If you’re wondering how on earth BC schools ended up in such a dire state, this video breaks it down. Morten Rand-Hendriksen, your DPAC Rep lays out the full picture—not just that there’s a crisis, but how we got here. He connects the dots between years of structural underfunding, a flawed provincial funding model, and the absence of built-in safeguards that should’ve caught this long ago.

The video addresses the growing public frustration: How could this have been allowed to happen? Where were the checks, the balances, the moments to course-correct? It turns out, those mechanisms either didn’t exist or were ignored—and now districts are facing painful decisions, from staffing cuts to program eliminations. If you’ve been baffled by the scope of the crisis, this video explains exactly how things spiraled—and what can still be done to stop it from getting worse.

Below is a list of the MLAs representing ridings within the Burnaby School District, along with their contact details—plus a sample letter to help you speak up for your child’s education.

MLA for Burnaby South – Metrotown
Paul Choi
Phone: 604-660-0855
Email: Paul.Choi.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Office Address: 5234 Rumble Street, Burnaby, BC V5J 2B6
Website: paulchoi.bcndp.ca

MLA for Burnaby Centre
Anne Kang
Phone: 604-775-0565
Email: Anne.Kang.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Office Address: 105-6411 Nelson Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5H 4H3
Website: annekangbcmla.ca

MLA for Burnaby-New Westminster
Raj Chouhan
Phone: 604-660-7301
Email: Raj.Chouhan.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Office Address: 5234 Rumble Street, Burnaby, BC V5J 2B6
Website: rajchouhan.ca

MLA for Burnaby North (BC NDP)
Janet Routledge
Phone: 604-775-0778
Email: Janet.Routledge.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Office Address: 4270 Hastings Street, Burnaby, BC V5C 2J6
Website: janetroutledge.ca

MLA for Burnaby East (BC NDP)
Rohini Arora
Phone: 604-660-5058
Email: Rohini.Arora.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Office Address: 3-8699 10th Avenue, Burnaby, BC V3N 2S9
Website: bcndpcaucus.ca/mla/rohini-arora

If you’re concerned about the school budget crisis, reaching out to them directly is a powerful way to make your voice heard. You can call, email, or request a meeting to express your concerns and advocate for change.​

Here is a sample letter:

Subject: Alarmed by What’s Happening in Our Schools

Dear [MLA Name],

I’m writing as a parent in the Burnaby School District, and I need to be blunt: I’m alarmed by the state of public education in our community.

The scale of this year’s budget shortfall is shocking—and the consequences are even worse. Cuts to staff, cancelled programs, and reduced supports are not abstract concerns. They are already affecting our children, their classrooms, and their futures. Families are being asked to accept less for their kids while the system quietly erodes beneath them.

This isn’t about mismanagement. It’s about a funding model that no longer works—and hasn’t for a long time. It fails to account for the real costs of delivering a quality education, and the lack of safeguards has allowed things to spiral into crisis.

We need urgent action from provincial leaders. Please fight for immediate emergency funding to stabilize our schools, and push for a full overhaul of the way education is funded in BC. Our kids are paying the price for political inaction. That cannot continue.

Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Neighborhood or School Community]
[Optional: Contact Information]