The alternative program is at risk. The board staff have recommended to trustees that the Alternative Program be closed down. Now is the time to speak up! It is very important that we let the board know how we value educational choice. Among the alternative program's greatest strengths are our sense of community and the value we place on participation. We need to be able to depend on these now more than ever. Over the coming week, we will let you know specific ways in which you can act.
The school board's description of the process can be found at http://www.ocdsb.ca/au_hi_program-reviews_EAPR.asp
Updates on the alternative education program review will be posted on this page and at http://programreview.asac-ottawa.org/ as well as on the Facebook group "Alternative Schools in Ottawa: More Choices" and to the Lady Evelyn email list. We will continually provide you with the up to date information.
Emails of concern to staff at the school board and trustees can be sent to the addresses found here.
Posts
Program Review Update: Interim Report Available Now (December 2nd, 2009)
Alternative Education Program Review Update (October 16th, 2009)
Alternative Education Program Review: Update: What do we do next? (September 29th, 2009)
Alternative Education Program Review: Update and Discussion, Thursday, September 24th, 2009
To all parents at Lady Evelyn: Now is the time to speak up! (June 20th, 2009)
Links:
Why is the alternative education system important to you? Add your contribution to a video wall.
Board staff have released a report to trustees recommending that the Alternative Program be wound down (http://www.ocdsb.ca/Documents/Board_Meetings/Meetings/2010/January_2010/Ed_Jan19_2010/7a_Report_10_002.pdf).
As with the staff recommendation to close Rideau High School, this is not a done deal. Trustees will have the final say, starting with the Education Committee next Tuesday Evening at 7:00 p.m.
Superintendent Adams was on the radio on Tuesday making two misleading statements:
The Alternative Program Review final report (with recommendations) has been released by board staff.
The short version is that they are closing the program down. They are calling it "removing the designation" because they don't believe the alternative schools are meaningfully different. As below, the "designation" won't be removed until a boundary or accommodation review is conducted involving a specific school. No timeline is given for any such reviews.
ASAC is working on an alternative "Minority Report" and will also be working with trustees and the media over the next week and a half. On January 19th, trustees will get to decide the future of our program. More information as we can provide it...
The recommendations are:
"A. THAT the OCDSB recognize the strengths of the alternative program and increase the focus of parental involvement in all schools in the OCDSB through the Board Improvement Plan and school improvement plans;
B. THAT an embargo be placed on any current or future expansion of the elementary alternative program;
C. THAT staff be directed to develop a program consolidation plan for Manor Park Public School for implementation in September 2011; and
D. THAT the four K-6 schools (Churchill Alternative School, Grant Alternative School, Lady Evelyn Alternative School, and Riverview Alternative School) offering the alternative program as the only program stream and the only intermediate program (Summit Alternative School) retain their designation as an alternative program until such time as a boundary or accommodation review involving the school has been completed, at which point the designation of alternative program would be removed."
To do
*Show your support for the program by attending the December 15th school board meeting (8pm at 133 Greenbank Rd). Wear an orange shirt or pick up one of our great stickers.
*It's not too late to write a letter about your experience with the alternative program. Letters will be accepted at the board's email address for the review (elementary_alternative_review@ocdsb.ca) into January.
*And, of course, you can still record a video message at http://pages.overlay.tv/asac/
To read
*The iterim report is now available at
http://tinyurl.com/interim-report (this will open a pdf document)
Please note that, although it is 130 pages, it does not include an executive summary, the recommendations or any financial data. What it does have is the full survey analysis and literature review, as well as statistical data.
*Media mentions
EMC West ran a nice article on the program review. It is available at http://tinyurl.com/emcwest-article
As well, the Ottawa Citizen is publishing a series of letters to the editor about the review, gleaned from our large set of responses. Here are the latest two:
Alternative schooling motivates children from within, Jenepher Lennox Terrion, Letters to the Editor, The Ottawa Citizen, November 28, 2009.
"My conclusion is that those who somehow developed a love of learning, the confidence to ask questions, and the self efficacy to change their mental models when confronted with new ideas are the ones who are truly engaged in higher education."
Parents more actively engaged in alternative schools, Judi Pearl, Letters to the Editor, The Ottawa Citizen, November 30, 2009.
"The alternative program remains on the cutting edge of advances in education. The alternative program is the best option we have to develop the leaders, innovators and problem-solvers of the future.
Rather than the competitive, rewards-based environment of the non-alternative program, the alternative program teaches our children to work together for the benefit of all. It is a program which should be made available to more, not fewer, children."
Current/Upcoming
*The lobbying team is working at arranging ongoing meetings with trustees.
*A minority report is being written by parents and other interested parties. It will address both deficiencies in the review and highlight the ways in which the program can be strengthened and improved.
*A wonderful selection of stickers and posters are now being used at meetings at the board and otherwise. Thanks to Barbara Boole for the great work!
*At the December 8th meeting of the Board's Education Committee, the interim report will be presented. As well, there will be three presentations by members of the alternative education community.
Questions/comments? programreview@asac-ottawa.org
There have been a lot of letters from parents, some students and other interested parties sent to the school board in support of the alternative program. Unfortunately, there haven't been very many coming from Lady Evelyn parents and students lately. It is vital that the board understand the importance of the program to each of the different alternative school communities.
The email address for public submissions to the Elementary Alternative Program Review is elementary_alternative_review@ocdsb.ca
School Board Survey
As part of the program review, the school board is surveying parents about the seven principles of the alternative program. You should have received a letter from the school board describing the survey.
Note that the program review's plan includes formal consultation with stakeholders in two ways: through this survey and by email to the school board's program review email address.
What You Need to Do This Week
The survey must be completed by October 22nd (next Thursday)
The survey is available online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/APRElemStaff_Parents
Paper copies are available by phoning Pauline Allen (Office Assistant, Quality Assurance) at
613-596-8243
Send your comments about what you feel to be the alternative program's strengths and areas of potential improvement to elementary_alternative_review@ocdsb.ca Because this email address is a formal avenue for consultation, the emails sent to it must be considered by the review team and distributed to the trustees on a weekly basis.
Survey 101: How to complete the survey so that the school board will listen
1) Be specific and refer to your own experiences as much as possible.
2) Don't be shy about being really enthusiastic!
3) Use the language of alternative education:
multi age groupings (classes with 2 or 3 grades, as well as other groupings like the French reading buddies)
parental engagement (parents contributing to the creation of the school environment, for example, the salad bar, the music program and the gardening in the yard)
student-led conferences and anecdotal reporting (teachers explain how your children are doing in a respectful and supportive way)
intrinsic motivation is where our children are motivated from within and not by marks or rewards
acceptance and integration of all children, the natural development of empathy
talk about non-competition instead of cooperation, most schools think they believe in cooperation, but we take an actually non-competitive approach in academics, athletics and fundraising
4) The last three questions ask about the program's strengths, areas of potential improvement and "other comments": think about how we offer a unique educational choice and how we recognise that children learn in different ways. Consider the specific examples of what Lady Evelyn does in the context of the seven principles. For example, last year's French-focused class explored core French in a way that embodied the alternative principles. The music program, which was a pilot project for one grade 3/4 class last year, but has now been expanded to all grades, is another example. You could also talk about the non-competitive environment, the attitude towards homework and testing or the reliance on anecdotal reporting. As was said above, be specific and speak from your own experience.
The program review update and discussion evening on Thursday, September 24th was very successful. Thanks to all of you who attended. There will be further meetings as the review progresses.
Part of the purpose of Thursday's discussion evening was to generate practical ways by which we can all participate in the review process. The following list is a starting point.
What can I do right now?
1) Write a letter! Email Jennifer Adams (superintendent of curriculum) and the other interested parties (both board staff and trustees). Express your concerns about the program review. Ask them what the basis for the review is.
Details of the concerns with the review that ASAC has identified, a summary that you can use as the basis for your letter and a list of email addresses are available at: http://programreview.asac-ottawa.org and http://www.ladyevelyn.ca/programreview
2) Express your opinion! Go to http://pages.overlay.tv/asac/ and record a message to the school board about why the alternative program is a vital to public education in Ottawa.
3) We need more help! We have identified specific areas that we need your help in. If you have experience in any of these areas, please contact us. The more people involved, the easier it is for everyone.
a) research/policy/legal
b) lobbying
c) media
d) producing a minority report
e) outreach
f) creative action
4) At Thursday's meeting, the students who were present put together a list of practical ways for them to participate. They identified a few items to begin with:
a) They will be making posters to put up around the school to encourage other students to write to the school board about their experiences at Lady Evelyn. We may also organize times when the children can get together to write letters in a group.
b) The students are very interested in making a video about the school. If the board staff and trustees won't come to the school, the students would like to take it to them and show a day-in-the-life of Lady Evelyn.
5) Keep up to date!
While updates and news will continue to be posted to the Lady Evelyn distribution list, we also have a smaller email list for those most interested in participating in the review process. If you would like to be added to that list, please email Annette at annettehegel@yahoo.ca
Updates are posted at http://programreview.asac-ottawa.org and http://www.ladyevelyn.ca/programreview
We also have a Facebook group, Alternative Schools in Ottawa: More Choices
Questions or comments about any of the above can be sent to programreview @ asac-ottawa.org
Lady Evelyn Alternative School Council
Education Committee
Alternative Program Review
Update and Discussion
Thursday, September 24th,
7 to 8:30pm
3rd floor @ Lady Evelyn
Join us for this important update of the school board's ongoing review of the alternative program.
Without widespread parental support and involvement, it is unlikely that the alternative program will continue to exist. If the program is shut down, the alternative schools will not be able to continue as they are. On a practical level, the catchment area will become smaller and busing will be impacted. On a more profound level, the non-competitive, sympathetic, multi-age, community-oriented atmosphere will change. If the program is saved, it is very likely that its delivery and locations will change. "Weak" alternative schools may close and those that remain may be asked to develop independent philosophies and provide accountability structures. Parental involvement and support will be key for this to work.
We encourage students to attend (and participate) in the evening's discussion, as the review has the potential to impact them most of all. As such, we will not be providing childcare.
Snacks, however, will be provided.
Background
The school board regularly conducts reviews of its’ various programs. A program review of alternative education began at the end of June. A final report will be produced by the end of January.
The school board's description of the process can be found at http://www.ocdsb.ca/au_hi_program-reviews_EAPR.asp
The Alternative Schools Advisory Committee (ASAC, representing all alternative schools in the board and comprised primarily of alternative school parents) has a number of concerns regarding the review. The time that has been given to conduct the review is short. Although the steering committee has a diverse membership, they have no power to produce a report or even make recommendations. The review's objectives are fairly negative. And consultation is somewhat limited.
See also:
Alternative Schools Advisory Committee program review page
http://programreview.asac-ottawa.org/
On Facebook: Alternative Schools in Ottawa: More Choices
For further infomation:
email: education-chair@ladyevelyn.ca
ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM REVIEW
The school board regularly conducts reviews of its’ various programs. As most of you are aware by now, a program review of alternative education will be taking place starting now and a final report produced by end of January.
The draft framework for the review is available on the board’s web site (opens a pdf file).
The Alternative Schools Advisory Committee (ASAC, representing all alternative schools in the board) had a number of concerns with the draft framework, but there were three that were seen to be particularly urgent: the timeline (which is rather short, compared to previous program reviews), the objectives (which focus on program elimination rather than improvement and better access) and the plans for consultation (which were minimal).
At the June 16th meeting of the board’s education committee, some changes were introduced, addressing some of ASAC’s concerns.
TIMELINE:
ASAC was not successful in getting the time-line extended. Draft recommendations will be developed by staff in late December, with reports going forward within the board in January. This is very unfortunate timing, having the report being developed at a busy time of year, not to mention that the length of the review as a whole is very short.
OBJECTIVES:
With support from some trustees, amendments to the objectives of the review were put forward and successfully passed, making them more acceptable to ASAC. Determining whether or not to discontinue the program is still on the table, however.
The revised objectives are:
(i) determine the extent to which alternative schools differ from non-alternative schools in the board;
(ii) determine the extent to which a strengthened alternative program would differ from the board’s future plans for non-alternative schools;
(iii) determine whether or not to close the alternative program;
(iv) if the program is to continue, develop a process to ensure the program’s quality and its ability to contribute best practices to the rest of the board, and
(v) if the program is to be closed down, develop a process to identify any useful lessons learned from the late program.
CONSULTATION:
The plans for consultation were somewhat improved. Superintendent Adams announced that all parents with children in Alternative Schools would receive a survey next fall (not a random sample as was indicated in the draft framework). And Trustee McKenzie asked for an amendment to include in the survey a
sample of high school students who had previously attended an Alternative elementary school.
Unfortunately, there is still no plan to consult current students, school councils or retired staff. And there are no plans to do any interviews or visit any of the schools.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR:
If you care about the continuing availability of alternative public education in Ottawa, write to:
YOUR TRUSTEE: Rob Campbell, rob.campbell@ocdsb.ca
YOUR AREA SUPERINTENDANT: Cathy Nevins, cathy.nevins@ocdsb.ca
THE ORIGINATORS OF THE FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT:
Jennifer Adams, jennifer.adams@ocdsb.ca (Superintendant of Curriculum)
Pino Buffone, pino.buffone@ocdsb.ca (System Principal, Elementary Curriculum)
Joan Oracheski, joan.oracheski@ocdsb.ca (Manager, Quality Assurance)
Please copy your letter to ASAC at programreview@asac-ottawa.org as well.
Thanks!
The document above is also attached to this post as a pdf.
Overview:
ASAC has a number of concerns about the alternative education program review. Some are related to how the review is being conducted. In addition, there is a larger concern about the purpose of the review.
Procedural concerns with the review include:
1) The short length of time devoted to the review. The review was begun at the end of June and the final report is due in January.
2) Although the steering committee has a diverse membership, they will not be writing the report (that will be done by school board staff) or making any recommendations. Their sole purpose is to read and discuss documents that have been gathered by staff.
3) No current students will be surveyed about the program.
The larger concern about the purpose of the review has arisen gradually as details of the review have become more apparent.
1) None of the alternative schools will be visited by board staff, trustees or the steering committee. The explanation offered is that school sites are evaluated by area superintendents and the purpose of the review is not to assess the quality or delivery of the program. Its hard to see what is left when those are taken away.
2) Alternative programs in other areas (for example, in Toronto and Hamilton) will not be contacted. Only written descriptions of their programs will be considered as part of the literature review. As with the program here, the actual quality and delivery of their programs is not considered relevant.
3) The purpose of the review is described as being about coming to a decision regarding the alternative program, without reference to how such a decision should be made. If you find that confusing, so do we.
The first objective of the review (as stated by the board at http://www.ocdsb.ca/au_hi_program-reviews_EAPR.asp) is "to determine the extent to which the current mandate, expectations and practices regarding program delivery for the alternative elementary program in the OCDSB differs from that of the non-alternative programs (e.g., regular English and French immersion)". There appears to be a disconnect between this objective and the structure of the review process.Without knowing how the alternative program functions, it is difficult to see how the review will determine how it differs from the non-alternative program offerings.
Efforts by the alternative schools to provide even more differentiated approaches (such as the alternative French 3/4 class last year at Lady Evelyn) have been frustrated by the board. In the case of the alternative French class, it took a year-long struggle just to allow the class to continue until June. This aspect is not addressed, either. If the alternative program is supposed to be different than the other programs, the board needs to allow for that. On the other hand, staff at the board also say that all programs should meet the needs of all students, which appears to conflict with this.
It appears that the review will be solely on paper and not take into account the lived reality of the program. For example, it is really easy to look at a principle like "parental engagement" on paper and say that happens everywhere, instead of looking at how that principle actually manifests in different schools and programs. This is disappointing and calls into question the entire purpose of conducting a review.
Below are key points that you can include in your letter. Please use these along with your own ideas and comments. Unique letters are taken more seriously than letters that are all the same.
We particularly encourage those of you who have experiences with more than one program within the OCDSB to describe your varying experiences. (For example, those of you who switched to the alternative program from the regular English program or French immersion.)
Points to include:
*purpose of letter: concerns regarding the Elementary Alternative Program Review
*who you are: a parent with a child in the alternative program.
*concerns regarding the structure of the review: the short length of time being devoted to the review, the minimal role of the steering committee and the limited formal consultation with stakeholders
*concern about the purpose of the review: the specifics of the program, its quality and how it is delivered, are not being considered; other Ontario alternative programs are not being contacted (as with the program here, it seems like the actual quality and delivery of their programs are not seen as relevant); the purpose of the review is described as being about coming to a decision regarding the alternative program, but it's hard, given the above, to figure out what that decision will be based on.
*the first objective of the review (as stated by the board) is "to determine the extent to which the current mandate, expectations and practices regarding program delivery for the alternative elementary program in the OCDSB differs from that of the non-alternative programs (e.g., regular English and French immersion)" -- without knowing how the alternative program functions, it is difficult to see how the review will determine how it differs from the non-alternative program offerings
*efforts of the alternative schools to provide even more differentiated approaches have been denied by the board; the review does not address this
*the review will be solely on paper and not take into account the lived reality of the program: for example, it is easy to look at a principle like "parental engagement" on paper and say that happens everywhere, instead of looking at how that principle actually manifests in different schools and programs
*try to end your letter with a question, so that a response is required
Send emails to
elementary_alternative_review@ocdsb.ca
The school board has set up this email address specifically to receive input about the alternative education program review.
The specific individuals at the school board who are involved in the review are:
Jennifer Adams, Superintendent of Curriculum
and
Pino Buffone, pino.buffone@ocdsb.ca
(System Principal, Elementary Curriculum)
Joan Oracheski, joan.oracheski@ocdsb.ca
(Manager, Quality Assurance)
Walter Piovesan, walter.piovesan@ocdsb.ca
(area superintendent for Lady Evelyn, Manor Park and Summit)
Cathy Nevins, cathy.nevins@ocdsb.ca
(area superintendent for Grant)
Neil Yorke-Slader, neil.yorkeslader@ocdsb.ca
(area superintendent for Churchill and Riverview)
Barrie Hammond, barrie.hammond@ocdsb.ca
(superintendent, liasion to ASAC)
Trustees
Zone 1: Lynn Scott, lynn.scott@ocdsb.ca
Zone 2: Cathy Curry, cathy.curry@ocdsb.ca
Zone 3: Mark Fisher, mark.fisher@ocdsb.ca
Zone 4: Douglas Lloyd, doug.lloyd@ocdsb.ca
Zone 5 (Grant): Pam FitzGerald, pam.fitzgerald@ocdsb.ca
Zone 6 (Manor Park, Riverview): Bronwyn Funiciello, bronwyn.funiciello@ocdsb.ca
Zone 7: Pam Morse, Pamela.Morse@ocdsb.ca
Zone 8: John Shea (ASAC liaison), john.shea@ocdsb.ca
Zone 9 (Lady Evelyn): Rob Campbell, rob.campbell@ocdsb.ca
Zone 10 (Churchill, Summit): Jennifer McKenzie, jennifer.mckenzie@ocdsb.ca
Zone 11: Riley Brockington, riley.brockington@ocdsb.ca
Zone 12: David Moen, david.moen@ocdsb.ca
Please copy your letter to ASAC at programreview@asac-ottawa.org