Stop the School Cuts Rally a big success!
VANCOUVER—The hall at John Oliver Secondary School was filled with parents, students, staff, teachers and politicians – all united in their support for fair funding for Vancouver schools.
CUPE 15 member Elizabeth Dollaga was one of the speakers at the event. Dollaga, who has been a Special Education Assistant (an SEA) at Laura Secord Elementary for the past 14 years, talked about the important role that education assistants play in making education more inclusive and integrated.
“In my 14 years working with special needs children, despite having a multitude of different roles, it is a delight in going that extra mile in support of teachers, students, families and communities. I just wish this government could do the same,” said Dollaga.
Eric Hamber Secondary student Rachel Ha said that the BC government is hypocritical in telling students they are the leaders of tomorrow, but not investing in their education.
An open mike session at the end drew a wide range of speakers, including Special Education Assistants Aurlee Parpara and Amanda Leung – both of whom are members of CUPE 15.
CUPE 15 president Paul Faoro said that it is important to see the community come out in support of the programs and services that the Vancouver Board of Education is standing up for.
The forum was organized by the Stop School Cuts Coalition of Vancouver to highlight the drastic proposed cuts to the VSB budget.
And while the focus was on Vancouver, signs up on the walls in the John Oliver auditorium with the funding shortfalls facing other school districts emphasized the point that provincial underfunding of our public schools is a broad and ongoing problem.
The following is the speech from Elizabeth Dolloga:
Thank you all for coming, it’s so important that we are here to talk about this funding crisis.
My name is Elizabeth Dollaga. For the past 14 years, I have been a Special Education Assistant (an SEA) at Laura Secord Elementary.
The majority of our day is spent with special education students. More and more, our schools are becoming more inclusive and integrated. And we make sure these students are adjusting well and learning good habits to maintain their comfort. We help them ride the bus, work on grooming habits, and generally make sure that their Individualized Education Plan is implemented and they are getting the best shot at a regular education, like any other student in BC.
We also provide personal attention to students with other special needs, like ESL students or those who just need to catch up. Whatever the teacher needs to make the classroom go smoothly, we’re there to help.
So, when I heard that this is exactly the type of thing that Margaret MacDiarmid says she is not willing to fund, I had to speak out about it.
$18.2 million dollars in cuts is bigger than it sounds. In fact, it is much more. And the effect is even bigger, plain and simple, that all of our kids are going to suffer for it. I’m just speaking for the ones I help, but there are many, many other stories like mine across the province.
Too many, in fact, for us to ignore.
Here’s someone I think you should know about…..We’ve got a specials needs child at our school whose been learning the violin for the past year, and has excelled from the experience. When she heard that her music program was on the chopping block, she was moved to tears about it and immediately offered to play at the rally on April 20th as her response to the Ministers’ cuts. She’s a brave girl, in light of this news, and we will hear from her then.
But here’s the thing……. We can’t accept saying, “well, she’ll just have to cut violin this week, or altogether”, not when she clearly counts on it so much.
When there is one thing that makes you feel a part of the world and gives you so much back, how can we accept taking that away?
It’s been obvious to me over the past few years that education has taken a back seat in Liberal’s agenda. And we cannot allow this government or any government to force our kids to take a back seat alongside with it. Especially the ones who have it hard in the first place, the ones who just want to belong, and learn, and work, and play, and be accepted.
In my 14 years working with special needs children, despite of having a multitude of different roles, it is a delight in going that extra mile in support of teachers, students, families and communities.
I just wish this government could do the same.
Thank-you.
