teachers’

BY JAN NOBLE
News Reporter

TWO prominent players
in North Vancouver
School District 44 criti-
cized school trustee Bob
Smith for refusing to
reveal if he supports a
proposed contract be-
tween teachers and the
B.C. Public Schools
Employers’, Association.
The province-wide transi-
tional deal, which will cost
the province an estimated $50
- Million, would give teachers a
2% wage hike to June 1998
and retain much of the rest of
teachers’ contracts.
For-North Vancouver, that
means keeping a contract that
some call expensive. Many
districts’ have rejected the
provincial deal, saying it is
too rich. Other districts, such
as West Vancouver, have
accepted it.
~ “I think: it’s sneaky,” said
fired chairman Guy Heyweod

of Smith’s ciose-mouthed —

decision.

“An elected board .would
have to do this'in public. He's
profoundly misunderstood

.the role of the board when —

he’s doing this sort of thing.
+ “Don't you think the pub-
‘lic Should know?" he asked. .

Heywood told the News:

“earlier that the deal would
continue to skew the schooi
; district's expenditures toward
teacher and aide salaries,
which account for approxi-

mately 92% of District 44's
total operating budget.

Then-education minister
Art Charbonneau appointed
Smith as sole trustee for the
school district. in’ January
after Charbonneau fired the
seven elected District 44
trustees.

Smith said he doesn't
believe keeping his decision
to himself is undemocratic.
The bylaws of the employers’
association, he said, clearly
state the votes are confiden-
tial.

“FT don't think all 75 school
districts are making public
pronouncements of their deci-
sion. Some are, some aren't,”
Smith said.

He said he doesn't want
his decision to fuel angst
among parents over the col-
lective agreement or upset
teachers.

However, Smith did say he
doesn’t think the agreement is
“especially sensitive’ to the
needs of North Vancouver.

North Vancouver Teach-
ers’. Association president
Chuck Dixon said Smith
doesn’t want to engage in dis-
cussion on the topic because
he can’t make: anybody
happy. But Dixon thinks there
should be a discussion.

“That's the process when
involved in an open and
democratic body,” ‘he said.
“This certainly undercuts
that.”

B.C.’s__ teachers - have
given the deal a green light,
while the position of school
boards. won't be released

until June 18.

Noting that the provincial
government can impose an
agreement, Smith said casting
a vote may be a redundant
exercise.

At a Tuesday board meet-
ing, Smith said the agreement
caused concern for the dis-
trict.

Although Victoria would
likely provide funding for the
agreement for teachers, there
is no money available to pay
for a “me-too” provision in
the administrators’ contract
that would kick in if the
teachers’ agreement was
signed, said Smith. That pro-
vision could cost the district
$300,000.

In his final report: March
31 to the education minister
outlining $4 million in cuts
and cast increases to balance
the school district's 1996-97
budget, Smith said the district
spends significantly more on
teaching and classroom sup-
port staff than comparable
districts.

The clauses in teachers*
contracts that affect increased
costs deal with salary levels,
class sizes, and mainstream-
ing of special needs students,

‘said Smith,

The instruction costs of
District 44 are $4.9 million
per year over the average of
seven comparable districts,
stated Smith’s report.

However, the average
North Vancouver teacher's
salary of $52,301 is lower
than the B.C. average of

$52,323.

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