Abolish School Boards - a movement?

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on November 23, 2009
in Abolish School Boards, Blog and Education Reform
. 0 Comments

 

Abolishing school boards would release intended education dollars to their intended targets – students.  At the moment far too much of that earmarked money is skimmed off at the school board level for: a) junkets and expensive conferences/professional development for trustees, administrators, consultants, etc. many of whom have little direct relationship with students; b) professional services such as public relations advice, legal services, and other non-student related fees; c) entrepreneurial businesses and recruitment of foreign students meant to add income (profits) to the budget but which may actually yield serious expenses and costs; d) misspending due to faulty accounting and reporting procedures; e) etc., etc.

I also have a dedicated website on the topic:  Abolish School Boards – help eliminate the redundant bureaucracy – a self-serving barrier between parents and their childrens’ education.  http://abolish-school-boards.org/

This is my essay “Abolish School Boards” published on the blog Report Card, a production of the Education Reporter, Janet Steffenhagen, for the Vancouver Sun.

Abolish School Boards

(by Tunya Audain, 091122, published in Report Card blog of Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun Education Reporter on story, “Trustees have tough job but no power, columnist says” 091122 http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/reportcard/default.aspx)

“District’s new decals a sign of poor management”. That’s the title of a letter to the editor by Craig Johnston to the North Shore News, who, in true whistleblower fashion, alerts us to what he perceives as misconduct of the school board and a waste of taxpayer dollars.  This self-aggrandizement, he says, is “nauseating”.  (This item was discussed in a previous blog story.)

Were it not for citizen watchdogs alerting us through media channels I fear that the public would never see how public institutions such as school boards are abandoning their intended mission – that of serving the best interests of children instead of their own perverse needs.

It’s no wonder that there are increasingly more calls for abolishing these twisty and twisted school boards of today.

Coincidentally, in the same issue of the North Shore News as was Craig’s letter, a regular columnist, Bill Bell, has some very harsh words regarding school boards as pretenses of local government.  In a previous article he calls “School trustees Victoria’s puppets” and this state exists regardless of the political ideological regime, whether NDP, Social Credit or Liberal. http://www.canada.com/northshorenews/news/viewpoint/story.html?id=95b2a310-5421-43b5-9646-f975e8883d78

In his latest column as reported above, Bell, a well-know media person, ramps up the “Abolish School Boards” movement.  From citizens in this education blog ever more frequently calling for the demise of this dysfunctional and counterproductive structure, to school board candidates (I was one last fall whose main plank was to work to abolish school boards), to an ex-superintendent, Doug Player, arguing for dissolution of the boards, we now add a media voice to the call.   http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/reportcard/archive/2009/10/11/dissolve-school-boards-and-move-education-to-municipal-councils.aspx

It is definitely time for more citizens to add their voices to dismantle the present inefficient model of education delivery.

In the cause of liberating education dollars away from the vested special interests – and there are dozens of categories here (teacher unions, administrator groups, teacher training institutions, burgeoning legal outfits, public relations consultants, early childhood education lobbies, etc., etc.) – and bringing commonsense and local autonomy back to the grassroots, we must challenge this cancerous behemoth that suffocates. No wonder they call themselves “stakeholders”.  The “stakes” are indeed high!

More citizen voices need to be raised against those powerful groups who insidiously and consistently block needed reform out of selfish greed. Yet, and we see it all the time, they say they do it for the children!

A philosophy that trusts local parents and local teachers to produce educational results is a far better and much simpler form than central control and thousands of middle men and suckers who feed off the opportunities so easily exploited. The present school board model invites misspending, corruption, diversions and adventurism.

It is downright unethical and immoral what is going on under the cover of school boards.  The Detroit public school scandal is a cautionary tale of just how evil this can become.  Look it up.

The model school board that HAS proven most successful over time is the one that exists at the local school.  That has stood the test of time – the one room school house, the private independent school, the parent-participation pre-school, the charter school.  The dollar already is supposed to follow the child.  Bring it back to the local school instead of channeling it through the school board offices where it is mercilessly skimmed before reaching the classroom. Whether it be vouchers, charters, tuition tax credits or some other model, we need to recover those precious dollars that are needed for our precious children and grandchildren – FOR THEIR EDUCATION AND SPECIAL NEEDS.
091122
 

Nobel Winner, Elinor Ostrom, Offers Hope for Responsive Schools

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on November 4, 2009
in Accountability, Blog, Education Reform and The Literature
. 0 Comments

 

Responsive Schools Key to Good Society: Elinor Ostrom, Nobel Winner

Can citizens effectively and efficiently manage their own affairs?  Their own schools? Can self-governance work in education? YES, there is this hope for schools — provided there is limited central state interference and provided powerful special self-interest insiders don’t dominate.

That is the message Elinor Ostrom, a co-winner in this year’s Nobel Economics prize, passes on to help empower people at local levels to 1) challenge outsiders and self-interests, and 2) confidently evolve the procedures, rules, and oversight which serve their interests.  She cautions against any one-size-fits-all model. Local people, local governance.

She and others of her school of thought challenge the usual dichotomy in seeking solutions – state or market.  Should there be state finance, control and provision of services and resource management OR should the markets prevail?  There is a third way – shared ownership.

While Ostrom’s work has usually dealt with user-managed fish stocks, pastures, woods, lakes, and groundwater basins, she has also been embraced by development workers, especially in third world countries.  Her general principles apply to any area where citizens manage their own projects — without the heavy fist of the state or the invisible hand of the market.

Ostrom distinguishes the three methods of provision:  public, private, and civil. She sees more citizens becoming involved in policy analysis and application if they are to avoid becoming “the objects of an authoritarian regime” or exploited for profit.

Self-governing, adaptive organizations follow these principles:

1.  Balance power at many levels within the structure (checks and balances)
2.  Monitor performances and hold designated persons accountable
3.  Accept conflict as healthy, indicating need for mediation or more problem-solving
4.  Empower citizens and communities with enforceable rights to check abuses of authority

Regarding the education field she comments that simplistic solutions can go “amok”.  Amazing word to be used by an academic — "berserk, demoniacal, possessed, insane, characteristic of mental derangement” (Wikipedia)! 

After studying 70 years of school district consolidations in the name of efficiency and equity she found that these “top-down, command-and-control solutions” did not result in better achievement or lower per-pupil spending.  She concludes that “policy makers are reconsidering the consequences of past reforms and recommending charter schools, voucher systems, and other reforms to create more responsive schools.”

In other words, she concludes, “state control has usually proved to be less effective and efficient than control by those directly affected” and sometimes even “disastrous in its consequences.”

What applies to common-pool forests and fish-stocks applies to people services as well.  That is why school-based management, independent schools, charter schools, parent participation preschool cooperatives, etc. work so well.  Unfortunately, today, they are often resisted and blocked by powerful self-interests. 

Fortunately, however, we now have a more prominently revealed social science to help those who seek shared ownership solutions to social services. Change activists in education could gain a lot of tips from studying the works of Elinor Ostrom.   (See: “Policy Analysis in the Future of Good Societies” by Elinor Ostrom) http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/good_society/v011/11.1ostrom.html

091104
 

Cease and Desist (C&D) Letters to Parents

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on October 31, 2009
in Blog and Parent Involvement in Schools
. 0 Comments

 

Sometimes parents are seriously discouraged from pursuing complaints or criticism through receipt of cease and desist letters from a School Board, teacher union, or other public service union related to schools.  Here is an interesting article:

 

http://www.parentseduchoice.org/links/Article%20-%20Canadian%20Family%20-%20Goliaths.pdf

Goliaths vs. Davids
Teachers’ unions suing parents
By Andrew Nikiforuk
Canadian Family, March 2005, p. 28

In Alberta and British Columbia, two powerful teachers’ unions are suing parents for defamation. Although both unions claim to champion the downtrodden, the lawsuits also deliver another, less comforting message. The targets of both of these actions are blue-collar families whose alleged defamations arose in the course of advocating for their children’s education.

Let’s begin with Dawna McGowan, a 42-year-old mom and former school volunteer in Hinton, Alta. The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) is suing her and her husband, Ken, a Canadian Pacific engineer, for $210,000 and has placed a lien on their home. It started when McGowan challenged a principal for releasing pupil information to a photographer. Before long, things turned ugly.

She is now one of four Albertans being jointly sued by the ATA for defamation. After defendants received unusual "cease and desist" letters from the ATA in 2001, they contacted Denis Lapierre, a longtime parent advocate who posted the letters on his website, Schoolworks!_now shut down. Deluged with support and inquiries, they posted other items on the site, explaining parents’ respective complaints. Though none accused a specific teacher or school district of offensive behaviour, the ATA deemed the material defamatory to the profession and sued Lapierre and the four for $1.8 million.

Robyn Reid, a single mother with three special-needs boys in Red Deer, still can’t believe the union’s tough stance. After one of her sons had been placed in a special-needs class, Reid identified several educational gaps in his program. When the local school and school district refused to provide extra tutoring, she took her case to the province. "I wasn’t out to get teachers, I was out to get the right education for my child," she says. The ATA disagreed to the tune of $150,000. One of the sued parents has already declared bankruptcy.

For posting the original letters, Lapierre is facing a lawsuit of more than $1 million. He’s shut down his advocacy business and his website. "The purpose of the lawsuit is to silence us, and it has worked," says Lapierre, who now drives a truck and can’t afford his legal bills.

Sue Halstead, a mother of five children in Comox Valley, B.C., agrees. The well-known child advocate operates a feisty website that among other posted criticisms, dares to itemize the behaviour of teachers who have been criminally charged or disciplined by the profession. Her site is still active but now displays several apologies since her receipt of a "cease and desist" letter. But neither apologies nor the removal of the offending documents stopped nine teachers, a former trustee and a parent represented by the British Columbia Teacher’s Federation (BCTF) from suing Halstead last spring for "using the internet to wage a personal attack on certain participants in the B.C. education system." That’s already cost Halstead $23,000, and she and her husband, a school janitor, can’t afford a lawyer for her trial. "We’re going to lose our house, and all I tried to do was tell the truth and protect children," she says.

Neither of these lawsuits strikes me as wise or civil, not to mention just, Terri Watson, president of the B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, describes the BCTF’s legal action as "inappropriate" and operating with a "clear imbalance of power and resources." Democratic institutions such as schools, she adds, need people like
Halstead to test the system and foster improvement.

Jinny Sims president of the BCTF, counters that the suit against Halstead was in no way launched lightly and is "not about pitting one parent against the might of the BCTF. It’s about defending our members, who are being damaged in their work and personal lives." Dr. Gordon Thomas, executive secretary of the ATA, admits that his association is "not ecstatic about representing teachers in a defamation suit" and notes that it has launched only two such actions in the past 82 years. "What we are after is the fair representation of our teachers."

The ATA claims that one of its primary mandates is "to arouse and increase public interest in the importance of education." The BCTF makes similar claims. But how do these lawsuits support that goal, let alone help children? To restore civility to the educational arena, both provinces need to set up an ombudsman’s office, where parents and educators can hash out their differences on equal ground. When teacher unions start suing parents, the behave more like punitive corporations than enlightened public organizations. Strangling dissent, even allegedly hurtful dissent, doesn’t strengthen education any more than it strengthens democracy.
 

BC Education System Creaking, Cracking, Croaking!

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on September 11, 2009
in Accountability, Blog and Obstacles to Reform
. 0 Comments

 

I just published in a local blog the following comment on mismanagement and "accounting errors" in Langley School District.  I infer from my comments that this may not be the only jurisdiction with major bookkeeping and reporting flaws. I am calling for a full-scale forensic accounting examination of the accounts, reporting and due diligence of the school board.

BC Education System is Creaking and Cracking and Croaking.

(by Tunya Audain, comment published 090911, in The Report Card blog by Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun education reporter on topic: “Education Minister and quote of the month” 090910)

Look at the Langley school district fiasco — a $4.8 million deficit suddenly balloons into $8.3 million due to “accounting errors”.    That $35,000 paid by the School Board for a financial “review” is peanuts compared to what a proper forensic accounting examination would cost.  But, it would be worth it.  It would ferret out, item by item, digit by digit, the cause and effect of the problem revealed by the shocking and stunning disclosures this week.  It’s not as if there weren’t warnings and red flags all over the place.  They were there, but were snubbed and dismissed.

A proper forensic accounting report, I think, should be properly and appropriately ordered and financed by the Provincial Government.  It would:

-   Catch what the board’s auditor and external review failed to catch
-    Provide an accurate account of assets and liabilities
-    Discover if there has been deception, cover-up, fraud
-    Determine if proper accounting procedures were followed
-    Establish if there was proper reporting and administrative response
-    Check if the board of trustees were well-informed in a timely manner for decision-making and oversight
-    Examine if proper accountability procedures were in place and followed
-    Determine if the law has been broken
-    Provide evidence for future litigation if supporting data is revealed
-    Comment on whether a “blind eye” was turned on complaints and alerts by members of the public
-    Further the public interest  
-    Clarify the language used in reporting to the public and media, eg, what constitutes “cost pressures”

Whether small or large corruptions are found, or none at all, mistakes have certainly been made and incompetence has been acknowledged. It’s not just “underfunding” that’s brought on this state of affairs.

A recent research paper, entitled: Corruption and Educational Outcomes: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back by Francis Huang  http://journals.sfu.ca/ijepl/index.php/ijepl/article/viewFile/142/59

says :  “…corruption has the potential of holding back or sabotaging a country’s education progress – much like taking two steps forward and one step back…turning a blind eye to it does not make it go away but actually encourages it. Eliminating corruption involves a culture change and a shift in mind-set along with the implementation of accountability systems and processes.” 

Huang further elaborates that it’s no surprise that corruption might occur in education systems world-wide (she studied 50 countries) because “education is the largest or second-largest budget item in most countries and opportunities for corrupt practices are numerous.”

Given that last observation, shouldn’t the whole Ministry of Education and all boards have forensic accounting reports done?  At $8,323 per child shouldn’t we want to know what percentage of that actually reaches the target?

Or are we funding a self-serving industry, serving selfish vested interests?  Only a credible, in-depth examination will tell us if the present model is effective and efficient or if we need to search for better models of education delivery.
 

 

Precious Cartoon for Back-to-School

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on September 1, 2009
in CARTOONS..., Blog and Education Reform
. 0 Comments

 

With ever more demand for choices in education– from parents, students, teachers — here is a CARTOON which says it all.

Print it out in full color, post it on your bulletin board, fridge. Pass it on!

http://education-advisory.org/Involved/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/back-to-school-cartoon-from-vic-lee2.pdf

 

This URL will work if you copy and paste it into address bar.

 

Privacy in the Internet Age

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on August 4, 2009
in Blog, Parent Involvement in Schools and Parent Rights
. 0 Comments

 

On July 30/09 I saw this interesting interview with the host on CNN with Kyra Phillips:

 

education-advisory.org/Involved/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/privacy-in-the-internet-age-cnn-090730.pdf

 

It relates to parent rights and duties and student rights.

 

 


 

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

 

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