We all are aware at some level that there is not enough support for our children in their classrooms.  It's not just kids with special needs but ALL of our children who are impacted.

I'm a mom whose children have been in 3 School Districts (Vancouver, Burnaby, and now Coquitlam) and I have witnessed the decline in resources and funding for over 23 years.  I know it's really hard to try and get back what we have lost, but our children are in dire need right now.  The pandemic has shown us how important schools are to and for our kids and we need to speak up now.

There currently are not enough Education Assistants (EAs), Student Services Teachers, Counsellors, or Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) in SD43 (Coquitlam/Port Coquitlam/Port Moody/Anmore/Belcarra) schools to support the kids who need it.  It is not only the children who need support who are suffering, but ALL of the children in the class suffer as the teacher's time is divided between helping the children who require support and teaching the class.

I have one child leaving elementary school who has received very little to no support even with an Individual Education Plan (IEP).  It saddens me that she has lost 6 years of quality learning because the excellent EAs and Student Services Teachers' caseload of students is too large to adequately support kids' needs.

While I'm thankful that her learning disabilities were identified by a Psychological Assessment (Psych Ed), there are very few Psych Eds provided through our schools and most parents can't afford to pay for one privately.  Many more of our kids need access to this test before they reach middle school and high school so their learning challenges can be identified and they can get the help and support they need before it's too late.

I also have a son in high school who is only attending school for an hour and a half each day as there are not enough EAs and supports available to support him for the full day.

I know my children's situation is not unique as I know of many other parents whose children are also not receiving the support they need, which impacts not just their child but the entire class.

Please sign and share this petition to ask SD43's Superintendent and Board of Education to significantly increase funding to hire more EAs, Student Services Teachers, Counsellors, SLPs, and provide more Psych Eds to provide the support our children need and deserve.