By all accounts, the VSB has been playing politics and acting like a proxies of the provincial New Democrats for several years now.
They *should* have focused on their critically important jobs and left the petty political squabbling to the experts.

Bring in some fresh and objective new board members who can remain non-partisan no matter what government is in power.
Put the kids first.

Absolutely. The NDP-infected Bacchus and her left wing crew used students as pawns (sounds like the vile BCTF, doesn't it?) to push NDP ideology. You know that's a recipe for disaster when it comes to finances, and they proved it. I say hasta la vista, baby!

[maryjane48]

we will see come election time who going bye bye

[rustled]

... The NDP-infected Bacchus and her left wing crew used students as pawns (sounds like the vile BCTF, doesn't it?) to push NDP ideology. ...

The VSB seems to have been using the old BCTF playbook

...
The minister says he fired the board primarily because it had not passed a balanced budget as required by provincial legislation and that he could not "take at face value" anything board members said.

Board chairman Mike Lombardi has called the move outrageous, saying trustees were elected to stand up for public education, not to do the government's dirty work of closing schools, cutting programs and selling off public assets. ...

http://www.castanet.net/news/BC/178632/ ... s-to-close
Sounds much like the BCTF's overblown melodramatic rhetoric, doesn't it? And while I don't like the overuse of the term "bullying", there's this:

Former Delta School District superintendent Dianne Turner was appointed to the new position Monday after Bernier fired the nine-member board following months of controversy that included allegations of workplace bullying.

Those of us who didn't appreciate the way the BCTF forced school employees to toe their ideological line can certainly relate to feeling quite fed up with a workplace where political ideology trumps all. We really ought to be very leery of any move to get more BCTF members and BCTF retires on our local boards. IMO, the last thing we need is even more partisan politics getting in the way of delivering effective public education.

[Rwede]

We really ought to be very leery of any move to get more BCTF members and BCTF retires on our local boards. IMO, the last thing we need is even more partisan politics getting in the way of delivering effective public education.

No kidding! There was that guy who ran, unsuccessfully, for school board and regional district all at once, who was a former COTA president.

IIRC, he was only COTA pres for a one year term, which was pretty much unprecedented...most lasted longer than that.

I can't imagine how screwed up things would have been in SD 23 with THAT guy on the board!

[The Green Barbarian]

Thank Goodness Crispy and crew will be gone next election. .

Where are they going? Is there a third option in this province to vote for now instead of the disgusting NDP and Liberals?

[The Green Barbarian]

your in dreamworld if you think clarks cares about education

and you are in a dream world if you think the NDP cares about anything except maximizing unionized BCTF salaries.

[The Green Barbarian]

we will see come election time who going bye bye

and hopefully these clowns too:

[The Green Barbarian]

No kidding! There was that guy who ran, unsuccessfully, for school board and regional district all at once, who was a former COTA president.

IIRC, he was only COTA pres for a one year term, which was pretty much unprecedented...most lasted longer than that.

I can't imagine how screwed up things would have been in SD 23 with THAT guy on the board!

Yeah what was his name again? I think it rhymed with Dredge Polk....if memory serves...

[bob vernon]

In order to balance the budget, the Vancouver School Board would need to close about 9 elementary and three high schools. But now that the province has taken over, the Education Minister says that "there are no plans at this time to close any schools".

Come back right after the election. The answer will change. And if you think that the high school in Osoyoos will stay open for more than the one year. Wait until after the election.

[The Green Barbarian]

Amid the piercing complaints from Vision trustees that the provincial Liberals were ruining education, it was learned that the VSB’s six-person management team had gone on leave – in four cases related to stress. And the managers pointed the finger squarely at unnamed trustees as being the source of their anxiety.

WorkSafe BC is looking into the complaints. But a special adviser appointed earlier by the government to investigate the VSB’s financial and governance practices was also asked to look into the unprecedented leave-taking and accusations of bullying. The release of that report is being held up by a complaint made by a Vision trustee over privacy concerns. That grievance, in turn, is being considered by the Privacy Commissioner.

How is anyone here defending these idiotic bozos at the VSB, other than due to pure disgusting partisanship? Shame on all of you!

[Rwede]

Yeah what was his name again? I think it rhymed with Dredge Polk....if memory serves...

Volkswagen or something like that.

Entirely forgettable, just like our new MP's name - what's his name again? Mr MIA?

I think this firing will play right into Christy's hands. People are sick and tired of getting the big shaft on their taxes (especially with Trudeau's jacking up every existing tax, cancelling tax credits for children, cancelling retirement savings plans, jacking CPP, creating a damaging carbon tax, etc), so any perceived savings from firing spendaholics will be seen as the right move.

Christy has to send a thank you card to the stupid NDP-allied trustees who were dumb enough to give her an easy path to many more votes, and a landslide victory in 2017.

[rustled]

In order to balance the budget, the Vancouver School Board would need to close about 9 elementary and three high schools. But now that the province has taken over, the Education Minister says that "there are no plans at this time to close any schools".

Come back right after the election. The answer will change. And if you think that the high school in Osoyoos will stay open for more than the one year. Wait until after the election.

While I totally agree that the provincial government is buying votes with this "keep these schools open til after the election" nonsense, it would be inappropriate for anyone other than the duly elected and accountable local school board to begin the protracted, angst-ridden and emotionally charged school closure process.

On the other hand, after the way this government tossed this year's trustees in three districts under the bus to buy votes, who on earth would run for trustee knowing full well how easily and how drastically their genuine efforts to do the right thing can be turned against them?

Time for a better way.

[The Green Barbarian]

Christy has to send a thank you card to the stupid NDP-allied trustees who were dumb enough to give her an easy path to many more votes, and a landslide victory in 2017.

Those idiots in Vancouver including the bonehead mayor all need a wake-up call. Its pathetic that a political party can control the civic and the school board levels of government, especially if that party is staffed with back-ward thinking communists. Just disgusting, but that's Vancouver. Completely living in a fake world.