Zone 5: Answers to Question 2

Question 2 – Zone 5 Responses

Contents

          • The Question in brief
          • Response from:
            – C.J. Blake
            – Rob Campbell
            – Nicholas Lapierre

Link: See Responses to Question 2: Parts 1 – 6 for a table summary of the first 6 parts of Question 2.

The Question in Brief

There are 8 parts to this question. “Yes” or “No” answers were required for the first 6 parts, but candidates were welcome to qualify their answers. Part 7 required a prose answer, and part 8 was optional. In brief, the question asked the following. The full text of the question is found at: Question 2 – Systemic Innovation.

  1. Do you believe that public education needs to evolve from its industrial management practices to ones more appropriate for today? Y/N
  2. Do you agree that formal scheduling is a major barrier to systemic innovation? Y/N
  3. Would you act to establish an OCDSB Systemic Innovation Advisory Committee made up of student, parent, teacher, administrator, ministry, university professor, business and community representatives? Y/N
  4. If “Y” to #3, would you act to have the committee established in time for systematic field studies to begin in September 2019? Y/N
  5. Would you support developing a board wide inventory of innovative actions by teachers and principals? Y/N
  6. Would you help to create partnerships with universities that want to conduct studies of how school boards can transition from the industrial model to one that suits today’s needs? Y/N
  7. What is your vision of the ideal school?

C.J. Blake

  1. Y
  2. Y
  3. Y
  4. Y
  5. Y
  6. Y
  7. What is your vision of the ideal school? In my mind, the ideal school loosely follows the model of a German Waldorfschule. The emphasis is on learning within the world, not contained by walls, with a social justice lens. This model is effective with age-mixing and promotes peer-to-peer relationships. A variety of age groupings would be ideal, so that no child is working below their potential and is increasingly challenged, but so there is no singling out of a child who is seemingly under-performing for their age.

A daily framework is important for students, although one that is not as rigid as it is today. Teachers can leave it to students to democratically decide on the subject they should learn in the next teaching block, with self-directed nutrition breaks.

Standardized tests do not accurately reflect the knowledge application children are capable of. Instead, periodic group displays of achievement are more fitting. This reduces unnecessary stresses at such a vulnerable time of learning. An example of this model is building a structure as a group project and working together through the design, execution, evaluation of result, and revision stages. A loose framework of competition and peer encouragement is necessary to stimulate motivation and creativity.

The learning of foundation skills and core knowledge should be related to the natural environment and real-world situations, incorporating principles of global citizenship and encouraging traits of generosity and compassion as well as important skills of critical thinking and conflict resolution.

However, one problem with today’s education system is that the timing of the school day is dictated by the working life of the parents/guardians. And so, for a revised education system to be effective, society as a whole must become more flexible and adapt to the 21st century global context.

Rob Campbell

  1. Y
  2. N – A barrier, though not a major one. As well, this is a false dichotomy. Open enquiry can be scheduled, integrated treatment of subjects can be scheduled, etc. An unqualified either/or on all scheduling is too sweeping.
  3. N – I would prefer to see existing structures used, such as the Alternative Education Advisory Committee (ASAC). I do not believe in the duplication of work or the needless setting up of a variety of Advisory Committees. ASAC already provides a forum bringing parents enthusiastically supporting self-directed learning and integration of subject matter, senior staff, and Trustees together. It could be amped up if there was enthusiasm for the idea and other attendees invited. ASAC has invited Joel Westheimer and others to speak in the past.
  4. N – In spite of the question #4 guidance provided, my ‘N’ to ‘#3 should be taken as a ‘Y’ for the purposes of this question … However, I also need to state a qualified ‘N’ here, as I believe that it is not realistic to see a pilot established, if one were to be established, as soon as Sep 2019. Would I be willing to refer the question to ASAC for their advice – yes. My primary concern however remains ensuring that we have a robust alt ed program at the primary level and this is difficult as it is. I am on the record as to my concern about spreading ourselves too thin and asking for a HS alt ed program option as well. I’d want ASAC advice in this regard. I’m also on the record suggesting that an alt ed program at the HS level, integrated seamlessly with Intermediate alt ed classes (increasingly at what are now our 7-12 schools), would be natural and provide another option. I would want to step lightly here however and would not want to predetermine an outcome.  
  5. Y – However I would want ASAC and both line and senior staff advice on how to go about collecting and disseminating these innovative actions, the scope for such an effort, and expected outcomes and follow-up.
  6. Y – ‘Yes’, in that I would morally support and be open to helping with framing conditions, but not directly intervene to help … The OCDSB regularly partners with UoO Faculty of Ed and participates in a dozen or so academic studies a year a year often along with the OCSB. The normal process is for researchers to make application to the OCDSB and this is vetted by OCDSB Quality Assurance and/or Curriculum Services staff. To be successful, research applications should set out clearly the scope of the research, be well sponsored by academic advisors, not be costly to or pose risks to the OCDSB, and be framed as an actual research project with falsifiable hypotheses and without evident presupposition or agenda, etc. Carefully proposed, and well sponsored, I could see such an application succeeding. Typically however, Trustees, who are not researchers or education professionals, do not involve themselves in what should be an unpoliticized assessment of research study fit with the OCDSB by the professionals paid to do this. And, research credible enough to persuade OCDSB staff that it is legit, it much more likely to win over staff with results it may come to demonstrate than imposed research that OCDSB staff do not regard as legitimate research.
  7. What is your vision of the ideal school? I have interpreted the question as to what would make the ideal class, not the ideal school. The ideal class, elementary or high school, would be age and ability mixed within reason, with older students growing through acting as coaches and mentors to younger ones. The class would not be the result of self-selection or streaming but be the regular every-day class in the school. Competition would be eschewed and evaluation would focus on genuine understanding of principles and creative and critical thinking by students. The teacher(s) – as there need not be a single teacher and team teaching and combined classes would be an option, would act as coaches to learning by students as as learning partners. Students themselves would determine what they were interested in studying and would be coached to integrate with other subjects or ideas they might not themselves have integrated. Each student would be challenged to their level at any given time, and students needing extra support (EAs, other) in order to effectively participate and reach their potential would all have it. Rewards would be intrinsic or internal without prizes or special recognition. The classroom would be a joyous place of discovery and creativity. Parents and community members as well would see the classroom as their space and feel welcomed in it to participate and collaborate. Experience and practice with this sort of class and practices would be studied, documented, and exported for use in other schools and jurisdictions. The preceding is an ideal however, and unlikely to be easily approached or fully implemented.

The above is however, already the goal of the elementary alt ed program existing now at the OCDSB. Please see my replies in this regard above. The elementary alt ed program faces many challenges resulting from the broader OCDSB cultural environment, lack of understanding of the program, and curriculum and other expectation restrictions from the Ministry. The ability of our existing alt ed program (K-8), to offer something approaching a version of the sort of class described above is limited, often without enough teacher training or support. I have supported the maintenance of this program in the past in part due to the potential to act as a model and export centre of best practices elsewhere in the DSB, as well as an alternative for students for whom the regular program is not working. It’s not really been able to live up to its potential for a variety of reasons, some of which I’ve listed. Examining the existing alt ed program at the OCDSB, and what should be done moving forward, five years or so now after the last major alt ed program review and its recommendations, is already a part of my published  platform.

8. SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION. Yes, however please see commentary above as well in this regard, especially the discussions supplied in reply to questions #4 and #6, amongst others. Such a school would require extensive discussion, perhaps a pilot. If meant as the pilot, then this question is a functional duplicate of other questions already posed above. Establishing such a school would require a very large commitment of Trustee, OCDSB staff, and stakeholder time (protocols, staffing selection, evaluation criteria, admittance and screening, other). I remain concerned about the potential to distract from focusing on supporting the alt ed we already have and not spreading ourselves too thin. I’m also not persuaded that the model school suggested is markedly different from the vision already held by and endorsed through our existing elementary alt ed program. This may all be better framed then as a question as to whether the alt ed program should be extended into the HS years as a programming option within the OCDSB, as the TDSB offers for instance. As well, more self-directed learning already exists at some of our specialty HS for youth for whom regular school has not worked well, though in a weak alt ed form. I’m open to such a discussion of extending to HS explicitly, but concerned as well about self selection of students, actual marginal benefit, lack of export of benefits to other students, relative priority as a DBS investment (e.g. special education supports, drop-out concerns, many other, other), and have other concerns. So, I’m authentically open to a discussion, and faithfully considering any number of options, but this openness should not also be construed as automatic agreement or commitment to implement.

Nicholas Lapierre

  1. y
  2. not major
  3. y
  4. y
  5. y
  6. y
  7. What is your vision of the ideal school? The ideal school for me would be a place that can meet the needs of students, staff and the community it serves.  Students would be able to explore their interests through their own learning styles with the required supports while still being able to meet established educational goals to ensure future academic, personal and “career” success.  Staff would have the tools, resources and time to fulfill the needs of their students while being able to meet their professional growth desires.  The community at large would be able to access some of the same resources to help foster the public good and reinvest in school not just its physical building but cultural value.  This is too lofty a goal to expect but it is one to strive for.  I see my children’s school achieve some of this through the efforts they have made to meet the needs we have.  My wife and I have endeavored to give what we can.  Encouraging all stakeholders will now be the challenge set not just before those fortunate enough to hold the mantle of Trustee but all invested in our collective greatness.