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Speaking Up BC

Education Advocacy. K-12. Disability. BC, Canada.

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Speaking Up BC

In The News

Below are the list of my published Burnaby Now letters regarding the situation in the education system.

September 17th, 2021

https://www.burnabynow.com/opinion/letter-lice-reported-in-burnaby-schools-but-not-covid-19-cases-thats-wrong-4342798

August 12th, 2021

https://www.burnabynow.com/opinion/letter-are-burnaby-schools-safe-not-in-my-books-4217331

June 18th, 2021

https://www.burnabynow.com/opinion/letter-not-enough-burnaby-parents-watching-as-budget-cuts-happen-3885761

May 27th, 2021

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-news/letter-burnaby-teachers-burned-out-by-covid-19-wont-forget-these-budget-cuts-3815799

May 9th, 2021

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-news/letter-it-shouldnt-be-up-to-burnaby-school-trustees-to-slash-the-budget-3760951


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Welcome to Speaking UP BC (Canada)

What does it take to be an advocate?

To put it quite simply…

You need to look at the pile of horse shit in front of you, view it as fertilizer, and then get to work. Oh…and be willing to fall ass backwards into it.

To all of the other parents who also make the decision to step into the advocacy role, however big or small, I cherish you. No one can ever make a difference, truly alone. We walk this together, even when we are fighting our own battles. And, it certainly can feel like a battle sometimes in these strategically designed systems.

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.” African proverb quoted by the Dalai Lama

Disclaimer: On this website are some general tips that I have learnt along the way that I wish I knew before I started down the advocacy path. I offer these as suggestions for you to consider for your own advocacy efforts. As a disclaimer: please see this list as a Sunday brunch buffet of options and not a prescription of exact steps that you need to follow. I hope this information empowers parents when moving forward to reflect on their own values and make their own advocacy decisions. I know for myself, that when I move down a path that aligns with my values, I feel that much stronger.

“Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine.” ― Alan Turing

 

 

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parent.advocacy.tribunal.help

Human Rights. Education. K-12. Disability.

New Blog: Want Progress in Team Meetings? Advocati New Blog: Want Progress in Team Meetings?
Advocating is hard because you have conversations with people you disagree with. You need to have these conversations in a way that allows for further discussions to continue. We don’t want them to shut the door and shut us out. Because most likely, the people you disagree with have a position of power, and they are the ones who are gatekeeping. If you don’t want to engage with people you disagree with, your advocacy will progress at a much slower rate.
The most highly skilled advocates that I have witnessed are people who are able to invite people into uncomfortable conversations and offer them enough safety in that conversation for them to be able to change their mind with dignity.
THAT is where progress occurs.
👇👇👇
https://www.speakingupbc.com/.../want-progress-in-team.../
#disability #advocacy #groupthink #teamwork
Family Status in Education You don't even need to Family Status in Education
You don't even need to file a human rights complaint on behalf of your child, you can file one just for you!
The discrimination test applies to you too?
1. Do you have a protected ground? Yes - family status
2. Did you experience harm?
3. Was your harm connected to your family status?
If you file on behalf of your child, and you want to file on behalf of yourself, you need to file two separate complaints. If they both have been accepted, then you can file out an application form to join them. 
Here is more info on family status.
👇👇👇
https://kbpath.com/family-status-adding-yourself/
New blog: Failing Forward with Compassion https:/ New blog: Failing Forward with Compassion

https://www.speakingupbc.com/2025/11/11/failing-forward-with-compassion/
New Blog: When Should I File? People often wonder New Blog: When Should I File?
People often wonder when they should file their human rights complaint. Especially when it they are dealing with issues that have been happening for a long time.
Sometimes it is a big event that occurs. If it’s only about that one event, then you would have one year to file.
However, when things are murkier, it’s sometimes about what you are willing to tolerate.
People want to know when the “right” time is. Depends on your situation, but I don’t know if there is ever a “right” time. Or a specific “right” way to advocate. I don’t know anything that is guaranteed. People have different personalities involved in their child’s education. Some people are more flexible, and some are just brick walls.
We don’t want to kill a fly with a house. It’s good to escalate your advocacy in incremental steps. You do want to give people a chance to resolve the issue and see if there is any way for it to be resolved collaboratively. Your child is going to be in school for a long time. Building relationships is important. However, at what point does it become enough? At what point do you feel like nothing is going to change?
👇👇👇
https://www.speakingupbc.com/2025/11/10/when-should-i-file/

#disability #education
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  • Home
  • P.A.T.H (Parent. Advocacy. Tribunal. Help)
    • Teachers Regulation Branch (Professional Conduct Unit)
    • BC Human Rights Tribunal
  • Contact
    • About Me
  • Blogs
  • Understanding Systemic Change
  • Understanding the Role of Teachers and EAs
  • Duty to Accommodate
  • Education Advocacy Options
    • Resolution Options in Education
    • Section 177
    • Advocacy
    • Section 11 – Appeal to Board of Education
    • How do Deal with Schools Giving you the Silent Treatment
    • Freedom of Information Request
    • Ministry of Education
    • MLA
    • Commonly Used Acronyms in Supportive Education
  • Advocate Help Directory
  • Annual Reports
  • In the News/Human Rights Cases
  • Parent/Guardian Blogs
  • Parent/Guardian Podcasts
  • Important Resource Links
  • Yelp
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Email
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