Dear Christy Clark: Your fight with B.C. teachers is not about the students

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      Delaney Simms, a Grade 12 student at New Westminster secondary school, wrote this open letter to Premier Christy Clark about the B.C. teachers' strike:

      Dear Christy Clark,

      I am an almost 17-year-old girl in New Westminster who really just wants to go back to school. After a hellish last year in a school racked by budget cuts and a faculty that was pulling out hairs trying to make things work on the minuscule amount they had, I just want to learn again.

      Now don't get me wrong, I understand that it's difficult to balance the budget of some thousand or so public schools, but this is insane. The thing I find most disgusting is that you keep saying this is about the students; if it was about the students, I would be going to school tomorrow. Instead I get to wonder when I will actually end up even being able to even enroll in my school, let alone start learning.

      Christy, this is not about the students to you; it never has been. What this is about is breaking the teachers down to the point where they no longer have any power. They physically cannot give up at this point because if they do they lose everything. The fact that this classroom size debate has gone to the courts and they ruled in favour of the teachers means not only is what you're doing highly immoral, but also highly illegal.

      I wanted this year to be a fresh start for me. But instead I'm now only worrying about how I'm going to make up all the time I've lost towards this year.

      I have never understood cutting funding to the education system. These are the people who one day will be running the society for you. These are the people who will have to fix past mistakes that were made.

      So you see, this goes way beyond you, me, and the other students who are just as fed up as I am right now. This goes far into the future, to the doctors, saving lives. To the future artists, musicians, psychologists, plumbers, electricians, TEACHERS, and even yes, politicians. The people who will be caring for your society in the future. The people who will shape the world.

      All you are currently telling them, is that they don't matter. That their ideas and creativity and thoughts mean nothing.

      While I may be young, I understand the full impact of what your choices are doing. I have friends who are worried about university applications and scholarships, because they may not get them in time. I have friends who just want their basic right to an education.

      The thing you seem to be missing is while we are still young, we still have a voice, and believe me, we will fight to have it heard.

      -Delaney Simms

      P.S. I can vote soon. Along with many others who are just as frustrated as I am.

      Comments

      59 Comments

      Andrew

      Sep 12, 2014 at 4:34pm

      Dear BCTF,
      Your demands in this dispute are not for the students.

      Beverly Westerby

      Sep 12, 2014 at 4:35pm

      Wow, very well said! You are well spoken and intelligent and have obviously done your homework (probabably aided by excellent teachers and parents!) Great job :)

      wundering

      Sep 12, 2014 at 4:46pm

      I think we should start talking about lowering the voting age to 16.

      Lorell Gingrich

      Sep 12, 2014 at 5:08pm

      You have nailed this issue exactly. Ms. Clark has a private agenda and the students are her pawns. I am so sorry that you are denied your rights. We all know what to do on election day...

      Tara Sundberg

      Sep 12, 2014 at 5:25pm

      Dear Delaney, thank you for your letter. I hope Christy Clark reads it.
      I hope that some day we will have a government who spends our tax dollars along the lines of what the public wants, and not just in the interests of the few. Your vote Delaney, along with those of your generation is crucial to genuine representation of the public. Please stay engaged in the process of democracy and do not become disillusioned; we need better voter turnout so that our principles and values are truly represented in the Legislature.

      Ian

      Sep 12, 2014 at 5:39pm

      Well written! People who know the history know what is going on here.

      By the way, the premier, Fassbender and DeJong have not ruled out legislating teachers back. That means they are content to leave students out of school for almost another month.

      The teachers' arbitration idea would have had students back today or Monday.

      PS - As for those that say it is not about the students - it is not only the students. It is more complicated than that. Even Clark thinks we deserve a raise, so get over it.

      Proud Teacher

      Sep 12, 2014 at 5:52pm

      Hooray for Delaney!

      max

      Sep 12, 2014 at 6:12pm

      Delaney,
      Please also write similar letter to the union.
      It is not the Premier who is not at school now refusing to teach you, right?
      ps
      regardless whether teaches "deserve" the raise or not - it is very unfair for them to go on strike and alter kids' education process.

      Sandi

      Sep 12, 2014 at 7:32pm

      Dear Christy Clark,
      The name of this article is right, your fight is not about the students, YOU AEE NOT PART OF THIS FIGHT. Your minister is. As premier, you should not get involved AT ALL. As a BC taxpayer whom voted for you, under your mandate of a "balanced budget", I do agree with this stand. You were elected under this mandate, and now you are having issues because you are doing WHAT YOU PROMISED in your election. I see that taxpayers have a very short memory, if they do not remember this. This fight with the teachers has been going on for just about 30 years, with every single party. Stand your ground and resolve it. The students need to have it resolved, the parents need to have it resolved. Binding arbitration is not the way to go, we need a real contract that will actually resolve the issue, not the teachers being forced back.

      germs

      Sep 12, 2014 at 7:52pm

      Well said, Delaney. If anybody in the private sector did their jobs as poorly as CC, theyd be fired.