Tailgate Party
Volunteers will be gathing signatures for the RealRenewal/SOS Saskatchewan provincial petition
Sunday, Oct. 19
Old Superstore Parking Lot
Albert and Dewdney
10:30 - 12:30
Save a School, Save a Community
News Release - March 7
For immediate release
March 7, 2008
Province urged to clarify its call for school closure moratorium
REGINA: A coalition of parents concerned about the planned closures and program mergers affecting 18 schools in Regina is calling on the provincial government to clarify its position that all school boards in Saskatchewan should postpone making any decisions about closures until funding and legislative changes are made.
At a Regina Public School Board meeting held March 4, a motion was put forward to enact a one-year moratorium on school closures in response to recent public statements by Education Minister Ken Krawetz and Premier Brad Wall that school closure decisions be postponed pending changes to the school consultation section of the Education Act, and the establishment of the criteria for “schools of necessity” and “schools of opportunity."
However, the majority of school trustees voted to reject the motion calling for the moratorium. Prior to the vote some trustees cited the lack of any correspondence from the provincial government on the issue.
“Like many others in Saskatchewan, we face a public school board that has been slow to recognize and respond to the positive winds of change in our community,” said Carla Beck, spokesperson for Real Renewal. “We hope the provincial government can issue a really clear statement to the Regina Public School Board that its desire for a one-year moratorium on school closures extends to all school divisions in the province, including those that serve Aboriginal and low-income students in the inner-city."
Beck said that several of the Regina schools slated for closure could very well be designated as “schools of necessity” since they serve a vulnerable population base.
An analysis of the Regina School Board’s 10-year plan by SaskTrends Monitor found that fourteen of the 18 schools targeted for closure or program merger serve neighbourhoods where the Aboriginal population is 15 per cent or more and where 30 per cent or more of the people live in low-income households. In contrast, no school closures will occur in neighbourhoods where low-income households are below five per cent or where the Aboriginal population is less than three percent.
Beck also noted that the Regina School Board’s closure plans fly in the face of provincial efforts to enhance First Nations urban education. The province has also signed an Urban Development Agreement with federal and municipal governments to revitalize inner-city neighbourhoods, improve infrastructure, and develop sustainable communities.
On February 19, Real Renewal launched a petition campaign that called on the Regina Public School Board to adopt a one-year moratorium on school closures and initiate an independent third-party review that would present a revised plan for public consultation.
A Sask Party news release dated June 21, 2007, bore the headline “Bridge Financing would give Boards a chance to Keep Schools Open.” Then learning critic Rod Gantefoer is quoted as saying, “Trustees need an enhanced set of standards and critieria for school closures, tools that are not yet available.” Another press release dated the same day promises that a Saskatchewan Party government would make bridge funding available to school boards to keep schools open until “significant changes” can be made to The Education Act. The release ends with the line, “Our children deserve nothing less.”
“We couldn’t agree more” says Beck “But unless the SaskParty acts now, Herchmer, Robert Usher and Stewart Russell will not be around to benefit from these much needed improvements to the Act. Time is quickly running out.”
Representatives of Real Renewal will deliver signed copies of the petition to the Minister of Education on Monday, March 10 at 8:30 a.m. at his legislative office (Room 348).
The public school trustees are scheduled to vote on their 10-year plan the following day, Tuesday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m.
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Manitoba halts closures
June 16, 2008
Manitoba parents are elated that school closures plans in Manitoba will be halted by new legislation. The Strengthening Local Schools Act received royal assent Friday. “It is a shock to everyone. It is the beginning - it provides for a brighter and hopeful future for our children, our small local community schools, and their neighbourhoods,” said Manitoba parent Victoria Schindle. Schindle is chair of the Argyle Community Action Group, a group that encourages boards and governments to develop alternative ideas to school closures.
Bill 28 promotes a collaborative process, and that school divisions reevaluate their decision making methods. Community members and parents will be a part of the decision making process regarding the future of their community schools.
The Act states a school may be closed only if local officials can demonstrate that “there is a consensus among the parents and residents of the area served by the school that the school should be closed.”
All closures planned for this year will be halted in the meantime, to provide some valuable time to assess, reevaluate, and brainstorm alternatives to school closures. The Act also limits bus travel time to under an hour, and provides additional support for schools struggling with low enrolment or serving disadvantaged communities, and those with active Community School Councils.
While questions remain about how that support will be distributed, parents feel the changes offer new hope for communities wanting to retain and improve their schools. “We will now have the opportunity to talk, and to make real change,” said Schindle.
Meanwhile, Saskatchewan parents have received few assurances from their government. Election promises to make school boards more accountable to citizens have gone unfulfilled, said Trish Elliott of RealRenewal.
“Education Minister Ken Kravetz now tells parents it’s impossible for the province to have a hand in closure decisions. Yet Manitoba has proven that standing up for local schools is both a possibility and a responsibility for the province.”
“The minister claims the current system of leaving everything to local school boards serves people well. Yet between elections, there’s little transparency and accountability. The system only works well for trustees and bureaucrats.”
In December 2007, Ontario also passed regulations demanding great transparency and community involvement in decision-making, including a requirement to place student and community needs ahead of purely economic factors.Manitoba stops school closures while Sask steams ahead
For immediate release May 15, 2008
As Manitoba moves to halt school closures, Saskatchewan parents are watching developments next door with interest. “If Manitoba can stop school closures, why not Saskatchewan?” asked Trish Elliott of RealRenewal, a Regina lobby group concerned with school issues.
Yesterday Saskatchewan gained final assent for Education Act changes that were criticized by rural lobby groups as too weak, while urban schools were excluded entirely. In contrast, Manitoba’s Bill 28 includes a moratorium on all scheduled closures and places more stringent guidelines on decision-making.
According to the proposed Strengthening Local Schools Act, a school board can close a school only if it demonstrates “that there is a consensus among the affected parents and residents that the school be closed.”
“The bill places community consensus at the centre of decision-making. It’s an idea Saskatchewan people would truly benefit from,” said Elliott.
Victoria Schindle is chairperson of the Argyle Community Action Group, one of the organizations that made a presentation to the Manitoba minister of education’s office about threatened closures.
“Our community group compiled research from all over North America and we realized that for our communities to survive, it was vital that our school stay open,” said Schindle.
Elliott noted the bill provides additional support and protection to schools in low income neighbourhoods. There will also be safeguards for schools struggling with low enrolment or seeking to implement new community programming.
"This is a much more flexible, realistic approach. Here we’ve had schools forced to live up to the same blanket numbers on a spread sheet, rather than paying attention to the special circumstances, resources and goals of each community,” said Elliott. “With population growth and a little new capital coming into the system, we should start broadening our perspective.”
Of interest to rural parents, the Manitoba bill proposes a one-hour limit on bus travel time, and appears to accept low enrolment schools as an opportunity for community action rather than a death sentence.
The initiative for the creation of Bill 28 came from the office of Peter Bjornson, the Minister of Education in the current NDP government. It was intended as a response to declining enrolment and new thinking about the role of schools in communities. Bjornson has stated that retroactive to Jan. 1, 2008 no further closures will be allowed while the bill is under discussion.
Input from several citizens’ groups helped shape the bill, said Schindle. “We were concerned about our school division pursuing a review policy that had no consideration for our children’s well-being, their education or the interactive relationship between school and community. The involvement of community in education gives our students a confidence to excel that they would not feel in a distant school.”
Schindle said it appears the concerns of parents and community groups were taken into account, although they are still carefully reviewing the bill. Schindle is calling on all communities and parent advisory councils to examine the document and offer suggestions to the minister’s office.
“This is a good opportunity to make a difference. Our children’s education, their local schools, and the sustainability of communities are topics we will not compromise on,” she said.
The bill follows passage of similarly-motivated legislation in Ontario. In December, Ontario passed regulations demanding great transparency and community involvement in decision-making, including a requirement to place student and community needs ahead of purely economic factors.
“There are of course areas for improvement in Manitoba’s bill, such as defining an appeals process, but overall Manitoba seems to be moving in a positive direction,” said Elliott. “This shows strong provincial legislation and immediate action are not impossible. Saskatchewan communities should accept nothing less.”
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Download the presentation to the board (60.2kb) (pdf)
Media Advisory
Following a meeting with senior education ministry officials, members of RealReanewal and SOS Saskatchewan - representing concerned urban and rural community members – will make a brief statement and answer questions relating to the future of Saskatchewan schools.
Legislative Rotunda
Immediately following Question Period
(approx. 11:00 a.m.)
Thursday, April 17.
Petition launch
RealRenewal will publicly launch its petition drive:
Tuesday, Feb. 19
6:15 p.m.
RBE parking lot
1600 4th Ave.
The text of the petition is available on the home page.
For information:
Carla Beck
Email: marsdenbeck@sasktel.net
Tel: 306 775 1917
Presentation to the Trustees
RealRenewal presented 49 pointed questions to the School Trustees.
Tuesday, Jan. 15
7 p.m.
Herchmer School
Copies of the questions were publicly released at the meeting.
Media Contact
To contact RealRenewal:
Carla Beck
Email: marsdenbeck@sasktel.net
Tel: 306 775 1917
We have only just begun! Fill our our contact form if you wish to be informed of our activities.
News release - Feb. 19
For immediate release Feb. 19, 2008
Parents and kids to rally outside school board office
Regina - RealRenewal will hold a rally this evening to launch a petition aimed at gaining a moratorium on school closures. The petition states Regina school closures should be halted because the administration has failed to conduct research into the social, environmental and budget impacts of a nearly $100 million plan.
The lobby group also released today preliminary findings from a review of data on how Regina citizens will be impacted.
“We found the closures will almost exclusively affect schools that include significant populations of aboriginal and low income families within their catchment areas,” said spokesperson Carla Beck.
The Regina Board of Education has targeted 18 schools for merger or closure, with an end goal of 14 fewer schools. Fourteen of the 18 schools serve neighbourhoods where 30 per cent or more of people live in low income households. The remaining four schools serve neighbourhoods with a 15 to 29 per cent low income rate, according to data compiled for the group by Sask Trends Monitor.
“In other words, 100 per cent of schools on the list serve neighbourhoods with significant percentages of low income families,” said Beck. In contrast, no closures are planned in areas where low income households are uniformly below five per cent.
As well, 14 of the 18 targeted schools serve neighbourhoods where the aboriginal population is 15 per cent or more, while three include neighbourhoods with an aboriginal population of nine to 14.9 per cent. The remaining school includes neighbourhoods where the aboriginal population is three to 8.9 per cent.
Meanwhile, catchment areas with an aboriginal population of less than three per cent will experience zero closures.
“This is absolutely unfair and flies in the face of demographic change. Regina’s aboriginal population has increased 25 per cent since 1996, and is projected to continue strong growth,” said Beck.
Beck noted for example that the RBE’s projection for Herchmer Community School’s 2008 enrolment was 148 students and falling, but in fact by January the enrolment was 180 and growing.
“Imagine that margin of error compounded over a 10-year span, and you’ll understand why we must stop and re-think this plan,” she said.
The petition will be launched today at 6:15 p.m. in the RBE parking lot, 1600 4th Ave. Students have drawn colourful posters for the event, the first in a series of public demonstrations that are expected to grow in size as time passes.
The public school trustees are scheduled to hold their regular meeting at 7 p.m.
Copies of the petition may be downloaded at www.realrenewal.org or picked up at Groovy Mama’s, 3100-13th Ave.
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