B.C. could use Bill 11 to force school boards to sell public land, Vision trustee Patti Bacchus says

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      Accountability, efficiency, and professional development were catchwords used to describe new education legislation introduced Thursday (March 26) by the B.C. Liberal government.

      For Vancouver school trustee Patti Bacchus, Bill 11—or the Education Statutes Amendment Act (2015)—may be about something else.

      The legislation expands the education minister’s powers over school boards, and Bacchus is concerned about “government forcing school closures and potential sales of school lands”.

      Now on her third term, the Vision Vancouver school trustee knows the province is in favour of disposing of school lands.

      “That’s an area where we’ve had a lot of pressure verbally from government and encouragement to get rid of, as they say, capacity,” Bacchus told the Straight in a phone interview, “and my concern, this sort of pressure to privatize, to sell off public assets into private hands, and, you know, we see a bit of that with this government, and I’m concerned that they’ll be pushing, pushing harder on that.”

      What to do with unused school properties is a big issue for the North Vancouver school board, whose trustees come from both the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver. The North Shore has 11 so-called surplus sites because of declining enrollment.

      Bill 11 provides that the minister may issue an administrative directive to a board if the minister believes that the board is “failing or has failed to meet its obligations” under the School Act.

      The minister could also do the same if “it is in the public interest to do so”.

      School boards would have to comply or get fired.

      “Failure of a board to comply with an administrative directive…is grounds for the appointment of an official trustee,” according to the legislation.

      The proposed legislation also provides that the minister “may appoint a special advisor or a special advisory committee to one or more school districts”.

      The advisor or committee would be tasked to “review the progress of the board or boards in respect of the improvement of student performance or to inspect and evaluate any other matters as directed by the minister”.

      They would also “assist the board or boards in the conduct of the affairs of the school district or school districts in respect of any educational, financial or community matters”.

      In a news release Thursday, the education ministry stated that similar to the health and postsecondary sectors, boards of education have to find “administrative savings and efficiencies”.

      “Amendments to the School Act will provide boards with clear authority to enter into shared service or alternative service delivery agreements with other boards or public sector entities,” according to the ministry. “To maximize the opportunities and benefits, the changes also provide the Minister with the authority to require boards to participate in specific service delivery arrangements.”

      The release quotes Education Minister Peter Fassbender: “Taxpayers also expect their dollars to be used wisely and that every available dollar is going to help children in the classroom.”

      Under the School Act, school boards can be fired if they don’t come up with a balanced budget.

      The Vancouver school board has been very vocal about what trustees describe as the underfunding of education, with Bacchus being a leading voice.

      “Whether it’s an intent [blatant] attempt to sort of put a chill on school boards to get in line or whether he [Fassbender] actually would act on that, I don’t know,” Bacchus said. “But it’s definitely a shot across the bow towards school boards to start stepping in line with what the minister wants them to do.”

      Bill 11 would erode the authority of school boards, according to Bacchus.

      “They’re clearly expanding the minister’s ability to direct the work of school boards, and if the minister is not pleased with the work of school boards, to replace them,” Bacchus said.

      She also said that there are a lot of questions about why the government introduced Bill 11, which also includes setting standards on teachers’ professional development

      “In terms of professional development, it seems like an odd time to pick a fight with teachers,” Bacchus said.

      The start of the 2014-15 school year was delayed last September because of a prolonged strike by public school teachers.

      Comments

      9 Comments

      Dianne

      Mar 27, 2015 at 2:54pm

      It seems as though this government is willing to do anything to try to distract the public from the seriousness of underfunding public education which is so damaging to our communities.

      But this is more undemocratic - so destructive when they use legislation to undermine/control the decision making of locally elected trustees.

      I sure hope we the public don't react with silence. We should not give up or give in. We need to hold the Premier, Minister of Education and all the other MLA's accountable - after all they are elected by those of us that get out and vote. GASP!

      jenables

      Mar 27, 2015 at 4:33pm

      I can't help but see the irony in a vision Vancouver trustee talking about eroding the responsibilities of an elected board.

      “They’re clearly expanding the minister’s ability to direct the work of school boards, and if the minister is not pleased with the work of school boards, to replace them,” Bacchus said.

      Isn't this what vision tried to do to the parks board? Didn't they just go out of their way to redefine social housing and concentrate zoning authority in the hands of the few?

      Don't get me wrong, I despise the bc liberals as well and what they are doing is disgusting. It's just that hearing it from vision Vancouver champion Patti Bacchus defines irony. The sad reality is that in all cases, society, democracy, individual rights and children lose out.

      Where

      Mar 27, 2015 at 6:46pm

      Provincial oversights and control over education were put in place (at least partially) to ensure that corruption, parochialism and incompetence at a local level could be dealt with by a higher authority. Of course, when corruption, parochialism and incompetence exists at the higher level of government, such "safeguards" are made irrelevant. Corruption is attracted like a moth to flame to the places of power. When power is wrested from local governance, the corruption both follows and is concentrated. This is what we are seeing in BC, Canada and the world at large.

      Dr. Zen

      Mar 27, 2015 at 9:54pm

      Enrollment has declined steadily for years and is still declining. The budget should be reduced to match. Its reasonable to expect the School Boards to adapt and reorganize. If they can't do that then they obviously don't understand math and shouldn't be teaching in the first place.

      I can hear the shrill screams of the silly socialists out there already. Music to my ears.

      Seriously?!?

      Mar 27, 2015 at 11:59pm

      The VSB insist upon keeping schools open even with low enrollment, adding new bureaucrats and holding onto property for which they have no use but whine about a lack of money. How about leasing out some property? Not at the preferred rate given to friends of Vision. How about some land swaps with the city? They are eager to give land away to private sector friends, I wonder if Ms. Bacchus is upset by that or just when she thinks someone else is going to profit instead of Vision.

      Jnikolicova

      Mar 28, 2015 at 8:36pm

      Dr. Zen to use your same arguments...MSP, Hyro rates, and inflation rates for supplies have been increasing for years and is still increasing. The budget should be adjusted to match. It is reasonable that the Liberals adapt the budget to maintain services. If they can't do that then they don't understand math and shouldn't be governing in the first place.

      Bluecabazon

      Mar 29, 2015 at 12:10pm

      so all the experts say the lower mailand is expecting an influx of 30,000 people a year for the forseeable future and expect the population of BC to increase by 1 million in the next 5 years. So a forward thinking society would plan on accomodating that influx, by maintaining the properties they have, renting the facilities out and making what money they can, so when the student population warrents it, they can be opened up and put to use again. Sort of like on of the 3 ferries built for the Olympics, which has been tied up at Swartz Bay terminals since 2010.
      But no, this government is advocating that surplus space be sold, and probably at fire sale prices to private, for-profit schools, who have been lobbying the government for them, but don't wish the expense of having to purchase the land and build their own structures. Woe, we sure are pouring an awful lot of PUBLIC TAX MONEY into PRIVATE SCHOOLS, then crying that there's just no money for the public system.
      No, this government would prefer, that publically funded school disrticts sell their extra space, then at some future date, IF our public education system still exists, spend huge sums of money in the future to aquire land that will have skyrocketed in price, then build a new school at extremely inflated prices over what they have now.
      Sure lioks to me like this government favours private over public. The only use they seem to have for public is the continuous fountain of tax dollars they can then funnel to their private enterprise supporters!

      Blergh

      Mar 29, 2015 at 8:55pm

      In the Hansard, when local taxation powers were taken away, or thereabouts, a letter from a United Church minister from, iirc, Duncan, was mentioned. He said it was pretty much like what Hitler did, in terms of centralizing education.

      A great long con. Take away local taxation powers, underfund the system, then sell off the real property. *golfclap* for all of the neofascist socreds out there!

      The Toolman

      Mar 31, 2015 at 2:45pm

      The BC Court of Appeal decision (well, decisions, actually) that the summer strike was all about should be coming out any time now. After the Liberals lose this one, they'll either have to go to the Supreme Crt. of Canada (SCC) or belly up to the bar money-wise. Maybe they're just arming themselves for the inevitable. An SCC decision, if they go that route, could blow up in their faces during the next election and they'll have no more appeals left, excluding a constitutional notwithstanding clause invocation and that ain't going to happen. Don't forget that it's a 45+ billion dollar annual budget we're talking here. And interest rates are practically zero--an ideal time to borrow to pay what the courts are forcing them to pay. They broke the supreme law of the land. Time to make it right. Get on with it guys and stop bashing education!