Author Archive for Tunya Audain

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Powerful Unions “tie the hands” in Education Decision-Making

Published on November 3, 2008 in 101 Reasons to Abolish and Blog. 0 Comments

More reasons to Abolish SBs……..

13. When an educator says their “hands are tied”, that is code talk for a union contract taking precedence in decision-making.

How many times have we heard, coming from the mouths of principals, superintendents or trustees – “Our hands are tied.”? I’ve heard it MANY times.

A newstory from Surrey just begins to highlight some of the issues that arise when powerful unions are involved in school decision-making. See online story from Janet Steffenhagen, Sun Reporter here. Do read the other links in the story and maybe you can sort this out better than I can.

Anyway, I see some issues emerging which beg attention:
-    Should union members who work for a School Board run for trusteeship? To me this is rank conflict of interest and we need to tighten conflict of interest provisions in public office.
-    The president of the local CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees), an incumbent trustee, was asked about this issue: “if students rights should trump those of unionized employees”. Her answer was that CUPE was the governing body for Special Education Assistants and offered to set up a meeting with the parents “to have an open dialogue”.
-    Why is the union (CUPE) the “governing body” for Special Education Assistants? I thought the School Board was THE governing body in this matter? What kind of a loose contracting system do we have here? Can we get some details? How appropriate is it for the union to be setting up meetings with parents for dialogue? Who are the responsible authorities here anyway? What’s dialogue going to accomplish?
-    Union contracts perpetuate” seniority”, not qualifications or suitability in jobs. In the story you will see another candidate, (heaven help us) also a CUPE member, saying she worked successfully with some children, but “because of low seniority” wasn’t able to continue.

WHAT CHANCE IS THERE AT ALL FOR PARENTS TO BE ADVOCATES FOR THEIR CHILDREN WHEN ALL THESE COMPLEX CONTRACTUAL UNION ENTANGLEMENTS STAND IN THE WAY OF “THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD”?

Furthermore, isn’t it SAD that parents are reduced to the state where they can only get some answers at all-candidates meetings, which come once in three years? Their only chance for attention is the hope that there might be a reporter in the crowd who would report some of their frustration and grief.

And, furthermore, I am also running in a School Board election at the moment in West Vancouver and I see parents at meetings asking similar desperate type of questions. What kind of accountability and accessibility is there when parents have to come, cap-in-hand, to AC meetings to ask potential trustees what they would do?

By the way, I first ran for School Board 33 years ago when I wanted to make things better for my children and their peers in their lifetime. Now, I am a grandmother and am running again, mainly to point out that “the system” is as stagnant now as it was then as far as responsiveness to parents goes. It’s run for the convenience of the establishment..

School Boards and “Catchment Areas”

Published on November 2, 2008 in 101 Reasons to Abolish and Blog. 0 Comments

12. School Boards cling to catchment area policies to retain central office control.

Think how sinister that term “catchment area” sounds. Reminds me of how the phrase “beyond the pale” is used — people (Jews, Gaelic Irish) daring to settle outside their assigned territories or boundaries in old Russia, Ireland, Europe. Or it brings to mind the caricatures of truant officers of old, knocking on doors, in search of and “catching” absent school children.

Anyway, I have recently been looking at the websites of school boards in BC and find a disturbing number still using the term “catchment areas”. What if parents were innocently looking for new housing in a new community and found a “good” school as their first criteria for resettling. Wouldn’t this “catchment area” policy force them to look for property only in that area?

France has recently aroused serious controversy and protest because of education reforms. Some of the concerns are voiced by teachers losing jobs because of redundancy. See this quote about catchment area reforms:

One of the most controversial reforms has been the liberalisation of the catchment area system. Since classes resumed in September French families can apply to any state school they want: They no longer have to apply to the institutions in their local area. Supporters of the change say it decreases segregation, as good schools in rich areas are no longer reserved to rich families, while opponents argue it will increase inequality, as it increases competition between institutions."

story here

Answers to OUTLOOK Newspaper

Published on October 28, 2008 in Blog and Election Issues. 0 Comments

Submitted to North Shore OUTLOOK, Oct 28/08 for their Election Issue.

1. Why are you running for election?

During this intense election period (Federal, US, local), and the economic crisis, I see a worrisome trend — politicians calling for more government to correct problems and the public lapping it up.

Where did this kind of thinking come from?

I see this blind faith in government as eroding and usurping our freedoms. That we have a government monopoly public education system is the main reason for this thinking.

I’m running to raise the alarm that public schools are training a placid, uncritical, and dependent citizenry. This is all contrary to human nature and this social engineering has gone too far.

2. What is your professional background?

BA (Psychology)

3. What are the important issues facing the school district that you are
interested in addressing if elected?

- Honor instrumentality in the lives of people — individuality vs collective mind-sets

- Local school autonomy, parents governing their own schools.

- Abolish school boards which rob parents of effectiveness, instead channeling them into fund-raising.

- Make sure students develop solid academic skills and critical thinking.

4. Official campaign slogan

AUTONOMY

Published in the Outlook Online, was the following:

Although most school board candidates are hoping to serve out their three years, one West Van trustee hopeful hopes to work herself out of a job.

Tunya Audain, another federal Libertarian, is running on a platform to dismantle the local school board. At her website, abolish-school-boards.org, Audain explains that the school board is an unnecessary fourth level of government that centralizes too much power in too few hands.

Instead, Audain promotes more of an independent school model where parents look after their child’s school.
Audain, who last ran for school board in 1975, is also taking aim at adult classes run by the school board including quilting and yoga. No word from Audain on where classes such as Jewellery Junkie 101 and Double Nine Patch Quilt should go if the school board is abolished.

sneufeld@northshoreoutlook.com

Grand vs Shabby — Board Offices vs Schools

Published on October 28, 2008 in 101 Reasons to Abolish and Blog. 0 Comments

Reason #11 in my rapidly evolving 101 Reasons to Abolish School Boards from my site:

http://abolish-school-boards.org

11: School Board administration offices far exceed furniture standards in local schools.

Why the inequity? Where are the priorities? Does your school have shaky fiber-glass chairs for the children to sit in vs $800 chairs for once monthly trustee meetings?

Please see discussion in this online story from Sun Reporter, Janet Steffenhagen : Beautiful and Not So Beautiful Schools

And comment as below:

Wendy Smith said:

I have been in and out of many district administration centres over the years, going back to the years when they were simply called "board offices." I have yet to find any classroom or other student facility in any district which approaches their grandeur. Eight hundred dollar board chairs while kids sat in stackable fibreglass chairs, many of which were cracking and wobbly, birds’ eye maple board tables, expensive and unnecessary renovations–I’ve seen a lot of it. And, consistently, the schools in the lower-income areas of the district were particularly shoddy and shameful in comparison. I live for the day when students in each district are working in facilities equivalent in quality. Realistically, I know it will never happen. (I did, however, respect one superintendent who told me that he’d furnished his office at his own expense.)

Wrap it all up in whatever wrapping you choose. Check out your local district administration centre, then go to a school in an economically-deprived area in the district, check it out, and draw your own conclusions.
October 28, 2008

(PS: My Comment on this issue: Do we, in the social sciences, have a Hypocrisy Scale? If not, let’s design one. Tunya Audain)

Answers to Newspaper Questions

Published on October 27, 2008 in Blog and Election Issues. 0 Comments

These are the answers I submitted to the North Shore News for publication in their forthcoming Election Pages (election Nov 15/08).

1. Age – 71

2. Occupation – Retired

3. No of children? – 2 daughters, 4 grandchildren

4. Political Party – Libertarian

5. Are you soliciting sponsorship? NO, not seeking CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees), teacher union or WVCGG (West Vancouver Citizens for Good Government) approval.

6. Do you live in the municipality you seek to represent? Yes

7. What higher education qualifications do you hold? BA (Psychology) Saskatoon, Teaching Certificate, Ottawa Teachers College

8. What Parent Advisory Council experience have you had? Was on executive of parent groups. Got news coverage for protesting “Mickey-Mouse” English tests.

9. For non-incumbents: How many board meeting have you attended in the last 3 years? Attended 3 board meetings in West Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Vancouver.

10. What is the single biggest challenge facing your school district?

Genuine parent involvement is lacking. Having worked hard in the early days to validate PAC’s I’m disappointed to see parent energy being channeled into fund-raising.

11. How will you achieve a solution?

I will do all I can to accomplish local school autonomy. Parents should have an instrumental role in decisions on programming, quality, achievement and staffing.

12. Why are you running?

I’m running to discuss issues generally and, in particular, to see how many people support abolishing school boards for the sake of autonomy and savings.

13. You website – http://abolish-school-boards.org

Board Should Drop Quilting and Other Recreation Courses to Adults

Published on October 26, 2008 in 101 Reasons to Abolish and Blog. 0 Comments

Speakers Denounce Standards to Educators

Published on October 26, 2008 in 101 Reasons to Abolish and Blog. 0 Comments

More….101 Reasons to abolish….

9. School Boards and other public education bodies love to hear speakers who denounce standards.

Currently, the most popular speaker against standards, testing, homework, and merit pay is Alfie Kohn, a frequent flyer to BC.

Most of his talks are to educators, who are then urged to spread his message to parents. These are some Kohn quotes from the Salt Lake Tribune, Oct 20/08

When the scores go up, it’s not just meaningless. It’s worrisome”

The best teachers spend every day of their lives strategically avoiding or subverting the Utah curriculum,"

See the whole story here.

Also, please see this take on Kohn to the Concord Review by Will Fitzhugh , Parallel Universe.

Campaigning to Abolish School Boards

Published on October 24, 2008 in Blog and Election Issues. 0 Comments

(Below are my background notes for the 2 minute presentation taped for local TV. I don’t know how the final will look or sound. Air time (Cable 4) for West Vancouver candidates are: Sat Nov 1, 8-9:00 am & Sun Nov 9, 6:30-7:30pm.)

The last time I ran for School Board Trustee in West Vancouver was in 1975 and I ran then as a parent of 2 young students in the school system. I wanted to make things better for them and others in West Van schools. I did not get elected.

Now, I’m running as a grandmother, 33 years later, and in all that time I do not see things having improved….responsiveness to student needs, relationships with parents don’t seem to have improved…parents are still frustrated and families are still not meaningfully involved in governing their schools or successful in pushing for achievement goals. In fact, things are worse, more complex, more entangled than ever…..

I’m running not for power or to sit for 3 years at symbolic school board meetings.

I’m running in order to have conversations on issues with people during this election period.

The main issue I present is that of the relevancy of the school board system itself. I see the school board as an unnecessary 4th level of government. Why do we cling to the large central control institution of school boards when we have the successful model of independent schools where parents govern their own schools? Or we can try the charter school model where teachers and parents govern an autonomous school.

If school boards were abolished we would achieve enormous cost savings, perhaps to the amount of $1,000 – $2,000 extra per child which could either go to all students or dedicated to serving special needs.

Other issues are community education. Should school boards, for example, run Yoga and quilting courses? No.

Should school boards recruit and educate international students — for profit? No, that is not their mandate. Leave that to the private sector.

Other issues I want to discuss with people are vouchers and tuition tax credits. What about the idea, in the name of transparency, of having the board post online their cheque registry of ALL expenditures?

Basically, my belief is that the best decision-making is that done closest to the individual and in the case of education, closest to home. That means having the family as closely involved in choices and decisions in education as possible.

The best model for school governance is local autonomy, therefore we don’t need school boards. Phone me or visit my website: http://abolish-school-boards.org

School Boards and Incompetency

Published on October 22, 2008 in 101 Reasons to Abolish and Blog. 0 Comments

more on 101 Reasons to Abolish School Boards….

8. School Boards are a great field resource to study incompetency.

Where did Laurence Peter (co-author of The Peter Principle: Why Things Always go Wrong) do his research?
In this books he refers to Excelsior City Special Education Department which is none other than the Vancouver School Board where he worked for 9 years (1955-1964) before going to teach at UBC. The famous saying made famous by Peter, which everyone is familiar with is:

In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.

My observation is that school boards continue to exemplify incompetence and over-bureaucratization to this day. They are unique as a public body that seems to be most immune, sheltered, under the radar….whatever…but generally exempt from the discipline of accountability or dedicated oversight. I attribute this favored position to the fact that the "oversight" is done by tame trustees — lapdogs not watchdogs!

Literature Empowering Parents

Published on October 22, 2008 in Blog and Literature. 0 Comments

Because of more visibility during this School Board election period, I am being asked for more of the literature that helps empower parents to get the best education for their children. I will publish much of this material in this category: Literature.

Available