Highschool Crisis Situation--What We Can Do

This is a partial letter from another parent spreading the word about tonight's meeting.  Even if you don't have a child in highschool now or won't for a couple of years, this issue will affect our kids over the next few years and is worth attending the meeting and keeping informed about our highschool crisis situation. 

There is a PAC meeting 7pm tonight at Earl Marriott for these issues will affect our kids very soon.

If you can make it - it should be interesting.

MLA Gordon Hogg will be there and the district superintendent Rick Ryan.

1. If you want to see all the implications of changing the bell schedule - to thoughtfully form your own opinion

Please see attached letter (below) from the Teacher's Association - It is excellent - lots of things to consider.

2. Click here to go to the Earl Marriott website, click on the link to see the new bell schedule. 
4. The principal confirmed to me that we will likely lose staff due to child care and other needs

4. A teacher told a child I know that he (the teacher) will not be able do after school activites due to already longer day

5. This is a letter from a parent concerned about the alternate bell schedule:

I attended the meeting at EMS last night regarding the new altered bell schedule for next year.  Rick Ryan and Peter Johnston gave a presentation about how the new schedule will work. Many parents gave comments about how they felt this decision was made without their knowledge or input. The parents had many questions and expressed their concerns and dissatisfaction with this decision. It seems that they do not have solid answers for the many problems and issues that may arise due to this decision.

6. Two parents went to the school board meeting last week and this question was posed: 

 "Earl Marriott Secondary recently communicated that they are moving to an Alternate Bell Schedule. This was "decided" without a consultative process with the school community. This new schedule creates significant logistical challenges to most families as well as creates safety risks. What can be done to re-open the process so that a consultative approach can be conducted to explore the best solution?" 

Teachers are concerned about the proposed extended

day for the 2011-2012 school year at Earl Marriott Secondary School.

What teachers want you to know about

underfunding and overcrowding

OUR GROWING COMMUNITY URGENTLY NEEDS A NEW SCHOOLTeachers are concerned about the proposed extended day for the 2011-2012 school year at Earl Marriott
Secondary School.

Did you know?
. Government underfunding has prevented the building of schools necessary for our students.
. Earl Marriott is 20% overcapacity.
. Surrey has not received any new funding for school construction since 2005/06 school year.
What might aDextended day mean for Surrey students and their families?
Impact on Extra Curricular activities
. A split lunch schedule and dismissal times will make it difficult to offer multi-grade clubs.
Different dismissal times might complicate attendance at sporting events at schools on a traditional
schedule or require earlier dismissals from class.
Early arrival/late dismissal times may interfere with the ability of students to work or participate in community programs.
Impact on Student safety. At any given time, 20% of the student population will not be registered in a
scheduled class -student supervision will be an issue.
Students more likely to be tardy for early morning classes.
It may be difficult to account for students who are not assigned to a class during an emergency.
Educational impact . Having 20% of students not scheduled each block will result in hallway noise,
supervision problems and distract students in class.
Overcrowding will put additional strain on school resources and facilities.
With different bell schedules the school community will be fragmented.
Research on adolescent sleep indicates that school already starts too early and moving to an extended day would make it even worse for the students on the "early" shift.
Some staff may transfer from the school.
Specialist teachers and support staff will require additional hours/staffing to maintain current service levels.
The Arts, like band and drama may not be able to offer their programs in the same way.
Impact on families. Families with multiple children face accommodating 2 or even 3 school schedules.
. Children may not be available to care for younger siblings.
. Alterations to the bus schedules for French Immersion and special needs students may disrupt family           routines.
Other pressures. Surrey population continues to grow, 800 new residents per month.
Neighbourhood elementary schools are also overcrowded.
Full Day Kindergarten will require additional classroom space.
Projected operating budget is insufficient, without an increase in funding, the district faces a $10 million
shortfall.

What can concerned parents do?

Your voice makes a difference. Please call or write your MLA Gordon Hogg and demand that the Surrey school district be sufficiently funded. Send the message that the government must provide the capital funding
Surrey students' need to construct urgently needed schools.
YOUR CHILD MATTERS. TEACHERS CARE.

Earl Marriott Secondary Extended Day

"Waiting for Superman"

My husband and I watched a real eye opener of a documentary this weekend.  "Waiting for Superman" is wholly focussed on the American public school system and it's horrible decline.  It was, to say the least, an eye opener. 
If the state of the American public school system is honestly as bad as it clearly is, is the Canadian system that far behind? 
There are clear differences but then again, there are many similiarities and what a lot of it comes down to is the quality and the passion of the teachers. 
In my opinion a school is only as good as the teachers who teach there.  And there are exceptional teachers, good teachers and bad teachers.  I'm betting as parents we've experienced all of the above. 

I'm also going out on a personal limb here but I do believe that a teacher, even a great teacher is going to be pulled down to good or not so good if they are overly burdened by an overcrowded classroom, lack of resources and too much pressure and political nonesense from above.  The trickle down effect occurs and our kids suffer as a result. 
I encourage all parents to rent this movie and share your thoughts.  How close to this is our system?

Overcrowding of Our Highschools

It's no surprise that our local highschools are overcrowded and in the next 20 year plan there is not plan to build a new highschool in the South Surrey area which is an area of rapidly growing families that desperately need another highschool, let alone another elementary school. 

I do not have any children myself in highschool yet, but will soon and what I read, what I hear is very alarming. 

If you have a child in one of our local highschools please let us know from your first hand experience what is going on and we'll update this blog with information we can. 

I heard from one parent two evenings ago, while in a very casual conversation that her middle child, in grade 12 at one of our local South Surrey highschools is taking a very difficult course this term.  The term started the beginning of January and becuase of the large class size the teacher was not able to hand out text books until just this week!  These kids are desperately behind, not doing well grade wise simply because they have not been given the resources they needed.  If this is happening in one class, in one school what else is going on?

How are our kids supposed to feel good about themselves when they can't even get the text books they need? 
Is it alright for our many of our kids to spend their highschool years learning in stuffy portables which take over valuable field space? 
If the schools need to pay for these increases in portables for the increase in student population and the cost has to come directly out of the school budget what gets cut to pay for them? 
Will our children be able to fairly compete for post-secondary institutions and for their future careers? 
Is writing to our local MLA's enough? 
Your thoughts...Please! 

Need to update!

Wow how time flies!  I realize that it's been since October since a new posting has been added to this site. 
I've also noticed that there is a wider audience of parents visiting and I'm hoping as we post about newer items that more parents from different parts of the globe will comment and we can all learn about what other schools, other districts are doing about issues that concern all of us parents. 
Thanks for your patience and please stay tuned--the next posting coming this week will be about how our schools are bursting at the seams with students and how the ministry is refusing to add any funds for our quickly expanding student population.  Who pays the price?