To the Premier of British Columbia, the Minister of Education and Child Care, and School District 61:

Every day in SD 61 students are arriving at school without the Educational Assistant (EA) support they need and classrooms are absorbing the impact.

This is not about "extra help." For many students EAs are what make learning possible, safe and inclusive. When EA support is insufficient everyone feels it: students, staff and families.

What's happening:

• EA staffing is not keeping pace with rising classroom complexity and student needs
• Students who require support experience delays, gaps and inconsistent coverage
• EAs are stretched beyond sustainable limits which is causing burnout and turnover
• Teachers are being pulled from instruction to manage unmet support and safety needs

Why it matters:

Inclusive education is a public promise, but without EAs it turns into a lottery.

• Some students can't access learning consistently
• Safety and supervision are strained
• Classroom learning conditions worsen for all students
• Families are left in constant crisis mode while being forced to advocate case-by-case 

What the Provincial Government of British Columbia Must Do

The Provincial Government controls the funding model and policy expectations for education in our province. We call on the BC Provincial Government to:

1. Modernize how EA support is funded and allocated so that it reflects real needs and classroom complexity
2. Provide stable, targeted funding for EA staffing - not funding that can be diverted to cover other shortfalls
3. Ensure competitive EA wages across BC to improve recruitment and retention
4. Set clear provincial staffing expectations so that students' support doesn't depend on their postal code

What School District 61 Must Do

Within its local authority, we call on SD61 to:

1. Prioritize EA staffing in budget decisions and protect classroom supports
2. Publish plain-language EA allocation information (how hours are assigned and what unmet needs exist)
3. Track and report unmet EA needs publicly and explain how they are being addressed
4. Engage Families meaningfully before final budget decisions, with accessible data an options

Call to Action

Please sign and share. This is about student safety, equity and access to education.

Inclusive education must be funded in practice, not just in principle.

Stop the staffing crisis. Protect student safety. Make inclusion real - not just promised.