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The Society of Christian Schools of BC serves many of the same schools as CTABC. Why is there a need for two organizations? In fact there is also the Christian Principal’s Association (CPABC). That makes for three organizations. Why can’t the one do the work of the three? Good question.
History plays a role here. The Society of Christian Schools was the first organization to take shape over 40 years ago. It was set up by a few of the early School Societies such as Vancouver Christian School and Pacific Christian School. These communities needed advice and assistance in all manner of areas. In the early years the Constitution and By-laws of the school societies were carefully worked out. Curriculum work was also a huge concern. What would students learn was a key question?
Over time, as the SCSBC matured, it became clear that teachers and principals had their own unique interests and needs. Professional Development and Employment standards were areas that needed careful thought. The SCSBC is committed first of all to the School Society, and to that end, it needed to meet the needs of the School Boards. A quality school needs teachers and administrators to work together. Thus the SCSBC is very interested in a harmonious relationship with the teachers and administrators. Over the years the SCSBC has worked hard to influence Boards to respect the just interests of teachers and administration. However, with the blessing of the SCSBC, teachers and principals were encouraged to take ownership of their own Professional Development and provide input into employment conditions.
The CTABC and CPABC owe a lot to the SCSBC. If the CPABC or CTABC does not do its work, the SCSBC would have to pick up the slack. The current arrangement which differentiates the three, ensures that the respective partners can clearly present the perspectives that need to be heard.
Thus, CTABC represents the educators in our schools. The SCSBC represents the school boards that have responsibility for their school societies. The CPABC represents the principals and assistant Principals. This differentiation works well. There has been over 15 years of experience to show that the system works. A cursory look at the website of each organization shows the differentiation of tasks. What started small has grown and matured into a blessing for school boards, educators and administrators.
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