Good thoughts Susan.
The problem is, the board doesn't care about the education of this particular group of kids.
Our (elementary) PAC submitted a document to them back in the spring passing on parent concerns and asking how various items would be handled. We never got a response at all.
They are prepared to sacrifice the current Grade 11 class at Stafford,and the Grade 6 and 7's currently in the elementary schools. And they don't seem to care.
My guess is they have another agenda. There must be a plan to close two or three more schools in the area in 2008, and then start building in Willoughby.
They have been handed solutions and have ignored them, just as they will ignore this one.
They know that there is no way that they can implement a successful middle school under this plan, and that if they did everything they promised, they would run of funding. They also know that they don't have room to accomodate all the secondary students that would be displaced with the closure of Stafford. I think they are counting on some of us leaving the district.
Darlene | 10.25.07 - 1:15 am | #

Actually, if you read the report on South/Central elementary schools you willl find that the plan is to utilize empty space at Simonds and another elem school to base school district staff like the ESL department.

It would be far better to close those schools. What good is it when the ESL or any other departmental staff are isolated and do not have the day to day incidental contact with other district staff who would be helping those students that they work with? We all know that a lot of the work happens on the fly in the hallway and while/when you pass by an open office door, etc. When it you don't have immediate access to those resources and have to schedule meetings things take a lot longer or sometimes not at all. It is better to have easy access to the staff in the Special Needs department, professional services, counselling, ISP, etc. and that won't happen if they stafff is far off in the field. Yes, they work with students at schooll but a good portion of the work involves coordination with other departments and access to district resources.
Anonymous | 10.25.07 - 11:34 am | #

You are right, Anonymous. There are proposals to use excess space in some of the schools, but the district has made it clear that filling up buildings with other services will not solve their problems. The money they stand to save closing buildings is not from facility costs as much as it is from staffing costs. They will still show a school (like Simonds in this instance) as terribly under-enrolled and whatever other services are being housed there will not move the ministry to release more capital funding. The only reason that ideas like this are included in the report at all is to try to give the public the idea that there will be no more school closures if we support the plan.
They are still in a divide and conquer mode. The district wants us to take LSS's position: "I will publicly support anything you do to anybody else, no matter how bad, as long as it will save my skin."
However, these schools are united and none of their manipulations will work. This has become an incredibly strong community, and if the vote goes against us on Tuesday, the only difference will be that the gloves will be off.
This board must demonstrate an educational and financial advantage to get the community to buy-in; that will not change.
Darlene | 10.25.07 - 2:00 pm | #

Error on the SD35.bc.ca site has been fixed and now states that the Public Board meeting for October 30 where the fate of the South/Central Schools will be decided will begin at 7:30pm not 7 pm. I had originally thought when I saw the post that it was wrong but thought maybe they alloted more time for presentations and decided to start early. This apparently will not be the story. I hope readers will be able to have the time to read all posts on site. The items on educational issues currently happening within the district will affect a large number of families. Especially if the four NOT ON BOARD WITH THE PEOPLE including students go with an idea that will cost more tax dollars than any other and in the same stream affect the most students directly.
Susan Semonick | 10.25.07 - 4:27 pm | #