VSTA Scholarship Winners
Thank you to all the candidates who applied for the VSTA scholarship. This year’s field of candidates was outstanding, and it is unfortunate that we can offer only a limited number of awards. The recipients are as follows: $1500 - Sasha Bukszar (Kathy Bukszar); and $1000 for each Marissa Rymer (Robert Rymer), Fraser Peterson (Elizabeth Peterson), and Madeleine Barois (Philippe Barois). Congratulations to all candidates for their outstanding achievement. We wish you the very best in your future endeavours.

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Extended Health & Dental Program
designed for BCTF Teachers on Call

The BCTF Advantage Program now offers a full Extended Health and Dental program for TOCs.  This plan contains many different options so you can take control and build the plan that best suits your specific needs.  Click here for the BCTF website for more information.

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Build a Better BC
The Federation is a partner in the community Coalition to Build a Better BC.

Community service groups, cultural and art associations, and unions joining together as one voice to call on the provincial government to:

• immediately stop eliminating public and community services.

• fulfill their legislative responsibility to provide adequate, fair and consistent funding to support public services and community groups. 

• work in substantive consultation with groups and individuals to build public opportunity to participate in building a better BC.

Check out www.betterbc.ca
Photos from the April 11, 2010 Rally

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Hopes & Dreams Rally 
Vancouver teachers, trustees, citizens and students rallied in front of the Minister of Education's office to advocate for increased funding for public education.

Video and photos from Monday's rally.

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BC Education Coalition is a community of  public education advocates dedicated to stopping yet another year of funding cuts to BC public schools.

“88 and Out”—
Save up to $800 Per Year
BCTF Salary Indemnity Plan regulations provide for a member who has reached age 64, or a total of age plus contributory service of 88, to withdraw from the long term portion of the plan. You may wish to continue the plan, however, if your accumulated sick leave and BCTF Short Term SIP (120 days) will not protect your salary until you reach the age of 65 or factor 90. Members who withdraw from the Long Term portion of the plan will still receive the 2% SIP allowance. Call the Income Security Division at the BCTF at 604-871-2283 or VSTA for more information.

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   Collective Agreement 
    Updates

Retirees' Dinner
The VSTA honoured the work and careers of retiring teachers on June 21st, 2010 at the Vancouver Yacht Club.  Click here for more photos.

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2010 Spring Post & Fill Process
All VSTA members are advised that although the 2010-2011 budget has not been formally adopted, the 2010 Spring Post and Fill Process will proceed as per the timelines that were agreed to in the Mid Contract Modification Process.

As the budget has not been officially passed, there may be changes along the way. Ongoing updates will be provided as the process unfolds. We appreciate your patience.

Click here for Post & Fill Timelines and Q & A.
 

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Vancouver Secondary Teachers' Association
Annual General Meeting
The VSTA Annual General Meeting took place on Tuesday, May 11th at the Tupper auditorium. Members voted in favour of a constitutional change to the Honourary Membership bylaw by adding "Honourary membership may be granted to persons who have rendered signal service to the cause of public education and teacher advocacy through VSTA".  The General Meeting also approved the financial report of 2009, the association's operating budget for 2010-2011, and elected the following acclaimed members of the 2010-2011 Executive Committee:

President	Anne Guthrie Warman (VSTA office)
1st Vice-President	Debbie Pawluk (VSTA office)
2nd Vice-Presidents	Sylvia Metzner (JO) and Shaun van der Hoop (VSTA office)
Treasurer	Moira Ekdahl (DLS)
Local Reps	Mary Filleul (WRE) Anne Guthrie Warman (VSTA) Sylvia Metzner (JO)
Alt. Local Rep	Lisa Pacheco (GLAD)
Member-at-Large	Victor Choy (WC) Sue Inglis (PG) Govan Keng (DLS) Susan McIntosh (GLAD) Raza Mirani (GLAD) Trish Mugford (MAGEE) Lisa Pacheco (GLAD) Christine Stewart (BRIT)
TOC Rep	Young Cheng (PG)
Health & Safety	Louis Jefferson (WC)
Pro-D	Brin MacIntyre (TEMP)
Social-Eco Justice	Rosalind Kellett (EH)
WLC/Bargaining	Shaun van der Hoop (VSTA)

The 2009-10 Executive Committee were thanked for their dedication and countless hours of service over the past year.  Also, special recognition and thanks were given to Susan Gallpen (Templeton) for her dedication and service to the Association.  We wish Susan the very best of health and happiness in her retirement.   

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Vancouver Trustees Advocacy
The Vision and COPE school trustees in Vancouver have been doing unprecedented amounts of advocacy, working with their trustee colleagues in other school districts and with parents and the unions here in Vancouver trying to get the message out to whomever will listen about the situation facing Vancouver schools. And while the Premier, the Minister of Education, and their BC Liberal MLA colleagues keep repeating "education funding is the highest ever" / "funding is at an all time high for public education" / "we're spending record amounts on education," the truth is that these increases have not kept pace with inflation, have not accounted for increased unfunded costs that have been downloaded to school districts, and have not accounted for the real costs associated with maintaining services in a school district.  

In Vancouver alone, these downloaded costs will result in a minimum shortfall of $18.12  million and are not in areas where boards have the discretion to spend less. The education of all of our students - typical, ESL, special needs, Aboriginal, inner city - will be profoundly impacted by any further cuts to Vancouver's already stretched district budget.

VSTA members are encouraged to make their concerns known by writing MLAs  and are encouraged to get PACs to do the same. 

* VSB Trustees Advocacy Work and sample letter to MLAs
* BC MLAs mail and email address
* Be sure to copy the letter to Premier Campbell, the Minister of Education, the Minister of Finance, and Leader of the Opposition 
* Highest Funding Ever Poster

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