Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School Board just completed a survey where a large majority of parents indicated they wanted a traditional school. This is the essay I had published on Janet's site, Report Card today. Do parents want a traditional school in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows?

Traditional School Interest: Will There be Positive Follow-through?

The parents have spoken. A survey of parents shows overwhelming approval for the formation of a traditional school for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows.

At the very outset of this essay, let me answer the question in the title above: It would be easy, very easy to thwart, outwit, or undermine such interest or any serious proposals that emerge from this survey. Furthermore, should such a traditional school actually become operational, those who oppose such a school could easily destabilize and ruin the enterprise from within.

Thus, if people at all levels – policy, public, and producers – are serious, they need to pay attention to the negatives that can spoil the hopes of those favoring such a choice. For chapter and verse of how to destroy the dreams and efforts toward a traditional school we don’t need to go any further than read an incredible piece of research about an unnamed school district in BC (probably Richmond from the hints within) for how-to’s. Read: The “Public” in Public Schools: A School Board Debate, by Jane Gaskell http://www.csse.ca/CJE/Articles/FullText/CJE26-1/CJE26-1-Gaskell.pdf

It’s not effortless reading, this 18 page research, but with diligence, it would be possible to produce a one-page flyer: How to Kill a Traditional School Initiative.

Now, to the good news about the Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District survey and results.

1. Praiseworthy – After some false starts the survey took place without the plumping evident in the early stages for the choice to be an environmental school with SFU links.

2. Real Alternatives -- clearly described on the forms, 8 separate alternatives, content and style-wise

3. Suggestions Solicited – Room for other suggestions, comments

4. Ample Distribution -- Lots of publicity, opportunities to respond, parents, teachers, CUPE staff

5 Authentication – Uncertain. Not sure if people could do the survey more than once thus unfairly skewing results.

The results have been published in the local newspaper and the public will be able to see and hear the board discuss the results at tonight’s meeting.

For those parents who are going to be following up their interest in a traditional school, and being a lobby, I have a few tips.

Who am I to offer tips to parents? Very briefly I’ve been involved with education reform movements for the last 40 years that incorporate genuine parent involvement in education of their children.

My interest in this matter in MR-PM in the traditional school idea is not so much the nature of the school itself, but a) that this is what parents want and have made their views known (Will they meet with responsiveness?), and b) this model, ie, the traditional school model does depend on parent involvement at the 4th level to be successful (Here is a chance to see parent involvement to be meaningfully incorporated into the very essence of the program.)

Tips for Parent Involvement in a Traditional School

1. Be aware of the guidelines for an effective school. Parents are key to the success of an effective school since “the basics” and “discipline” depend on partnership between home and school. See Katherine Wagner’s article on this topic: http://www2.canada.com/mapleridgetimes/news/story.html?id=0d6a355e-6f1c-4da3-be6b-2718671a314e&p=1
And/or download the one page Effective Schools Checklist here: http://education-advisory.org/Involved/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/effective-schools-checklist.pdf

2. Know that there are hidden impediments and obstacles that might appear. Traditional schools, regardless of how valid they are, in this day and age, they are often considered passé and obsolete by many in this current generation of public and educators. People may diminish the need for their genuine establishment or there might be genuine ideological opposition to their formation as some perceive them as a threat to progressive education. We know this should not be so. There is room for both. See opening paragraphs of this essay.

3. Take note of how New Westminster DPAC has taken charge of their affairs. They did not succumb to pressure and persuasion to sign a protest letter. They made rules about the conduct of meetings, who can attend, when, what presentations can be made. What is definitely evident is that there is either experience or considerable knowledge about how good decision-making takes place in representative groups. This independence and control is required for the parent-point-of-view to prevail at these meetings.

4. Parents must see that all parents are welcome and that provision is made for their genuine involvement at whatever level they feel comfortable with. These are the 4 levels:
- some just want to focus on the individual youngster in school
- in addition, the second group is interested in some volunteer work (field trips, assisting in the library, playground, lunchroom)
- the third group seeks more involvement with educational questions at the school, especially when innovations are concerned
- the fourth group feels they “have a right” to influence the kind of education children receive and seek input on goals, curriculum, instructional methods, and teacher training. This fourth group believes:
“that it is an irresponsible society which permits, usually by default, education to be left up to the educators. It would be just as irresponsible to leave matters of defense up to the military or the nation’s health to the medical profession.” (from Public’s Role in Education (1972), Dr. H.A.Wallin)

5. The Nobel Prize winner in Economics, Elinor Ostrom, has a lot to say about how common-pool resources can be managed without strong central planning. A key is to empower citizens with enforceable rights to check abuses of authority. Parent rights in education need to be developed and adopted for parents and system to understand.