On May 17 in Janet Steffenhagen's blog George Abbott, in response to the approved restoration budget of Cowichan Valley School Board, predicted there will be “a miraculous turn around” by the board before the June 30 deadline for school districts to submit their budgets and went on to threaten the board with relief from their duties. Too bad George Abbott, you were wrong, the Cowichan Valley Board has submitted their restoration budget and I applaud them for doing so. http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Education/2012/05/31/BCTF-supports-Cowichan-Valley-restoration-budget/
Support is rolling in, from around the province, on the facebook page "The Budget begins with you."
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Budget-Begins-With-You/367788029917203
The Cowichan Valley board is doing what any board should be doing. They have been elected to be stewards of the education system in their constituency and that is exactly what they are doing. They have the support of their constituents including the Cowichan Tribes, the largest First Nations band in British Columbia, whose council has passed a motion of support for the budget. They were elected on a platform that they would submit a restoration budget and to do anything different would be a breach of that promise to the community.
For ten years, boards across BC have been complying with the order to submit a balanced budget, without acknowledgement, through any effective action, of the damage that is being done to their schools and the children who attend those schools. To ignore that damage makes boards complicit in the destruction of the education system that our provincial government seems so intent on creating.
Eden Haythornthwaite, in her statement to the "Tyee" online news source said, " If we just continue to do it, what good are we to the community? We're no good. We're just a beard for the ministry." I couldn't agree more. The time has come. Enough is enough. Thank you Cowichan Valley School trustees.
I would encourage every citizen who is concerned about the state of funding for education in BC to write a letter of support to the Cowichan Valley board to their chair, Eden Haythornthwaite. Her e-mail address is
Support is rolling in, from around the province, on the facebook page "The Budget begins with you."
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Budget-Begins-With-You/367788029917203
The Cowichan Valley board is doing what any board should be doing. They have been elected to be stewards of the education system in their constituency and that is exactly what they are doing. They have the support of their constituents including the Cowichan Tribes, the largest First Nations band in British Columbia, whose council has passed a motion of support for the budget. They were elected on a platform that they would submit a restoration budget and to do anything different would be a breach of that promise to the community.
For ten years, boards across BC have been complying with the order to submit a balanced budget, without acknowledgement, through any effective action, of the damage that is being done to their schools and the children who attend those schools. To ignore that damage makes boards complicit in the destruction of the education system that our provincial government seems so intent on creating.
Eden Haythornthwaite, in her statement to the "Tyee" online news source said, " If we just continue to do it, what good are we to the community? We're no good. We're just a beard for the ministry." I couldn't agree more. The time has come. Enough is enough. Thank you Cowichan Valley School trustees.
I would encourage every citizen who is concerned about the state of funding for education in BC to write a letter of support to the Cowichan Valley board to their chair, Eden Haythornthwaite. Her e-mail address is
ehaythor@sd79.bc.ca
Send copies to your own trustees letting them know that you agree with the actions of the Cowichan Valley school board.
Or if you are within travelling distance attend the Stand up for the Made-in-Cowichan Budget rally. It will be held outside the board office at 2557 Beverly Street in Duncan, on Wednesday June 20.
Update:
Listen to Eden Haythornthwaite on CBC at http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/2012/06/13/cowichan-school-board-standoff/#
Send copies to your own trustees letting them know that you agree with the actions of the Cowichan Valley school board.
Or if you are within travelling distance attend the Stand up for the Made-in-Cowichan Budget rally. It will be held outside the board office at 2557 Beverly Street in Duncan, on Wednesday June 20.
Update:
Listen to Eden Haythornthwaite on CBC at http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/2012/06/13/cowichan-school-board-standoff/#
