|
|
|
Wednesday, 25 August 2010 15:44 |
|
9am - 5pm : on Friday, September 24, 2010 Social Planning Toronto presents:
COMMON GROUND
A Symposium examining Schools as Community Hubs - The Vision, The Challenge, The Opportunity Conference registration is free however space is limited and early registration required to secure your organization's seat(s). Fill online form at www.socialplanningtoronto.org or call Social Planning Toronto, 2 Carlton St, Suite 1001 Toronto, ON M5B 1J3 416-351-0095 ext. 251 more...
Refreshments, lunch and post-conference reception included
Place: Ontario Bar Association Conference Centre (20 Toronto Street, wheelchair accessible)
Time: 9am - 5pm : Friday, September 24, 2010
In Toronto, a variety of organizations and individuals, from Cabinet Ministers to Mayoral candidates, from Boards of Education to staunch critics of the educational status quo, have been promoting the concept of schools as community hubs.
Three years ago, Social Planning Toronto hosted the Schools@theCentre conference to focus on the central role of schools in communities.
On Friday, September 24, we will have an opportunity to bring together a broad range of individuals and organizations to continue that conversation, exploring the diverse visions for schools in community, the barriers which exist to progress, and the opportunities which currently exist to make progress toward a reality in which schools are at the heart of their communities.
Session topics will include:
- Barriers and Opportunities: global practice, local action
- If Hubs are the Solution, What’s the Problem?
- Exploring Visions
- What’s on the Table
If you are interested in the relationship between schools and their communities, mark September 24 on your calendar now and register by Sept 15th
|
|
Thursday, 05 August 2010 13:22 |
|
"Why should the children have to worry each year that their community school may be closed ?" Parents in
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Thursday, 05 November 2009 14:22 |
|
Hubs not hulks: is there a practical alternative to school closings? Interest is growing in the potential role of schools as community hubs. If schools are integrated into a community development plan and if the result is that community life is more closely connected with the school’s curriculum, then hubs can become a socially progressive feature of both urban planning and education. If supported by strong local government with access to a local tax base, then hubs can become a real alternative to school closings and the sell-off of public assets. This is a set of Power Point Slides based on a presentation to the Social Planning Council of Toronto on September 25, 2009 by David Clandfield. More local examples are now included and the hub model has been expanded.
ref: http://socialplanningtoronto.org/category/reports/
or
http://educationactiontoronto.com/home/hubs-not-hulks
David Clandfield will discuss his research:
Tuesday November 17th 2 p.m -4 p.m. 5050 Yonge Street
to the TDSB, Inner City Schools Advisory Committee
All TDSB meetings must be accessible to the public.
The slideshow and David Clandfield are on the road to talk to parents, students in some school communities.
More info, please contact news (at) campaignforpubliceducation.ca
Hubs not hulks: is there a practical alternative to school closings? Interest is growing in the potential role of schools as community hubs. If schools are integrated into a community development plan and if the result is that community life is more closely connected with the school’s curriculum, then hubs can become a socially progressive feature of both urban planning and education. If supported by strong local government with access to a local tax base, then hubs can become a real alternative to school closings and the sell-off of public assets. This is a set of Power Point Slides based on a presentation to the Social Planning Council of Toronto on September 25, 2009 by David Clandfield. More local examples are now included and the hub model has been expanded.
ref: http://socialplanningtoronto.org/category/reports/ or http://educationactiontoronto.com/home/hubs-not-hulks
David Clandfield will discuss his research on Tuesday November 17th 2pm-4pm at the TDSB, Inner City Schools Advisory Committee 5050 Yonge Street All TDSB meetings must be accessible to the public.
The slideshow and David Clandfield are on the road to talk to parents, students in some school communities. More info, please contact news (at) campaignforpubliceducation.ca
|
|
Wednesday, 30 September 2009 13:10 |
|
TDSB has been undertaking a number of school and programme reviews in the past year. Signs are that many more are to be announced at the next board meeting. Here's what we know so far thanks to our researchers. Please let us know what you think. Summary of A.R.C. Recommendations 1. Two adult ESL sights disappear: Highbrook Learning Centre and Bathurst Heights. Both sites have full time and part time day and evening classes. 2. One Special Education site is closed another is consolidated into an existing secondary school. 3. One middle school gone. 4.Two Jr. JK to grade 5 sites converted into JK to grade eight.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Tuesday, 29 September 2009 00:00 |
|
On Friday, September 25th Social Planning Toronto convened a panel of researchers and policy analysists. The topic: Research and Policy Forum: School Closures. This was a highly successful symposium on the current state of schools as multi-generational centres of communitycommunity activity and the extent, intent and impact of closing neighbourhood schools. A full report will be posted in the coming days at http://socialplanningtoronto.org
|
|
Tuesday, 15 July 2008 12:01 |
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
TheStar.com Jul 15, 2008 04:30 AM
Re:The case for year-round schooling, Opinions page, July 14
It's a debate that keeps coming back. Experts regularly ask for year-round schooling in Ontario. This is a practice in other parts of the world.
As a teacher for over 30 years, I have to ask who would want to be in a school that is not air conditioned during one of our heat waves, and we do have them in July and August. Most of the countries that have year-round schooling do not experience the extremes of temperature that we do nor they have air conditioning in their schools.
The article mentioned that Roberta Bondar school in Peel has been using the year-round system for four years. This is a school that was built with air conditioning. I have worked and taught in schools with no air conditioning; there is nothing that reduces learning more than extreme heat. And the cost of refurbishing our older schools would be cost prohibitive.
The article's author also mentions that he believes students stop learning in mid-May and effectively are not learning for six months of the year. That is true if school activities and teachers appear to present an attitude that it is now play time and students are programmed to participate in many fun activities late in the year. Trips, play days and many activities are planned for the end of May and June, which suggest to students that learning at this time is not as important.
I have had the opportunity to work at the high school level after working at the Grade 7 and 8 level and learning definitely does not fall off late at the high school level because students have exams and summatives to complete and study for. Perhaps students at the elementary level need similar incentives to keep learning?
I also wonder why this issue is only a concern for students in elementary school. High school students have the same summer break. Is it because some work at summer jobs to finance post-secondary education and provide a vacation break for some employees that we do not worry as much?
There does not seem to be a concern about the four-month break that post-secondary students have. Does the brain function differently at a certain age and we no longer forget?
Nora Mular-Richards, Toronto
If the main concern is to lessen the time between studying subjects such as math and science to minimize the "summer learning loss," shouldn't we re-evaluate the semester system in secondary schools?
A high school student can study math in the first semester and then not do so again until the second semester of the following year – a full year of "learning loss."
How much time is "wasted" reviewing the work from a year ago?
Carol McCreesh, Aurora
Heating/Cooling different
Not sure if Gonzo was aware, but a furnace and an air conditioner are two different things. Nobody arguing that the school's aren't heated (although some aren't heated very well!). But many have no air conditioning. You go ahead and try learning in 35 degree heat. Just try keeping 30 students on track in that.
Posted by SpinStopsHere at 1:54 PM Tuesday, July 15 2008
Most schools and classes are working until the end of June
It is not "few hot days". When it was once 29C in the end of April, scholls inside got up to 40C and more, and kept these temperatures for many days. Most of the schools have bad ventilation, and a lot of dust in the air. During hot times in June, and especially in September, or October overheated dusty schools' air burns eyes. Shortness of the oxygen leads to the headaches, nose bleedings and fainting.
Posted by ironic at 1:24 PM Tuesday, July 15 2008
year-round schooling
this argument that we can't have it because there is no air-conditioning is bogus - do we shut down the schools all winter because every so often there is a blizzard? this is a manageable problem - simply close the schools for those few days when it is too hot. under the existing system the capital investment in the schools goes to waste for the summer - and that is inexcusable.
Posted by gonzo at 9:31 AM Tuesday, July 15 2008 |
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 3 |
|
|
Feed Entries 
