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Speak Up For Gifted Education in Ottawa PDF Print E-mail

PLEASE SPEAK UP FOR GIFTED EDUCATION
IN THE OTTAWA-CARLETON DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD (OCDSB) 

Let your trustees know what you think about the ‘rescind motion’ that could be passed on November 10, 2008 

Elected trustees of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) (the English public system) are considering a proposal to give up their oversight of changes to special education, including congregated gifted classes. 

The changes coming are spelled out in this document prepared by Learning Support Services (LSS) for the upcoming Education Committee Meeting.

Report No. 08-195 to Education Committee

"The Chairs' Committee recommendation will be presented to the Board for action on 10 November 2008. If approved, that motion will assign responsibility for the number and location of system classes to staff."

Notice of Motion, Rescind Motion re Authority to Approve the Nature and Location of Special Education System Classes

This motion, made by Trustee Alex Getty (Zone 3 - Barrhaven/Knoxdale-Merivale), gives central staff of the school board the authority to approve the nature and location of special education system classes (which include congregated gifted classes), by rescinding a motion passed in 2001 that ensured the Board would have to vote on special education program changes. 

The motion was debated at a Board committee on October 29 and passed by one vote. It could still be defeated at the full Board on November 10 if families let their trustees know they want changes to special education to continue to require trustee approval before they go forward. 

Board staff recently developed a Special Education Framework that shows sweeping changes are being planned. Staff say that gifted classes will continue to exist, but the Framework indicates that many will be relocated to new sites, and the number of classes could be reduced. In this context, public debate on program changes becomes doubly important. The Getty rescind motion, if adopted, will make it much more difficult for trustees to act on the concerns of parents, schools and stakeholders. 

Trustees are elected to represent the public and community interests and ensure that you have a meaningful voice in decision-making. They should continue to have final approval over changes to special education programs in the same way they do over French immersion, ESL and other types of Board programs. 

Please e-mail or call your trustee by November 9. Let trustees know you want them to keep the oversight they now have over special education changes. 

FOR A FULL LIST OF TRUSTEES

·        Phone numbers and e-mail links for trustees can be found at www.ocdsb.edu.on.ca/au_bot_meet-your-trustees.asp.

·        Trustees’ e-mails follow the style:  firstname.lastname@ocdsb.ca.

·        We suggest you c.c. all trustees as well as Dawn Paxton, Superintendent of Learning Support Services, (dawn.paxton@ocdsb.ca) and Lyall Thomson, Director of Education (lyall.thomson@ocdsb.ca).