The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) trustees adopted the terms of reference for the board’s French Review at the March 31 meeting.
The review was prompted by:
– an increase in enrolment for French immersion;
– the need to mitigate the numerous boundary reviews caused by French immersion enrolment increases;
– the difficulty of hiring and retaining qualified French-as-a-second-language teachers for both French immersion and core French
– busing implications (long rides and costs); and
– equity of access and issues created by the geography of the board.
Trustees met and established the rationale, scope and membership of the committee. It is to bring options and recommendations to the full board by Dec. 31.
The 31 members of the committee will include seven parent representatives (four from Guelph, and one each from Orangeville, Centre/North Wellington and East Wellington), the presidents of the local Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation unions, and six trustees (three from Guelph, and one each from Orangeville, Centre/North Wellington and East Wellington).
The parent representatives will have experience with a different French delivery models including regular track, dual track, French immersion centres and in the elementary and secondary panels. The rest of the committee will include board staff from all areas of the organization
The committee will develop a timeline for its work (which is short considering the scope), report back to the board on a frequent basis and review and analyze a variety of existing UGDSB data sources (enrolment, expenditures/funding, staffing and retention/attrition rates). It will also review current research, undertake surveys of students, parents and teachers and propose strategic options and recommendations.
Simulations will be conducted to understand the pros and cons and overall impact on students and their families, program (both English and French), facilities, transportation, funding and the board.
Trustees who were selected to serve on the committee include Susan Moziar, Marty Fairbairn, Martha MacNeil, Dylan Challinor (student), Barbara Lustgarten-Evoy, Barb White and Kathryn Cooper.
