The other day a friend asked me what I would do if Kevin Epp, president of the Skaha Teachers’ Union, responded to my letter. “Will you rip him apart?” they asked. After reading Mr. Epp’s rebuttal, I think the gaping holes he left himself are far bigger than I could rip apart.
Mr. Epp makes the insinuation that “I am attempting to mislead” — you know this because? You don’t. Plain and simple. Nor am I.
Assessment data is the results, and to “hide them”, as Mr. Epp seems to insinuate, defeats the entire purpose. You’ve heard the phrase “Track, rank and publish”? As the group you represent is employed by the government and paid by taxpayer dollars, why shouldn’t we have the right to see that info? Why shouldn’t school boards have the right to see problem spots and address it. Tell me, if you owned a widget making company with four employees — two of them made 10 pieces per hour, one made eight and the other made three, would you not have concern with the one making three? Of course you would.
As for your “whining”, I challenge you to have five outside business professionals read your letters and tell me they are not lopsided, biased and only address what you want rather than the entire picture. Everything is negative from the employer’s perspective, and oh the poor teachers and what they have to put up with. Gobbledygook. Two sides to every story, and it’s sad that someone supposedly educated as yourself tries to play that card.
Lastly, you made me laugh. Your comment of “teachers want to teach, not rank” is priceless. Could you imagine the Olympic Games if everyone just showed up to participate? Every business “ranks” sales, productivity, etc. and the world will continue to. Preparing our kids for this in the real world should be a given. And why then, when I turn on my TV and see the B.C. teachers advertisement, does the last thing that pops on screen is “B.C. Teachers rank ninth in pay”.
Again, you did this to yourself. I’m just pointing it out.
Kelly David
Penticton