Dear Editor,
A few weeks into the new school year and the support staff are already overwhelmed and exhausted.
Why? As an example, in one school in the Foothills Division, the E.A. the staff went from 11 members last year to less than five this year. Really? Less students maybe? No, I don't think so.
The answer is simple, our provincial government and minister of education can't hear the sounds of the most vulnerable students we have asking for better services because they (the government) are too busy patting themselves on the back.
Last year, I wrote a similar letter stating that the government shouldn't play hardball and give the members of CUPE what they want and need, a raise.
After a summer of trying to get a contract negotiated, one was signed by the end of August and then ended at the end of August.
Sure, there were delays to negotiations due to COVID-19, however, I must admit I'm sure the minister of education was far too busy on X talking about his invisible track record to get back to the negotiation table.
I've messaged my MLA who sent my message directly to the minister's desk. In response, the minister stated that the Province has never spent so much on education as it does now and that if I wanted "real answers," I needed to go directly to the school board.
The problem is if you keep underfunding these positions, like we are now, we no longer have E.A.s who need a second job to support themselves and their families, we have self-stockers and Starbucks baristas who moonlight as support staff workers.
Truthfully the only ones who suffer are the kids and it's evident that the provincial government just doesn't care.
That's the clear message.
Jeffrey Blackford
Foothills County
