A group calling itself Parents for BC plans to visit Victoria next week to air parents' concerns and bring issues about education funding to legislators.
It's started a website where parents can post their concerns and organizer Lisa Cable hopes parents will take the time to do so before Wednesday, May 28, when the group plans to present the collected messages to the legislature.
"We just want to give them a place to express their voice and opinion," said Cable, who said details are still being finalized as to how the group will get to the provincial capital and who parents will meet.
Coincidentally, the group plans the trip the same day teachers will be off the job in School District 43, along with several other B.C. school districts, as part of rotating strike action across the province to back contract demands. Cable said the date was set several weeks ago, before the work stoppage was announced by the BC Teachers' Federation, but she expects frustration with education funding and teacher bargaining to be among the concerns listed by parents on the website.
"What we want to do is to communicate to government that many people have concerns and something needs to be done," said Cable, adding that the lobbying effort isn't just for Tri-City parents, although the group got its start in Port Moody.
Anyone with concerns about the eduction system from anywhere in B.C. are encouraged to go to the website and submit their information. (Names and email addresses will be kept private and are not part of the communication to Victoria, Cable stressed).
"There are lots of parents feeling frustrated and don't know what to do and while we're not giving them anything great, were at least giving them something," Cable said.
The group also has a Facebook page and received attention when it held a rally in Port Moody on May 2.
