Not all B.C. school boards are following Vancouver's example when it comes to administering the controversial Foundation Skills Assessment exams.
Despite the fact that many school trustees in the Central Okanagan share teachers concerns about the FSA exams' educational value and how the results are improperly used by the Fraser Institute to rank schools, the area's school board decided at an in-camera meeting to have teachers administer the exams as directed by the Ministry of Education.
The B.C. Teachers' Federation passed a resolution in December calling on teachers to boycott the exams. The ministry responded by denouncing the BCTF decision and continuing to insist that the exams are mandatory for all Grade 4 and 7 students, despite the fact the results do not affect student marks.
The president of the Central Okanagan Teachers' Federation, Tom Potts, was visibly upset after the board announced its decision at its public meeting Wednesday.
“To me that's an act of basically, callous dismissal of us as a professional organization,” Potts told the Kelowna Capital News.
He objected to the board making a decision at a closed meeting before consulting with COTA and for refusing to stand up to the ministry in any way.
COTA had invited the newly elected board to meet with its executive and discuss the FSA exams next Tuesday.
He would have liked the board to do something similar to what Vancouver's is doing. It is sending a letter to parents outlining how they can keep their children home from school on the day the FSA exams are administered.
“Even standing up and sending a letter to the government to suggest that the ranking of schools is objectionable,” would have better than just towing the line, he said.
Central Okanagan board chairman, Rolli Cacchioni, said the board didn't have time to wait until after its meeting with COTA to make a decision.
The district needs to start administering the exam on Feb. 2 and Cacchioni said if it had waited until its next meeting on Jan. 28, district staff would not have had enough time to get ready.
Cacchioni said that he personally has concerns about the usefulness and educational value of the FSA exams. He also said the board shares some of the teachers concerns about how data is used.
“On the other hand though, the FSA is a provincially mandated program. I think it's the obligation of the board to uphold what the ministry has told us to do,” he added.
He went on to say the board still intends to meet with COTA on Tuesday and could still take other action, including sending the ministry a letter.
Adrian Nieoczym reports for the Capital News in Kelowna.
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Skywalker
3 years ago
Obligations vs. good educational policy.
Quote: "I think it's the obligation of the board to uphold what the ministry has told us to do,” he added."
It makes you wonder what we need all those School Boards for if all they are going to do is Victoria's bidding.
For a better world
3 years ago
Influence of School Boards
Schoolboards have no effective impact on the financial needs of their districts. All influential monetary decisions are made by the provincial government.
I don't understand why any citizen would want to be a member of a local schoolboard. They have no power. In order to sustain their position they must adhere to province's ideals. They either become flacks for those with influence or they waffle in the mire.
At this time, the only benefit to schoolboard members is that the process provides a training ground for politicos to move up to a higher level of political involvement. Any desire or effort to improve or help the education of children is hindered in the process.