Board of Education Statement Regarding GVTA Report
We want to thank the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association (GVTA) for compiling and sharing their report. We acknowledge the time, effort, and experiences shared by teachers and other staff in highlighting these issues.
The safety and well-being of our students, teachers, and all staff is our highest priority. Every student and educator deserves a safe and supportive learning environment where they can thrive while they learn and work. We fully support an evidence-based approach to assessing the effectiveness of current approaches to for instance our district’s violence prevention program. We are confident that genuine collaboration through an evidence-based lens will lead to meaningful improvements for students and educators.
We recognize the seriousness of the concerns raised in this report and the importance of highlighting the challenges we face in our school district and in many school districts across our province. We are grateful to the GVTA for shedding light on the growing complexity in classrooms across the province. Years of austerity and in particular underfunding of supports for students with special needs has led to significant gaps, leaving school districts struggling to implement an inclusionary model, without adequate spaces, facilities, or staffing levels.
Our school district is committed to working with Rightsholders, the GVTA and other partners to address these challenges, review current processes, and implement meaningful improvements to foster safer, more inclusive schools for everyone.
Board of Education
Greater Victoria School District No. 61