VSB is preparing a second round (actually this would be about a fourth round over the last 8 years or so) of Education Facilities Review proposals that include a rebuilt grade 9-12 high school at the former National Research Council fuel cell building on 16th avenue(View image), a completely new two in one school for 6-8 (phase one) and k-5 (phase two) at the Acadia Road site, and a reconfiguration of the old elementary into a K-5 school. It’s refreshing change and an inter4esting approach that has a lot of potential.

The new network of schools will have a science/technology focus emphasis within a comprehensive school program. UBC has signed on and there are formal agreements that will link the Faculty of Education. It has the possibility of being a really exciting place and, as a UBC faculty member who son is graduating from U Hill this year, I look forward to being able to develop and maintain relations with U Hill through my research and documentary film unit. With a science/tec focus the role of Indigenous Science and the place of digital technologies in education are two areas that I would love to see developed here.

The earliest opening date for the rebuilt high school is March 2011. This is of note as each time a new proposal turns up the first day of operations for the new school gets pushed back even further. Last spring parents were told the new school would appear in the fall 2010. One has to be an optimist in this area and, as in the past, each new proposal is greeted with the enthusiasm due the promise that a new school will be coming.

The two school Parent Advisory Councils will be holding parent meetings on January 8th at their respective schools. A community meeting is being planned for the week of January 12 at the Old Barn Community Centre (details TBA).

The final proposal is slated to be submitted for approval to the provincial government January 30, 2009.

A summary of the proposal can be foundhere.
Full details are published on the VSB website: Proposed educational framework for UBC family of schools released – News and Media Releases

reportcard

The new Vancouver board of education voted last night to hold a special meeting Jan. 7 to discuss the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) and the planned BCTF boycott.

Board chair Patti Bacchus said the board will be looking for input from stakeholders, such as employee groups and the district parent advisory council. Following the meeting, the board will decide whether it should take action.

Bacchus recalled that one of her predecessors, Adrienne Montani, sent a letter to parents several years ago advising them how to withdraw their students from the tests. “That may be something that we can consider,” Bacchus said. “I don’t know at this point because we haven’t had those discussions.

VANCOUVER, December 15: In response to the recent BCTF referendum re member participation in provincial Foundation Skills Assessment testing and to the BCCPAC ‘Parents Support FSA Testing’ Media release of December 12, Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council chair Gwen Giesbrecht has stated that “there is a DPAC policy in place in regard to FSAs, and our previous stated position is that parents do have the choice of having their child participate or not”.

Vancouver is a very diverse school district and parents hold a wide variety of opinions. In a letter sent to Grade 4 and 7 Vancouver parents last January prior to February FSA testing, Vancouver DPAC wrote that “It is the DPAC executive’s opinion that it is up to each family, considering what they know about their student(s) and think is in their best interest…” to decide whether or not their children should participate.

Vancouver DPAC believes that the British Columbia Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, as the recognized voice of B.C. parents, has the responsibility when making public statements to acknowledge that not all PACs and DPACs belong to BCCPAC and that those PACs and DPACs who do belong are not unanimous in support of BCCPAC’s positions.

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Contact: Gwen Giesbrecht
Chair, Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council
gwengi@shaw.ca
604-876-8571
Backgrounder to Vancouver DPAC media release Dec. 15, 2008
The following letter was sent by the Vancouver DPAC executive to member PACs regarding February 2008 FSA testing.
January 23, 2008

Dear Grade 4 and 7 parents,

The Vancouver DPAC executive is aware that you may have received a letter from the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and that you have received a letter from Vancouver Superintendent of Schools Chris Kelly regarding the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) to be administered to Grade 4 and 7 students February 4 to 15, 2008.

We discussed the FSA and the letters at our January 10th executive meeting. The DPAC executive is not taking a position on whether or not your children should write this test. But we agreed that we want to make sure that parents understand their options.

Should you want your children to participate in the test, you simply need to ensure that they are at school on the days the various sections are given. Written permission is not required.

Should you decide you do not want your child to participate, in accordance with the Ministry rules included in your letter from Superintendent Kelly,
• You should write a letter in your own words explaining the reason you are requesting that your child(ren) not write the test;
• Your reason may be a “family emergency, a lengthy illness or other extenuating circumstances”.

It is the DPAC executive’s opinion that it is up to each family, considering what they know about their student(s) and think is in their best interest, to decide what constitutes “extenuating circumstances”.

If you decide you do not wish your child to participate in the Foundation Skills Assessment, we encourage you to let your principal know your reasons in writing as soon as possible so that the principal has time to “notify a parent or guardian if they intend to excuse a student from participating in one or more components of the FSA” prior to the February 4 start date of the FSA testing.

If you have questions about the FSA, we, as does Superintendent Kelly, encourage you to discuss them with your principal/vice-principal.

Your 2007-2008 Vancouver DPAC executive:

Additional Information:
FAS Blog entries on The Report Card (J. Steffenhagen)
Past commentaries on the FSAs on this blog.

Patti Bacchus was sworn in last night as a new trustee on Vancouver’s new Board of Education and elected as the Chair of Vancouver’s Board of Education. Patti, a tireless parent activist, will lead the progressive Vision/COPE that brings together a combination of radical education activists (Bouey), community activists (Clement, Gregson, Wong), and former teacher unionists (Blakey, Lombardi). There are a lot of expectations for this board. All the best as your journey begins!