Photo Credit: Grosman Gale Fletcher Hopkins LLP.
The Vancouver School Board’s (VSB) high school teachers have voted 98.6 per cent in favour of a statement of non-confidence in VSB Superintendent Helen McGregor and Secretary-Treasurer Flavia Coughlan.
The union representing the teachers says that the vote stems from concerns surrounding cuts to services while the District reports a budget surplus, reduced access to in-person courses, and decision-making processes that do not allow for input from staff.
However, in a statement emailed to The Nest, VSB Communications said that the District’s operating surplus is within a typical range, that some classes were reorganized at the beginning of the school year due to a reduction in enrollment, and that the school board is committed to working with unions to promote student success.
The Vancouver Secondary Teachers’ Association, which represents 1,400 VSB high school teachers, conducted the non-confidence vote and says that 1,131 teachers — or 80 per cent of all union members — participated in the vote, which is non-binding. Results were released on Oct. 13.
In the past, VSTA members at a particular high school have voted non-confidence in their school’s administrative team. However, VSTA 1st Vice-President Carl Janze explained in an interview with The Nest that holding a non-confidence vote at the District level is unprecedented for his union.
“We've never really been in a position of taking [a] vote on the superintendent. It's never been a district-wide thing like this. And in fact, I know of only two districts [in BC] that did this in the last decade,” he said.
In a press release from the union, VSTA President Carmen Schaedeli said that the non-confidence vote is a reflection of broader dissatisfaction that staff have with management, rather than a response to a specific dispute.
“This vote is not simply about one decision or one difficult school year. It is a response to a sustained pattern of decisions that teachers say has put budget outcomes and management priorities ahead of stable classrooms, adequate student supports, and meaningful engagement with the people closest to students,” she said.
One issue of concern for teachers is that the District recently reported a $15 million surplus, while they say that schools are currently experiencing staffing shortages and cuts to services, according to a statement from the union.
“Teachers see a widening gap between positive financial results and the resources actually reaching classrooms,” the VSTA’s statement says.
Janze added that when money is tight, the District consistently does not prioritize funding that goes directly to classrooms.
“And where the cuts seem to occur is where it has the greatest effect on students, families, and teachers in classrooms. That's where they cut. They don't actually cut at senior management,” he said.
However, in their statement, the VSB notes that “financial statements reflect the school district’s financial position at a particular point in time,” and that the District’s overall accumulated surplus remains within the acceptable range, as established by Board Policy 19. As per this policy, the acceptable range for the accumulated surplus is 1.0–2.5 per cent of annual operating expenses.
As well, the VSTA says that teachers are concerned about recent changes that affected students’ timetables. The union says that multiple high school classes were closed or reorganized after school started in September, and Janze said that knock-on effects from these changes have reverberated throughout many classrooms in the district.
“We have students who suddenly lost a teacher and found themselves in a new classroom. We experienced incredible disruption across the school district, and it impacts not just the teacher who was surplused, but also all of the students that get moved around and all the teachers who suddenly now have to pick up the students that got moved around,” he said.
As a result, the union says, many students haven’t been able to enroll in courses at their home schools and fill their timetables. Students have been told to take spare blocks or online classes because in-person classes weren’t available, and some have been unable to access core academic classes, the union says.
However, the District says that changes to staffing levels in September are a typical part of the timetabling process, and that some changes occurred in September to account for a reduction in the total number of high school students.
“Secondary staffing and course schedules are based on projected enrolment and student course selections, and are reviewed and adjusted when actual enrolment is known in September,” VSB Communications wrote in a statement to The Nest.
“Changes at that time are a normal part of the annual school organization process, not a general reduction in course offerings. Changes in staffing were made in September as a direct result of decreased enrolment in secondary schools.”
The union also says that an increase in class sizes and a reduction in learning supports is harming students’ learning.
In a statement, they say that staffing for educational assistants, learning-support teachers, counsellors, and specialized services is inadequate, and both students with diverse needs and their classmates are negatively impacted as a result.
However, according to the VSB, resources for students have recently been increased.
“The Board’s 2026–27 budget increased direct supports for students, including additional school and student support workers and supervision aide hours, following a three-month engagement process involving inherent rights holders, formal stakeholder groups and the broader school community,” their statement reads.
Additionally, the VSTA is criticizing changes made to processes for unions and other stakeholders to provide input on decisions made by the District.
“Long-standing opportunities for information sharing and authentic input from teachers, families, students, unions, and community partners have been reduced or altered—weakening trust and the quality of decision-making,” reads their statement.
“There's a disconnect between us and the people who make decisions. That's really unfortunate because, in the end, it's students and families that suffer from that,” Janze added.
On the contrary, the District wrote that it values input from staff and offers opportunities for them to engage in the decision-making process.
“Formal stakeholder groups, including VSTA, participate in the financial planning process and also provide input through Board committees and discussions with staff. VSB remains committed to working with inherent rights holders, stakeholder groups and partners to support student learning and well-being,” reads the District’s statement.
However, union leaders say that they want to see significant changes from their employer.
“This is a decisive call for change from Vancouver’s secondary teachers,” said Schaedeli. “The budget process has failed when students cannot access the classes and supports they need. Decisions need to be transparent, student-centred, and informed by the people who work with students every day.”