School closures have been announced.
I assume all those new people moving to the revitalized Boyle-McCauley areas won’t have children? Or the people who may have been planning to move to the area around 118th Avenue?
This leaves 2 elementary schools between 97th Street and 75th St (Gretzky Drive) and Yellowhead south to the river.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2010/02/10/edmonton-public-school-closures.html
Here’s a map.
On the sector review website, there is a section called “Library”. This section seems to have every document that has ever been created by Dialogue Partners Inc. in this process.
What you might find very interesting is that you can also find the reports and summaries of all the sector review meetings, including all the parent comments and summaries of the the meetings that involved school staff. Very interesting stuff.
I haven’t weeded through everything yet, but if you take the time to read these documents, you will have a better picture of what other groups are saying or recommending for our schools. From the little I have read, I think this process has still pitted one group against another group.
Check out all the documents at http://sectorreview.bangthetable.com/document/index/1
As most of you know, there is another “Sector Review” Meeting on Tuesday, December 1 at John A. McDougall School (10930-107 Street). The meeting runs from 4:00-9:30pm and they say that childcare is provided.
I think we were promised some answers at this meeting though we probably will not be any closer to the actual decision makers. There are a couple of people from Norwood who are planning to go.
Still, don’t forget the meeting on Dec. 8th; the meeting with the people who can actually do something about this whole process.
Tuesday, December 8th, 6 PM,
The McCauley Chamber, 2nd Floor
Centre for Education, ! Kingsway
big blue building attached to Vic Comp
Last meeting, Dave Colburn presented a motion about revamping the review process; it will be debated on the 8th, we need as many people as possible to come out to support that!
On November 27, 2009, Rachel Notley, MLA for Edmonton – Strathcona, presented our petition of approximately 1300 signatures to the final session of the Alberta Legislature before the winter break. She did this on behalf of the MLA for Edmonton-Highlands Norwood, Brian Mason. Click here to see the official transcript (pg. 15).
A copy of this petition will also be sent to Edmonton Public Schools.
We still need more signatures! Additional signatures to be added to the petition will be presented in the Legislature in the new year.
Thanks to all who took petition kits and helped to get our voices heard!
Bill Glass, a concerned grandparent of 3 Norwood School students, has been reviewing documentation from Edmonton Public Schools and has compiled his thoughts about the process. He believes the “facts” that parents and community groups have been given during this “Sector Review” are not always accurate and do not take into account the bigger picture.
He has organized his observations into five categories and you can view them at the following links:
A. The EPSB Sector Review process as we have seen it.
B. Causes of alarm and suspicion.
An e-mail with questions about the Sector Review process was sent to Edgar Schmidt, the Superintendent of the EPSB and Tanni Parker, an Assistant Superintendent. The following is the reply sent through Erika Erxleben, Secretary to Tanni Parker.
“The 2008-2009 Annual Implementation Plan, as approved by the Board of Trustees, outlined the development of a Sector Planning Model. There are three sectors currently under review following the Sector Planning Model. These three sectors are Central, South Central and West I. Recommendations resulting from the review of these sectors will be presented to the Board of Trustees in January 2011.
There are two areas within these sectors currently being reviewed on an accelerated time line using the Sector Planning Model. These two areas are the Greater Hardisty Area (located in South Central Sector) and the City Centre Education Partnership (located in the Central Sector). Recommendations resulting from the reviews of these areas will be presented to the Board of Trustees in January 2010.
The City Centre Education Partnership (CCEP) consists of seven schools; Delton, Eastwood, John A. McDougall, McCauley, Norwood, Parkdale and Spruce Avenue. These schools work collaboratively to better meet the learning and life need of their students through instructional programming, interagency collaboration and organizational structure. A need for immediate action was identified to relieve the pressure of declining enrolment on programming. As a result of this identified need, CCEP was included in the sector review accelerated timeline as noted in the Sector Review Update presented to the Board of Trustees on March 24, 2009.” (Hyperlink added.)
If you would like to get in touch with Ms. Erxleben, call 780-429-8241, or e-mail her at erika.erxleben@epsb.ca or you can contact the Superintendent, Edgar Schmidt (Edgar.Schmidt@epsb.ca) or the Assistant Superintendent, Tanni Parker (Tanni.Parker@epsb.ca).
On November 19, Mayor Stephen Mandel sent the following e-mail response to our concerns about the closure of inner city schools:
Our draft Municipal Development Plan (MDP), “The Way We Grow,” is the City’s strategic land use plan. As a leader in sustainable development practices, it is important that our land use patterns, transportation systems, infrastructure and building practices, both public and private, reflect our commitment to environmental, economic and social sustainability. While outward growth is sometimes necessary, our goal is to ensure smart city growth by revitalizing and maintaining inner city neighbourhoods with vibrant communities by making use of existing space within the City.
With regards to downtown – I agree, downtown is the heart of a city, and we need to create a welcoming, diverse environment where people want to live, work and play. Undoubtedly schools are part of that environment. The City of Edmonton continues to work closely with both the Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholic Schools boards, and we keep each other informed about our plans and visions for the future.
That said, the School Boards receive their funding from the Province. The City of Edmonton does not have a say in how the Edmonton Public School Board runs their business, including the way they handle their budget. As you are aware, they are making an effort to consult the public about these proposed changes. How the results of that consultation impact their response to whatever realities they are facing in terms of sustainability and demand for schools remains to be seen, but again, their decisions are not within our jurisdiction.
If the Board decided to close the schools, we would look to work with the Boards to keep the schools “alive” as buildings. If the opportunity arose to put them back into the education system, the City would be interested in returning these facilities.
I will continue to watch this situation, and encourage you to learn more about the MDP as it progresses. More information can be found on the website at http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_wide_initiatives/municipal-development-plan.aspx. The draft plan is currently scheduled to come back to Council in the new year.
Stephen Mandel
Mayor
Parents Meeting On Wednesday, November 18 at Norwood School. It starts at 8:45 am so its officially on!
CCEP Edmonton - Innercityschools Blog 