SD 38 Shares Innovations at Learning in Action Showcase

by Olga Ilich, MLA Richmond Centre, Linda Reid, MLA Richmond East, John Yap, MLA Richmond-Steveston
(Richmond, BC Canada)

Representatives from the Richmond School District will share the success of their Area Counsellor Team (ACT) program with 44 other school districts today, announced Richmond MLAs Linda Reid, Olga Ilich and John Yap.

"The ACT program is another example of B.C.'s dynamic education system," said Reid, MLA for Richmond East. "I'm happy to see the local school district has compiled a team of specialized counsellors to help school staff learn how to effectively deal with disruptive behaviour in the classroom."

"Clearly there is no 'quick fix' solution to this problem," said Ilich, MLA for Richmond Centre. "By offering our school staff the necessary tools, skills and information, they are able to build positive, safer settings in our schools."

"Managing challenging behaviour in a classroom setting is a problem faced by all teachers," said Yap, MLA for Richmond Steveston. "One of the key factors in behaviour management is understanding why challenging behaviour occurs, and the ACT program directly addresses this issue."

The Richmond school district has created ACT, which consists of a team of area counsellors who deal with increasingly challenging behaviours by providing school staff with professional development and demonstration lessons.

The second annual Learning in Action Showcase in Vancouver features the work of 44 B.C. school districts. Each district will present one innovative teaching practice under the themes of leadership, literacy, the first 10 years, middle years to secondary, and equitable futures. The showcase offers an opportunity for educators to celebrate the creative ways they are helping to improve student achievement in their districts.

The Ministry of Education, the BCSTA and the BC School Superintendents Association (BCSSA) have worked in partnership to host the Learning in Action Showcase, a highlight of the BCSTA's Innovation Academy underway in Vancouver.

The Province is working to make B.C. the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent. The government introduced legislation in the spring to help improve student achievement by making boards of education more accountable for student results, providing students and parents with more choice, and increasing support to school districts.