Vancouver School Board gets schooled > All nine trustees fired amidst bullying allegations and refusal to balance budgets Jessica Berget Staff Writer he Vancouver School Board and BC Government stand- off came to an abrupt end last week as Education Minister Mike Bernier fired all nine elected school board trustees. To some, this is a huge relief. To others, it is an incredibly risky move, but one that comes as no surprise. Bernier has had many issues with the Vancouver School Board in the past, the most significant being the board’s failure to make the balanced budget deadline last June, which is required by law, and ultimately, the reason for the board’s dismissal. The decision was made on October 17, despite the fact that the board had a ont Fe a Tt | % budget meeting set up for the following Monday. However, Bernier fired them before that meeting could take place and claims to have no confidence in the trustees to do their jobs. “What we have witnessed from the Vancouver School Board is a misplaced focus on political tactics rather than responsible stewardship,” said Bernier in a statement. The prospect of termination was not new to the trustees. The fear of firing hovered over them as they were forced to announce a list of schools that could possibly be shut down last spring. As a result, parents, teachers, and neighbourhood organizations set out to campaign against the possible closure of 12 schools. The province insists that these closures were necessary = ae due to the steady decline in enrollments in the Vancouver district. On the other hand, public education advocates argue that the province's goal of a 95 per cent utilization rate was unreachable, and higher than any other province. Under provincial law, school boards are expected to pass a balanced budget on June 30 of every year. Instead of firing the board when their deadline had passed to avoid making any “knee-jerk decisions,” the province selected an advisor to audit the school board’s finances. Bernier was not happy with the results. While also refusing to approve a balanced budget, the Vancouver School Board is under scrutiny after Bernier called for a WorkSafeBC investigation The public transit’s new groove > Upgrades to TransLink infrastructure Mercedes Deutscher News Editor Tern’ is pushing new transit infrastructure, specifically vehicles, in the tail end of 2016. As the Evergreen extension draws closer to its public opening—set to open sometime before Christmas on a yet-to- be-announced date—TransLink is beginning to roll out its new trains to the surprise of many transit-users this week. The Evergreen extension introduces Mark III trains into the SkyTrain network, which have a drastically different design from the Mark I and Mark II trains that have been circulating through Expo and Millennium Line stations for years. The Mark III holds more passengers, due to its “continuous” length. There are no breaks between cars, allowing passengers to walk from one end of the train to the other without having to exit the vehicle. The new trains boast similarities with the Canada Line trains; cyclists will have a designated space to place their bicycles while on the train, and the new trains are quieter than their predecessors. The most noticeable difference in the Mark III trains are their design: Windows are larger, and there are fewer seats. Meanwhile, off of the tracks, Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson is trying to drive the idea of introducing cleaner busses into the bus fleets. These new busses would run solely on electricity—as opposed to current buses, which run either solely on diesel, or on a hybrid of diesel and electricity. While there has been no confirmation on whether or not TransLink is planning on buying these busses, Robertson will be analyzing busses from various companies, providing input. “It’s fantastic to see zero- emission electric buses coming on-stream now. I think it'll be a transformation of bus fleets all over the world now to be And more! on bullying and workplace harassment accusations. This came to light after a letter from the BC Schools Superintendent Association to the Education Minister said staff was feeling micromanaged, belittled, and harassed. It is worth noting that two senior board staffers went on sick leave on the same day, and four more staffers the day after—with all six cases caused by stress and anxiety. The termination of the board is not without consequence. The discussion over the budget cuts and harassment allegations overshadows the much larger problem of school closures. The province has tied money for sizable upgrades to enrolment—which has left the trustees no choice but to shut down 11 schools, mostly clean and quiet,” Robertson said to the Province. New vehicles are not the only things getting special attention from TransLink. Those who ride the train are in for a change, especially on the former Expo Line (between King George and Waterfront). On October 22, SkyTrain lines were reconfigured to prepare riders for the Evergreen extension. Millennium Line stations no longer include stations between Waterfront and Braid. Rather, the Expo Line was divided into two: a route between Waterfront and King George, and a route between Waterfront and Production Way-University. The reconfiguring means ne Snes Gites ies (¥ If you can't build across, sail across (¥ No longer hidden, a safe space for women (¥ Average cost of homes dropping in Vancouver Image of Templeton Secondary School via wikimapia.org l on the east side of Vancouver. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was left bitterly disappointed with the decision of terminating the trustees, calling it an “undemocratic measure” since the board was planning to pass a budget on October 24. “They were democratically elected here in Vancouver to represent our kids and our schools,” Robertson responded, via the Globe And Mail. “I believe they can do the best job for our kids and were fighting to keep our schools open. This is very, very disappointing.” The BC education ministry has now appointed former Delta school district superintendent Dianne Turner to serve as official trustee in lieu of the school board for one year. longer wait times for SkyTrain passengers, since trains will now be designated to run along three routes instead of two. To make up for lost time, TransLink is planning on condensing the Mark I trains. The original design for Mark Is have the trains operate with four cars. Now, trains are being dismantled to allow the Mark Is to operate with six cars, which will let them take more people at one time. Re-routing and changing the trains will also allow for more trains to go to Surrey. Trains on the traditional Expo line experienced high usage and crowding during peak travelling times.