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  1. supporting a parent group struggling against opposition

    September 16, 2014 by Tunya

     

    Navigating The Swampy River Is Hard To Do

    The current pickle the BCCPAC boat is in reminds me of a treacherous swampy river. It would be so easy to find a safe harbor on either side, retreat, and forget the parent struggle. With two sides in this nasty impasse and the teachers’ strike this means choosing either the teacher union side or the government side. But, please, let’s not forget, BOTH are of one mind when it comes to the question of who should educate children and how — the state.

    Shouldn’t parents be involved in meaningful ways? This is where BCCPAC comes in. They are a third force promoting the parent voice on behalf of their children.

    I am reminded of the Sullivan Commission Report on Education, 1989, which made this profound comment:

    *** ”The home schooling issue clearly contains within it some of the most fundamental tensions between competing ideals and values to be found in educational and social policy today. It involves the question of parental rights in schooling versus those of the state, questions about where the public good should supersede private interest, questions about who should be accountable for children’s education and well-being, and questions about the limits of individual choice and participation in schooling.”

    The School Act was amended to provide for home schooling as a legal choice. What remains to this day, however, is the right of all parents to have a voice and choice in their children’s education. The state schools still gather 88% of students with a mainly one-size-fits-all mentality.

    The stalemate in this dispute is largely about how schools will be managed. Will the status quo prevail with rigid formulas about staffing or will local management decisions be made at the school level? This is where BCCPAC has a third point of view to offer whereby parents would be involved so that individual needs can be met with flexibility and funds available at the local level. This plan is worth close attention, especially since it is acknowledged that competency in working with special needs students is sadly lacking in many cases. There is so much current new information that is simply not being welcomed or embraced by the industry and which needs strong advocacy from parents to see benefits for children in their lifetimes.

    The history of parent involvement in education has a long, sad history. First, there was the PTA model where teachers swayed discussions away from competency and relevancy to student needs. Then various consultative models were tried, which had no clout. Now the BC School Act provides for an advisory role for parents   The BCCPAC steadfastness in steering through the current quagmire of obstacles — and in spite of being swamped by organized teacher detractors — is commendable.

    And certainly the time will come — the sooner the better — when parents will have a voice in changing the status quo which throws up these teacher strikes that harm students so frequently.

     

    Category Education Reform, Parent Tribal Memory | Tags: | No Comments

  2. 21 st Century Parents – Education Enigmas

    September 12, 2014 by Tunya

    Education Experiments Should Have Strict Protocols

     

    One of the self-identified “challenges” noted by this program — UDL, Universal Design for Learning — “concerns about parents not understanding” — says loads about the proper, or should it be said, improper preparation of this program.

    Is it already in place, rolled out, with adequately prepared teachers, with students assigned to the program, with evaluation checklists for all involved (including parents), with the parents involved in planning, and the principal equally prepared and accountable? Just some questions.

    Are there opt-out provisions? Can parents be satisfied that the academic part of the school’s mandate is not displaced or limited by the “social-emotional learning” mission of UDL? How much parent involvement is expected and in what spheres — fund-raising or actual advisory capacity to the school and regarding their own individual child?

    Is it time for the parents to promote a Parents’ Charter in this school?

    This 1977 codified Parent Rights document might help in shaping a more instrumental role for parents in this school, and particularly note these parts:

    Parent Rights and Their Children’s Education

    http://www.parentsteachingparents.net/2014/07/parent-rights-their-childrens-education/

    5 The right to involvement . . .
    c) to consultation before fundamental changes are made which affect the parents, the child, or the total school climate

    6 The right to safeguards

    d) to expect strict supervision over new programs, innovations and experiments, and that parents have special rights in these instances:

    i) to receive a written description of the program, rationale, goals and supporting references;
    ii) to grant or refuse permission for their child’s attendance
    iii) to receive satisfaction that the program is run by qualified, well-prepared personnel
    iv) to be involved in the ongoing evaluation.

    Remember: The parent signs the child into the school — anew — each year. There is an understood, unwritten, CONTRACT here. Usually, as with most parents, there is an expectation that the basics, the fundamental tools and skills of learning will be acquired and that knowledge of one’s world will also be transmitted. Parents are wise to also check the school-issued “Student Code of Conduct” which the parent is also required to sign-off on. However, does this, in effect, give to the school the parents’ “negative permission” or “negative consent”, or consent by default — meaning that unless a parent “signs OFF” in the case of new programming, that their consent is assumed? Check the possible tricky wording here.

    Remember: Parents on the whole still want the “traditional” elements of education to be assured. New approaches and programs should be justified by evidence, and supported by all parties affected. Parents should be intimately informed and involved in new ventures in a public school.

    Also remember: It is the parent who is ultimately responsible for the child’s education. How openly (OR stealthily) a new program is brought in and embraces parents as the primary managers (or not) is a measure of how credible and well-intentioned a new program proves to be.

    This fast-paced 21st Century is throwing a lot of hurdles — never before confronted — our way. Parents, as regarding how they have the primary oversight over tender, immature beings in their care, have a daunting challenge. It’s imperative that educators and parents be obliged to work together for shared goals vis-à-vis the versatile citizens the future expects.

    Footnote: It is these kinds of issues as noted above that motivate more parents to undertake home education — where they are the educator and parent — so as to avoid the conflicts of conscience that arise when there is discord between these two critical roles during a child’s development.

     

    Category Obstacles, Parent Tribal Memory | Tags: | No Comments

  3. When will the dam burst for parents?

    August 25, 2014 by Tunya

    [my comment to Society for Quality Education on post — "What About The Others?"  http://www.parentsteachingparents.net/2014/08/when-will-the-dam-burst-for-parents/

    This was a guest column and here is the gist of it:  “I became a teacher in 2002, so that I could help my daughter from within the system. She has a learning disability.”  She ends up by asking what she can do for others: “I am really concerned that all children reach their own potential and that the schools need to aid that path to success.”  This was my reply.]

     

    When Will The Dam Burst Regarding Parent Rights In Schools?

    Today, we are dealing with the story of a parent who was motivated to become a teacher so as to help her own (special needs) child maximize her potential using the services provided by the subsidized public school system.  It worked.  The child is now a self-supporting taxpayer.  Good going Mom.  Now, the Mom wants to help others:  What’s the best approach?

    Seems to me what is happening in BC right now may give some hope and ideas.  But, surely, we don’t need a nasty teacher strike to get parents into the picture, do we?  Pressure-cooker valves are ready to start popping soon!

    You know, it’s not easy to say what might work for a broader population of parents.  I myself have been involved in the parent cause for over 45 years, and one thing I do lament is the fact of insiders (that is, teachers who are parents, for example) having an unfair advantage in capitalizing on scarce services.

    http://www.parentsteachingparents.net/2013/08/teachers-as-parents-are-hugely-advantaged-unfair/

    But, let’s put things on the table, and apply some perspective, and maybe something will arise.  As I said, in BC, I see new ground being broken.  The parent group is getting noisier.  The social media is full of considerable back and forth with a lot of pushback comments against teachers who say they are doing it (the strike) “for the children” — “our working conditions are their learning conditions”!

    It is significant that the BC government is offering a per diem  ($40 day for 12 and under kids) to parents who will be deprived of their chosen public school come September.  For education or daycare. This does show a recognition and verification that ultimately, it is the parents who are responsible for education and that the collected taxpayer dollars will follow the intended client, the student. 

    The history of parent involvement in education is dismal.

    This is my opinion:  This is the case of a natural, birthright, biological right and duty of parents toward their children’s development and education having been usurped by an industry (which, BTW, grows ever larger and bolder every year).

    This is chronicled in “Parents and Schools – the 150-year struggle for control in American education” by William Cutler (2000). 14 years ago he ended his book with an excellent paragraph (too long for this post) summarized here:  “A cycle of failure will repeat if the home and the school continue to follow their historical paths . . . families and schools are farther apart than ever before . . . Communication is the key to reaffirming their interdependence. Without it, there cannot be the reciprocity that once seemed to describe the relationship between the home and the school.”

    On second thought, perhaps this paragraph and this book may be a starting point.  Especially since we DO know that parent rights do exist but that they are relatively invisible (see my link above).  Maybe a heightened awareness that a few parents do appreciate the entitlements provided and most DON’T might trigger some written parent rights for all.  Stark unfairness is a great motivator for reform.

    In the UK there was a move by the government to mandate schools to be more responsive to parents.  The National Association of Head Teachers put on a course — Parents: Partners or Enemies?  I’m not sure how that went.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Category Book Reviews, Education Reform, Parent Tribal Memory | Tags: | No Comments

  4. Don’t Polarize Parents During Labor Strife

    August 15, 2014 by Tunya

    [ TWO sides bargain in secret during contract negotiations — teacher union and employer (the government). Public opinion seems to be a big part of the "bargaining", thus both sides COURT parents, especially, to take sides.  Increasingly in this turmoil of Teacher Strike/Gov Lockout 2014 parents usually come out 50/50 split, whether for or against the $40 per diem payout to parents if the strike continues into Sept, or for or against either party in the dispute. But Surprise FOLKS ! — We are see more and more parents now saying they are taking sides FOR THEIR KIDS and want a solution, often tossing out an exclamation — "POX ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES!"   Below are two comments I posted on the Parent Group site.]

     

    To BCCPAC before their Summit (16 Aug) to discuss teacher strike (https://www.facebook.com/YOURBCCPAC in Posts to Page)

    WITHHOLDING REPORT CARDS IS ILLEGAL     Aug 13'14

    If a doctor withheld medical information from a patient and the patient died the doctor could be sued for wrongful death. 

    What happens when the school system, because of teacher job action, causes Progress Report Cards to be withheld? This happened twice in the last two disputes. The first time the teacher union asked the LRB (Labor Relations Board) — not a court, but a legal entity nonetheless — to be excused from Report Card writing. Most were withheld. But in some dubious wisdom, some were sent home BLANK.

    The School Act says the parents are to receive these Report Cards 3 times in a school year. What purpose do they serve?

    One — By legally sending the RCs to parents, this very act validates the fact that it is the parents who are ultimately responsible, and they are to be kept informed of progress or not.

    Two — Parents are to use that information in their ongoing planning for that child — keep him in that school, find another school, advocate for more services, home educate, get tutoring, etc. — precisely to be on top of the child’s educational development and to step in when intervention is called for.

    The above essay talks about the “disabling” of parent rights through the courts. I’m adding that withholding Progress Report Cards from parents via LRB decisions further disables parent rights and actually serves to “deskill” parents from their duty to their children.

    Here is another issue BCCPAC should examine — the illegal withholding of Progress Report Cards

     

     DON'T POLARIZE INTO CAMPS                          Aug 15

    I have seen where both the BCCPAC President (Nicole) and VP (John) are trying to establish a strong position for the group, quite outside of the camps of the two bargaining parties. Nicole has said on CKNW that a survey was taken. She said, “People complain that BCCPAC sits on the fence, but our members are so divided, that’s where we are right now . . . but we are trying to get off that fence to create a position of our own, and to be out there loud and proud.” John said on Facebook that he’s not interested in fences, but a separate pasture for parents. 

    The calling of an emergency Summit meeting of provincial representative parents bodes well for the future of a Parent Voice in education in BC. Finally! For too long parents have been taken for granted by the system. And, with the parents speaking out, this means parents are themselves now more assertive.

    The Finance Ministry $40 payout to parents also bodes well for the acknowledgement that it is parents — ultimately — who are responsible for their children’s education — that money from the taxpayer-dedicated Education Account should follow the child. This payout will happen if the teacher strike continues.

    The Summit is a great opportunity for parents to focus on what would help them, as individuals, and as a collective, to promote parent rights and student rights in education. For example, I would hope a strong statement could be made about the withholding of Report Cards during the last two job actions. This is illegal, in my opinion, and should never, ever, be a bargaining chip in negotiations.

    Also, shouldn't BCCPAC want to see some accountability for present special needs money — does it really reach the child with specially trained teachers? Is a forensic audit of that money called for? 

    Furthermore, the discussion of alternatives and choices is long overdue in this province. In this 21st Century so much is known and available that a veritable paradise of diverse and effective approaches can be obtained for each and every student in BC. Go, parents, go!

     

    Category Education Reform, Obstacles, Parent Tribal Memory | Tags: | No Comments

  5. Discourse Alone will not solve parents’ problems

    August 9, 2014 by Tunya

    [submitted to SQE on A Civil Discourse, Aug 08, http://www.societyforqualityeducation.org/index.php/blog/read/a-civil-discourse ]

    WALKING ON EGGSHELLS — NO MORE — PUBLIC EDUCATION DISCOURSE TODAY

    The public generally, and parents in particular, have been deliberately excluded from decision-making in education for a long time.  Books have been written about the damage done to the education mission.

     While tons of books try to “engage” parents — to “empower” parents — these have been rather futile as the established order remains immune and dismissive.

    Two books however do inform us more closely about the “whys” — why a threatened and defensive system builds up the barricades.  One just has to be reminded of the Jeffry Moore case, 15 years in the courts, which was heralded as a great and profound breakthrough for parent and student rights — but two years later — continuing disappointment for most families with special needs children. 

    * Parental Involvement and the Political Principle: why the existing governance structure of schools should be abolished (1995). Abolished why?  Because without genuine parent involvement, without customer input, the system languishes and parents are deskilled from their normal biological impulses.  Seymour Sarason was a renowned psychologist and he was frustrated with the absurdity of school organizations.

    * Parents and Schools: the 150-year struggle for control in American education (2000), William Cutler describes play-by-play the factors leading to parental marginalization  — rise of teacher unions, political agendas, weak “lay” control, growth of bureaucracy, etc. In his closing chapter he sees the recurring themes of dissension and failed reforms continuing.

    What Has Happened Since 2000?

    Thanks to technology there has been an explosion of communications between parents, parent groups and their supporters because of the INTERNET.  The mindset of the establishment is still largely insular — still believing in one-size-fits-all, that elitist central command knows what’s best, etc., etc.

    At least some parents are feeling a lot better that they are not alone.  Notable blogs and groups have arisen to disseminate information and encouragement.  Parents and supporters now know much more about the self-serving strategies that displace their voices.  We now know why parental choice is such a threat to entrenched interests.  We now know that manipulation through sophisticated Public Relations is also being used to thwart pushback.

    This is important.  We also are now able to warn parents —as systems are being streamlined — that defensive and threatened people can attack their critics with questionable tactics — to beware.  

    Society for Quality Education has been a godsend in these troubled times.  The debates have been enlightening.  What continues to frustrate is not being able to see development in the cause.  Topics are introduced that help people ventilate, but not really contribute to solutions. However, sites like SQE have helped the Math Pushback in Canada.

    I think the mechanics of this blog might be adjusted so that people can be notified when new comments come in, as done on other blogs.

    Meanwhile, we in BC are having “challenging” times.  But, again thanks for the blessings of the INTERTNET, I think the dysfunction of the current rigid and outdated system is being hugely challenged.

    Here is my latest contribution to the raging debates we are having here:  Education Debit Account Idea Explained   http://www.parentsteachingparents.net/2014/08/education-debit-account-idea-explained/

     

     

    Category Book Reviews, Obstacles, Parent Tribal Memory | Tags: | No Comments

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