“Being released from the capital improvement requirement costs as well as the staffing costs of Thornhill Junior will allow the district over the next five years to put about $3.1 million into direct services to students,” – Some of the background from a media release on the developing plans for the Coast Mountain School District.
Been there, done that, could be the word from Prince Rupert, but for Terrace parents this fall brings a school year of uncertainty and debate over the fate of a number of schools in the region. A debate that Rupert residents might caution their Terrace neighbours could become quite an emotional one over the next year.
(from the blog a town called podunk, click on the link below to see the entire item atowncalledpodunk.blogspot.com/2 … iliar.html)
Very similar in many respects. Both in senior administrative staffing departures and their proposed action plans. The replacements will have the opportunity to follow the guidelines set out by their predecessors.
One thing that I think the SD 52 Board should have done was put their proposed changes to a citywide vote, allowing the residents, parents and taxpayers to have a say in what they really wanted done to education in the city.
Had that been the case, one wonders if we would still have a middle school on the books (at one time it had been deemed unwanted, and yet shazzam here we are) and yet more neighbourhood school closures in the works.
Maybe the folks in Terrace will push for a referendum on the issue before they make changes that may not be universally accepted around the city.
These consultation sessions are all well and good, but sometimes it seems they end up not so much a consultation as a high pressure sales pitch. The decision already made, they try to finesse it in as though the public had input when in reality the public are merely providing the cover for a change they won’t actually have any say in.
Really the solution to these controversial things seems easy, when in doubt let the residents cast the votes that really count.
The school district had undertaken a year-long consultation process in 2007-2008 called the District Visioning Committee. This committee called for representatives from students, parents, teachers, support staff, and administrators. Board members did not participate and the City was asked to participate but declined. I don’t think I missed anyone but if I did, please excuse.
The report from this District Visioning Committee created the school amalgamation and closure plan we are now engaged in. This report was published on the school district webpage. Haven’t seen it lately though.
[quote=“dailymews”]The school district had undertaken a year-long consultation process in 2007-2008 called the District Visioning Committee. This committee called for representatives from students, parents, teachers, support staff, and administrators. Board members did not participate and the City was asked to participate but declined. I don’t think I missed anyone but if I did, please excuse.
The report from this District Visioning Committee created the school amalgamation and closure plan we are now engaged in. This report was published on the school district webpage. Haven’t seen it lately though.[/quote]
I have no problem with the idea of the consultation period, though really in the end it would seem to be just another focus group offering input to what the administrators hoped to achieve.
Perhaps what should have happened after that plan was compiled, was that the residents should have voted in a referendum on whether to accept the findings or send them back to the drawing board.
That way, at least there would be a clear message that this was an accepted formula to move forward with.
Agreed. A fairly major issue for Rupert at the moment seems to be the degree of secrecy some are using while making decisions as the representatives of the public. Few have expressed confidence in our representatives and their administrative officers as a result. Maybe its time to smarten-up, eh?
Pretty sure that is why people voted during elections. People vote the members in with faith that they will do their best for the community as a whole. Unfortunately, if something doesn’t go the way they want it, they start screaming that these people don’t know what they are doing, or are doing things purposely because of some secret vendetta against a specific school, and other random thoughts.
People are selfish. They are only concerned about things that directly relate to them.