Not sure of where the parties stand on public education?

Three ideas –

1) Invest an hour into watching the webcast of the Board’s April 4 Education Forum at http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools Many thanks to  Sue Huff (Alberta Party), Weslyn Mather (Alberta Liberals), David Eggen (New Democrats),  Thomas Lukaszuk (Progressive Conservative), and Vitor Marciano (Wildrose)  for their participation and interest in public education issues…  to all those who submitted questions ahead of time (which were combined into five questions on five key issues for the candidates) …. to our “question-asking” students  … to Leslie MacDonald for moderating the Forum … and to our Communications staff for all their hard work in arranging it all.

2) Check out the party platforms online  http://catherineripley.ca/links/democratic-participation/

3) Contact your local candidates.   http://daveberta.ca/alberta-election/

For your further consideration, here are the issues that the Board has been raising during the Election period :

1)     The importance of Adequate, sustainable, predictable funding for public education  –  In terms of predictability, the recent three-year commitment by the Province is a great start.  Meeting the needs of all students continues to be complex, challenging, and rewarding work.  It requires, however, enough funding to build staff capacity and supply the supports and resources needed in the classroom to meet the varying needs of students (from gifted and talented students to FNMI students to English Language Learners to special education students, etc.).

2)      Funding for public education needs to be viewed an investment, not an expense  – investing today will lead Alberta to greater prosperity in the future. It will also reduce crime and unemployment in the future.

3)      More flexibility in both infrastructure funding and formulas is needed – this would enable us to create meaningful long-term partnerships  and better allow our schools to operate as community hubs.

4)      Mandated Half-Day Kindergarten for all students AND fully funded Full-Day Kindergarten for students with socio-economic vulnerabilities  – because early learning is critical to students’ lifelong success and we want to ensure all kids are “ready to learn” when they hit Grade 1.

Finally, on a personal note, I was very disappointed that Bill 2 did not pass in the last Legislative Session.  This is a good enabling and empowering Act for communities, parents, students, staff and school boards.  You can read what the Public School Boards Association of Alberta, whose members represent  228,000 school children across the province here, had to say about this unexpected turn of events.  Will the Act — and all the work that went into it — come back, and when?

I ask you to consider these points and also, the perspectives and plans of each party on public education carefully and then on April 23… please vote!

Also, please encourage your neighbours to vote!

If you are not sure about where to vote, please visit Elections Alberta.

Other Resources

CBC

Edmonton Journal

Primetime Alberta

Over the past couple of weeks I have kept bumping into what makes me proud to be an Edmonton Public Schools trustee –

·        Imagine marking a million papers/assignments! That’s what Alice Ayre, teacher at DS MacKenzie, has done over her teaching career. Ms. Ayre is now in her 40^th year of service to Edmonton Public.  Congratulations and THANK YOU to Ms. Ayre and to all the other staff whose 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years of excellent service to the district the Board celebrated several weeks ago. Your dedication and commitment is greatly valued.

·        Hearty minnestrone soup, melt-in-your-mouth rouladen, and heavenly chocolate mousse!  This was the meal that culinary teams from high schools around the region prepared for Chef Simon and his fellow judges in the Fifth Canadian Culinary Federation High School Challenge.  Congratulations to the Harry Ainlay team that placed second in the competition!

·        The dedication and care with which our staff help the Board craft, wrestle with,  and develop our policies (Stay tuned – the final version of the Inclusive Education policy is on its way to public board!)

·        Be it resolved that the 21^st century will be China’s century…. This was the resolution that was debated last Saturday by junior high debate teams, and it was so great to see the students’ research efforts shine through and their strong ability to argue their case with passion and clarity.  Congratulations to the students who participated, and thanks to all the teachers involved in supporting junior high debate teams across the district and to the team at Vernon Barford for hosting this Regional Tournament for the fifth year.

·        This past week Grade 1 students from Westbrook School got a peek into their future!  They walked with their teachers and parent volunteers to Harry Ainlay, the designated high school where many of them will be attending someday. They were greeted by Grade 12 leadership students who took them on a tour of the school following the school’s timetable including visits to classrooms and the school’s welding shop.

·        What precision of rhythm and pitch, robustness of sound, and joy in performance was seen last Wednesday night at the 48^th Annual Night of Music, “United in Song”!  Thanks to all the musicians and performers involved …and their teachers!  Students from several Ward H schools were involved this year including individual students who participated in the Honour Bands and Choirs plus the Lillian Osborne House Band plus classes from Esther Starkman and Johnny Bright …PLUS ….Greenfield students who created the artwork for the program and posters.

·        Last week some Keheewin classes went global in their learning by competing in World Education Day in three different categories (math facts, spelling, science). Cool!

·        And on it goes…. But  now it is time to stop looking back and look to the week ahead….

PUBLIC BOARD MEETING (Tuesday, March 13, 2 -6 PM)

All Agenda Items and Related Reports can be found here:

http://www.epsb.ca/board/march132012_agenda.shtml

Several big items of discussion this week

·        A motion from Trustee Spencer about creating a 20-year infrastructure plan for the district (including replacement schools, consolidations, expansions, right-sizing, etc.) and to be developed in the spirit of the Elevate Report

·        A motion from Trustee Janz about asking the Administration to prepare for the end of the Moratorium by bringing forward a series of recommendations re: schools and programming to be put into effect by September 2013. (Read more at:  http://www.michaeljanz.ca/2012/02/what-happens-after-the-school-closure-moratorium-expires-in-november-2012/)

·        A motion from Trustee Janz about creating active transportation plans for all schools in the district (who should do this work – the district or school communities

·        2013-16 Capital Plan Recommendation Please take a look and see what you think. As per the Board’s instruction through its Moratorium Committee recommendations, renewal projects have been prioritized. That said, new schools for Terwillegar Heights and Heritage Valley are been suggested for Year One (Priorities 6 & 7) with an addition for Lillian Osborne as Priority 11, a new school for Windermere in Year Two as Priority 16, and another school for Heritage Valley in Year Three (Priority 22) .

PLUS INFORMATION ON

·        Modifying the School Calendar for High Schools only

·        Maps of Schools that Have Reached or Surpassed Their Capacity

·        JUA Report (JUA users –please read and let me know if you have any questions about what the district is thinking with respect to trying to improve how the JUA works from a school perspective as well as from a community user perspective.)

·        Feasibility Report on Implementing Financial Literacy courses

·        Provincial and Federal Funding for ELL

·        What Did We Learn from the 2010 ASAP Schools

AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST…. OUR EDWIN PARR AWARDS

§           Join us in celebrating four outstanding first-year teachers and find out who will be our Edwin Parr candidate to go forward into the Alberta School Boards Association Zone 2/3 selection process.

As always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings, which are held at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway. Can’t join us in person? Then please consider joining us online either in real-time or online at http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools. You can also view archived versions of all board meetings here.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS (PLEASE!)

Thursday, March 15, 7 to 9 p.m.

Extraordinary Supports for Extraordinary Students

This is session is for parents or caregivers of children within Edmonton Public Schools who have severe disabilities. Includes presentations from Family Support for Children with a Disability, Disability Tax Credit, City of Edmonton – recreation/ camps/programs, Parent Perspective, and Q&A, and information resource tables. Held at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway. To register — http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LWTBYJK

Saturday, March 17, 9 – 2 p.m.

Preventing Conflict in Special Education

Hosted by Kathryn Burke, Executive Director of the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta and author of The Accidental Advocate @ the DS Mackenzie Library ($40 registration fee) For more information and to register, visit www.LDExperince.ca

March 21  International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

What are you doing to mark this day? Look for ideas at:  http://marchforunderstanding.com/

Wednesday, March 21

EPSB PARENTS – Your child or teen’s District Pre-Enrolment Passport is due back to your school TODAY!

March 26 – 30  SPRING BREAK!

Monday, March 26, 5 – 6 pm

Free Parenting Lecture: Strengthening Couple Relationships & Fathers’ Involvement: Good for Parents & Children
This open University of Alberta 2012 Empey Lecture is FREE and will be held at the University of Alberta TELUS Centre Room 150 (87 Avenue and 110 Street). No registration required.

Saturday, March 31, 8:30 – 9:30

Celebrate Earth Hour and discuss energy usage, climate change, etc. with your kids, grandkids, nephews and nieces…. Turn out the lights! http://www.edmonton.ca/environmental/programs/earth-hour.aspx

Wednesday, April 4, 7 pm

You’re Invited:  Education Forum!

Please join the Board at the Centre for Education (One Kingsway) to hear Q&A with the representatives of five political parties and  Moderator Lesley Macdonald. RSVP to Kim McEwan at kim.mcewan@epsb.ca or 780-429-8040, and if you have questions for the candidates to contribute, please visit www.tinyurl.com/ElectionsForum.

OTHER

NEW ONLINE SITE FOR PARENTS

This new Alberta Education site informs parents about what their child is learning and how their child might be assessed for every subject and grade level at school. http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/

As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share!

Catherine

 Two highlights for me in the past two weeks –

 ELEVATE….

On February 2, ELEVATE, the Community Sustainability Task Force Report was released.  I am privileged and proud to have served as the Board’s representative on this Task Force.  I have learned much about how “we” might work to sustain and support and grow vibrant, happy communities in every part of our city and so pleased to see that an emphasis on education and life-long learning is one of the major thrusts of the report.  

 The idea of bringing all jurisdictions to a common table and encouraging them to work together to assemble a new urban agenda and pursue this through empowering communities to make decisions about their own development reminded me of the  “Let’s Talk Schools! Let’s Talk Communities! Let’s Talk the Future!” meeting in May 2009.  Here are some thoughts generated at that time about how to move forward on strengthening families, improving communication and building citizenship in our youth…

• Be the government; become more active in influencing decisions made.
• Become informed and more conscientious about the issues.
• Share ideas.
• Break down the walls/barriers.
• Create awareness that people can make a difference, get involved, and make your community better.
• Work together/develop partnerships where we are all working collaboratively to raise a child to be an educated child/a better community.

 There are definite echoes of these ideas in ELEVATE, and you can see all the recommendations at www.communitysustainability.ca The full report is accessible on right menu bar along with  other key documents (such as, the EFCL submission, the Citizen Planning Circle submission, Next Gen ideas, etc. )   Of course, I am biased, but ELEVATE is worth reading in its entirety.  I encourage you to do so and then please let me know what you think. 

 A recommendation is coming to Public Board this Tuesday to support the Report in principle.  Do you think this is a good idea?  Any concerns?

 INVOLVING MORE PARENTS….HOW?  

On Thursday evening at Greenfield School five wonderful and inspiring speakers shared their thoughts on how councils might better welcome and involve parents.  Special thanks to Vanessa Desa (who is working with and for Immigrant and Refugee families), Paul Leung (Parent and member of EPSB Inclusive Education Working Group), Bill Baillie and Tom Henningson (Dads Matter), and Debbie Mineault (FNMI Branch, Alberta Ed) for their time and wisdom….and to Principal Linden for welcoming us so warmly into the school.   I will share a synopsis of the evening in the future, but what a great evening!  Thanks to all those who attended and added their perspectives, too. 

 THE BUDGET HAS ARRIVED!

It is positive to see a three-year budget cycle introduced. Predictability is something that school boards across the province have been advocating a long time in their calls for “predictable, sustainable, adequate funding” for our students.  The verdict is still out on what the actual numbers will look like “on the ground” in the years ahead.  I will update you once the Superintendent has had the chance to work all the numbers through, but in the interim, for those of you would like to see the specifics, here are some links to follow…

 Overview from Alberta Education:  http://education.alberta.ca/admin/funding/2012jurisdictionfunding.aspx

 EPSB Budget Allocations http://education.alberta.ca/media/6658284/edmonton%20school%20district.pdf

 EPSB Profile and Fact Sheet http://education.alberta.ca/factsheets/3020.pdf

 PUBLIC BOARD MEETING (Tuesday, February 14, 2 -6 PM) 

All Agenda Items and Related Reports can be found here:  http://www.epsb.ca/board/february142012_agenda.shtml. And as always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings either in person at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway or online at http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools. 

 RECOMMENDATIONS COMING FORWARD

• Moratorium Committee Recommendations:  I mentioned these last time.  We debated and discussed 11 out of 13 recommendations, but the final two were deferred to next Tuesday. You can see the summary of the decisions so far in our Board press release:  http://news.epsb.ca/2012/02/board-supports-recommendations-to-keep-schools-open/ For background on the various issues, all meeting minutes and presentations can be found here:  http://www.epsb.ca/trustees/ClosureMoratorium.shtml 
•  Related to these recommendations are several more ideas being put forward by Trustee Michael Janz (i.e. Motion re: District Space).  
• Recommendation to Approve Film Studies 15 – 25 -35 and Physics (AP) 35.  
• Recommendation to endorse the Elevate Report in principle

 INFORMATION REPORTS

On January 31, these reports were deferred for discussion to February 14….

• Instructional Fees (average appears to be $69/student/year),
• Financial Literacy Training (I want to ask about the Junior Achievement work that is done in many schools by dedicated volunteers and how this contributes to “financial literacy”)
•  Sharing of Qualitative Data
• An update on the Student Learning Services Reorganization (& how this is better supporting students)  and
• District Award – Social Studies and Language Arts. 

 In addition, some new Information Reports are now available….

•  District Definition of Creativity In support of our priorities and vision, one of the Superintendent’s goals is to implement strategies that promote student citizenship, health and creativity, and by June 2014, he expects that all schools will be able to demonstrate this implementation. This report gives us a good baseline for going forward in the world of creativity and critical thinking.   
• Update re:  Achievement Performance of Students from Closed Schools Good news here…. Thoughts?   
• Description of Internal/External  Advisory Committees/Groups, which support Students of Diversity 
• Barriers to Schools Choosing a Modified Calendar 
• Small Schools by Necessity – includes a listing of  76 EPSB small schools, and 33 “small schools by necessity” (provincially funded). Please note that four Ward H schools are considered Small Schools by Necessity (Duggan, Rideau Park, Steinhauer and Sweet Grass).   
• Student Accommodation Plans for Esther Starkman and Johnny Bright Schools  I have received many questions about what the plans are for these two schools, which are now operating at over-capacity.  This report lays out the plan as it is known right now.  
• Renting Non-District Space, which explains why do we do this when we have so much excess space.  

 ALSO, UPCOMING

 Thursday, February 16, 6:30 -8:30 pm…When Should I Be Concerned about My Child’s Behaviour?

Hosted by EPSB’s Inclusive Learning Services for Parents of Early Learning, K, and Grades 1-3 Students @ Keheewin School. Adults only, no childcare provided. Please register by Monday, February 13 by contacting Darci.Lazarenko@epsb.ca with name, phone number and school name.

Monday, February 20 …HAPPY FAMILY DAY!

 Have Your Say – on Policy!  Until Wednesday, February 22 – provide your input on one or all of the following policies

• Alcohol and Tobacco Use on School Property and District Events
• Organization for Instruction
• Student Admission to the District
• Community and Parent Involvement
• (new) Funding and Endorsement Requests from External Organizations

http://www.epsb.ca/policy/policyReviewListings.shtml

Saturday, February 25, 9:30 to Noon OR Thursday, March 1, 6:30 – 9 pm …Consultation Meeting on the Edmonton City of Learners Draft Community Learning Plan

The City of Learners initiative seeks to assert the excellence in formal and informal learning already available in Edmonton, but also aspires to support and align organizations that are working to improve learning outcomes in key areas. The Draft Community Learning Plan has been prepared based on expert input and previous roundtable consultations. http://eventful.com/edmonton/events/consultation-meeting-edmonton-city-learners-draft-/E0-001-045868117-7

Monday, February 27 – Thursday, March 1…   ASCA School Council Best Practices One-Hour Webinars

Choose the virtual breakout session you want to participate in and the time that works for you.  Sponsored by Alberta School Councils Association (ASCA).  For all the details:  http://www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca/events/event_details.asp?id=213559

Tuesday, February 28, 2 – 6 pm … Public Board Meeting – McCauley Chambers, Centre for Education, One Kingsway  All are Welcome!

Wednesday, February 29, 11:50 – 1:10 pm   “Free” Lunch Sponsored by the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation!

I will be joining the Foundation for lunch this day.  Would you like to join me?  It’s a super opportunity to find out firsthand about the great work being done for socio-economically disadvantaged children in our full-day Kindergartens!  Please let me know. 

 If you are interested but the 29^th is difficult for you, information lunches are also being held on  February17, and March 6. 

Wednesday, February 29 (evening)…Parent Keynotes (Teacher Convention) 

Choose one parent keynote address to attend, courtesy of Edmonton Public Schools “Parents as Partners” program, Edmonton Catholic Schools and the Greater Edmonton Area Teachers Convention.  Choose either Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture  or BoySmarts.  For complete information and to register, visit http://www.epsb.ca/familiescommunity/events.shtml

 Thursday, March 1, 6 pm… Riverbend Junior High Benefit Concert and Silent Auction in support of Bissell Centre. All proceeds from the event will go to Bissell Centre to help them run their numerous programs. Buy a ticket at: http://www.citadeltheatre.com/event/benefit-for-bissell/

 Monday, March 26, 5 – 6 pm…. Free  Parenting Lecture: Strengthening Couple Relationships & Fathers’ Involvement: Good for Parents & Children
This University of Alberta 2012 Empey Lecture is FREE and open to all. It will be held at the University of Alberta TELUS Centre Room 150 (87 Avenue and 110 Street). No registration required.

 As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share! 

 Catherine

 A couple of major things to point out to you this week….

Policy Work!

As you know, one of the ongoing major tasks for the Board is to set policy – and thus, direction – for Edmonton Public Schools on behalf of the community. There are two things related to policy on tap this week:  A motion that the Board should undertake a major review of all its policies and update them using a standardized framework is on the table.  While the Board reviews its policies on a continual basis (i.e. every policy is reviewed every seven years at minimum), the intent, I believe, is to move through the entire policy book within one to two years.  Any thoughts on this?   

 And second, the Policy Review Committee is inviting feedback on several policies currently under review before they are formally brought to the Board for First, Second, and Third Readings.  This is a great opportunity to have your say, and please see below for the link to access each of the policies, the suggested changes, and associated electronic survey (See Feb 22 notation below).

Moratorium Committee Update

As you may remember, in November 2010, the Board instituted a two-year moratorium on school closures and established a committee to explore all the issues related to school closures as well as to generate ideas to keep schools open. After a series of meetings and presentations, the Committee is now bringing 13 recommendations to Public Board about next steps this coming Tuesday.

 There is lots to discuss here, thanks to the diligent work of the Committee, and I am looking forward to exploring the recommendations in depth.   Some questions for the Committee are already forming in my mind. For example: Was there any consideration to what the Board should be doing in terms of working with communities themselves on these issues?  How will giving first priority to modernizations on our capital plan help keep schools open? Do families move because they are seeking newer schools, closer proximity to an excellent program, or for other reasons?  

 How about you?  If you have any questions or comments you would like to pass along to me on any or all of the 13 recommendations, that would be appreciated. 

 Board Report and Recommendations (page 3)

http://www.epsb.ca/board/january31_2012/item04.pdf

For background on the various issues, all meeting minutes and presentations can be found here:  http://www.epsb.ca/trustees/ClosureMoratorium.shtml

 Public Board Meeting (Tuesday, January 31, 2 -6 PM) 

Speaking of Public Board, as always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings either in person at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway or online at http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools. 

 In addition to the Recommendations from the Moratorium Committee and the Policy Review Motion, also on tap are some interesting information reports on…

• Instructional Fees (average appears to be $69/student/year),

• Financial Literacy Training (I want to ask about the Junior Achievement work that is done in many schools by dedicated volunteers and how this contributes to “financial literacy.”)  Also, thanks to Richard who sent me this link to a Globe and Mail article quite a while ago — http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/preet-banerjee/kids-shouldnt-have-to-learn-about-money-the-hard-way/article2229230/, which provides further food for thought.

• Sharing of Qualitative Data,

• An update on the Student Learning Services Reorganization, and

• District Award – Social Studies and Language Arts. 

You can find links to all the reports and motions mentioned below at   

http://www.epsb.ca/board/january312012_agenda.shtml

ALSO, UPCOMING

Thursday, February 2

Release of the Community Sustainability Task Force Report

City Hall, 10 am.  Everyone is welcome! 

By February3, Nominate an outstanding teacher for a provincial “Excellence in Teaching” Award

http://www.education.alberta.ca/teachers/excellence.aspx

Wednesday, February 8:  Winter Walk Day. 

To register or find out more, visit www.shapeab.com

Thursday, February 9

Ward H School Council Network meeting

TOPIC:  Involving More Parents: How?  with special guest speakers Vanessa Desa (Working with and for Immigrant and Refugee families), Paul Leung (Parent member, EPSB Inclusive Education Working Group), Lew Knetchel and Bill Baillie (Dads Matter group, Greenfield School) and Debbie Mineault (FNMI Branch, Alberta Ed). 

Until Wednesday, February 22 – provide your input on one or all of the following policies

• Alcohol and Tobacco Use on School Property and District Events
• Organization for Instruction
• Student Admission to the District
• Community and Parent Involvement
• (new) Funding and Endorsement Requests from External Organizations

http://www.epsb.ca/policy/policyReviewListings.shtml

Wednesday, February 29, 11:50 – 1:10 pm

“Free” Lunch Sponsored by the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation!

I will be joining the Foundation for lunch this day.  Would you like to join me?  It’s a super opportunity to find out firsthand about the great work being done for socio-economically disadvantaged children in our full-day Kindergartens!  Please let me know. 

If you are interested but the 29^th is difficult for you, other information lunches are being held on  February 3, February17, and March 6.  Please let me know.

Wednesday, February 29

Parent Keynotes (Teacher Convention) 

Choose one parent keynote address to attend, courtesy of Edmonton Public Schools “Parents as Partners” program, Edmonton Catholic Schools and the Greater Edmonton Area Teachers Convention.  Choose either Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture  or BoySmarts.  For complete information and to register, visit http://www.epsb.ca/familiescommunity/events.shtml

UPDATES and REPORTS

Annual Report:  JUA  (Joint Use Agreement)

This report just came across my desk.   I know the fair use and access to school space is of ongoing interest to many in Ward H where space for community activities continues to be at a premium.  Some relief was had when four new schools opened up in the southwest in September 2010 and the new Terwillegar Rec Centre opened in Winter 2011, but the pressures remain due to the continuing rapid population growth in the southwest.   I encourage you to read the report, especially the Executive Summary (page 1) and the Facilities Plan for 2011/12 (page 8), Land Use Plan (page 11)   It was great to read about the Summer Access pilot project, for example, and to know that late notice cancellations are being monitored and reviewed and vacant school sites will be reviewed again in 2012.  You can access the full report at www.edmonton.ca/JointUse 

Update:  Inclusive Education

It has been just over six months since the Special Needs Task Force reported to the full Board on its work and with a series of recommendations. . The work on responding to the recommendations is being led by an interdepartmental Working Committee, which has been meeting regularly each week since October. The results of this work, which is ongoing, will be communicated to the Board in June 2012 as part of the annual report on Special Education.  In the interim, here is an update report on where the work stands with respect to the various recommendations at : http://catherineripley.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/January-2012-Special-Needs-Status-Update.pdf

In addition, did you know that Edmonton Public Schools is one of the school districts across the province that was selected to be a “change agent” for the provincial Action on Inclusion Project?  A handful of schools across the district will have a demonstration “best practice” classroom, where inclusive practices will be explored and assessed. These practices include assistive technology for learning, school-based collaboration processes, and strategies that are focused on fostering positive attitudes in students whose peers have special education needs. All aspects of this work will be completed by June 30, and the information shared with other school districts, so they can learn from the work undertaken by the District. It will also help us strengthen a core strategy included in the District Plan: creating inclusive learning environments for all learners.

Around the World at GPN

On Friday night I attended a great drop-in evening at George P. Nicholson School at which families or groups of families proudly profiled their cultural background with flavours, displays (electronic and otherwise!), traditional clothes, and conversation.  In addition, as one wandered through the countries, kids and community members performed various dance, karate, music…. Fabulous!  Thank you to the GPN “flight attendants” who greeted me on board and all the table hosts and performers for their hard work and enthusiasm, and to the School Council for the invitation.   

As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share! 

Catherine

 It was great to jump back into trustee life after the Christmas holidays with a full and interesting first week back. My week consisted of …

• reviewing the almost final draft of the Community Sustainability Task Force Report (to be released on February 2);
• a Board of Governors meeting for the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation at which we celebrated the $10,000 raised at the Adam Gregory concert for Full Day K plus future plans (save the dates:  April 25—Student Fashion Show;  May 24: Ready for Life Fundraising Breakfast);
• a Board and Superintendent Evaluation Committee meeting where we finalized a new Superintendent evaluation document and process;
• a SWAC (Southwest Area Council of Community Leagues) meeting;
• a Board Conference Meeting;
• a meeting with the Minister of Education and the full Board where we presented some of our successes to him along with our key needs;
• a meeting of an Early Childhood Development coalition that is forming in the southwest (The coalition is taking a look at the results of an Early Childhood Development Mapping Initiative called ECMap (http://web.extension.ualberta.ca/extcms/index.php/ecmap1/), discussing what the results are telling us, and will be developing strategies to improve areas of weakness. If  you are interested in knowing more, please contact me);  and
• last but not least, two school council meetings.  Thanks to both Duggan and Johnny Bright Councils for their warm welcome and their insights into life “on the ground” in their school communities.

 UPCOMING….

PUBLIC BOARD MEETING (Tuesday, January 17, 2 -6 PM) 

Everyone is welcome to attend either in person at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway or online at http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools

 You can find links to all the reports and motions mentioned below at   http://www.epsb.ca/board/january172012_agenda.shtml.

 We will be discussing whether or not it would be a good idea for all four Metro Boards to engage in some collective research in the areas of FNMI, ELL, or Early Learning. 

 We will be giving Third Reading to the following policies:

• Student Programs policy
• Authority of Human Resources Decisions
• Capital Projects  policy
• Student Accommodation policy – NOTE – This includes principles around setting Attendance Boundaries.  I have received a number of emails over the last five years about attendance boundaries, so please be sure to take a look at this policy and let me know what you think.
• Communications Framework (formerly News Media Relations)

 We will look at a slightly revised version of the Fall Update on our 2011-12 Budget, which is projecting a very serious end to our fiscal year.  As of August 31, it is estimated we will have only $1.7 million in our operating reserve. 

 We will review the following reports – full of rich information on a variety of topics:  

• Number of Results Review Meetings attended by trustees under the new system introduced this fall
• Metro Boards Student Engagement Practices
• Budgetary Implications of Opening Bessie Nichols, Michael Strembitsky and General Griesbach Schools in September 2012
• Alignment of the National Mental Health Strategy Framework and our District work
• The Lieutenant Governor’s Circle on Mental Health and Addiction
• Comparison of Metro Boards Unused Space
• Section 11.1 of Alberta Human Rights Act
• How Communications Supports all Schools in the District
• Bereavements
• Participation in Commit to Kids, and last but not least….
• Summary of “Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities” (from Trustee Janz and me) – find out what we learned from the intimate group of parents and community members who gathered with us at the end of October to brainstorm, share ideas and be inspired by Erin Wright of APPLE Schools and Bev Esslinger of SHAPE.   

 Thursday, February 2

Release of the Community Sustainability Task Force Report

City Hall, 10 am.  Everyone is welcome! 

Wednesday, February 8

Winter Walk Day. 

To register or find our more, visit www.shapeab.com

Wednesday, February 27

Parent Keynotes (Teacher Convention) 

Choose one parent keynote to attend, courtesy of Edmonton Public Schools “Parents as Partners” program, Edmonton Catholic Schools and the Greater Edmonton Area Teachers Convention.  Choose either Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture  or BoySmarts.  For complete information and to register, visit http://www.epsb.ca/familiescommunity/events.shtml

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The Value of Parents Setting Goals and Modelling Positive Behaviour 

Teachers have to write up goals for each class for each subject, and it is evaluated. What if, as a new year begins, parents wrote up the goals they have for each of their children in school and how they plan to achieve these goals with each child?  

 For example, schools are focussing on anti-bullying. How can parents support this goal?   One idea is to model positive social behaviour themselves, particularly in front of their children.  What do children learn when they see parents using a parking lot at least twice a day, five days a week, to turn around in – even when they have been told not to do that?  What do children learn when their mom or dad is rude to the owners of said parking lot when they ask the parent not to do that?

 As another example, what if a goal were to help their children to learn to take responsibility for their actions and to exercise good time management?  Are parents ready to support teacher administration of consequences of not completing their homework?  I believe too many parents write up excuses, defend their children and cover up for incomplete homework, and some also do homework for their kids. 

 Thanks, Helma, for sharing these ideas.

The Value of Mistakes.

Why let kids experience the frustration of botching something when you can prevent it? Here’s why: such frustration is a precursor to deep, lasting learning. That’s right, students’ grasp of new concepts and skills is often better when they struggle through the process of learning those concepts and skills than when teachers error-proof that process. 

 From David Ginsburg in a blog posting “Don’t Prevent Students’ Mistakes, Prepare for Them”   You can read the full blog posting at http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/2012/01/dont_prevent_students_mistakes_prepare_for_them.html?utm_source=feedburner

 As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share! 

  Catherine  

We have a new premier since I last wrote, and it is so wonderful that Premier Redford appears to be making public education a priority in her work.  Long may this continue – not only for the Progressive Conservatives but for all political parties and all Albertans! Investing in our children and their education is the wisest investment of all. 

T’IS THE SEASON TO PURSUE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT!    CONGRATS TO OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF!

Although the Board is always asking the Superintendent questions about how our students are doing, we especially concentrate on results and accountability every fall. Why?  Because this is when Alberta Education releases our district results on the provincial Accountability Pillars (including academic results, high school completion rate, Rutherford Scholarship attainment, citizenship, etc.) and Edmonton Public Schools releases our own satisfaction survey results from students, parents, staff, and community members.

This annual review of results kicked off on Wednesday with Board Chair Colburn and Acting Superintendent Parker meeting with the media.

PRESS RELEASE:  http://news.epsb.ca/2011/10/edmonton-public-schools-releases-2010-2011-student-achievement-results/ 

As the press release states, “we” have lots to be proud of – our high school completion rates continue to trend upward (yeah!), our results at Grades  6 and 9 in all core subjects also show an upward trend, and a “percentage of students meeting the acceptable standard for the Grade 3 English Language Arts test is above 80 per cent for the first time in five years.”  Although not yet at 100% (!), the results in the lower grades bodes well for achieving the Board’s vision of “ALL students fulfilling their potential and developing the ability, passion and imagination to pursue their dreams and contribute to their community” in years to come.  There was a decline in our Grade 12 diploma results for Math, English, Social and strong results in Science and French Language arts   — and district staff will be working to better understand the reasons behind these results.  Overall, the results are one demonstration of the hard work of both staff and students – and so, congrats to all those involved! 

ACTUAL TEST RESULTS:  If you wish to take a look at the results for your schools, you can find them here:  http://epsb.ca/about/testrslts.shtml

But this is just the beginning of our review process.  Over the next six weeks, the Board will review our results in more depth at the Board table, in smaller review meetings of schools across the City, and also in review meetings with our Central Departments. 

At the smaller public school review meetings, trustees and assistant superintendents will discuss the results with principals and also, review the plans that principals are intending to put into action to 1) build on a school’s strengths and address the weaknesses (as seen in the results) and 2) move forward on the district priorities the Board established last winter.  In addition, now that the final working enrollment numbers are in (as of September 30), which is foundational to the budget a school receives, we will discuss the budget that our leaders are working with and consider how that budget supports the intended plans.    

Similar discussions will happen at the Board table with the Superintendent about our overall district results and his performance, and we will also present our own evaluation of the Board’s performance over the past year. 

 These meetings are all public.  The Ward H dates are mentioned below in UPCOMING as is the date for the Central Departments reviews.  You are more than welcome to join in.  In addition, I will be signing up to attend review session in other wards. This is a GREAT way to learn about schools and communities in other parts of the City, and if you would be interested in accompanying me, please let me know. Perhaps we could travel together! 

PUBLIC BOARD MEETING, TUESDAY October 11,  2 – 6 pm

All reports on the agenda items are accessible through the online agenda found at http://www.epsb.ca/board/october112011_agenda.shtml

And please note, this is a PUBLIC meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend at One Kingsway (opposite the Royal Alex) in the Centre for Education, 2^nd floor. 

At the meeting, we will have a “first” – a discussion and learning opportunity online with another school board!   This past year Board Chair Colburn has worked hard to develop a relationship with the Ottawa-Carleton School Board, which is doing some interesting work in the area of creativity. One result will be this “real time” conversation between two boards on creativity.  If you are interested in finding out what Ottawa-Carleton is up to, please either drop in to the Centre of Education from 5 – 6 pm on Tuesday or tune in to our webcast:  http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools. 

Other items on the agenda include:

• A motion related to a decision made last Board meeting to appoint two external members to our Audit Committee, including the idea of changing the Audit Committee structure from a Committee of the Whole (all of us) to a committee composed of three trustees and the two external members. 
• Policy recommendation re: Student Admission to the District
• Presentation from EGALE on “Every Class in Every School: Final Report on the First National Climate Survey on Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia in Canadian Schools”
• Information on Student Advisory Councils
• Information on Number of New Schools Anticipated for New Neighbourhoods over the next 20 years  (This is a good companion piece to the report we received last Board meeting on possible options for going forward in serving the children in new neighbourhoods in the immediate future)

EDUCATION ACT MEETING SUMMARY NOW ONLINE

Trustee Janz and I have now compiled a summary report of the meeting we held on September 14 on the Education Act.  You can access this report through our Board agenda package for October 1 1  at http://www.epsb.ca/board/oct11_2011/item10.pdf or online at http://www.epsb.ca/board/oct11_2011/item10.pdf   We have also shared the reports MLAs Dave Hancock and Fred Horne.

It is an unfiltered record (created to the best of our facilitators and our ability) of the comments made that evening and for me, provide much food for thought as the Board continues to consider its position on the Act, so thanks to all who attended.

 I have received a few already from people who attended the meeting and received a copy of the report yesterday.   One person commented that in the parent group, there was talk of taking a “best practices” approach to parent responsibilities rather than a legislative approach.   Another person has commented that she would be worried about the enforceability of the Act and the personal legal implications for trustees. 

What are you thinking about Bill 18?    Your comments are welcomed.   I encourage you to share them in the comments section of my website related to the report and more importantly, to share them with our MLAs who will make the final decisions on the Act. 

ALSO, UPCOMING

Tuesday, October 11, 7-9 pm (Centre for Education)

Moratorium Committee:  Public Input Session.  Come on out and provide your ideas for keeping small schools open, etc.  You can see all the presentations made to date on various related topics (such as Alternative Programs, Leasing, Facilities, etc) and the minutes of past meetings at http://epsb.ca/trustees/ClosureMoratorium.shtml

Wednesday, October 12, 7 – 9 pm

Edmonton Regional Coalition for Inclusive Education Presentation:  “Advocacy Through Collaboration”  Gateway Association, 18304-105 Avenue. For more information,  visit http://sites.google.com/site/edmontonregionalcoalition/Home

Thursday, November 3, 7 pm

Healthy Kids! Healthy Schools! Healthy Communities!   A Ward F/Ward H Community Meeting related to our Fourth Priority around Health and Wellness, hosted by Trustee Michael Janz and me.   Riverbend Community League, 258 Rhatigan Road East. RSVP to Michael@michaeljanz.ca

 
Monday, November 7 (appetizer reception 5:30 p.m., sessions to follow until 9 p.m.) – School Council training (Centre for Education) . Details to Come!

Tuesday, November 15 Central Reviews  (1 to 3:30 pm)

See page 11 of the following report for the various departments being reviewed by who and where.    It will be my pleasure to review Corporate Services (HR, Communications, Foundation, District Records, and Technology)  with Trustee Spencer.  Everyone is welcome!   http://www.epsb.ca/board/sept27_2011/item09.pdf

Thursday, November 17  Ward H School Reviews

AM (at Keheewin School):  Greenfield, GP Nicholson, and Keheewin

PM ( at Esther Starkman School):  Esther Starkman and Johnny Bright

Thursday, November 24th & Friday, November 25^th

“Transcending Barriers: Leveling the Playing Field for All,”  the Annual Conference of the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta, http://www.ldalberta.ca/conference

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Dr. Ben Levin, on the role of parents in the education process: 

“Parents and families are very important. Family background continues to be the single most powerful predictor of student outcomes. That’s been the case as long as we’ve been measuring and it continues to be the case in every study. We know a lot about how to engage parents more effectively in students’ education but we don’t always use that knowledge.”  

You can see the full interview with Dr. Levin, who is Professor and Canada Research Chair in Education Leadership and Policy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, at  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/c-m-rubin/the-global-search-for-edu_13_b_979366.html

FYI:  If you would like to receive occasional emails about events/issues of interest to parents/families, please email Kim.McEwan@epsb.ca and ask to be added to our Partners in Education database.

As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share! 

Catherine

 It is great to be here in San Francisco learning and gathering ideas about how to improve board policymaking, how boards can support the all-important work on student achievement, how to develop a positive and welcoming school climate, etc.  On Friday I joined the Council of Urban Education Boards (CUBE) for a tour of a successful K-6  in San Francisco and then heard about the types of budget decisions boards (primarily in the USA) are making to weather  tough economic times .

Your input is needed!

There are a number of feedback and input opportunities mentioned below (with dates attached) for you related to current Board work including the idea of moving Board meetings to the daytime, six policies up for review (including one on School Libraries, a subject close to my heart!), and building an inclusive education system. I encourage you to provide your views.  

 Also, please check out the agenda for next week’s Board meeting.  There are a couple of polices coming to the Board (Assisting Community Organizations, Community Use of District Buildings), a proposal to take forward the idea of all school boards creating LGBTQ policy across Alberta to ASBA, and a motion about changing the parameters about what gets discussed within our Conference (in camera) meetings.  The Alberta School Council Association will also be presenting to us.  Looking forward to it!

  As always, if you have thoughts to share on any item please let me know. 

 Attractors/Detractors to Successful Schools?

Next week the School Revitalization Zone Working Group (supporting the work of the Community Sustainability Task Force) will be looking at what makes a successful school. What made you choose the school that your child attends (or attended)?  Please let me know! 

 Congratulations!

And last but not least, congratulations to three staff members, working in Ward H, who are semi-finalists in the 2011 Excellence in Teaching Awards Program:  Karen Linden and Kyril Mueller of Greenfield School and Corrie Yusypchuk of Harry Ainlay.  I look forward to celebrating their nomination with them in a few weeks at a district celebration (along with all those other teachers and principals nominated). 

 UPCOMING

Public Board Meeting WEDNESDAY. April 13.  6 pm, Centre for Education, One Kingsway.  http://www.epsb.ca/board/april1311_agenda.shtml

April 12, Speed Limit Reduction Report being presented

Those interested in Student Pedestrian Safety may be interested in attending the April 12 meeting of the Transportation and Public Works Committee of City Council, which will look at Speed Limit Reduction pilot/work that has been underway (among other items). The meeting starts at 9 a.m. at City Hall in the Committee Room and at that time the agenda is set.  This means that this item may be set to be presented at any time of the day.  If someone wishes to speak on the item they must register in advance with the City Clerk’s Office.  The report that will be presented is found here  http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/OTS_Speed_Limit_Reduction_Report.pdf

Until April 12,  submit your input on Improving Special Needs Education

There was a fantastic turnout for the consultation sessions organized by the Board’s Special Needs Task Force but if you were unable to attend, there is one more chance to contribute your thoughts and ideas about how the district can effectively support the Minister of Education’s goal of an inclusive education  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SpecialNeedsTaskForce

Until April 13, submit your input on the time of Public Board Meetings

The Board of Trustees currently holds its regular Board meetings in public every second and fourth Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. during the school year. The Board is considering holding its regular Board meetings during the day and is seeking your input. http://viawebsurvey.epsb.net/vws/Surveys_aI1.cfm?A=2213&B=4197

Tuesday, April 19, Moratorium Committee meeting on Urban Sprawl

2 – 4 pm, McCauley Chambers, Centre for Education 

Wednesday, April 27, 7 pm

Let Your Light Shine!  Fashion Show

An Edmonton Public Schools Foundation/Kingsway Garden Mall event 

See what student teams from district high schools have designed and created!  Can’t wait to see what comes strutting down the runway!  Would you like to attend with me?  Let me know and maybe we can carpool. 

EDUCATION WEEK  May 1 – 7

Tuesday, May 3  Moratorium Committee meeting on Aging School Buildings and Plant Operations & Maintenance (PO&M) Funding

2 – 4 pm, McCauley Chambers. All are welcome.

Until May 9, Submit your feedback on the following policies. 

Instructional Time,  School Library Learning Commons, Field Trips, Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Programs and Services, Student Attendance, and Instructional Fees.    Access the surveys on these policies here:  http://www.epsb.ca/policy/policyReviewListings.shtml

May 10, 7 pm, EFCL Community Sustainability Workshop

Contribute to the Community Sustainability Task Force by participating in this EFCL event.  Register by contacting Bev.Zubot@efcl.org or 780-437-6930. Additional information will be sent to you.

Thursday, May 12, 7:30 am   Edmonton Public Schools Foundation’s  Get Ready for Life” Fundraising Breakfast 

Would you like to join me at my table?   It is my privilege to represent the Board on the Foundation’s Board of Governors and I would love for you to join me in supporting the great work the Foundation is doing to support early learning in our district.  The breakfast is free, it is a great way to start your day  (I hosted a table last year), and please note, people will be asked to make a contribution.  Let me know if you are interested.  

Until next time, all the best!

Catherine

 This is the proposed Vision, which the District Priorities Committee will be bringing to the full Board for approval next Tuesday night at Public Board.  What do you think? 

 The full wording for the proposed Vision, Mission and 2011-14 Priorities can be found at  http://www.epsb.ca/board/march08_11/item03.pdf  (See Appendix 1).

Please take a look! I am proud of where we have arrived, but still open to any final comments anyone might have. 

 This Statement is the culmination of several months of thinking, asking, listening, discussing, listening some more, challenging and being challenged, and creating. Thank you so much to all those who took the time to come out to the Centre for Education or Johnny Bright School to provide feedback in person OR participated online in the Board’s consultation efforts.  A summary of what people said can be found attached to the Priorities report in Appendix 3, and if you compare the draft version to the final proposed version, I believe you will see your ideas and comments have made a difference.    

 My personal take is that while we were certainly on the right track conceptually with our original version, there was definite room for improvement! I will rely on you to let me know if this new version is improved … and perfect!

 And we will see what the full Board thinks on Tuesday night.   This decision is one of the most important decisions a Board makes in its term, so I look forward to the discussion.  Why is this decision so important?  Because once approved, all work in the district (including the Board’s own work) is focused around the Priorities. The exact process of how the Priorities become “live on the ground” and how we track our progress is indicated in the Next Steps part of the accompanying Board report. 

 UPCOMING

Public Board Meeting on Tuesday night, March 8.  6 pm, Centre for Education, One Kingsway. 

All are welcome!  Parking is available underground or stay warm at home and  watch the webcast of this meeting at  http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools. 

In addition to the Vision, Mission, and Priorities recommendation, the following is on the agenda… and you can find all reports here:  http://www.epsb.ca/board/march0811_agenda.shtml

Motion on LGBTQ.  Trustee Spencer has moved that we should develop a policy to affirm the provision of a welcoming environment for all students and staff who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual/transgendered, or queer (LGBTQ).  Attached to the motion are policies and regulations from Victoria and Vancouver and our own Safe, Caring, and Respectful Learning Environments policy.  Informing the debate will also be what is being done in the district already to welcome LGBTQ folks http://www.epsb.ca/board/dec14_10/item06.pdf (starting on page 5) and work underway in other districts in Alberta and in other provinces http://www.epsb.ca/board/february08_11/item08.pdf (starting on page 2). People may also want to read through our Respectful Working Environments policy http://www.epsb.ca/policy/gbca.bp.shtml and the associated regulations:  http://www.epsb.ca/policy/gbca.ar.shtml

 Our Support (CUPE 3550), Custodial (CUPE 474) and Maintenance (CUPE 784) staff group presidents will be sharing their budgeting and planning suggestions with the Board.  Looking forward to it!

 In “Requests for Information” there is   information on 1) operating two standard school calendars in Calgary Public and the advantages and disadvantages of this for EPSB, 2) pool use within the JUA and accessibility for swim teams, etc., 3) Physical Education requirements and practices, 4) Cancellation of Recess practices, and 5) criteria for expanding Chinese Bilingual program into new schools.

 Thursday, March 10 OR Wednesday, March 16, 7 pm.   Special Needs Task Force Consultation

How can we help students thrive in an inclusive education system? Provide your perspectives!   http://epsb.ca/mediareleases/110223_2.shtml

Saturday, March 12, 11:30 am  Dragon’s Den opportunity for young entrepreneurs

This CBC show is on a cross-country audition tour to find new entrepreneurs for Season Six, and this year, teens (13- 19) are being encouraged to audition for the show. For more information, see  http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/audition/

March 18 or March 25, 11:50 am,  Information Session on the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation

Come on down to Youngstown School for lunch and some information on what is happening in public schools today and what the Foundation is all about.  No $$$ required!  Just a smile and some curiosity!   Two more sessions will be offered on April 7 and April 21 but at John A. MacDougall School.  Full details here:  http://foundation.epsb.ca/events

 March 21 – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.  What will you do to mark this important day?  Lots of ideas at http://cfrac.com/  Also, a question for us all — What biases do I have and how can I deal with them?  

 Saturday, April 9  Literacy and Learning Day, http://www.literacyday.ca/ 

Hear Robert Ocker speak on “The Parent Shift  – Empowering Our Children Today and Building the Families of Tomorrow!” and attend your choice of great workshops. This is a FREE event especially for parents. The Literacy and Learning Day Society was recently at Public Board to request help with distribution of materials  and a financial contribution (which was granted).   Donations are key to keeping this event going as are volunteers.  If you can help out in any way, please contact the organizers.   

 Wednesday, April 27, 7 pm   Let Your Light Shine!  Fashion Show

An Edmonton Public Schools Foundation/Kingsway Garden Mall event  

See what student teams from district high schools have designed and created!  Can’t wait to see what comes strutting down the runway!  Would you like to attend with me?  Let me know and maybe we can carpool. 

 EDUCATION WEEK  May 1 – 7

 Thursday, May 12, 7:30 am   Edmonton Public Schools Foundation’s  Get Ready for Life” Fundraising Breakfast  

Would you like to join me at my table?   It is my privilege to represent the Board on the Foundation’s Board of Governors and I would love for you to join me in supporting the great work the Foundation is doing to support early learning in our district.  Providing Early Learning opportunities is critical to helping all kids succeed in school.  This past year the Foundation raised enough money to support a Full Day K class at Tipaskan School in Millwoods. Terrific!  The breakfast is free, it is a great way to start your day  (I hosted a table last year), and please note, people will be asked to make a contribution.  Let me know if you are interested.   

 OTHER

 Speaking of the budget and the provincial government, you may wish to tune in to Legislature Watch to find out what education issues our MLAs are discussing in the Leg during this Winter/Spring session.  http://legwatchblog.public-schools.ab.ca/  Recent topics – Special Education changes/funding,  Cuts to AISI (Alberta Initiative for School Improvement)…  

 MLA Dave Hancock also reproduced a Q&A in the Leg on the safety of WiFi on his blog, which some of you may be interested in…   http://www.davehancock.ca/2011/02/question-period-wi-fi-in-schoo.html

Continued thanks to the Terwillegar Schools Need a Playground group who hosted a jam-packed and successful Wine & Cheese Silent Auction event last Saturday.  The new playground is stepping forward from a dream to a reality thanks to all the hard work of this group. Looking forward to seeing Councillor Bryan Anderson take up his new career of auctioneering when he retires from Council!

 Dads Matter!  Really enjoyed hearing Steve Davies, the Head Teacher (aka Principal) of Coopers Lane School in London, UK speak last night. He challenged us all to think about how male-friendly our schools are. How can we get more dads to get involved with their kids’ education?  The payoffs are huge.  One huge lesson I learned was that we can begin by asking fathers… and that a “Pie and Pint Night” has its appeal!   http://www.theapplecore.co.uk/tvfront.html

Thanks to Keheewin School Council for inviting me to their meeting in mid-February. It was excellent to meet the parents who are advising Principal Crystal Mills on an ongoing basis, and I loved the presentation by two Grade 5 students – a joint project on the Arctic presented on the Smart Board. 

And thanks to Harry Ainlay School Council for letting me listen in last Monday night.  I enjoyed hearing what the students are up to from the Student Union president, seeing a Smart Board in action (thanks to Dan Luchnow, Acting Head of the Math Department), and finding out that the staff leadership group is studying a book entitled I Read It but I Don’t Get It.  We often think of literacy instruction in relationship to elementary school but good literacy skills need to be developed continually – and of course, literacy is critical to being able “to learn to one’s full potential and have the ability, passion, and imagination to pursue dreams and contribute to the community.”

This brings me around to where I began.  Thanks for reading.   Your feedback is welcomed. Please leave a comment!

Catherine

So, if you haven’t done so, I encourage you to read through the statement and answer the questions — online now until midnight on Sunday, February 6.  http://epsb.ca/datafiles/PrioritiesConsultation.shtml  Did we get it right? What is missing?

As a member of the District Priorities Committee, I have now attended two student consultation sessions and one district wide community consultation PLUS a session held in Ward H.  Thank you, Principal Miller and Johnny Bright School, for hosting the Ward H session and to the twelve people who attended. Great!  One more distict wide session will be held tomorrow morning, and then all the results (in person and online) will be brought together and we will look for themes in terms of how to improve the Vision, Mission, Beliefs and Priorities.  

 Based on what I have heard so far, I know there is work to do!  While there is lots of basic agreement with the work so far, there have been some thought-provoking comments simplifying  the language, emphasizing the spirit of collaboration throughout more, the need to provide context for why these priorities have been chosen, etc. 

Here are the results from the Ward H session, for example: 

Question 1:  Do the draft Vision, Mission, Beliefs and Values, and Priorities reflect your expectations for Edmonton Public Schools?  If no, what needs to change in order for them to meet your expectations?

Discussed what VISION/MISSION was  (Vision – where we want to be,  destination;  Mission – how we will get there, practical )

VISION

• Needs to include an understanding/sense of where students could be going  (and that lots of paths are worthy  — university, work, apprenticeship etc.) 
• Missing – sparking life-long learners. 
• “Completing high school” — seems like a low achievement goal, makes it sound as if it’s the end, so final. 

MISSION

• RE:  “success.”  What is the definition of success?  Is it the achievement of the vision? 
• Should success be considered “personal success”  — i.e. set up framework that allows students to set their own vision of success. 
• Missing –  we are missing sense of PARTICIPATION  by the student /parents/teachers.   This is all about what we are doing TO students. 
• What about “to provide learning environments and  leadership necessary to support AND ENGAGE all students in achieving PERSONAL success in a complex and changing world.”   (ie. The addition of these words emphasizes or brings out the need for participation by the student) 
• RE: “leadership”    What is the definition of leadership? 
• Missing – sense of collaboration between parents/teachers/students/etc.   Yes, it is in the Beliefs section but should be here. 
• “ing” words imply more action. 
• What about ….  “Providing opportunities for learning and leading in collaborative ways so that all students can….”  

BELIEFS/VALUES

• There should be a value around the importance of communication/engagement.
• Whole notion of preparing for college/for one’s future needs to be in here. 
• Need to have a value around HONESTY – around marks, abilities etc. 
• For inclusiveness to work, don’t we need a value around celebrating the uniqueness and talent of each students plus ACCEPTANCE of everyone despite their differences?
• Didn’t like the phrase “public education underpins a successful future.”  Underpins not a good word and makes meaning unclear.  “Public education is the foundation for a successful future” would be better.
• Need to recognize value of making an effort.  (persistence?  Catherine’s suggestion)
• Appreciate the belief around everyone sharing responsibility and accountability – but still, there is no sense of “working together” or being collaborative.  Need to be more direct about this. 
• Add in to learning environments
  • honest? 
  • Open communication? 
  • Really glad to see “creative and innovative” 

PRIORITIES

• (former staff member)  Really glad to see fourth priority still in place.
• Someone commented that these are all good but what are the realities in getting there given current economic/political climate?  “Are these champagne tastes on a beer budget?”    This led to a whole reflection on the fact the priorities are worthy no matter what the budget.  For our kids, we need to tackle these goals in good times/bad times.  What we need is COMMITMENT.  Innovation also becomes really important in a hard time. 
• Priority 1:  Innovation is a euphemism for creative thinking – why use it?  How do you measure innovation anyhow?  Innovation was not clear to one person at all. 
• Priority 2:  Questioned the word “instill”  — would encourage or cultivate be better?
• Priority 3:  Enable inclusive and accepting environments where…   This better implies that achieving this priority will have to be two-way street.  Everyone will need to respond to  or participate in the inclusive environment for it to work. 

OVERALL COMMENT

This Vision, Mission, Beliefs and Priorities will give people 20 years from now a sense of what was important or going on in 2011.  (i.e. they are responses to things like bullying, increasing rate of change, increasing parent involvement, desire for transparency etc.)  But what are the new issues coming up?  Can we look forward and try to capture some of that in our priorities/vision…. ? 

Question 2  (What can you do to help us achieve the Priorities? )

• Teachers will need to prioritize their time/activities/efforts
• Need commitment from everyone 
• Parents could help out with extra-curricular and/or with their expertise. The principal commented that this is already possible.  But do parents KNOW they can be a volleyball coach or drama leader or whatever? 
• BETTER COMMUNICATION is key and critical. 

Question 3:  How will we know we are making progress? 

• Conversation around measuring innovation/creative thinking.  These are buzz words, but what dos they really mean?  Suggestion that we’re going to measure it by talking about it.  We’re going to tell stories about kids/teachers etc. thinking outside the box, being creative, etc.  
• Qualitative measures (like stories) are OK, but quantitative is important, too.
• Provincial Accountability Pillar results/parent & community & student & staff surveys are good starting places. 
• Narratives are great for those kids on either end of the spectrum  (super great kids, super awful kids) but we don’t tend to share stories of kids in the middle.  [ Thought from Catherine:  Need to find way in which all kids can share their own stories of progress.  Ask about status of Ready for the Future portfolios?] 
• How do we measure EFFORT?  Trying is what makes the big difference for one parent; grades are less important.   Another parent commented that you can try really hard (which is good) but it doesn’t necessarily make you successful.  (This goes back to what your definition of success is… what the vision is)  
• With respect to literacy:  if my child wants to sit down and read and enjoy a book, this would signal success to me. 
• We will know we are making progress through CELEBRATION. 
• With respect to numeracy /critical thinking.  If I can go into a store and the power goes out and the teen clerk can help me out and make change, that would indicate success.
• We certainly need measures, but how can we measure the inclusive environment? 

Question 4    How do you want to hear about our progress on the priorities?

a)      Traditional media (3/12) (but at what cost?)

b)      School newsletter (6/12)

c)       EPSB.CA  (3/12)

d)      Social media (2.5/12)

e)      Board meeting updates (1/12)

f)       Email updates (5)

OTHER   1)  Parent council meetings, 2) School ZONE  (8/12)  Could there be a “publicZONE”  (It was suggested that “Go Public” www.school4you.ca  is just that)    3) DO IT ALL!

As I said,  if you haven’t offered your thoughts, please do so!  All input gratefully recieved so we can make these the very best they can be.  Click on  http://epsb.ca/datafiles/PrioritiesConsultation.shtml  The survey is online until Sunday, February 6, midnight.

Thanks!

So begins a summary report on the meeting mentioned above.  The substance of the report is a series of questions and comments raised by participants as they reflected on three parts of the new Act (as based on a draft framework document circulated in October 2010). Specifically, the group looked at statements found within the proposed Preamble, Governance and Roles, and Financial Responsibility sections.

Overall questions and comments were:

“How does the new legislation differ from the current School Act?  What was the vision before?  What are the barriers to making all of this a reality?

“There appear to be lots of responsibilities, but no evidence of any resources.  Will this Act continue to add more responsibility to the public school system (special needs, medical issues, family issues) without the supports in place?  We need more money and access to other support systems instead of trying to provide all the services. Teachers cannot be social workers, nurses, psychiatrists, etc., but need quick and easy access to those professionals to provide the best help to the students.

“Is the Government rushing the Act?   Suggestion for the Minister:  Introduce the Bill in February/March 2011. Let it die and allow for more consultation and public input on the actual legislation.  Re-introduce a new revised Bill in Fall 2011. ”

But there were many more!  I encourage you to read the full report — Questions on the New Education Act FINAL — and more importantly, to be on the lookout for this new piece of legislation when it is introduced ino the Legislature.

Will the new Act allow us to “transform education” so it meets the needs of our 21st century children and communities?   What do you think?

I will keep you posted on the new Act as it is introduced in the Leg.   Stay tuned!

In the interim, if you are interested in hosting your own conversation on this fundamentally important piece of legislation, you are welcome to use my PowerPoint presentation as a jumping off place. Let’s Talk the New Education Act FINAL Glad to chat more!