VCSTA Mandate

What does the VCSTA do for teachers?

We know this is a question that has been burning in the back of people’s minds for a long time. We also know that the 5 items listed below are the clear summaries of what has always been said. However, when each one is broken down into its little pieces, that 5 points listed really become categories for everything that we are doing.

Seeks to improve compensation, benefits, and working conditions for its members
- Although this job seems to have been funnelled into the position of the Teacher Representatives on the Forum, we still provide information of interactions, gather and then direct information from teachers to the Forum Reps
- Benefits and Working Conditions don’t just have to be what’s on our contract. It is helping teachers communicate with one another to know what is happening in other schools. We provide an avenue for discussion and a place to share information.
Maintains a liaison with the Board of Directors, the Forum members, the Superintendent’s Office and the Principals’ Association
- We have a Representative to the Board who attends extra meetings once a month to find out what is happening within the CISVA
- We have meetings with the Superintendent’s Office and now we meet with the Administrators’ Executive at the same time
- We have someone who is a Forum Representative and happens to sit on the executive. Something that is very handy to have.
Transmits concerns from members to appropriate personnel
- This has become a large undertaking. Technology is now at a level where everyone has integrated some part of technology into their daily work routine and communication. We drew up a Social Media Strategy to allow for everyone to have easy access to the VCSTA.
- This strategy is not a unidirectional dispensing of information. It is set up so that we have a full network available for members to contact other members interact online.
- We also see that spending some face time with other teachers is even more important. Receiving a pat on the back and a smile can also go a long way which is why we have also tried to give extra incentives for people to come out and meet others like having multiple socials for people to step away from their classroom desks and to relax and break bread with their colleagues.
- We have also recognized the greater need to contract services which has prompted us to take steps into ensuring the association is equipped to handle unexpected surprises, discrepancies in information and the explanation of questions.
Provides bursaries to members for professional upgrading and post-secondary scholarships for children of members
- More and more people are going back to school to work on graduate studies.
- We are more than happy to provide a little bit of assistance with a course for a handful of members each year.
Facilitates the ongoing personal and professional growth of its members.
- Although this originally was something that was done though the VCSTA, it has been transitioned to the CISVA Superintendents’ Office in the form of the CEC v2.0. As mentioned above, many people are also seeking professional and personal development in the form of graduate studies and have little time for much else.
- Although we have not organized a professional development session in a while, perhaps it may be time to start sending people to other Professional Development sessions in other areas – in accordance with our budget of course!

It is clear that we have five areas that represent what the VCSTA can do for its members. What those points don’t show is all of the little things we do to achieve them.