In response to Jody Rhodes, "Doing the right thing" for kids", I take exception to her assertion that the current teacher job action "interferes with (students') rights to quality classroom conditions in the most basic form, a report card". It concerns me that Ms. Rhodes believes that quality classroom conditions and report cards are synonymous. To the contrary, a classroom with a positive and rich learning environment will remain such, whether or not report cards are issued.
During this current job action, many teachers are being very careful to ensure that the lines of communication are open, but parents share some of the responsibility. They are free to be in touch with teachers in person, over the phone or by e-mail, to find out how their children are doing.
I think that if Ms. Rhodes were to look into it more carefully, she would find that many, if not most, teachers have prepared some form of written assessment to send home with their students this term. In fact, some have sent home both an interim and an end-of-term assessment. Ms. Rhodes is reacting to the hype she is hearing and reading in the media, that teachers are not doing report cards.
As for "hiding behind a thin veil of doing what is right for our children", I will "simply state" that a wage increase and improved benefits are long overdue, to attract the brightest and best to the profession and to level the playing field between the provinces; that a reduction in class sizes and attention to composition are imperative to a positive learning environment for our children; and that report cards are not part of the essential service of delivering a quality education to our province's most valuable resource.
Cathy Anderson
Teacher
Prince George
