I support the idea of a community schools focus in general terms however concern over special learners and safe haven and maybe incubator for new innovation means I cannot agree to completely close down the program. I also cannot see it expanded to compromise yet more community schools. Solving the program quality consistency problem and equity of access problem is key for me. Keeping a reduced program will be awkward but there is no strong reason to get rid of it either and there may be risks in doing so.
The 'Big One', in my view, has been introduced. OCDSB staff have proposed a new Special Education Framework to take us through 2011. It is explicit in wishing to relocate congregated classes to suburban locations where this makes sense to do based on travel times and given a concern with travel times and equity of access to services. The Framework likely will be discussed and decided on at Committee level on Wed Oct 22nd.
The Association originated as a group of concerned educators getting together and largely still is. Its members feature some well known local educator luminaries. The welcome mat is now out though for all those interested in the work of the Association to come out to their AGM.
The Ministry's working group on the impacts of declining enrolment is interested in concerns re impact and more importantly in suggestions of what to do about it. Official organisations are providing their input but you as a citizen or your School Council certainly can provide input also and the Ministry is inviting this. The working group is to report in December I believe.
I believe that we should defeat this motion for these reasons ...
Other sorts of winds of possible change have been blowing in the Province and also locally as well. The Ministry, and indeed Minister Wynne, have very much been pushing the idea of 'inclusive' or 'integrated' or 'decongregated' regular classroom-based instruction and in-class or withdrawal support for most special needs exceptionalities most of the time. Last year a report was delivered which reviewed our Board's special education delivery and damned it for over-congregation. Some have slammed back at this report in kind. A 'congregated' or 'specialized' class is usually one with a more homogenous sort of special education need than a regular classroom would display.
Changes to Core French, a phase-out of the Late French Immersion entry point
Education funding is better in Ontario now than it has been in recent years - this is true. The funding our Board currently receives is still well below that which it historically received however and that is true also. It is true that funding increases every year, but then so does inflation, so do energy costs and labour costs. It is true that major new initiatives such as primary class size have been unrolled and may prove to be of some value but it is also true that our Board and others have been struggling to cover the unglamorous unsexy basics of providing a quality education.
30th Aug
