Can I rant? Just for a minute.....or two.
Tonight Reid & I will be attending a Community Meeting to be held our our High School to discuss the University College of the Fraser Valley and our Highschool joining together in a co-location agreement. In short, UCFV will move its classes and offices into our local HighSchool.
Like many of you, I discovered this co-location agreement only upon reading about it in our local newspaper. There was NO discussion about it with educators, parents or students. That in and of itself is apalling enough. The whole idea, while it may not be the worst thing to ever happen, raises many questions that need to be answered before entering into such an agreement. What will be done to ensure safety - am I really comfortable with my just turned 13 yr old walking the halls with adults who, as students, have no need for a criminal record check? Will adults pursuing entry level college courses really be comfortable in a highschool? Given the range of ages that will be attending classes - how much will that affect the quality of the highschool students' experience? What concerns were ever addressed by the Trustees? Why can't UCFV used the HSS facility after regular school hours? Was there input from teachers at HSS?
Of course these are just a few of many questions that need to be addressed.
And this doesn't even touch on the issue of what our elected officials have done. They made a very serious decision without ANY consultation. None. In fact, a friend attended one of the school board meetings and one of our trustees said that in expressing our (parental) concerns, we were making a 'mountain out of a molehill!" and worse yet it was her belief that in cases such as this, the board needs to make decisions for the public even if it means they "Take the pulic kicking and screaming!" WHAT??
So tonight we enter into our one chance for public debate. I'm SO looking forward to it.
Tonight Reid & I will be attending a Community Meeting to be held our our High School to discuss the University College of the Fraser Valley and our Highschool joining together in a co-location agreement. In short, UCFV will move its classes and offices into our local HighSchool.
Like many of you, I discovered this co-location agreement only upon reading about it in our local newspaper. There was NO discussion about it with educators, parents or students. That in and of itself is apalling enough. The whole idea, while it may not be the worst thing to ever happen, raises many questions that need to be answered before entering into such an agreement. What will be done to ensure safety - am I really comfortable with my just turned 13 yr old walking the halls with adults who, as students, have no need for a criminal record check? Will adults pursuing entry level college courses really be comfortable in a highschool? Given the range of ages that will be attending classes - how much will that affect the quality of the highschool students' experience? What concerns were ever addressed by the Trustees? Why can't UCFV used the HSS facility after regular school hours? Was there input from teachers at HSS?
Of course these are just a few of many questions that need to be addressed.
And this doesn't even touch on the issue of what our elected officials have done. They made a very serious decision without ANY consultation. None. In fact, a friend attended one of the school board meetings and one of our trustees said that in expressing our (parental) concerns, we were making a 'mountain out of a molehill!" and worse yet it was her belief that in cases such as this, the board needs to make decisions for the public even if it means they "Take the pulic kicking and screaming!" WHAT??
So tonight we enter into our one chance for public debate. I'm SO looking forward to it.
posted by Cyndi | 8:23 AM
2 Comments:
sprI couldn't agree with you more. It might be okay if the kids were in a middle school and they amalgamated senior grades and college. Let your voice be heard, the squeaky wheel does sometimes get the grease!
On the other hand--having young adults and adults around the school who are outside the teacher/admin or parent circles might provide a positive mentoring that high school kids might otherwise not pick up on or receive.
Agreed the lack of consultation wasn't perhaps the best method to move this along.
But I also don't think the "criminal check" paranoia is appropriate or called for, given you don't subject people to that at other homes or places high school kids may venture. I suggest you're just feeding that old sterotype--older kids must be into bad things. So they'll warp the young minds...
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