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James Sanyshyn voted new head of Burnaby Teachers' Association

The Burnaby Teachers' Association will have a familiar face at the helm next year. Vice-president James Sanyshyn was elected president for the coming school year.

The Burnaby Teachers' Association will have a familiar face at the helm next year.

Vice-president James Sanyshyn was elected president for the coming school year. Sanyshyn was instrumental in the push for the Burnaby school board to bring in a policy against homophobia. Patrick Parkes is the new vice-president, and Burnaby North Secondary teacher Frank Bonvino will take over Parkes' old position as officer-at-large/grievance officer.

Outgoing Richard Storch, the current president, will return to teaching after his term ends. The new positions take effect July 1.

The Burnaby Teachers' Association is the local branch of the B.C. Teachers' Federation.

The association also created a new parent-outreach committee called "parents and teachers together."

"We are the first BCTF local to my knowledge to have a dedicated parent-outreach committee," Parkes said. "We wanted to start the committee because, we think it's important to communication with parents about their experience with the public education system and to let them know our perspective as well."

Parents can't sit on the committee as voting members, but they are invited to attend to ask questions about the BCTF's position on issues and voice their concerns if need be.