By Tara Ehrcke | Published by Our Times
Excerpt:
Yes, I believe I deserve a raise. But, just like other teachers, that isn’t the main reason I voted yes to strike. A society is measured by how it treats everyone. This includes the poor, the disenfranchised, the “ordinary.” In British Columbia, children of poor and working-class families get overcrowded in underfunded schools. The children who need the most from education — the hungry, the hurt, the struggling ones — get the least. In contrast, the ones whose parents can pay get the most.
The “public” in public school shouldn’t mean just providing a building, with some tired teachers to deliver a curriculum, the success of which is measured by standardized tests. A good public school system should provide high quality opportunities to every single child. While our public schools have many wonderful programs and many dedicated teachers, the sad truth is that there are also overcrowded classrooms, children falling behind, and a workforce exhausted from trying to fill in the gaps.
Montreal Teachers 4 Change.org 
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