On visiting this site…

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on December 11, 2008
in Announcements and Parent Involvement in Schools
. 0 Comments
On first coming to this site please be aware:
 1. ARCHIVES
I’m using this site to gather, record, sort, etc. tons of archive material I’ve gathered regarding the struggle for effective parent involvement in education. Much of the material relates to my own personal involvement and thoughts.
 
 2. TOOLS
I also include tools produced to help parents and public in support of meaningful parent involvement. These tools can generally be accessed here:
 

-          Starting a Parent Advisory Council from Scratch

-          School Checkup

-          Do’s and Don’ts for PAC’s

-          Levels of Parent Involvement

-          Effective Schools Checklist

-          Functions of a Parent Advisory Council

-          Projects for a Parent Group

-          Essential Features of a PAC

-          Parent Advisory Councils

-          Why a Parent Group in Every School

 

 
B) The following documents can be retrieved in PDF form from here:

    * Home Education: the third option (1987, 5pg)

    * Indoctrination Laws and Guideline for Schools

    * Effective Schools Checklist

    * The BLOB (Obstacles to Education Reform)

    * Parent Rights and their Children’s Education

 

Let’s Talk About Schools

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on February 18, 2009
in DOCUMENTS... and The Literature
. 0 Comments

 

In 1984 we had a two year process of public discussion in BC which precededd a new School Act, 1989.  The Discussion Paper had 41 points which helped focus people’s participation on key issues.  The Condensed form of paper is here:

 

[ISBN 0-7719-9971-2] [British Columbia Ministry of Education]
 
 
Let’s Talk About Schools
 
A DISCUSSION PAPER ON BRITISH COLUMBIA SCHOOLS
 
A CONDENSATION
 
 
A MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER
 
To be effective, schools, like other social institutions, must respond to the world around
them. Changes in social and economic conditions have important implications for schools
and, because of this, it is necessary from time to time to review how well school systems
meet pupil needs and community expectations. In British Columbia, such a review now
appears warranted. Shifts in the economy and in patterns of employment, as well as
other social developments, are challenging our schools and educators in new ways. If we
are to capitalize on the promise of tomorrow as a Province and as a people, it seems
judicious to reflect first upon our objectives for schools and to consider the directions we
would like schooling to take in future years. More specifically, it seems important at this
point to discuss a number of questions which relate to the context in which schools
operate, the goals and structure of our school system, the relationship between schooling
and education, the responsibilities of schools, and the part teachers, administrators,
parents, arid trustees play in schooling.
The Let’s Talk About Schools paper, therefore, represents an invitation to all British
Columbians to make their views on schooling known and, in doing so, to help shape
schools of the future in this Province.
 
The Honourable Jack Heinrich Minister of Education
 
A DISCUSSION PAPER ON BRITISH COLUMBIA SCHOOLS
 
The Provincial School Review Committee would like to hear from you about our schools.
The School Act is to be revised for the first time since 1958, and if that revision is to be
successful, the beliefs, opinions and concerns of British Columbians must be taken into
account.
Public meetings will be arranged in your area by local district review committees. This
will give you an opportunity to speak out about schooling and to understand the views of
others from your community and representatives from the field of education.
This pamphlet is a condensed version of a full discussion paper available from school
board offices. As you will see, the review is comprehensive, taking very little for granted
other than a firm commitment to schools in our province.
The questions which follow, while certainly not the only ones which can be asked about
schools today, are intended to provide a framework for discussion.
Think about them and any other areas of particular concern to you. Then make your
views known at the meetings. You can also send your comments directly to the
Committee at the following address:
 
Let’s Talk About Schools
University of Victoria
P.O. Box 1700
Victoria, B.C.
V8W 2Y2
 [ISBN 0-7719-9971-2] [British Columbia Ministry of Education]
 
This is an invitation for you to get involved and help shape the schools of the future. We
encourage your participation - it is essential to the task at hand.
 
SCHOOLS AND SOCIETY
 
The role of schools in society has been discussed since public education was first
conceived. Every generation raises questions and redefines the role of their schools
according to changing circumstances. In order to bring the schools into alignment with
the communities they serve, a clear understanding of how they relate to each other must
be formulated.
 
Goals of Education and Schooling
 
The current goals of education may be broadly identified as intellectual, social, human
and vocational development. Schools exist to assist individuals in achieving these goals,
but they are limited in what they can do. Schools may necessarily have to concentrate on
certain educational goals and society must decide which goals are most appropriate for
the school system to pursue.
 
1.  Do today’s goals for education accurately reflect our society’s beliefs?
2.  Are all of these goals of equal importance?
3.  Which goals of education should schools pursue?
 
Curriculum and Instruction
 
Curriculum is what is taught in the courses offered by our schools. It is currently
determined by provincially elected representatives. They are charged with seeing that
school curriculum reflects society’s goals for education and the resultant role of schools
in society. Discussion about curriculum is ongoing and intense.
 
4.  What should be taught and learned in schools?
5.  How should it be taught?
6.  In determining what should be taught and learned in schools, what should be the role of the Provincial
authorities? The local school boards? The professionals? Parents? The public? Pupils?
 
Diversity in Schools and Society
 
British Columbia is a social and cultural mosaic with striking regional and local variations.
The type of schooling available reflects this social diversity and cultural richness. This
raises concerns about the Province’s ability to accommodate diversity while adhering to
general goals for the school system.
 
7.  Are our public schools capable of responding to the many and varied needs of the people of British Columbia?
8.  Are there other forms of schooling which should be publicly supported? How should such forms of schooling be
monitored and by whom?
9.  Should public choice in schooling be enhanced? If so, how?
 
Standards of Achievement in Schools
 
With diversity of schooling comes varying standards of achievement. Pupils may require
protection to ensure they receive adequate instruction to keep pace with educational and
technological developments.
 
10.  What standards should be established for all schools, public and otherwise? Should standards be established for
all grades and all subjects? Who should establish these standards? Should standards be monitored? How? By
whom? [ISBN 0-7719-9971-2] [British Columbia Ministry of Education]
 
11.  To what extent should Province-wide examinations exist? What purposes can such examinations serve?
12.  To what extent should entrance requirements set by post-secondary institutions determine secondary school
curricula and standards?
 
Technological Innovation and Schools
 
Technology is transforming all aspects of society, and schools are no exception. New
technology offers both opportunities to improve learning and challenges, as new skills are
learned. Technology’s effect on the quality of our lives is also a major concern.
 
13.  How might technological change affect the schools?
14.  To what extent can schools capitalize on technological change?
15.  How can schools accommodate this technological change and make it part of school operations and programs?
16.  Are there inherent dangers in accommodating technological change? If so, what are they?
 
School-Community Relations
 
Schools are part of life in every community.
What happens in school inevitably affects home life. Schools perform a variety of
functions, some of which go beyond the act of learning. Because of this, schools can
become a focal point of community discontent or a bonding force that holds a community
together.
 
17.  To what extent should parents and other members of the community be involved with schools, and to what
extent should schools be involved in the life of the community?
18.  How can school-community relations be strengthened?
19.  What should be areas of consultation for trustees, school professionals, parents, and the community?
 
SCHOOL GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT, AND THE PEOPLE IN THE SYSTEM
 
Legislative Provisions for School Governance and Management
 
Schooling is a Provincial responsibility. The Provincial Government of British Columbia
administers this responsibility through the School Act and its Regulations. It delegates
certain tasks to school boards. In revising the School Act, areas of responsibility can be
developed and clarified.
 
20.  Is the separation of authority to govern the public schools suitable in light of current conditions? Should school
board requests for greater autonomy be met? Should school board powers be reduced, expanded, or remain
the same? Would enlargement of school board autonomy Improve the effectiveness of schools?
21.  What processes and mechanisms might be devised to ensure that the Provincial Government and school boards
remain accountable to society at large, and responsive to the needs of local communities?
22.  Is the current system of political accountability satisfactory or should new instruments of accountability, such
as recall and local initiative be considered?
23.  Should individual schools be permitted to have a school council made up of parents and other community
members? To what extent should such councils have powers delegated by school boards?
 
Labour Relations
 
Good labour relations encourage a well-motivated and effective workforce. In the school
community, harmonious labour relations contribute to the quality of classroom
instruction. Sound bargaining practices are a key element in all of this.
 
24.  Should all school board employees be covered by the same collective bargaining rules?
25.  Should the present system of bargaining be retained? If not, how should it be changed? Should the scope of
bargaining be expanded?
26.  Should compulsory and binding arbitration be retained for teachers? Should strikes and lockouts be permitted
as an alternative to arbitration? [ISBN 0-7719-9971-2] [British Columbia Ministry of Education]
 
 
Financing Provincial Schools
 
Public schooling in British Columbia is financed by revenues raised through local taxation
and by Provincial Government grants. Responsibility for school support is thus shared
between the Provincial Government and the province’s 75 school districts on a
proportional basis determined by Provincial authorities.
 
27.  Who should set levels of school board spending? The Province? Local school boards? The Province and School
boards together?
28.  Should school boards be allowed to raise taxes above those required to sustain basic levels of school service
determined by the Province?
29.  Is the goal of equality in schooling best served by the Province establishing a basic level of service that must be
provided in all school districts?
 
School District Budgets
 
In January of 1984 a new system for determining school board budgets was introduced
by the Provincial Government. This system applies Provincially-set formulas based on
prescribed pupil-teacher ratios to estimate allowable levels of school board spending.
 
30.  Should funds to schools be targeted for specific purposes?
31.  Should financial resources be shared equally between elementary, intermediate and secondary schools on a per
capita basis? Should school districts utilize school-based budgeting systems?
32.  Are existing levels of funding adequate to meet current public expectations for schools?
 
Responsibilities and Rights of Parents and Pupils
 
Existing legislation does not set out in a comprehensive or unified way the responsibilities
and rights of parents and pupils. Pressing parental concerns about human rights, natural
justice, parental choice, standards of achievement, technology, and alternative schools
are all very much a part of today’s scene.
 
33.  Should parental and pupil responsibilities be specifically codified in law?
34.  Should parents be allowed to keep their children at home and provide schooling for their youngsters
themselves? Should parents receive assistance in schooling children at home?
35.  Should a period of compulsory schooling exist or should pupils be required instead to attain certain levels of
achievement? Is the present period of compulsory attendance for children aged seven to 15 satisfactory? If not,
what should be the period of compulsory attendance?
 
Teacher Professionalism
 
Whatever challenges society poses for schools, it is the teacher who is charged with the
task of translating them into learning opportunities for the young. Skilled conscientious
teachers are essential to achieving society’s goals for education.
 
36.  Do current training programs for teachers offer adequate preparation for careers in the classroom? Who should
set policies for teacher education programs and certification? Are current provisions for in-service or
professional development adequate?
37.  Should professional development or the "upgrading" of teacher qualifications be made a condition of continuing
employment? Should teachers be permitted to teach only in the subject and grade areas in which they are
trained?
38.  How can teacher professionalism be demonstrated? How can it be monitored and evaluated? Who should
monitor and evaluate teacher professionalism?
 [ISBN 0-7719-9971-2] [British Columbia Ministry of Education]
 
Administrative Professionalism
 
Effective administration helps support all sound instructional programs. Individual school
management is the responsibility of the school principal. Professional administration is
integral to the quality of instruction, to a productive environment and to the smooth
functioning of our schools. It also affects the role of the school in the life of the
community.
 
39.  Should school principals be granted greater authority in designing school programs? Or in administering
resources allocated to their schools?
40.  If individual schools had their own school councils what would such a development mean to the role and
responsibilities of principals?
41.  Should school principals be part of an employee bargaining unit? If so, should this bargaining unit be the same
one that represents teachers?
 
This has been a brief introduction to some of the issues bearing upon the Province’s
schools and all involved with them - which includes just about everyone. For a fuller
treatment of the issues you can obtain the complete discussion paper. Let’s Talk About
Schools, from your local school board.
 
For a chance to speak up and be listened to, please attend local public meetings
organized by your school board.
 
You may also send your written comments to:
 
Let’s Talk About Schools
University of Victoria
P.O. Box 1700
Victoria. B.C.
V8W 2Y2

Parent Rights a Top Priority for Education Responsiveness

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on January 13, 2009
in Accountability, Parent Involvement in Schools and Parent Rights
. 0 Comments

 

How well parents exercise their rights determines what degree or quality of services they get in public schools.  It is quite different in independent or private schools as there the customers are usually treated as paying customers.  So, how can parents exercise their expectations and rights better, across the socio-economic spectrum?

People often think that by moving to an affluent district the schools are better.  And this is generally true, even though there are exceptions where schools in poorer areas achieve excellent scores. We can learn from this demographic skew and adopt some of the characteristics of parents in rich districts. It is not necessarily the money that makes the difference!

First:  High Expectations. They are used to good service, and can afford to shop around.  For doctors, for accountants, for cars, for groceries, whatever. If they make mistakes, the costs are not earth shattering.  Whether from their parents or from experience or both, they soon embody the ancient dictum:  Caveat Emptor, buyer beware.

Second:  Using Choices and Competition. They know how to handle shoddy goods and services.  They do not patronize them. They shop around.

Third:  Complaining is Effective.  They know how to get results, especially if public services are at issue. Whether roads, sewage, zoning or public health, complaints take many forms:  letters to the editor, using your elected officials for remedies, law suits, etc.

Fourth:  Knowledge of Rights is Inherent in their Bones.  They seem to know and expect what they have a right to, and as citizens and taxpayers, have a keen awareness of what to expect from public service providers.  Furthermore, they use information systems, including the Internet, to augment information on what to expect and what constitutes good practice.

So it is with public education.  Even though parent rights in education are not usually enshrined in legislation or printed in school handbooks, somehow parents from responsive school districts have a good sense of how to negotiate the system to benefit their children. 

If you seek more information on Parent Rights, Google will yield many references, especially for special needs.  However, we have an already compiled document which has been around since 1977 and still stands the test of time in empowering parents.  Whether you use it as a starting point for your own needs or as study material with other research and tools to develop new material, here it is:

Parent Rights and their Children’s Education

Parents Need Effective Tools in Education

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on December 19, 2008
in  TOOLS 4 Effective Parents and Blog
. 0 Comments

Parents need easy and accessible tools for effective advocacy and guidance of their children in pursuing their best interests in education,  Effective tools are those that give parents confidence and empower them.  Some of these might help.

I’m starting a new category – TOOLS 4 Effective Parents — which will include the following in Pdf form for easy copying:

Available

 

Free-choice Educational Experience with Multi-age Children

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on December 9, 2008
in Blog and Education Reform
. 0 Comments

OTTAWA EAST SUMMER PROJECT (’71)

Ottawa East Summer Project was designed at the outset as an educational experiment where multi age children would interact, learn and play together in a free-choice atmosphere.

Upon obtaining a $10,700 grant from the Federal Government Opportunities For Youth (OFY) program in the summer of 1971 five staff were hired as “enablers” to work with 200 students, ages 4 – 11 years. The main criterion for hiring was the stated intention of the university students to pursue teaching careers.

Using the freely offered facilities and grounds of St. Patrick’s College in the east end of Ottawa the activities set up included sculpturing, painting, puppets, sewing, acting, woodwork, gardening, sports and writing.  During the first stages the children were able to mix-and-match their activities and were able to thus acquaint themselves with all the staff and the rest of the children of the neighborhood who during the school year attended three different schools (French Catholic, English Catholic and English Public).

The ongoing stages saw the children initiating their own projects, giving them the opportunity to expand their talents and leadership abilities.  Older children helped teach and supervise younger ones.  Parents and grandparents and local teen-agers developed into a volunteer force to help the children.

The experience was considered a tremendous success and substantiated the growing move in educational circles towards more of a community concept in education – children learning from other children, parent involvement, using the children’s own interests to teach skills as reading and writing. This, combined with the use of the total neighborhood as a learning environment, provided a meaningful setting for educational outcomes.

The children, brought up in such a setting, it is felt, develop more in the areas of independence, resourcefulness and creative thinking than children brought up in the more traditional, desk-oriented schools.

I had just graduated with a teacher certificate from Ottawa Teachers College (’71) and did the main conceptual work in preparing the proposal for the grant and coordinated the project. 

Tunya Audain
 

Tips for Trustees from a “failed” Candidate

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on November 23, 2008
in Abolish School Boards and Blog
. 0 Comments

While I ran for school board trustee in the last election, Nov 15/08, I kept my fingers crossed that I would NOT be elected. I dreaded having to go to interminable meetings for three years of my life.  I did run to bring to public and institutional awareness the need to seriously examine the very relevancy of school boards in this day and age.  I did learn a lot during the campaign and from my research and thus I have some insights to offer.

TRUSTEE AWARENESS #1

My HOMEWORK on school board issues during my recent trustee candidacy yields a lot of interesting information. I did not get elected, however did garner over 1/10 of votes. My website continues: http://abolish-school-boards.org

As well, I will publish on other sites as news comes in. With that in mind, I share the following:

1. Getting more money for schools. Most candidates I heard or read about said they would dedicate themselves to this effort.

In Quebec the opposition (ADQ) says they would abolish school boards to save $125 million annually. To compute for BC that would mean a saving of about $70 million annually. Instead of the savings going back into provincial coffers perhaps that money should be spread out to BC schools or for special needs. Would BC trustees consider that sacrifice worthwhile?

2. Few trustee candidates mentioned any kind of system-wide reform. Most just wanted to hunker down and improve their own district.

Meanwhile, our sister province to the east, Alberta, seems to have province-wide reviews every few years. Right now they are in the midst of a review of education for special-needs. In 2003 a Commission on Learning produced 95 recommendations with the Ministry of Education acting on 88. The Minister told school trustees Nov 19 that another review is imminent, that “he wants to get people talking about education…that could lead to changes in the legislation that governs how schools are run.” When asked if that meant abolishing school boards, he answered, “…governance is part of that discussion and if we’re not doing governance the right way, then we should be open to the concept of how we should do it.” See "Education System Could Face Changes".

These reviews, if genuine, definitely lead to greater responsiveness to what citizens express and want. For example, Alberta has had enabling legislation since 1994 to provide for greater choice through charter schools where parents, teachers and principals run individual schools. This autonomy allows flexibility in meeting accountability standards as well as providing for creative programs to emerge. This is something that BC should consider for its citizens as well.

A worldview approach has significant educational and decisional implications. BC also needs these focused conversations outside the periodic provincial elections. A commission of inquiry soon???

3. School closures due to falling enrollment seem to be a BC political no-no.

Meanwhile, trustees in Boston, even in the midst of closing six schools, are expanding in other areas to improve school quality. They expect to add more “pilot” schools which have more “autonomy than other schools over budget, staffing, governance, classroom teaching standards, and testing programs.”

4. Trustee candidates see themselves as volunteer public servants called to do good things for their community. They don’t see that they’ll be paid to do a lot of busy work and a lot of frustrating political wrangling and manipulation.

A little flavor of the jockeying and fighting that goes on and the ideological agendas at play was evidenced during the recent board elections in Langley. However, rarely do we see anything comprehensive like “Confessions and Frustrations of a Long Time School Trustee”.

Well, there is such a book, not with that title though. The 1998 book by Russell J. Edwards is called “How Boards of Education Are Failing Your Children” and available from $.33 to $1.00 plus shipping (about $5-6) from AbeBooks or Amazon. It’s a long rambling, stream of consciousness, full of insider gossip, political and personal, dirty tricks, etc. Written by a well-intentioned “Master School Board Member” who wants to tell “what is wrong with the educational process and why it is so hard to make progress and solve problems.” Highly recommended, especially for trustees who think it’s a “nice” job and think they’ll get anywhere during any 3yr term.

5. Fads come and go, yet they continue to be embraced for the WRONG reasons. What they really do is buy time for the system to carry on business-as-usual — not for any real reform.

Canada (except for Alberta) it seems is wedded to the pro forma model of consultation as noted in the OECD report of 1976 meaning — going through the motions, affecting concern that is not genuine, perfunctory…

Here is a recent gross example of such a fad from the US. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation poured millions, NO, over 2 billion dollars into converting large high schools into smaller ones. 8 years later, Nov 11/08, the Foundation called a meeting “to admit candidly that the new small high schools had not fulfilled their promise.” Please see "Bill Gates and his Silver Bullet"

Critics of this program show the harm done to students, 8 years of their lives lost, whole schools turned upside down…millions of taxpayer dollars wasted, good teachers quitting rather than being forced to support a plan they knew would be detrimental for their students…

I’ve been reading the 12 page promo for the Iowa Lighthouse Project that BC trustees will be considering in their upcoming training in Dec and I’m really hoping it is not being sold as another “silver bullet”. By trying to make trustees more “effective” this still consigns parents to a secondary, auxiliary role. Parents having choice and voice can move “stuck” schools and scores far better than expensive trustees and school boards.

Alternatives to School Boards

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on November 6, 2008
in Abolish School Boards
. 0 Comments

 

Continuing to add to 101 Reasons to Abolish……

14. Alternatives to School Boards

Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec, has called a General Election for Dec. 08/08. He said his minority government can’t operate with “three pairs of hands on the helm”. He seeks a majority government to tackle the difficult times ahead.

He blamed the other two parties of brinkmanship with the PQ and ADQ threatening to force votes of confidence and vote together to bring down his Liberals. He cited the ADQ plan to abolish school boards as a possible issue to bring down his government.

In the last election of 2007 the school board issue was widely discussed. ADQ claimed that by abolishing the boards this would remove this extra layer of bureaucracy, leaving governance to the municipalities, the provincial government and the schools themselves.

We shall await any discussions of this issue in Quebec in the next month

101 Reasons to Abolish School Boards

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on October 27, 2008
in Abolish School Boards
. 0 Comments

 

I am compiling 101 Reasons to Abolish School Boards.  To see the ongoing discussions on the topic and the Reasons as they are developed, see my site:

http://abolish-school-boards.org

101 Reasons to Abolish School Boards

1.  An unnecessary level of government
2.  Politics of lay acquiescence – trustees become tamed for establishment purposes.
3.  Conflict of interest abounds – many trustees are educators or ex, or even ex teacher union leaders.
4.  Trusteeship is often used as a stepping stone for politicians-in-training.
5.  School Boards are Obsolete – outlived their usefulness.
6.  Influence peddling has no place in school board business.
7.  Parent rights in education is a taboo topic in school boards.
8.  School Boards are a great field resource to study incompetency.  The saying: “In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence” was “discovered in the Vancouver School Board system.
9.  School Boards and other public education bodies love to hear speakers who denounce standards.  Do they give equal time for those supporting standards?
10.  School Boards should not be running recreation classes for adults.

More to follow…..see above site…..
 

Campaigning to Abolish School Boards

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on October 24, 2008
in Blog
. 0 Comments

 

(Below are my background notes for the 2 minute presentation taped for local TV.  I don’t know how the final will look or sound.  Air time (Cable 4) for West Vancouver candidates are:  Sat Nov 1, 8-9:00 am & Sun Nov 9, 6:30-7:30pm. I’m running for School Board in West Vancouver, Canada, Nov 15/08.)

The last time I ran for School Board Trustee in West Vancouver was in 1975 and I ran then as a parent of 2 young students in the school system.  I wanted to make things better for them and others in West Van schools.  I did not get elected.

Now I’m running as a grandmother, 33 years later, and in all that time I do not see things having improved….responsiveness to student needs, relationships with parents don’t seem to have improved…parents are still frustrated and families are still not meaningfully involved in governing their schools or successful in pushing for achievement goals.  In fact, things are worse, more complex, more entangled than ever…..

I’m running not for power or to sit for 3 years at symbolic school board meetings.

I’m running in order to have conversations on issues with people during this election period.

The main issue I present is that of the relevancy of the school board system itself.  I see the school board as an unnecessary 4th level of government.  Why do we cling to the large central control institution of school boards when we have the successful model of independent schools where parents govern their own schools?  Or we can try the charter school model where teachers and parents govern an autonomous school.

If school boards were abolished we would achieve enormous cost savings, perhaps to the amount of $1,000 - $2,000 extra per child which could either go to all students or dedicated to serving special needs.

Other issues are community education.  Should school boards, for example, run Yoga and quilting courses? No.

Should school boards recruit and educate international students — for profit?  No, that is not their mandate.  Leave that to the private sector.

Other issues I want to discuss with people are vouchers and tuition tax credits.  What about the idea, in the name of transparency, of having the board post online their cheque registry of ALL expenditures?

Basically, my belief is that the best decision-making is that done closest to the individual and in the case of education, closest to home.  That means having the family as closely involved in choices and decisions in education as possible. 

The best model for school governance is local autonomy, therefore we don’t need school boards.  Phone me or visit my website:  http://abolish-school-boards.org

 

School Boards are Obsolete

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on October 1, 2008
in Abolish School Boards and Blog
. 2 Comments

Continuing my listing of 101 Reasons to Abolish School Boards (See:  http://abolish-school-boards.org)

5.  School Boards are Obsolete

      ‘These institutions served their purpose well in the past. But it is clear that the larger and more bureaucratic they become, the less they are able to fulfill the basic goal of providing a high-quality education. They tend to be dominated by educational elites who serve other goals. Elections have turned into pro forma exercises that mock the purpose of democratic control. School boards also seem incapable of guaranteeing high academic standards. They are now failing to provide children, their parents or taxpayers with enough value to justify their existence.’ 

Recommendation #1 of “Are School Boards Obsolete: Low voter turn out, rising costs, time to move on…?” by Dennis Owens for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, Oct 01/1999)