Our library of tips offers a concise, alphabetically organised toolkit for recognising and challenging the systemic forces that shape student experiences in British Columbia’s public schools. Whether you’re new to education advocacy or a seasoned ally, this series—spanning the ABCs of engineered scarcity and the ABCs of regressive punishment, with the ABCs of access coming soon—equips you with clear definitions, evidence-informed explanations and action-oriented prompts designed to move you from insight to impact.
What you will find in our library of tips
- ABCs of engineered scarcity. Unpack how austerity, zero-sum reasoning and budget rationing distort policy debates, and learn to reframe conversations so that equity becomes an obligation rather than an optics exercise.
- ABCs of regressive punishment. Explore concepts like collective punishment, gatekeeping and underprovision—discover how punitive practices disproportionately harm students with disabilities and how to demand rights-based alternatives.
- ABCs of access (coming soon). Delve into the language and mechanisms of inclusion, from the duty to accommodate under the BC Human Rights Code to the strategies that ensure supports arrive before children slip through the cracks.
Why this guide matters
In a landscape where committees, consultations and pilot projects too often postpone meaningful change, our tips library cuts through delay by giving you the vocabulary and the prompts to hold decision-makers accountable. Each entry challenges a specific framing—whether it’s the efficiency fetish that equates cost-cutting with progress or the workaround economy that masks chronic underfunding with unpaid labour—so that you can name the problem and demand structural solutions.
How to use this guide
- Read one letter at a time. Start with the concept that resonates most with your experience—whether frustration over lottery logic or anger at layers of victim narrative—and let the definition and explanation deepen your understanding.
- Try the action prompt. Each entry ends with a prompt designed to spark conversation, social-media posts or advocacy strategies you can use in school board meetings and community forums.
- Share and repost. Amplify these insights by linking to the original tips post, tagging local parent groups and using our recommended hashtags: #scarcityideology #bcschools #equityinaction.
Join us in demanding change
The fight for inclusive, rights-based education hinges on shared language and collective pressure. Repost this blog, link to the full library of tips and invite your network—parents, educators, advocates and policymakers—to explore, discuss and act. Only by turning analysis into advocacy can we transform empty promises into real progress for every learner.
