I have a vision where each person in our community cares about the success of every child, and sees the educational system as the hub to foster student academic and social achievement. Community members and educators must partner to explore ways to strengthen our educational system, especially during times of declining enrolment, constrained funding, diverse and complex learner needs.
Without changes, we will continue to see disengaged students, dissatisfied parents, and discouraged teachers and staff. The effect of these factors on our children’s potential is of huge concern to me. If we fail with our children, we fail as a community.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What are some ways to involve the community more in education?
ReplyDeleteOne opportunity is look at ways to involve seniors more, perhaps helping in the library, assisting with extra-curricular activities, and assistng/ reading in classrooms. Health care levers this voluntary community very well, for the benefit of patients, but also for the stimulation and social connection for seniors. Seniors is one of the fastest growing demographics on the NS, with increased community services required. Having their wisdom and help in the schools is good for kids, and I expect for seniors as well. As a Board, we can set up processes to make it easy for community members to help us, the way that Volunteer Vancouver does.
ReplyDeleteGood idea about learning from Volunteer Vancouver. I deliver leadership training for a living, and I would be happy to donate my time to deliver a leadership program for youth, or even for teachers. If the District did a 'call for expertise', they would be flooded with requests. We want to help.
ReplyDeleteI like your vision for the future. I'm a recently disengaged parent. I've tried hard to help the School Board but I can't seem to get them to collaborate on real solutions (although there are bright spots). The reliance on the matrix report is appalling. The agenda's roll forward amidst a disengaged community. Very sad. The talented people in NV are not being put to good use. Churchill said: "Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." If you make it to the SB please leverage our communities to achieve your vision. And when you talk about declining enrolment get your administration to focus on participation rates and how they should be held accountable for that number (their performance contract with you). While your are at it drop the birth rate charts and the matrix reports - unless you wish to continue down the current path of failure. Work with the municipalities to 'build communities' that support our schools, and put a plan together that puts 'local public education' back where it should be - parents overwhelming first choice. It won't be easy, it will take leadership and hard work, but if can be done. And the good people of our communities will line up to follow and support you.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I especially resonate with your comment about building communities that support public schools. The more I learn about the number of students who live here but don't go to school in NV, the more I am concerned. We need to talk to these families to understand about what is missing within our schools, and work with the whole community to build the 'preferred' educational system.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Sheila,
ReplyDeleteWe're happy to have your leadership on the board. All the best.
Danyluk Family, North Van
Anonymous(3) has a good point regarding the deeply flawed Matrix report. The current holder of the position of leader of NVSB is charming and markets himself well as being inclusive and caring; however, he is often intimidating to some of the, shall we say, "loyalists" surrounding him, who find themselved cowed into nodding obediance. When challenged with irrefutable facts, he automatically raises his upturned palms and furls his brow while citing the Matrix report with a "what am I supposed to do about it" look about him, sparkling eyes scanning his audience plaintively. His reliance on the Matrix report recieved several blows at a meeting at Sutherland Secondary last year, when the author of the report stated that he would have made starkly different decisions about school closures than did the NVSD, and told the audience that the report was strictly based on population data from Barager Demographics which are, in 2009, largely irrelevant, out dated, and incorrect as proven by recent Canada census data. The Matrix author also stated that the report was strictly numbers-based and did not consider geography, cultural differences, or such variables as how far children would have to travel to get to school. He suggested that one of the schools threatened with closure by the Board should not have been considered a candidate for closure due to its geographic isolation. The public face of NVSD and his specious program of "community input" into the recent round of school closure decisions was cynical, rigidly choreographed by him, and resulted in deep rifts between the "voice of the Board" and many PACs. His amaturish replacement of the word "closure" with "amalgamation" was transparent and patronizing.
ReplyDeleteWe trust that you have seen organizations devolve to this stage in the past, and that your experience will help to bring about a gradual change towards a functional, honest, inclusive board comprising strong personalities who are unafraid to confront, question, and correct their president.
I appreciate the congratulations(Rick) and the acknowledgement that changes may be gradual (Anon 4). There will be lots to learn, but I start today. Through my term, I will ask questions similar to yours to ensure we are using the best information possible to inform decisions. All suggestions and ideas are very welcome!
ReplyDelete