Hello everyone and welcome to the new (2010/11) school year. We are excited about another great year in Saanich and looking forward to greeting students and families on September 7th. So you know, I will be taking this blog down in the coming weeks and migrating over to communicating through our district website http://www.sd63.bc.ca. Our new platform allows us to have "comments" added to any message on the website, so as I post messages on the main page and post my newsletters accessible via the link under "latest news", readers will have a change to post comments, reflections or questions right there. That will serve the purpose of blogging, making this site redundant. A message will be posted here when that shift occurs.
In the meantime, please post any comments you would like right here! What's on your mind as we move into the new year? Do you have any thoughts, for example, on what government should do in terms of its commitment to "modernize the education system for the 21st century", as per the 2010 throne speech? For more on that, see the paper written by Saanich students, accessible on our website, direct linked here.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Check out "Facts in Education"
Some of the leading researchers in Canada, including Michael Fullan, Ben Levin, Penny Milton and Charles Ungerleider have created a blogspot entitled "Facts in Education" which: "aims to correct factual errors in education that appear in various news media sources across Canada. The purpose of this project is not to critique the article or the news outlet, but simply to inform you of the real facts in education as supported by empirical evidence."
Their latest post brings research syntheses into the question of whether or not smaller class sizes make a difference, with the conclusion from a number of meta-analyses and specific research projects being that in the younger years smaller is better. However, this is only true if if you keep students in smaller classes for longer periods of time (perhaps K-3 as we do in B.C.) and have the right programs being taught by the right teachers supported by the right interventions for students who struggle.
The need for this leading think-tank to bring these comments to the fore through their blog came from Malcolm Gladwell making the front page with his assertion that class size "is the biggest dead end in the world", arguing that it is only and all about quality of teaching and teachers. His speech, given to a Liberal think-session entitled Imagining Ontario's Future was noteworthy in that it flew in the face of both research and the Ontario government's plans. It also hit the media, giving rise the the Facts group publishing its response as noted above.
Their latest post brings research syntheses into the question of whether or not smaller class sizes make a difference, with the conclusion from a number of meta-analyses and specific research projects being that in the younger years smaller is better. However, this is only true if if you keep students in smaller classes for longer periods of time (perhaps K-3 as we do in B.C.) and have the right programs being taught by the right teachers supported by the right interventions for students who struggle.
The need for this leading think-tank to bring these comments to the fore through their blog came from Malcolm Gladwell making the front page with his assertion that class size "is the biggest dead end in the world", arguing that it is only and all about quality of teaching and teachers. His speech, given to a Liberal think-session entitled Imagining Ontario's Future was noteworthy in that it flew in the face of both research and the Ontario government's plans. It also hit the media, giving rise the the Facts group publishing its response as noted above.
Friday, May 14, 2010
May-June Newsletter: Budget, Secondary Futures
I have posted my May-June 2010 newsletter on our district website. Click here to go directly to my newsletter or here to go the main website. In my newsletter and on our website you will find updates on the Saanich School District budget for 2010/11. In a nutshell, the news is not good on the budget front. Our Board had to make reductions totaling 5% of the budget, after reducing for enrolment decline, in order to pass a balanced budget as is required by law. We remain concerned in Saanich about the levels of provincial funding being far below the levels needed to even maintain, let alone enhance, our programs and services.
That said, we are proud of what we do in Saanich. We remain fully optimistic that public schools will continue to serve children, families and communities in ways that are vibrant, engaging and in keeping with the 21st century. Diversity and excellence are alive and well, and we invite anyone to see it "live" by contacting a neighbourhood school and connecting with the principal or vice-principal to learn more.
Alongside all that is going on in schools, we have a significant activity occurring at the district level as well. As superintendent I have taken a "21st Century Learning" presentation to our secondary schools and shared it with the board and district partners. I will be using it as a conversation starter as well at a student symposium scheduled for May 27th. Our quest is to provoke dialogue around the extent to which secondary education of today is consistent with the ideals, dreams and visions that are evolving around the world in relation to engaged learning in this age of technology and global connections. We are also interested in influencing government in relation to its throne speech commitment to "modernize the education system for the 21st century."
Comments are welcome, as always, on any of these topics. And . . . how about that new web site? It is more than just better looking; it has running in behind it a much more modern and robust "web 3.0" foundation. More interactive, more current, and more dynamic - just what we need for our tech-savvy readers.
Go Habs.
That said, we are proud of what we do in Saanich. We remain fully optimistic that public schools will continue to serve children, families and communities in ways that are vibrant, engaging and in keeping with the 21st century. Diversity and excellence are alive and well, and we invite anyone to see it "live" by contacting a neighbourhood school and connecting with the principal or vice-principal to learn more.
Alongside all that is going on in schools, we have a significant activity occurring at the district level as well. As superintendent I have taken a "21st Century Learning" presentation to our secondary schools and shared it with the board and district partners. I will be using it as a conversation starter as well at a student symposium scheduled for May 27th. Our quest is to provoke dialogue around the extent to which secondary education of today is consistent with the ideals, dreams and visions that are evolving around the world in relation to engaged learning in this age of technology and global connections. We are also interested in influencing government in relation to its throne speech commitment to "modernize the education system for the 21st century."
Comments are welcome, as always, on any of these topics. And . . . how about that new web site? It is more than just better looking; it has running in behind it a much more modern and robust "web 3.0" foundation. More interactive, more current, and more dynamic - just what we need for our tech-savvy readers.
Go Habs.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Newsletter Posted: Budget, FDK, Vision, Throne Speech, Calendar and More
My January/February 2010 newsletter is posted on our district website. Remember to check our website periodically for news and updates as there is always something new, two recent examples being postings in regard to full day kindergarten and the posting of the "calendar options paper" that I presented to the board earlier this month. If you want to go straight to my newsletter, click here. Comments, as always, are more than welcome.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
3 Hot Topics
I'm wondering if there is any desire to share thoughts on three key issues (of many) in Saanich and across our province:
1. Foundation Skills Assessment: FSA 2010 is underway and students in grades 4 and 7 are busy completing reading, writing and numeracy assessments. Depending on where you sit, FSA is either a useful instrument for understanding student achievement and when results are aggregated up provides a useful tool for planning, or it is an unnecessary intrusion into the lives of children and teachers. I am always interested to know what people are thinking when it comes to FSA.
2. Full Day Kindergarten: Our Board, like others across the province, has made a decision in regard to FDK for September 2010 and has accepted the offer of 240 funded FDK seats for next year as we move to every child being in FDK as of September 2011. Schools in Saanich were selected based on a number of criteria related to need, space and more. FDK will be provided September in Brentwood, Sidney, KELSET, Lochside and Cordova Bay. Registration in neighbourhood (catchment area) schools is the week of February 1st, and anyone wanting to be out of catchment is invited to come to the School Board Office beginning February 8th. We will process those applications in the order in which they are received.
3. Budget 2010/11: Our budget situation for next year is, unfortunately, a major challenge. After a $3.6 million reduction (relative to carrying on with "status quo") coming into this year, we face a challenge of about $3 million as we move toward September 2010. Information on this is available on our website www.sd63.bc.ca and we invite everyone's participation in the budget setting processes that will unfold over the next few weeks.
1. Foundation Skills Assessment: FSA 2010 is underway and students in grades 4 and 7 are busy completing reading, writing and numeracy assessments. Depending on where you sit, FSA is either a useful instrument for understanding student achievement and when results are aggregated up provides a useful tool for planning, or it is an unnecessary intrusion into the lives of children and teachers. I am always interested to know what people are thinking when it comes to FSA.
2. Full Day Kindergarten: Our Board, like others across the province, has made a decision in regard to FDK for September 2010 and has accepted the offer of 240 funded FDK seats for next year as we move to every child being in FDK as of September 2011. Schools in Saanich were selected based on a number of criteria related to need, space and more. FDK will be provided September in Brentwood, Sidney, KELSET, Lochside and Cordova Bay. Registration in neighbourhood (catchment area) schools is the week of February 1st, and anyone wanting to be out of catchment is invited to come to the School Board Office beginning February 8th. We will process those applications in the order in which they are received.
3. Budget 2010/11: Our budget situation for next year is, unfortunately, a major challenge. After a $3.6 million reduction (relative to carrying on with "status quo") coming into this year, we face a challenge of about $3 million as we move toward September 2010. Information on this is available on our website www.sd63.bc.ca and we invite everyone's participation in the budget setting processes that will unfold over the next few weeks.
Friday, December 18, 2009
December Newsletter - Parent Involvement, Report on Achievement
If you read this blog you may already know the goings on in Saanich, but in case you haven't seen it, my December Newsletter is posted. Our November 25th Parent Involvement Evening is described there, and I can tell you that we had a great evening of dialogue around the topic: Child-Centred, Productive Conversations in the Education Community. Much of the talk focused on how to have difficult conversations based on having already created trusting relationships, particularly between parents and administrators. Also mentioned in the newsletter is the annual Superintendent's Report on Achievement that will be received by the Board on January 13th and posted to the district website shortly thereafter. On an unrelated but important matter, if you are needing information about potential snow closure days, you will see on our main web page links to the information sent home to parents early in the school year.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
October Newsletter - From Vision to H1N1 and More
Here we are at the end of October, with the first two months of school having been a blur of positive energy and hard work by so many in service to children and families. Sorry to be so long between posts, but I am pleased to provide you with access to my October newsletter (via this link). In the newsletter you will see an update on plans to clarify district innovations in support of our Board's declared vision of success for all learners. You will also find news on H1N1, our Olympic spirit and our class organization reporting. Please have a look and feel free to post comments here. The more dialogue the better.
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