HomeMy WebLinkAbout10c Delegation Jack Horwitz re Split LFI Class at Glashan PSs
Brief to OCDSB Trusted re Late French Immersion program at Glashan School.
A review of many Board programs was conducted last year, with the final
decision to maintain Middle and Late Immersion programs. Last year, at this
time 41 families made the decision to enroll their children into the
innovative and highly success LFI program at Glashan. These parents found
the program very successful and satisfying for their children in no small
part due to the high level of dedication and commitment on the part of the
teachers and staff. It is worth noting that two foreign delegations have
toured Glashan recently to learn why and how the success has been achieved.
In early May, parents were advised by the Principle that due to enrollment
numbers and board allocation of staffing , a split 7/8 LFI class would
probably be required in September. On May 12 the Chair of Parents
Association and 4 parents met with Glashan principal to express concern
about the plan and to see if there were creative solutions so as to avoid
the disadvantages of the split class.
Parents proposed alternatives such as:
7, maintaining present staffing levels for 2000 -2001 but ensuring that
next year's Gr. 7 enrollment is sufficient to prevent this situation from
arising the following year.
I Opening up the Gr. 8 LFI program to students from EFI, MFI or LFI
programs elsewhere to increase numbers for 2000 -2001.
The Principle explained that this situation has come about due to the
provincial funding formula and that the split class alternative had been
recommended by Supt. Hoye as the only solution.
It should be noted that when professionals in the field of language
learning were consulted, they recommended keeping the grade 8 students
together even if this would mean a large class size. In their professional
opinion a 7/8 split, while successful in other settings is detrimental to
students in a language learning environment. This view has been confirmed
by anectodal information from other schools and professionals.
The Superintendent and Principle justified the LFI split by saying that
other examples exist in the board. Our research indicates that a comparable
example of a LFI split has taken place in the OCDSB. This experiment ended
in failure and disruption for many students. Only 14 of the original 23
children enrolled in grade 7 returned in 2000 to grade 8. By way of
comparison the 43 of the 44 students enrolled in grade 7 are planning to
return to Glashan in September.
A full meeting with parents was called for May15 at which 18 families were
represented. Universally all parents expressed their extreme displeasure
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with the split class recommendation. They recognize the fiscal restraints
however find it difficult to comprehend how those tasked with the
responsibility of education can have arrived at this conclusion.
No parent entrusted their child's late immersion French language education
to the Board in contemplation of a split class pedagogical experiment, which
to even the most casual of observers, will cheat their children of their
promised education. Discretionary decisions made in response to fiscal
restraints must be made in the context of prior commitments made by the
Board to parent their children.
Glashan is an excellent example of a working late immersion program. In
spite of the negative impact on the program caused by restrictive boundaries
the program continues to be in high demand and would be over subscribed if
the former boundary policies were in place.
WHY WE APPEAL TO YOU
ODSB made a commitment to a 2 -year French immersion program. Such a
program by its nature is very concentrated. Each grade is vital to ensuring
that students meet curriculum requirements and in a very short time they
must prepare for grade 9 which is more and more demanding. A split class
will disadvantage these grade eight students upon entering grade 9 with
children from EFI & MFI programs who have benefited from up to 9 years of
French immersion
Children registered in LFI with the understanding that because of the
intensity of the program they would be receiving their instruction in
separate grade levels. A spilt class is not a pedagogically based decision
and calls into question committments made by parents, students and the Board
and its staff. In offering the late French immersion and by accepting our
children in this special program the Board created a legitimate expectation
that it would deliver the quality and level of French language education
inherent in the program to which we the parents committed our children. Our
legitimate expectation of continuity of quality education will be denied if
our children are forced into split classes in September.
Thirdly, it is unfair to ask highly motivated, dedicated, and qualified
teaching professionals to manage as best they can in circumstances which
make it impossible for them to do their job.
In the meantime parents from this inner city school whose catchment is from
widely diverse backgrounds, find themselves, and their children at a further
disadvantage. Your mission statement is clear: your one guiding principle is
what is best for each student , in other words quality education. This
desions should circumstances in Fall dictate will mean that both beginning
French students in Gr.7 and Grade 8 's will be deprived. Teachers will face
an impossible task.
We understand that the Board and its programs are being seriously undermined
by the Province of Ontario's policies on public education in this province.
However, the Board has committed itself to run LFI programs so it needs to
make good on its promise. Lets face it, many services, some not as vital as
education, don't have complete registration, the analogy to bus service is
but one, yet the buses keep running. What's wrong with two grade eight
classes of 22 each for this year, in other schools this decision, even with
less children has been allowed.
In light of the Board's motion 3 weeks ago to not cut programs because of
inadequate funding from province your choice is clear, split classes in LFI
are an unsatisfactory compromise that will not result in quality outcomes.
Do justice to the program you committed to offer.
We call on you to move to reaffirm the Board's commitment to follow through
on LFI, so that parents can be assured that the Board's word is as good as
its deed; therefore the Board must ensure that the necessary resources are
retained at Glashan so that the children do not suffer.
Thank you