Intermediate Review or Specialist Elimination

Lady Evelyn Alternative School Council agreed at their council meeting on Monday May 25, 2009 to write a letter to the board objecting to the lack of consultation and flexibility in the new Intermediate Review and asking that the implementation be put on hold for a year so that proper consultation can take place.

Here is the council's letter to the board:
Director Thomson, Superintendent Adams, Trustee Campbell,

Lady Evelyn Alternative School has recently been made aware of changes at the Intermediate level in how teaching blocks will be assigned. With our grade six students about to move on to middle school, we have an understandable concern about these changes.

The issue was discussed at our last council meeting and the council decided to register a formal complaint about the consultation and communication process involved in this change. We also have concerns about the possible affects these changes will have on specialty teaching, co-ed gym and extra-curriculars. Grade 7 and 8 is a bridge to secondary school and it is important to provide students with a gradual shift to the high school rotary system.

As you are aware, the Alternative Program started in Ottawa in 1982 based on a partnership between parents, teachers and students. Lady Evelyn was the first such school and its very existence was due to the leadership and guidance or parents. The board's own brochure about the program discusses the involvement of parents and how new Alternative Schools are to be opened based on community leadership and involvement in curriculum.

Furthermore, our grade six students attended Open Houses in January for their target middle schools (mostly Summit, Hopewell and Glashan) and these Open Houses presented a program delivery model that is not going to be in place in the fall. In the business world, this is called misleading advertising.

The school board may have some valid reasons for these changes, but to date there has not been any consultation or communication with parents or students about these changes. This defies the boards promise of consultation and community involvement. In the Alternative Program, in particular, we feel like the contract of parental involvement has been broken.

Therefore, the Lady Evelyn School Council would like to formally request:

• The board delay implementation of the Intermediate Review until a proper consultation with parents can be undertaken
• The board recommit to engaging parents and teachers in curriculum delivery changes
• The board develop a proper consultation and communication plan for all future changes in order to fulfill its commitment to the Alternative Program and all parents across the board.

Thank you.

Monique Cuillerier
chair,
Lady Evelyn Alternative School Council