LangleyAdvance
Calling Kabul pg A3
Your community newspaper since 1931
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Your source for local sports, news, weather, and entertainment: www.langleyadvance.com
Art from the heart
Highest Price Paid for Gold!
Tears of Hope is a painting Donna Moores has donated to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. Through the Langley Advance Relay for Life team, Moores and fellow Langley painter Barbara Boldt are auctioning off their separate pieces to the highest bidders, with full proceeds going to the cause. See story on page A12.
KEY LARGO
Jewellery & Loans Ltd. 20369 56 Ave., Langley
604-534-8845
Cherri Chalifour
03237301
(Behind the Baseline Pub) O P E N 7 D AY S A W E E K
Sandra Ennis
YOUR FRASER VALLEY REAL ESTATE SPECIALISTS
Roxanne Hooper Langley Advance
604.866.0303 604.785.9012
Education
District burns LTA barbecue plans
01296651
TREELAND
REALTY www.cherriandsandra.com Packaged Summer Flowering Bulbs + Perennials
Now 30% off Regular price
Sale ends May 4/10 or when stock runs out
7024 Glover Road, Langley, BC Phone: 604-888-4491 www.cedarrim.com
Audited circulation: 41,100 – 28 pages
Local teachers are upset they can’t use the district’s head office lawn for get-togethers. by Heather Colpitts hcolpitts@langleyadvance.com
The Langley Teachers’ Association has taken a page from youth culture by having members call to find out the location of an event. When the teachers’ union was told it could not use Langley School District head office lawn for barbecues Monday and Tuesday evenings, the group put out word to its members that they could phone the union office at 3 p.m. on each day to find out the new location. LTA president Susan Fonseca said the LTA executive hosted the barbecues to give members a chance to get together with the executive. She noted that there are a lot of “anxious” teachers in local schools because of the district’s $14.1 million deficit. The original plan was to have
these events, dubbed Forensic Audit Barbecues, go 5-7 p.m. both nights. They were also open to the public. Food was by donation and the money and any remaining food was earmarked for the Langley Food Bank. The union sent out notice to members and was told the school district had administrators take the invitations off the notice boards. “We have filed a grievance today over that,” Fonseca noted. “In our collective agreement, we have a right to post notices.” The union was also told it could not use the outdoor space at the offices of the public school board without a permit. Fonseca said the union has held previous events on the site, pointing to the candlelight vigil and protests, and no permit was needed.
She said the union also argued it was using public space. “We’ve been told that they don’t consider that public property,” she said. “It’s property owned by the board.” Earlier Monday, the union received an email from a staff member noting that the district policy requires space to “We feel be booked like we’re at least 10 days prior to being the event. muzzled.” She said it’s part of Susan Fonseca a pattern and pointed to the eight teacher delegations on the agenda for the school board meeting tonight (April 27). School policy calls for delegations to address the board for a maximum of 10 minutes. The LTA was told that the board decided that they could only have five minutes. “We feel like we’re being muzzled,” she commented.
Langley teachers aren’t just being vocal locally. Their lunchtime rally outside the education minister’s constituency office took place last Friday even through the delegation arrived to find the office locked. The goal for the rally was to garner attention for what is happening in the community. The delegation of teachers and supporters did just that, getting honks from passing motorists and notice on news broadcasts. “Langley teachers want the minister to acknowledge that Langley students now have the highest per capita debt in the province, and want her to step in to order a forensic audit and prevent the proposed cuts of $6.6 million to much needed services to students for next year alone,” said Fonseca. She’s critical of the province for imposing a special advisor to the Vancouver School Board ($18 million shortfall) but not Langley’s, which has a $14.1 million shortfall. “Langley School District’s finances are the biggest mess in the province,” she commented.