Professional Autonomy Lens (2023)
https://www.bctf.ca/classroom-resources/details/professional-autonomy-lens
“Autonomy refers to thinking for oneself in uncertain and complex situations in which judgment is more important than routine. For teachers, the nature of their work and its social context complicates this definition. Teaching involves placing one’s autonomy at the service of the best interests of children.”—Anne Phelan and Alice Pitt.
Teachers’ professionalism relates to the following
- their knowledge of the standards of practice,
- openness to change,
- commitment to wellness,
- contributions to the profession,
- pedagogical and practical knowledge,
- professional relationships and chosen commitments beyond the classroom.
“Whatever the limits and travails we face, we want to retain the autonomy—the freedom to be the authors of our lives. This is the very marrow of being human.” – Atul Gawande
Statutes and Regulations
- Teachers Act
- BC Human Rights Code
- Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA)
- Ministerial and district polices
BCTF Documents
- BCTF Code of Ethics
- BCTF Members’ Guide
Arbitration Cases
- Case 1: British Columbia Teachers’ Federation v. British Columbia Public Employers’ Assn., [2009] B.C.C.A.A.A. No. 115 (Dorsey).
- Arbitrator Dorsey: “An essential element of individual professional autonomy is teachers having the assurance they are free to exercise professional judgement in teaching students assigned to them. This professional judgement is a critical element of the quality of public education.”
- Case 2: British Columbia Public School Employers’ Assn. v. British Columbia Teachers’ Federation, 2020 CanLII 89915 (BC LA).
- A teacher’s right to professional autonomy implicitly requires employers to recognize the independent judgement of teachers and not take steps which undermine the teacher’s authority or reputation, such as removing students in response to parent or student complaints, instead of discussing this with the teacher and allowing the teacher to address the concern.
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Professional Development Lens (2023)
https://www.bctf.ca/classroom-resources/details/professional-development-lens
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Teacher Inquiry Program
https://www.bctf.ca/topics/services-information/professional-development/apply-for-teacher-inquiry-program
- Find at least 8 interested teachers/colleagues.
- The BCTF will provide a matching grant for up to $7,500 provided that your school district and/or local union provide(s) the matching funds to support the inquiry.
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History of the BCTF
Decade 10: 2006–07 to 2016–17
- While teachers were faced with funding cuts, instability, and increasingly difficult teaching and learning conditions, the government continued its attempts to undermine the profession. In March 2007, the Teaching Profession Act was passed, introducing online registries of records of discipline for individual teachers and the publishing of teacher names and discipline, including any contravention of the broad standards. It also decreed that teachers should report on each other, encouraged parent complaints, and established that the Minister could appoint a special advisor if it was felt that a board or superintendent failed in their duty to report teachers.
- In May 2008, teachers won a significant freedom [of] expression award. Arbitrator Kinzie ruled that the Southeast Kootenay Board violated teachers’ and their union’s freedom of expression by denying them the right to communicate with parents about the [Foundation Skills Assessment].
- [teachers] “wore buttons and tacked posters to classroom doors and walls as part of a campaign titled When Will They Learn“
- But he said it will take another case before the courts can determine where a teachers’ rights to freedom of expression must give way to the rights of students to be educated in schools free from bias.
- At the end of May 2008, the government passed Bill 42, the Election Amendment Act, which became known at the “Gag Law,” imposing extreme restrictions on public engagement well in advance of election dates. The BCTF joined with other unions in a court case to oppose the restrictions on freedom of expression in the legislation. The court ruled against government, which then redrafted a second gag law, which was also deemed unjustifiable by the courts. Government appealed and the BC Court of Appeal affirmed the ruling in 2011, concluding the gag law provisions were unconstitutional.
- The BCTF launched the Social Justice lens in 2010. The lens, developed by the Committee for Action on Social Justice, serves as a framework for members, locals, and the Federation overall to use to guide policy, plan actions, and assess resources.
- The Teachers’ Act, Bill 12, was passed in 2011. It dissolved the College of Teachers and established the Teacher Regulation Branch and the Teachers’ Council. The legislation also opened discipline hearings to the public, limited the right of appeal, and gave the TRB greater control over certification for teachers and retired teachers.
- The Minister had met numerous times with the BCTF in advance, but the legislation contained elements that were never discussed.
- In April 2011, Madam Justice Griffin, BC Supreme Court, issued a monumental ruling concluding that what the BC government had done in stripping the collective agreements in 2002 was wrong and that the government did not have the authority to take away teachers’ bargaining rights as they were guaranteed through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The ruling declared the legislation invalid and gave the government a year to remedy the situation.
- The 2013 Annual General Meeting amended the AGM Standing Rules of Order to enable delegates to speak in their working languages, and have other delegates accompany them to the microphone to provide translation.
- In July 2013, the government fired the BCPSEA board and installed a bureaucrat in its place.
- In 2014–15 the BCTF created a comprehensive resource, Project of Heart: Illuminating the Hidden History of the Indian Residential Schools of BC to support members in learning and teaching about the legacy of the residential schools. The resource has been shared widely, in other provinces, with other unions, community groups, etc.
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[Meh] (Proulx, 2017) Taking the fear out of ADST with Jason Proulx
https://www.bctf.ca/classroom-resources/details/taking-the-fear-out-of-adst-with-jason-proulx
[Hmm] (Darvin, 2018) Teaching critical digital literacy to combat fake news
https://www.bctf.ca/classroom-resources/details/teaching-critical-digital-literacy-to-combat-fake-news
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