In Support of Public Education

Future in doubt for two new schools

There’s no word on whether two new public schools slated for the University of British Columbia area will be part of infrastructure spending recently announced by the provincial government.

On March 17 Premier Gordon Campbell announced the B.C. government would spend an additional $424 million on new schools and school renovations.

But the Ministry of Education will not confirm if an elementary and secondary school to replace the University Hill schools will receive funding.

Premier Campbell announced a 800 million plus infrastructure program March 17th.   $430 million is allocated for 130 renovations and school construction projects.  The U Hill area school projects requires at least $83 million dollars.  To bring the full project to completion very likely additional monies will be required.

Education and the 2009 budget – Report Card

It’s always a challenge in the lockup to figure out what money is “new” and what has been announced previously. Take the capital spending, for example. The budget promises $1.3 billion over three years to replace, renovate or expand K-12 facilities (including seismic upgrades). But as we found out, that is for projects already planned or underway.

This might suggest that the rebuilding of U Hill has been delayed for three years. If K-12 capital project (i.e. building) is for planed or underway projects U Hill is out of consideration in terms of the ‘underway’ category. We would need some details to understand what constitutes fitting under the ‘planned’ category. Does the fact that there is not agreement in principle in place at this time for U Hill mean that it is outside of the ‘planned’ category? Let’s hope not.

UBC/UEL capital project bylaw delayed – News and Media Releases

UBC/UEL capital project bylaw delayed

Vancouver, B.C. – (February 16, 2009) – Vancouver’s Board of Education has delayed passage of the capital project bylaw for new secondary and elementary school facilities within the University Hill Secondary School catchment area pending approval from the Ministry of Education.

The bylaw, which was scheduled to be introduced this evening, would authorize the school district to convert and expand the existing National Research Council (NRC) building for a secondary school and construct a new elementary school on the current site of University Hill Secondary School.

The Vancouver school district has completed and submitted all work required to move the project forward, but is yet to receive approval from the Ministry for the capital project bylaw.

The Vancouver Superintendent of Schools, along with other members of senior staff, is in contact with Ministry officials concerning the delay in this project. Trustees will also be writing to Minister of Education Shirley Bond to request a status update and communicate the urgent need for project approval.

It is the Board’s expectation that the capital project approval process will be expedited by the Ministry so that the capital project bylaw can be brought to an upcoming board meeting.

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U Hill Secondary Parents Advisory Council

Late breaking news – VSB will defer passing capital funding by-law for rebuilding university hill schools by direction of high level Ministry of Education staff.

We need to let our MLA and premier know that we need our schools and we need them now!

We have set up an automatic email form for you to use. Please consider sending an email right now!

You can find the automatic email page here http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/menzies/email

Someone is trying to organize a survey monkey poll on Ron Broda and the BCCPAC. The following email is circulating:

Is your PAC a member of BCCPAC?
What is your opinion of the current difficulties facing the Board?
Let’s tell them what you think
Survey closes February 18th

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=BDlIRma6ef_2blpEdJj_2fzSQw_3d_3d

No information was provided as to who is actually behind this. Nor is there any information provided as to what use will be made of the information provided. Though it doesn’t take much to figure out that is is not being done by BCCPAC nor is it supportive of said organization

The provincial government has given approval in principle to rebuild the university hill network of schools. They have allocated up to 84 million dollars for the job. VSB passed a motion in the finances standing committee that is going to the full board Feb. 16. Read all about it here.

This just in from BCCPAC -that was quick.

Ron Broda reassumed his full responsibilities as President and CEO of BCCPAC on Tuesday, February 10, after a brief leave of absence. An e-mail was prepared to send to members, but due to technical difficulties with our e-mail system this could not be sent until today. Any comments or concerns should be directed to info@bccpac.bc.ca .

Education community responds to this year’s school rankings Stepan Vdovine

Here is an example of a principled leadership position from the West Vancouver Board of Education. Board chair Mary-Ann Booth has written a very well articulated letter to the editor of the Vancouver Sun – read it below.

In Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows, I was particularly pleased to read Meadowridge’s Hugh Burke comments in the Maple Ridge Times this afternoon, expressing a consistent position he has held for a number of years (Meadowridge is a private school, consistently ranked among the top 10 schools):

“[FSA] don’t measure the development of curiosity, of determination, of reflection, of honesty, of kindness, or of morality [...] The problem is, this measure does not tell us much that is worth knowing about either the students or the school, and it does not allow for intellectually honest comparisons between institutions.”

Burke might be in business of serving education on a silver spoon, but he is, none the less a widely respected educator.

There appears to be a fairly united front against ranking schools. There are specific things that can be done and have been done in other jurisdictions (Ontario) to prevent the Fraser Institute’s degrading exercise. In BC, the Minister of Education has not acted on her position, neither did her predecessors. There is little reason to think she will. So can the public pressure make a difference, or does this very wide and public outcry gives the Institute a greater profile and even further unwarranted attention?

Thoughts, anyone?

This news article highlights some of the incongruities of using the scores from standardized tests to rank schools.

Tale of one school, two ratings

Maywood community school in Burnaby was described a month ago by a group of visiting international educators as a model for urban schools challenged by ethnic diversity and poverty.

This week, Maywood — an elementary school in the shadow of the Metrotown towers — was handed a more dubious distinction: a next-to-last position in the Fraser Institute’s annual ranking of B.C.’s schools. (Download full article)