It speaks volumes about the union leadership of the Surrey Teachers’ Association’s (STA) definition of “inclusive” is light-years from the definition they use for their members, the great teachers of the Surrey school district.
These teachers work hard to foster an inclusive learning environment for our children, so it’s bizarre that the union that claims to speak for them feels extremely comfortable with intentionally excluding four BIPOC candidates from the “Ad Hoc Members of Colour Committee” virtual town hall event tonight.
Indigenous PVBC candidate Lisa Alexis only discovered the event through a conversation with other candidates at a campaign event on Tuesday.
Alexis immediately contacted the Surrey Teachers’ Association to find out why she and fellow PVBC candidates Dupinder Saran, Nasima Nastoh and Jasbir Narwal did not receive an invitation to attend the town hall meeting.
STA 2nd Vice-President Gavin Hainsworth happily and unequivocally stated Alexis, Saran, Nastoh and Narwal were excluded because the STA opposes the core principles that ParentsVoice BC stands for:
- increased parental involvement at the school board level, and
- complete openness and transparency about all educational decisions made by the school board.
The four PVBC candidates also were not sent the STA candidate questionnaire sent to all other candidates.
“It’s ironic that on World Teachers’ Day, instead of allowing their members – our hard-working teachers – to hear from ALL candidates running for School Trustee, the Surrey Teachers’ Association intentionally excluded candidates they disagreed with, but without ever speaking to them,” said Fritz Radandt, Campaign Manager for ParentsVoice BC.
Powerful unions, teachers’ federations and government bureaucrats insist schools belong to them, and that they – and only they – know what’s best for your children.
“Actions like these speak volumes about the Surrey Teachers’ Association and their anti-democratic methods. I mean, how much more obvious does it have to be that the unions don’t want to hear from parents? It’s no wonder British Columbians are voting with their feet and fleeing to private schools and homeschooling solutions. This is why we started ParentsVoice BC, to give truly independent candidates a fighting chance against fake-independent, union-endorsed ones,” said Marc Vella, founder of ParentsVoice BC.
ParentsVoice BC believes that involving parents in school board policy decisions is a great benefit our entire society, not a radical idea that must be shunned at all costs, even to the point of excluding BIPOC candidates from the “Ad Hoc Members of Colour Committee” virtual town hall.
Our mission is to help elect individuals who are committed to this high calling, instead of the current Trustee focus on protecting special interest groups, unions and school bureaucrats.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Fritz Radandt
Phone: 778-831-1053
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://parentsvoicebc.ca/
– 30 –