Dear Editor,
Recently, Pembina Hills voted to close the Fort Assiniboine senior high school program. I feel they voted knowing it was not the “right” vote and was not based on educational effectiveness. This is what the trustees voted for:
• A daily three-hour bus ride for some students. PHRD’s current guidelines for transportation is “Will not exceed one hour, wherever possible.” The “wherever possible creates” an escape clause and “the majority of” has been used, meaning 10-20 per cent of the students affected don’t matter.” Long bus rides are counter productive to student learning and expensive. The transportation department has made statements that many school districts are considering transportation charges to recover costs.
• Students attending half a class at the end of each day to accommodate transfer times between schools. This is a financial benefit for PHRD. I feel offering half the class time, and collecting full CEU credits is a manipulation of tax dollars.
• Starting at 8:30 a.m. for students not attending Barrhead. There are rural schools that have extended school days, but does that make it right? Rural students have to adjust and accept conditions that are not equal to their classmates, yet we expect the same outcome. The importance of consistency and balance in day-to-day activities should be the priority. There is no cost savings in transportation as the alternate days will not coincide with Barrhead’s schedule and buses will run regardless.
The superintendent had the opportunity at public meetings to share the details of his plan and the trustees failed to ask for details or timeline. Based on his comments, we will use ADLC to deliver online material and bus the students into Barrhead on certain days for classes. It has taken a year to come up with the plan we are presently using today and successfully passed it off as a three year initiative. If there was genuine interest in revitalizing our school, planning would have started two years ago, or sooner if the board would have been proactive. The plan should have been ready to implement September 2011-12.
I feel the superintendent has made misinforming statements that students are not ready for alternative learning and technology is not adequate to deliver a good program. Our students have been doing online learning through ADLC for the last two years. The technology to which he refers is the old style of video conferencing, which has evolved to computers and smart boards. Google, distance learning, virtual school, online learning, alternative schooling, and e-learning. Google individual schools and see what they are doing in regards to alternative schooling. There are so many opportunities that go beyond ADLC. Are we limiting our students because PHRD is financially vested in the system?
The students’ concerns of not being able to participate in after-school team sports was addressed by the notion they could have a community sports league. Regulations state only registered schools can compete. Carpooling was also suggested. Why assume that parents have unlimited disposable income?
We have the support of the students, parents, school, and local municipal government. But government policy and the school board’s unwillingness to challenge those policies does not allow us to help ourselves. This leads the school board to make poor decisions and earn the reputation of PHRD being restrictive and close-minded.
A perfect example is presently being debated. We are trying to have our school painted our school colours, a simple request one would think. A concerned administration brought the colour palette to our attention. He surveyed the students and some parents hoping to have some influence. Mr. Tyreman refused to meet with us, so the superintendent was approached and it is now in front of the school board. This is how much resistance school councils, students and parents face to have input. The “Alberta Initiatives for School Improvement” states school boards are responsible for “Planning for the jurisdiction, setting priorities for the system in light of the community wishes, available resources and sound educational practice.” Being referred to as “bullies” is more accurate than we wish to believe.
I would be interested to know how many letters the trustees have written concerning education for rural communities. How many phone calls or hours of research have they done to be informed of the opportunities that are available to rural schools? When you research the negative effects of consolidation, it puts you in the mind frame to look for alternatives.
Our school board needs to get passed the protectionism that is engrained in our system and deliver an education system that is educationally effective for all students. Technology opens the doors to possibilities; we need to open our minds if our students are going to be successful.
Beth Ann Breitkreitz
