Trout Creek Program of Choice Preliminary Proposal

8/18/2019 Trout Creek Program of Choice Preliminary Proposal

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G. Meghan Steele | Support Summerland Schools | April 11, 2016

THE SUMMERLANDSOLUTION A Preliminary Proposal to add a Montessori Program of Choice to

Trout Creek School; Focusing on the Advancement ofEducation, Equality, & Excellence.



Table of Contents

Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

Executive Summary …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

Section 1: Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

Section 2: Brief Literature Review

Programs of choice…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Montessori Education……………………………………………………………………………..…………………………7

Access & Equality in Education………………………………….……………… .………………………..9

Declining Enrollment…………………………………………………………………………………………..10

Population Decline vs. Attrition…………………………………………………………………………..13

The Rossland Effect…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16

School Choice Under Open Enrollment……………………………………………………………………………17

School Bonding…………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………….18

Section 3: Public School Rejuvenation through Program of Choice……………………………………20

Case Studies – Oyama, Meadowland, Cloverdale, Bowen Island…………………… ………………..20

Existing Models in British Columbia…………………………………………………………………………………21

Trout Creek School ………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………22

Enrollment Projections with Program of Choice

Financial considerations outweigh cost savings of closure

Summerland Montessori Society ……………………………………………………………………………………….23

Similar Styles / Shared Values/Structure

Classrooms, Staffing & Transportation

Section 4: Access & Equality in Education……………………………………………………………………………..34

Education, Equality, & Excellence……………………………………………………………………………………..34

Barrier Reduction vs. Constraint Creation………………………………………………………..………………34

Social Capital – Programs of Choice (Gains) vs. Closures (Losses)……………………..…………….35

Section 5: Joint Venture – Intersectoral Action……………………………………………………………………36

Healthy Schools/ Healthy Communities……………………………………………………………………………35

Community Use in Schools……………………………………………………………………………………………….35

Section 6: Recommendations from the Canadian Journal of Educational Administration &Policy / Goal Statement ……………………………………………………………………………………….37

References & Appendices



PAGE 1

Appendices:

Summerland Montessori Society Letter of Intent

Trout Creek PAC Letter of Support

Giant’s Head PAC Letter of Support

Surrey Montessori Letter of Support

Surrey Montessori Questionnaire

Coquitlam Montessori Letter of Support

Coquitlam Montessori Questionnaire

Canadian Parents for French Letter of Support

Enrollment Chart

Closure Cost vs. Income Generator Chart

Montessori Program Information

Montessori Policy Example

Sample Enrollment Form

Sample Job Posting

Sample Website Pages

Sedona Heights Developer – Loss of Equity Letter

Long Range Facilities Plan pg 55/56

Trout Creek Closure Document



PAGE 2

AcknowledgementsThis Proposal to add a Montessori Program of Choice was initiated by G. Meghan Steele,

as result of meeting with Darren Bos, President of the Board of Directors of the Coquitlam

Montessori Society. At the time School District 67 was voting on the closure of Trout

Creek Elementary , Ms. Steele was researching and writing a paper titled, “The True Social

Capital Costs of Cuts and Closures in the Education System”; this was instrumental in thedesign of a progressive & forward thinking initiative for two neighborhood schools to join

together, prevent closure, and truly turn challenge into an exciting opportunity for our

community. This proposal, and the research and recommendations presented in it,

represent the collective work of the following people:

Heather Bannerman

Char-Lynn Bubar

Lora Dingle

Sheena Fowlie

Steph Griffiths

Treena Jeffray

Jacquie Kentel

Sherri Lund

Maureen Mide

Linnaea McDermid

Shauna Perkins

Meghann Pleasance

Gillian Stevens

Angela Vanderwater

Emma Wolff



PAGE 3

Executive Summary

Providing families with greater opportunities to choose programs that enhance their

child’s learning has emerged as a powerful way to improve education. In addition to

enhancing student achievement, school choice stimulates innovation, encourages

efficiencies, promotes diversity, and typically leads to increased satisfaction amongparents and the public. For these and related reasons, more than two-thirds of

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries have

adopted policies increasing the school choices available to their families. As demonstrated

in many OECD countries and several Canadian provinces, choices within the public

system are a possibility.1

Review of British Columbia’s provincial legislation strongly supports the consideration of

potential school closures as opportunities to establish schools of choice. Schools that have

served neighbourhoods for many years have special places in the hearts of people

associated with them. Unfortunately, boards cannot afford to keep all schools with low

enrollments open. When a school is threatened with closure, it may be possible to avert itsoblivion and benefit the district as whole by converting it to a school of choice offering

new services and thereby attracting new students.

The power engaging multiple perspectives lies in its ability to capture the differences

among well-meaning people as they debate educational policies. It also leads to

suggestions how people with sharply differing views may come to agreement under the

right conditions. The next sections will provide a number of themes, regarding Programs

of Choice, that will demonstrate the feasibility of this Proposal to add a Montessori School

of Choice to the Existing Operation of Trout Creek School. It will be viewed from many

perspectives, and illustrate the ability to satisfy all of the objectives that often compete in

educational decision making processes.

Provision of Choice is new to many educators and board members. They are accustomed

to providing educational services with insufficient funds, overly high workloads, and

under many regulations and constraints, but they usually assume that children will attend

schools within their catchments in relatively predictable ways. School District 67 believes,

in their own document “From Challenge to Opportunity”, that an available opportunity

exists when “developing additional financially sustainable programs of choice and

education opportunities that would enhance educational programs in the district”.2

Districts that embrace and enact programs of choice (along with open enrollment) are

investing in their long-term well-being which depends on being willing to adapt during

challenging times. In a number of districts, designated senior staff or committees work with the initiator to develop a viable proposal. To this end, this preliminary proposal

includes a list of action steps and a suggestion for a small intersectoral committee to

facilitate the implementation of the Proposal to add a Montessori Program of Choice to

the existing operations of Trout Creek School.

1 (Brown, 2004)2 (School District 67, 2015)



PAGE 4

Introduction

In the past half-century, many modern industrial democracies have adopted

reforms allowing parents and their children greater freedom to choose between

schools. Providing accessible alternatives to the government directed and managed

common school to which parents are typically required to send their childrenintroduces competition which, in turn, stimulates innovation, encourages

efficiencies, promotes diversity and, as discussed by Walberg (2007), increases

parental and public satisfaction.

More diversified, decentralized, and distributed approaches to the management

and delivery of education which promote choice are also associated with

performance gains across the socio-economic spectrum. As Woessmann,

Luedemann, Schuetz, and West (2009) concluded from their analysis of PISA test

results from over a quarter of a million students in 37 countries, “rather than

harming disadvantaged students, accountability, autonomy, and choice appear tobe tides that lift all boats”.

Five Canadian provinces representing fully half of national K-12 enrolment

encourage school choice. Neighborhood schools have been particularly hard-hit by

school closures in recent years. Yet, there is considerable evidence to suggest there

are many educational benefits associated with attending neighborhood schools.

Research provides evidence of the following benefits of community schools for

students:

• Smaller classes

• More individual attention from teachers

• Better behaviour

• Civic participation is fostered

• Safe and nurturing environment

• Low teacher-pupil ratio

• School as the “heart of the community”

• Sense of community within school

• Strong relationships between students, even across grade levels

• Innovative and creative teaching strategies and solutions



PAGE 5

Research also shows that smaller schools:

• improve student achievement

• increase attendance and graduation rates

• elevate teacher satisfaction

• improve school safety

• increase parent and community involvement.

Nevertheless, the advent of open enrollment in British Columbia began to redefine

public education. Rather than just providing schools that are regarded primarily as

agents of the state with the main responsibility to offer uniform educational

services to all students, two new aims have been added. One is that public schools

are being asked to be sites where a sense of community can grow and the

connections to homes and families can be affirmed. The other aim is that public

schools are asked to offer divergent opportunities to adapt to the widely variedinterests of individual students as they pursue their educational achievements. It

is possible that the incorporation of equality, liberty, and community is the

future of public education in this province.3

Steps to Action:

1) Motion to rescind the closure of Trout Creek School

2) Engage in reviewing the Proposal for a Program of Choice

3) Place a Montessori Program of Choice in the existing operations of TroutCreek School.

4) Implement the initiative as an Intersectoral Collaboration, by forming an

Intersectoral Action Committee comprised of a SD67 Facilitator, SMS Board

Director & Sheena Fowlie, Trout Creek PAC Chair, Principal Jeff Redden.

5) Roll out a progressive & forward thinking Program of Choice for Sept 2016,

with 95% capacity at Trout Creek School, increased per-pupil funding, job

creation, together with satisfied students, staff, parents, & community.

3 (Brown, 2004)



PAGE 6

Brief Literature Review

Programs of Choice:

Many School Districts are proud to offer a range of Choice Programs that provide

unique and innovative learning opportunities for students. Personalized learning

recognizes that no two students learn the same way or at the same pace. It also

recognizes that for students to succeed in school – and to succeed after graduation

– they must be engaged and invested in their learning.4 This means learning that is

focused on the needs, strengths and aspirations of each individual young person.

In a system that values personalized learning, students play an increasingly active

role in designing their own education path as they develop and mature – while

being held increasing accountable for their own learning success.5 Programs of

Choice are becoming a path to redefine public education, retain existing studentsand regain students lost to private schools, independent schools and homeschool.

Figure 1: An example of Programs of Choice offered by the Vancouver School Board.

4 (http://www.bcedplan.ca/assets/pdf/bcs_education_plan_2015, n.d.) 5 Ibid.



PAGE 7

Montessori Education

The History of Montessori

Maria Montessori, born in Italy in 1870, was an active advocate for the rights of thechild. After becoming Italy's first woman doctor, her interests turned to the

education of the children and she began her lifelong pursuit of studying childdevelopment. Her own educational method evolved over fifty years of work withchildren around the world.

Dr. Montessori was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize for hercontributions to education and advocacy of the rights of the child. Dr. Montessoribelieved that a truly educated individual continues learning long after the yearsspent in the classroom because of the inner motivation, a natural curiosity and alove of learning.6

Program Description:

The Montessori program is intended to develop self-directed students with aglobal vision.

In the Montessori classroom:

There is a multi-age group in each class, ideally a three-year age span, withsix- to nine-year-olds grouped together and nine- to 12-year-olds in anothergrouping. Wherever possible, students stay with the same teacher for three years.

The program is individualized wherever practicable.

An emphasis is placed on students progressing at their own rate.

At the Primary level, the method is based on the use of self-correcting,concrete materials, which are devised to be used in a sequence matched tothe child's level.

Materials are limited so that children learn to share and help one another.There are large unbroken time spans for work, with a minimum ofinterruptions to disturb the student's concentration.

The curriculum is designed to develop in the child a global view ofmankind, stressing the interdependence of man and the care of the

environment.

There is an emphasis on the development of the child as a contributingmember of the society, including a multicultural focus.

6 (https://www.surreyschools.ca/programsandservices/choice/Pages/Montessori, n.d.)



PAGE 8

The aim of the Montessori philosophy is to provide a learning environment thatenhances the development of intellectually reflective individuals who are caringand ethical members of the community. This program is can create wonderful,dual track neighbourhood schools. The Montessori program in the Surrey SchoolDistrict was founded in 1981 and has grown from one class to include nearly 400

children and three school sites. Space is limited - a wait list is maintained.7

Figure 2: Different Learning Styles Require a Program of Choice.

7 (https://www.surreyschools.ca/programsandservices/choice/Pages/Montessori,n.d.)



PAGE 9

Access & Equality in Education

Alternate education programs offer an opportunity for these vulnerable and at-riskstudents to experience success. Legislation passed that guarantees choice to

students and parents. The future of the public school system rests with our abilityto provide parents and students with the choices they believe will best meet theireducational needs. A radical departure from the past practice of neighbourhoodspecific attendance areas is recommended. This district can commit to strengthenpublic education through school and program choice. When students haveincreased opportunities to choose a school they believe will maximize theirlearning potential, our public school system will flourish.

“The Public school system is a ‘monopoly’ service. When you become thatpowerful, you become arrogant and cease to react to your clients appropriately. You know it all and don’t really care if they don’t like it because they don’t have

any choices.” In light of this criticism, the provincial government has supportedflexibility and choice programs. Christy Clark [then the Minister of Education] hassaid, that parents can have their child attend any school in the province providingthere is room. We have supported that for years.” “If we have happy kids, we havehappy parents ...we are meeting their needs.”8 This indicates that school boardsshould not be dismissive of Proposals for Programs of Choice.

Figure 3: The even distribution of the costs per student of the 1.2 million dollars of cuts should have beenabout $198/student. Penticton as a community did not shoulder its share and Summerland has more than itsshare.9

8 (Brown, 2004) 9 Chart and Description provided by Professor Sharon Mansiere, Okanagan College.



PAGE 10

Declining Enrollment vs. Attrition

The loss of pupils because of sagging demographics is not the only way in whichstudents depart. Some moved to other districts, others to independent schools orhome schools. Loss of students to independent and home schools was consideredby some interviewees to be problematic. Their districts had calculated their marketshare, as low as 75%.10 This is also the figure given by the Fraser Institute, in itsreport, “Where Are Our Students Educated?”.11

An interviewee of the Ministry said, “ We want to make sure we offer our clients asmany options and choices as they would like.” Another stated, “I believe thatunless we offer the product to the clients, ...we run the risk of damaging the publicschool system and it eventually failing.”12 These interviewees saw the effects ofcompetition as having a net benefit, not just in “recapturing” students, but also inmaking neighbourhood schools more responsive by having them highlight some oftheir own programs.

Student enrolment in independent schools has increased dramatically over thepast seven years. Inflation-adjusted public spending on K-12 education in Canada

has continued to increase over the past decade despite a 4.9 percent reduction in

national enrolment (Clemens, Van Pelt, and Emes, 2015).

Population Decline vs. Attrition

Between 2007–08 and 2011–12: • The total number of public school studentsdecreased by 13,892 students (-2.4%).

• The population of school-aged students in public schools decreased by 3.8%. school-age student enrolment in independent schools increased by

4.3%.13

The reforms, such as the ones advocated in this Proposal for a Montessori Program

of Choice in Trout Creek School, would give the Board and schools new incentives

to find and implement efficiencies that would increase their ability to better

respond to community requests for new the new program and to keep the existing

school open which, if successful, would attract more students, and thus more per-

pupil funding and job creation. This concept is supported by the Fraser Institute. 14

10 (Brown, 2004) 11 (Fraser Institute, 2015) 12 (Brown, 2004) 13 (British Columbia Teacher's Federation, 2012) 14 (Fraser Institute, 2015)



PAGE 12

“This successful partnership has created the largest and one of the most vibrant

Montessori programs in the province and offers students, parents, and teachers choice

in education. Many of the schools that house the Montessori program were ones that

had suffered from decreasing enrolment and would have been difficult to justify keeping

open otherwise.” 16

The reforms, such as the ones advocated in this Proposal for a Montessori Programof Choice in Trout Creek School, would give the Board and schools new incentives

to find and implement efficiencies that would increase their ability to better

respond to community requests for new programs and to keep the existing school

open which, if successful, would attract more students, and thus more per-pupil

funding and job creation. This concept is supported by the Fraser Institute. 17

In this time of declining enrolments, providing a range of new, often smaller,

alternative programs in response to local demand would also provide potentially

more efficient and satisfactory ways of managing student accommodation

problems than could ever be achieved through central planning at either theprovincial or board levels.18 Together, enhanced operational efficiencies and a

wider range of education opportunities that better meet parent and student

expectations can be reasonably expected to deliver modest productivity gains as

measured by higher test scores and improved retention and graduation rates.19

Figure 5: Declining Enrollment Viewed from an Attrition Perspective.

16 (Bos, 2016) 17 (Fraser Institute, 2015)18 Ibid.19 Ibid.



PAGE 13

“The closure of public schools in BC has reached crisis level and is

unprecedented in the history of [this province]. The raft of closures [almost

200] since 2001 and more scheduled for this year—is rationalized by

declines in enrolment. But there is a much stronger driving force behind

these permanent losses of schools and that is the ideology of the current

provincial government. The application of neo-liberal ideology (or radicalfree-market ideology) is at the root of this tragic loss of schools and the

devastation it causes students, parents, neighborhoods, and communities.”



PAGE 14



PAGE 15

Figure 7: These charts dispute statements that Summerland Schools have declining enrollment.

(Fig. 4) Enrollment projections increasing slightly in all categories. Fig. 1. Summerland would have

low availability at our elementary level. Data derived from SD67 October 26 Challenge toOpportunity document. 20

20 Charts and Description provided by Professor Sharon Mansiere, Okanagan College.



PAGE 16

The Rossland Effect

School closure have been going on for 15 years now, with no end in sight. The wake

of devastation left behind in the “Cult of Efficiency”, is now becoming evident in

human and community costs. Here is an excerpt for the news article “Rossland

school closure backf ires on school district”:

Trout Creek school is in a very affluent neighbourhood, and its closure would

likely result in a similar rate of attrition. A proactive approach is to implement the

Program of Choice and the independent school students will join the public

system, as opposed to the reverse.



PAGE 17

School Choice Under Open Enrollment

The heart of the British Columbia policy is Section 2(2) of the School Act, whichdeclares “a person may enroll in an educational program provided by a board of aschool district and attend any school in British Columbia,” provided the person isof school age, resides in the province, and the board determines space andfacilities are available. This sweeping entitlement is limited by additional rulesprioritizing eligibility for admission in Section 74.1.

Boards are required to define attendance zones for each school—called a“catchment area” in the legislation—and establish application deadlines for eachschool year. Pupils who were enrolled in the previous year and their siblings areaccorded the highest priority in each admission cycle, including previouslyadmitted out-of-catchment pupils. New applicants residing within the catchmentarea have secondary right of admittance as long as space remains available,followed by in-district, out-of-catchment area residents, followed by out-of-district

residents. This approach retains attendance areas but they are, in Brown’s words,“made permeable” by these provisions.21

This provides a range of opportunities for interest groups of many kinds to discussdesired educational options, formulate proposals for new alternative schools andprograms, and petition boards to adopt them. These activities would establish newstandards by which constituents could potentially hold trustees politicallyaccountable.

There should be standard expectations for proposals for new alternative schools orprograms to include statements of school philosophy, rationale, statements ofsupport, committed numbers of students, and the need for or desirability of any

specialized teacher qualifications. There should also be a legislated expectationthat boards will accept, consider, and decide on all properly submitted requests with appropriate provisions for public hearings.

All board decisions on requests for alternative programs should be supported by written reasons released within a reasonable time period. Given the potentialcomplexity of preparing a complete proposal, boards should also be required toprovide counselling or active assistance to groups preparing requests. To assist inovercoming systemic resistance, consideration should be given to providingavenues for appeal of what are arguably unjustified rejections of requests for newalternate programs. One possibility could be an appeal to the Minister ofEducation.22

Under the School Act, every parent/guardian has the choice of registering theirchild in their neighborhood school or any other educational program, subject tothe ability of the school to provide an appropriate educational program for the

21 (Fraser Institute, 2015)22 Ibid.



PAGE 18

student without adversely impacting the learning environment for the otherstudents.23

School choice can be extended to more families by expanding locally providedoptions through two complementary initiatives: (1) open enrolment and (2) schooldiversity. Choice is pointless without meaningful options. Meaningful school

choices within the public system will be created at the local level by individualschool boards. Schools could feature art, music, hockey, or some other activity,emphasize a particular language, embrace Montessori, traditional or progressiveeducational approaches, be infused with Aboriginal or other cultural values,emphasize math, science, or literature, or take some other acceptable form, subjectto provincial curricular and operational requirements. A rich diversity of suchschools would introduce a measure of increased competition into the publicsystem which could be expected to have a positive effect on academic achievementand parental and public satisfaction. Education professionals, especially teachers,could also benefit from opportunities to join more motivating work environments.

School Bonding

School bonding refers to the "connections" that youth have with their schools and various aspects of their academic lives. School bonding may be an importantconcept in prevention because it has been linked to various developmental andadjustment outcomes. school bonding is an important construct, and the fact thatschool connectedness is directly linked to positive outcomes and acts as a bufferagainst other risks makes an important agreement for prevention of schoolclosures.24 Dr. Stevens, addressed School District 67 on several occasions withconcerns regarding the increased anxiety as children are detached from their

neighborhood schools and moved into a super-size K-3 model. He also hadconcerns for the varied ages transitioning in the reconfiguration. He stronglysupports the Proposal for a Montessori Program of Choice, because in addition tothe choice of learning styles, it also has the benefit of students not having topersevere through the difficult reconfiguration that is planned for Summerland.Even the Board’s own research discusses the negative and long-lasting effects forthe students, especially K-3, and early enter to a middle school model:

The division of elementary schools into configurations that include fewer gradesrequires that students make several transitions from one school to another.Researchers note that transitions can be stressful for students:25

Alspaugh (1999) found a significant achievement loss during each transition year. He also found that some students regain what is lost in the following year,

23 (BC School Act) 24 (Blum, 2005)25 (McEntire, 2002)



PAGE 19

but it would seem that students who make fewer transitions need fewer years tomake up for achievement losses caused by transitions.

Another study found that each time students switched schools, their feelings ofanonymity increased.

Another research study found that girls in early adolescence suffered from adrop in self-esteem, extracurricular participation, and leadership behaviors whenthey made the transition into middle school or junior high, but not if theyremained in an elementary school setting. This study found that the effects ofthis transition lingered throughout the school years. For boys, the study foundsimilar negative effects in extracurricular participation and grades, but not inself-esteem, when they made the transition into middle school or junior high.The authors concluded that the relatively protected elementary school settingmade the entry into adolescence less stressful for both boys and girls. 26

It is important to consider the effect of decisions with regard to whether theneighborhood schools close or remain open.

26 (McEntire, 2002)



PAGE 20

Public School Rejuvenation through Program of Choice

Case Studies

Oyama - Oyama Elementary School is located in a fruit-farming community 20minutes to the north of Kelowna. When its enrollment declined to 160 inSeptember 2002, well below its optimal size of 400, the Central Okanagan Boardtargeted the school for closure and gave the community a year to respond. TheParent Advisory Council rallied to the challenge. It considered the alternatives,held meetings, polled the community, and found that 89% of people supported theconversion to a school of choice, particularly a traditional school. Despite anunclear policy on how to propose new schools of choice and uncertainty aboutissues such as transportation and impact on nearby schools, the Boardunanimously approved the proposal to adopt the proposal starting in September.27

Meadowland - Meadowland Elementary is a small school situated on farmlands

close to the Pitt River on the west side of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows SchoolDistrict. The Board scheduled it for closure in June 2004 due to decliningenrollment, which had fallen from 124 in 1999 to a projected 70 for September2004. Its cost per pupil was computed to be $8,322, well above the stated districtaverage of $5,422 per student. The Parent Advisory Council put forward apreliminary proposal to keep the school open as a traditional school.28

Cloverdale – Cloverdale School is a fixture on the landscape in central Surrey.During 2002-2003, the Surrey Board examined Cloverdale’s costs of operation andoffered two alternatives: closure or become a school of choice. Once the choiceoption was affirmed, the only specialization actively considered by the school was

the traditional one. Cloverdale Traditional’s enrollment was 193 in 2002-2003 and230 in 2003- 2004.29

Bowen Island - Three years ago, a group of parents on Bowen Island wished for adifferent kind of education for their children. Rather than the one the kids wouldexperience at the regular schools, the parents wanted a curriculum with a focus onachievement but with a learning environment more controlled by the students. Hoping tooffer more educational opportunities than the ones the larger, less personal schools wouldprovide, the parents first considered starting an independent school but it was financiallyinfeasible. A district administrator who was enthusiastic about their approach to learningand school design facilitated their proposal. During the last New Westminster Boardmeeting of the school year, the parents received approval to start their school in

September 2003. The first year’s operation required a lot of work to pull together all theaspects of the school but parental support remained steadfast. 30

27 (Brown, 2004) 28 Ibid. 29 (Brown, 2004)30 Ibid.



PAGE 21

Existing Models in British Columbia

Publicly-funded Montessori Programs in British Columbia31

Surrey Schools: Latimer Road, Mountainview and Sunnyside

Society: Surrey Montessori Society www.surreymontessorisociety.org

Vancouver Schools: Tyee Montessori www.tyee.vsb.bc.ca , Maple Grove www.maplegroveschool.net/montessori-

2 and Renfrew Elementary

West VancouverSchools: Eagle Harbour http://go45.sd45.bc.ca/schools/eagleharbour/Pages/default.aspx

Richmond Schools: Manoah Steves, Garden Cityand James McKinney

Society: Richmond Association for Montessori (RAM) www.richmondmontessori.wordpress.com/

New Westminster Schools: Richard McBride, Lord Tweedsmuir, Connaught Heights

Society: New Westminster Montessori Society www.newwestmontessori.ca

CoquitlamSchool: Aspenwood, Baker Drive, Hampton Park, Harbour View, James Park , Miller Park, Seaview,

Montgomery Middle

Society: Coquitlam Montessori Society www.coquitlammontessori.ca

Maple Ridge School: Hammond Elementary www.sd42.ca/montessori

Langley School: Uplands http://www.sd35.bc.ca/schools/uplands/Documents/Website%20Docs/Montessori.pdf

Delta School: Devon Gardens http://dg.deltasd.bc.ca/

Vernon

School: Okanagan Landing www.oklanding.sd22.bc.ca/OKLanding/Montessori.html

Society: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vernon-Montessori-Society/111930858918620

Kamloops

School: Aberdeen http://aberdeen.sd73.bc.ca/

Prince George School: Highglen

Society: Prince George Montessori Education Society www.pgmontessori.ca

Vancouver Island Schools: Queneesh Elementary

Society: Comox Valley Montessori Society www.cvmontessori

31 (http://surreymontessorisociety.weebly.com/public-montessori-in-bc.html, n.d.)

http://www.surreymontessorisociety.org/



http://www.tyee.vsb.bc.ca/



http://www.maplegroveschool.net/montessori-2




http://go45.sd45.bc.ca/schools/eagleharbour/Pages/default.aspx



http://www.richmondmontessori.wordpress.com/



http://www.newwestmontessori.ca/



http://www.coquitlammontessori.ca/



http://www.sd42.ca/montessori



http://www.sd35.bc.ca/schools/uplands/Documents/Website%20Docs/Montessori.pdf



http://dg.deltasd.bc.ca/



http://www.oklanding.sd22.bc.ca/OKLanding/Montessori.html



http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vernon-Montessori-Society/111930858918620



http://aberdeen.sd73.bc.ca/



http://www.pgmontessori.ca/



http://www.cvmontessori/





















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Trout Creek School

Enrollment Projections with Program of Choice

Financial considerations outweigh cost savings of closure



PAGE 23

Summerland Montessori School

Students study academic subjects that meet or exceed the objectives as directed byprovincial outlines. The Summerland Montessori School (SMS) incorporatesMontessori philosophy and current best teaching practices to create a unique andpersonalized learning environment.

There is a greater emphasis on Montessori philosophy and practice in the youngergrades (Junior Kindergarten to Grade 2). As the students mature and master keyconcepts, more traditional teaching is encouraged to help prepare students fortheir future educational career. The main objective of SMS is to provide a carefullyplanned, stimulating environment which will help children to develop withinthemselves the attitudes, habits, skills and ideas essential for a lifetime ofindependent, creative thinking and learning.

SMS believes in educating the whole child: the emotional, social, academic,physical and moral development of each student. We offer daily physical

education, daily French instruction, exposure to music and the arts, and work tofoster a sense of community through leadership, mentoring, and communityoutreach.

Summerland Montessori School believes that strong minds are supported bystrong bodies. Our students are provided the opportunity to enjoy daily physicaleducation and daily French. Each student, in accordance with Montessori learningphilosophies, is encouraged and supported through their learning needs, at theirrespective individual speeds. Dedicated teachers are happy to meet with parents todiscuss their child’s progress at any time throughout the year.

The French program has been singled out by many families as one of their primaryreasons for bringing their child to Summerland Montessori School. We offer dailyFrench immersion style programming, providing a solid foundation in the secondnational language of our country. Learning occurs through a wide variety of funfilled activities such as plays, skits, and songs. This program is a wonderfulalternative to early French Immersion.

Goals and Objectives for each student are as follows:

Develop a positive attitude toward school.

Build excellent study habits for a lifetime of learning.

Develop inner discipline, a sense of order and self-motivation.32

32 (http://www.summerlandmontessori.com/Summerland-Montessori, n.d.)



PAGE 24

Similar Styles / Shared Values/Structure

Organizational Structure of the Summerland Montessori School

The South Okanagan Montessori School Society administers the SummerlandMontessori School. The SMS curriculum meets or exceeds Ministry of Education

guidelines in all subject areas. The South Okanagan Montessori School Society is anot-for-profit registered charity operated by a Board of Directors. The Board iscomprised of volunteer members of the school, and greater community, and iselected by its membership each year at the Annual General Meeting held in thefall.

The Board is responsible for the overall administration of the society and itsprograms. The Board abides by the Society’s Constitution, a copy of which isavailable from the Board President or Head of School.

Weekly Hot Lunch Program, House Sports Activities and Challenges occurring

twice a month throughout the year. Special Event Activities for Families andParents such as the Poplar Grove Wine and Tapas Fundraiser, Mother's Day Tea,Halloween Howl, Father's Day Golf Scramble, Christmas Craft Fair.

Trout Creek Principal, Jeff Redden’s Welcome message, demonstrates the similarstyles between Trout Creek School and Summerland Montessori School:

“Our school community strives to maintain a safe, positive learning environment basedon mutual respect & trust. It is a place where students feel a strongsense of belonging and are encouraged to develop and grow socially, emotionally,and academically. Our students achieve because they:· feel included and appreciated by peers and teachers,

· are respected for their different abilities, cultures, gender, interests and dreams,· are actively involved in their own learning,· have positive expectations from others that they will succeed.

The participation of all partners is critical to the operation of Trout CreekElementary School and ultimately to the success of each of our students.Whether you participate in the Parents’ Advisory Council, as a volunteer, or as a supportive community member, your involvement and support areappreciated.

Trout Creek Elementary School staff feel fortunate tobe part of a school community that is so generous of its time and commitment to

its youth. Together, we will provide an exciting, dynamic, well-roundedcurriculum for the students of Trout Creek.”33

33 (http://www.troutcreekschool.com/, n.d.)



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Holistic education is defined as a philosophy of education based on the premisethat each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connectionsto the community, to the natural world, and to humanitarian values such ascompassion and peace. This demonstrates the shared values between SummerlandMontessori School and Trout Creek School.

A merger of these two schools to create a Program of Choice for students wouldbe in accordance to the 2015 BC Education Plan which advocates for educators tohave greater latitude and support to try new, innovative teaching practices under“Flexibility & Choice”:

“ Students, teachers and families will benefit from more flexibility and choice with respect tohow, when and where learning takes place. This means schools must have flexibility to



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design learning opportunities that really work for students and boards of education need thelatitude to organize programs that extend beyond the typical school and classroom format.It also means a greater mix and variety of pathways to graduation and more opportunities for hands-on learning such as skills, trades and technical training.” 34

“Learners will develop the following competencies:

Critical thinking and problem-solving

Collaboration and leadership

Communication and digital literacy

Personal and social responsibility

Creativity and innovation

Global and cultural understanding” 35

Another way of viewing schools is to consider what they achieve—their performance asshown by their students’ achievement on standardized tests, their levels of parental

satisfaction, and other indicators such as graduation rates or awards. Parents in BritishColumbia were asked what they considered to be important when choosing schools fortheir children, their responses were categorized as academic achievement, studentcare/discipline, and shared values.36

Figure 7: Programs of Choice Are Ideal for Dual Track Schools Because They Share Values.

As Boyd (2002) suggests, “Competing values are inescapable in education. At least six values or objectives tend to compete with one another in policy-making deliberations:liberty (or choice), equality, excellence, community, democracy, and efficiency.” Theliterature on school choice has no dearth of authors who are concerned about the state of

34 (bcedplan.ca/assets/pdf/bcs_education_plan_2015) 35 Ibid. 36 (Brown, 2004)

Academic Achievement



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public education. They are worried about the quality of education, the noncompetitivemonopoly 37, the levels of bureaucracy and the lack of responsiveness in a “one size fits all”delivery system38.

Figure 8: Although Education Objectives Often Compete (Boyd) The Trout Creek Proposal Addresses All of the Objectives. This is the Potential for Shifting Our Defining Political Paradigm.

Close community ties are based upon a restoration of a common culture. equality andthe support of an ideal society that has the most possible equity of outcome with publiceducation as one of its pillars. Membership in this community school group with itsshared values and beliefs is highly important, and a sense of belonging and place (socialand physical), are important elements. Schools become institutions that are bridges fromthe home to the wider society.39 Their primary purpose is the transmission of the culture

to succeeding generations, requiring that long-term decisions be based in generationalplanning and not yearly budgets.

Parental choice is considered to be important, according to the Ministry, because“...schools and students face different challenges and have unique strengths.” Boards are encouraged to take advice from parents and educators so they may offer choices. Thisrationale supports the objective that schools should meet individual student needs.

Another rationale is included. It affirms governmental support for public education andencourages it to compete with private education. That assertion is made withoutelaboration but it agrees with the interviewees in the Ministry who suggested thatcompetition with independent schools was part of the package of ideas supportingchoice.40

How will school boards attain higher levels of parental choice? The precursor toprogram choice is said to be the public school system’s “greater autonomy and flexibility,”

37 (Merrifield, 2001) 38 (Holmes, 1998) 39 (Brown, 2004) 40 (Fraser Institute, 2015)



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words that echo those of Ministry interviewees. The Ministry also refers to financialchanges that support school freedom and adaptability: “Dollars will now follow students

wherever they choose to go. ... Along with supporting choice, it [per pupil funding] givesevery school an incentive to keep students; to hold their interest; to challenge them; torespond to their individual needs; and to keep them in school, to help ensure theygraduate.” Clearly, the quality of the service in terms of responsiveness to students’ needs

as defined by parents and students is seen as an incentive for schools to retain students.41

Potential innovations in which schools might engage can be educational experiments, andif they are indicators of school districts’ willingness to be more responsive to parents, theninnovations will be applauded. The same argument applies to educational effectiveness orefficiency. Competition, innovation, and efficiency will likely accompany school choice,but they will be byproducts of responsiveness and flexibility rather than the primary aimsof the policy.42

41 Ibid.42 Ibid.



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Classrooms, Staffing & Transportation

A considerable benefit to this Proposal for a Summerland model, is that theSummerland Montessori Society is already in full operation, complete with all

supplies and existing students from K-5. The transition into a dual track withTrout Creek could be easily implemented by September 2016.

The Chairperson of the Coquitlam Montessori Society shares how the Districtsupplies the teachers and the classrooms, and the Society provides the classroommaterials:



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“Our program started when a group of interested parents approached the districtover 30 years ago. It was agreed upon that the district would provide a teacher andclassroom space, while the Montessori Society would provide all the Montessorimaterials for the classroom. Teachers were required to get additional training toqualify for teaching Montessori. At times this has been supported by the parents at

others not. Twice a year, the district, teachers and the Montessori Society Boardmembers have advisory meetings where we discuss concerns, work collaboratively on problems and plan for future development and change in the program. Our districtis well served by the Montessori classroom. Montessori has largely been placed intoschools that have declining enrolment, in some schools Montessori makes upconsiderably more than have the students in the school. This makes it practical forthe district to maintain schools that might otherwise have to be closed. Generally,we start the Montessori program with a kindergarten class and then add grades asthe students’ progress.” 43

Figure 3: Trout Creek Kindergarten is a very similar classroom style.

Janna Goch, President of the Surrey Montessori Society, had this response in

support of this proposal:

“The Montessori philosophy offers a different approach to the classroomenvironment. Multi Aged classes give the child opportunities to interact withdifferent age groups and play different roles in the classroom. A typical childwill have 3 years in a class with the same teacher, they begin as the youngestand leave as the leader of the group. They learn what it means to be a

contributing member of that classroom, build a community which learns tocooperate and share with each other and respect the class, members andthemselves. Grace and courtesy are strong components in the Montessori

philosophy, the moral development of the child is also. The education of thechild is not solely the academics, Montessori recognizes the development ofthe whole child.

43 (Bos, 2016)



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That being said, in the Montessori classroom the child is also given individualitywith the feeling of control over their learning. The program is designed to encourageaccountability, self-motivation and independence with their education. The child is

provided with hands on concrete, self-correcting materials to use with their work. Atypical Montessori work cycle will give the child the opportunity to have a say in

their schedule, choosing when they do what work. The program still meets all the guidelines of the province but adapted to a more individual paced style of learning.

The public Montessori offers families the Montessori philosophy without the addedexpense of tuition and the ability for the child to still attend a school close to theirneighborhood. The Montessori program and neighborhood programs run alongsideeach other, co-existing and able to offer a choice to the families in the area. Childrenat our school have moved between the programs finding the fit that works best forthem.” 44

As an interview that was part of the feasibility study undertaken for this proposal,Darren Bos, Chairperson, Coquitlam Montessori Society was able to provideanswers to these frequently asked questions:

1. Are your schools K-5 and then 6-8?

Yes

2. I assume parents no longer pay a tuition, so do you collect ‘fees’ another way, or do

you fundraise?

We ask for $75 per year per family. We get about 80 to 90% of parents paying and

we don't ask anyone to pay in cases of hardship. However, younger programs such as

Vancouver, North Vancouver, Surrey and Richmond charge more (in the range of $300

per year).

3. Do you have any control or input on the teacher hiring process? How about

discipline or dismissal?

No, the school district is in charge of the hiring. At one time the Montessori parent

group was involved with hiring, but my understanding is that the current collective

agreement with teachers prevents this. We did work hard with our district to get

rigorous hiring criteria that are now applied. There are places such as NAMC, which give

online-only Montessori training which we found alone to be inadequate. Montessori is

very hands on and teachers really need to have had a practicum to do it well.

4. Are you given empty classrooms and you are responsible for everything?Our program has evolved over 30 years, so there is a variety of classrooms. In some

cases, the furniture has been supplied by us, but mostly it is from the district. The

parents have paid for Montessori classroom materials. This represents about $8000 to

$10000 per classroom. Many classes also have materials that belong to the teachers as

you would find in a neighbourhood classroom.

44 (Goch, 2016)



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5. Do you have access to all the shared resources- photocopying/paper etc

All of our classes our in dual track (Montessori and neighbourhood programs)

schools. Therefore, our teachers have access to all the resources the neighbourhood

program does.

6. Do you add books to the library, and if so, are they your ‘property’?

We keep an inventory of all the materials in all 39 classrooms. All of them remain

property of the parent group. This includes some books, but many of the books in the

classes actually belong to the teachers (Ie our school does scholastic book orders and the

teachers get a cut of that to put books in their classes).

7. When you plan school trips, do you use the SD’s buses just like another class in the

school would?

This varies a lot between our nine schools. Our school district doesn't have their own

buses so they must be rented anyway. So basically there is no difference between the

neighbourhood and local schools.

8. Are the students within the catchment eligible to ride the school bus to and from?

One of the commitments parents make for Montessori is to transport their child to

and from school, even if they live distant from the school.

9. Do you have minimum/maximum class size requirements? Or do you adhere to

Ministry class size maximums?

Our class sizes have the same provincial requirements as the neighbourhood program

and we have lost some classes at schools when the enrolment declined.

10. Do you have wait lists for your programs? Do you find your growth is limited?

Almost all the nine schools have wait lists. We only accept students at K, 1, and

6. Right now some of the K waiting lists are as long as 20 students at some schools,

other schools have maybe one or two spaces available.

11. Right now we can only see positives from the Montessori point of view (no more

tuition! use of facilities, still have your education model etc) so can you tell me if there

are some drawbacks? i.e. Why would a Montessori school not choose this?

If you are in the public school system, you will have all the same reporting

requirements that are found in the public system. You would be required to have report

cards that meet provincial standards. Your teachers would have to be union members

and meet provincial hiring standards. You will have to work out with the local teacher’s

union how teachers are hired. In some districts they see a teacher as a teacher and you

can have issues of teachers with little or no Montessori training using their seniority to

take a Montessori teaching position and ejecting a better-trained Montessori teacher in

the process. All of our schools are dual track, so they share with the neighbourhood

program. This leads to things you might not otherwise find in Montessori such as bells,



PAGE 33

lunch time, recess, computer lab time, gym time etc. Most teachers are able to work

around this by giving their kids large blocks of time for independent work, but it is still

different.

12. Do you know the steps to put it in place? i.e. is there a contract negotiated with the

SD? Is there an expiry where you then renegotiate? Can either party ‘pull the plug’ andterminate? Is it reasonable to think we could have this up and running for Sept?

Our program and teachers are part of the district, so there is no independent

contract. The teachers and the program are part of the district. We coordinate activities

between the parent group, school district and teachers with two annual advisory

meetings where all parties can voice concerns and work collaboratively to solutions.

13. Do you need or get office/admin space in the school?

Again, all our schools are dual track. Both the neighbourhood and the Montessori

program share a principal and support staff, right down to librarians and EA's.45

45 (Bos, 2016)



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Access & Equality in Education

Education, Equity, & Excellence

It is the collective responsibility of the School District to ensure the highest qualityof learning for all students, with a focus on student engagement, learning anddevelopment in a safe and inclusive environment. This will enable learners toreach for personal excellence in a supportive, simulating environment following aMontessori Program of Choice.46

Parental choice is considered to be important, according to the Ministry, because“...schools and students face different challenges and have unique strengths.”Boards are encouraged to take advice from parents and educators so they may offerchoices. This rationale supports the objective that schools should meet individualstudent needs. Another rationale is included. It affirms governmental support forpublic education and encourages it to compete with private education. That

assertion is made without elaboration but it agrees with the interviewees in theMinistry who suggested that competition with independent schools was part of thepackage of ideas supporting choice.47

How will school boards attain higher levels of parental choice, and retain studentsin the public system? The precursor to program choice is said to be the publicschool system’s “greater autonomy and flexibility,” words that echo those ofMinistry interviewees. The Ministry of Education also refers to financial changesthat support school freedom and adaptability: “Dollars will now follow students wherever they choose to go. ... Along with supporting choice, it [per pupil funding]gives every school an incentive to keep students; to hold their interest; to

challenge them; to respond to their individual needs; and to keep them in school,to help ensure they graduate.” Clearly, the quality of the service in terms ofresponsiveness to students’ needs as defined by parents and students is seen as anincentive for schools to retain students.48

Barrier Reduction vs. Constraint Creation

It is important to acknowledge that Montessori learning in the independent,private sectors creates a barrier to access of a learning style that is highlyrecognized and may help support increased student success. It is also a preferredmethod of teaching for many disorders such as ADHD.49 In the interests of

equality, and barrier reductions, it is significant to offer publicly-fundedMontessori in a dual track public school.

46 (Board, 2016) 47 (Brown, 2004) 48 (Brown, 2004) 49



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- BC’s student/educator ratio (16.6 students per educator) is considerably higher

than the national average (14.0 students per educator).50

- One in five (20.2%) or 51,900 BC children under the age of six lived in poverty

in 2009. 51 - Since 2002, BC’s poverty rate for children under six has exceeded the national

average.- The poverty rate of children under 18 who arrived in BC between 2001 and 2006

is 49.6% compared to 36.1% of families who arrived between 1996 and 2000,and 16.2% for Canadian-born families (p. 12). 52

- Fleury (2008) found that the education level of a parent protected childrenfrom persistent poverty but not short-term poverty, indicating that educationcan help families to move out of poverty in the longer-term.53

- Higher education levels are associated with: • Increased productivity and

economic growth • Living healthier and longer lives • Higher earnings • Higherlevels of political interest and civic and social engagement • Higher levels ofinterpersonal trust and social cohesion. 54

School closures create constraints to community resiliency, in terms of reduced volunteerism, diminished civic engagement, reduced community recreationparticipation. It causes radical changes to children’s lives and their community.

Healthy Schools/ Healthy Communities

Both Trout Creek and Montessori schools place a high value on physical activity, walking daily, and healthy behaviours. A merger of these two schools wouldcombine their programs, prevent busing a whole school of children across town,and maintain the health and well-being of students.

Community Use in Schools

Community is either continued or built by ensuring that families become moreclosely connected to public schools that are adapted to their aims and purposes, nolonger being seen as strictly state-based institutions. Parents, in particular, tend tofavour schools that offer choice in programs, preschool, child care, that are also instep with their basic beliefs and values. This Trout Creek Proposal offers all ofthese possibilities along with the Montessori Summer Program and HockeySchool.

Social Capital – Programs of Choice (Gains) vs. Closures (Losses)

Research shows that the social capital cost of school closure is high.

50 (British Columbia Teacher's Federation, 2012)51 Ibid. 52 (British Columbia Teacher's Federation, 2012)53 Ibid. 54 (Conference Board of Canada; OECD, 2010)



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Joint Venture – Intersectoral Action

Ministry outlines that proposals for new schools or programs of choice that aresubmitted to a district’s school board requirements frequently include thedemonstration of: a clearly articulated rationale, a distinctive educational need,

funding demands that do not exceed normal school levels. Typically, they say thatthe proposal itself shall be in written form, and that evidence concerning staffing,PAC or SPC (School Planning Council) support, and student/parental interest bedemonstrated. They may also request that research on the program from other jurisdictions be discussed, feasibility demonstrated, and state that programimplementation is the board and school’s responsibility.55

This preliminary proposal follows all of these directives, and adds evidence-basedarguments and appendices of substantial intersectoral support for the Proposal toadd a Montessori Program of Choice to Trout Creek School. This preliminaryproposal demonstrates the parental / student desire to adopt this proposal, with a

large number of existing students ready to join the public system, full funding willfollow them into the system. Because this plan has the unique difference ofincluding a fully operational Montessori School, it also outlines feasibility, costefficiencies, benefits to the students and the community. Action steps are clearlylaid out, and the proposal can be easily implemented by September 2016. Theimplementation of the Proposal itself would be the responsibility of the Board andthe two schools, and an experienced Director from the lower mainland is willing toanswer questions either party may have during the implementation.

“SD43 offers a Montessori program of choice in seven elementary and twomiddle schools. The program has been running for over thirty years and from its

inception has been a collaborative effort between the school district, parents andteachers.The school district has committed to providing classroom space and teachers,

the parent group (Coquitlam Montessori Society) has committed to covering thecosts of Montessori equipment for each classroom as well as investing in teachertraining. The teachers commit to undertaking additional training in Montessori,even though it is not recognized in the compensation framework.This successful partnership has created the largest and one of the most vibrant

Montessori programs in the province and offers students, parents, and teacherschoice in education.Many of the schools that house the Montessori program were ones that had

suffered from decreasing enrolment and would have been difficult to justifykeeping open otherwise. In these schools, more than half of the students comefrom out of catchment in order to attend Montessori.With the new BC Curriculum, Montessori has become more relevant than ever,

with many elements the new curriculum founded in Montessori

55 (http://www.bcedplan.ca/assets/pdf/bcs_education_plan_2015, n.d.)



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philosophy. SD43 has shown that a collaborative relationship between parents,teachers and the school district can provide benefits to all parties while at thesame time providing a greater choice in education.” 56

Recommendations from the Canadian Journal ofEducational Administration & Policy

There are clear and tangible benefits to be gained from providing greater choices.school boards must make spending choices that have consequences both withinthe immediate fiscal framework of their budgets and the social fabric of theprovince and its communities.57 The record from around the world and withinCanada shows that policy and spending decisions that encourage greater diversityand choice in the education opportunities available to all parents, pupils, andprofessionals will constitute a preferred course of action.58 The proposed reforms

are modest and eminently achievable and would provide substantial numbers offamilies, including vulnerable students, with choices.

The ministry also supports “Consider potential school closures asopportunities to establish schools of choice.” The study on Programs of Choicein British Columbia, by Daniel J. Brown, makes a number of recommendations thatcould assist the BC legislation to achieve its intended objectives, including choiceand flexibility, with personalized learning.59 Among them are encouragements toall levels of the public school system regarding actions to be taken:

Ministry of Education

• Maintain and strengthen the open enrollment policy

• Include school choice objectives within district contracts when appropriate.

• Monitor and review the open enrollment policy.

School Boards and District Staff

• Appoint a facilitator to aid applicants for new programs of choice.

• Have policies and procedures for establishing new programs of choice.

• Ensure that teacher contracts are flexible regarding schools of choice.

• Ensure that students can transfer easily between schools in the district.

56 (Bos, 2016) 57 (Fraser Institute, 2015)58 Ibid. 59 (Brown, 2004)



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• Encourage healthy competition among your district schools.

Schools and Parents

• Study other examples of schools and programs of choice.

• Propose innovations that have the potential to increase learning opportunities

and student achievement.

• Consider potential school closures as opportunities to establish schools ofchoice.60

Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education (SAEE) and the Society forQuality Education (SQE), both advocate for the special status of UrbanNeighborhood Schools. Their enrollment is often cyclical in nature, and it is morecost effective to explore ways to keep these schools operating, Programs of Choiceunder open enrollment policies have an exceptional number of proven models

demonstrating it is not in the best interests for Boards to close these schools, thelong-term costs are more, not less.61 62

Goal Statement

A major goal of educational improvement must be to promote greater choice forall parents, pupils, and education professionals. The overview given above ofProposal for a Montessori Program of Choice within Trout Creek School, offers asense of what is possible. Achieving this will require encouraging greater diversityin the school on one hand, and freedom for parents and students to choose on the

other. These two requirements are obviously mutually dependent: freedom tochoose is meaningless if no choices are available. Freedom to choose is nonethelessa logical precursor to increased diversity through Program of Choice, for oncechoice is possible, students lost to private, independent and homeschool, may bereenter the public system. Boards and schools can respond by offering alternativesto parents, pupils, and their education professionals.63

60 (Brown, 2004) 61 Ibid. 62 (Education)63 (Fraser Institute, 2015)



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Steps to Action:

1) Motion to rescind the closure of Trout Creek School

2) Engage in reviewing the Proposal for a Program of Choice

3) Place a Montessori Program of Choice in the existing operations of Trout

Creek School.

4) Implement the initiative as an Intersectoral Collaboration, by forming an

Intersectoral Action Committee comprised of a SD67 Facilitator, SMS Board

Director & Sheena Fowlie, Trout Creek PAC Chair, Principal Jeff Redden.

5) Roll out a progressive & forward thinking Program of Choice for Sept 2016,

with 95% capacity at Trout Creek School, increased per-pupil funding, job

creation, together with satisfied students, staff, parents, & community.

Parental choice is considered to be important, according to the Ministry,

because “...schools and students face different challenges and have unique

strengths.” Boards are encouraged to take advice from parents and educators so

they may offer choices.64 Daniel J. Brown’s review of the School Act Legislation

acknowledges that parental choice in Canada reflects its emphasis on collective

rights, and the movement toward greater freedom to select schools and

Programs of Choice is likely to expand. He is quoted as saying, “The time of

parent power is here”.65

64 (Brown, 2004)65 (Brown, 2004)



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References

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.troutcreekschool.com/.

(n.d.). bcedplan.ca/assets/pdf/bcs_education_plan_2015.

Blum, R. (2005). School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among

Youth. Balitmore: John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Board, V. S. (2016). 2015-2016 School Plan. Vancouver.

Bos, D. (2016, April 8). Chairperson, Coquitlam Montessori Society. (J. Kental, Interviewer)

British Columbia Teacher's Federation. (2012). 2012 BC Education Facts. Vancouver: BCTF

Research Department.

British Columbia Teacher's Federation. (n.d.). Education Funding. Vancouver: Select

Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services.

Brown, D. J. (2004). School Choice Under Open Enrollment. Kelowna: Society for the

Advancement of Excellence in Education (SAEE).

Education, S. F. (n.d.). The Board Threatens to Close Your Community School.

Goch, J. (2016, April 8). President of the Surrey Montessori Society. (J. Kental, Interviewer)

http://surreymontessorisociety.weebly.com/public-montessori-in-bc.html . (n.d.).

http://www.bcedplan.ca/assets/pdf/bcs_education_plan_2015. (n.d.).

http://www.summerlandmontessori.com/Summerland-Montessori. (n.d.).

https://www.surreyschools.ca/programsandservices/choice/Pages/Montessori. (n.d.).

McEntire, N. (2002). Grade Configuration in K-12 Schools. Illinois : Early Childhood and

Parenting.

School District 67. (2015). From Challenge to Opportunity - Putting Education First.

Penticton: Long Range Facilities and Strategic Planning.



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Appendices

Available in Separate Package.



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Trout Creek Program of Choice Preliminary Proposal

Documents

Transcript of Trout Creek Program of Choice Preliminary Proposal