Fix school of choice process — and boost academics

Opinion

Winnipeg School Division superintendent Matt Henderson said to the Free Press, “Parents are the experts of their children and we want the kids to have agency, too, and determine what type of learning environment they would like.” Recent changes to the WSD ‘School of Choice’ program eliminate all agency for many families.

Until this year, the WSD School of Choice process was called grassroots and chaotic. Parents completed forms and submitted them to principals. While time-consuming, parents, teachers and principals advocated for students who needed different options. There were many reasons: bilingual programs, workplace or daycare proximity, and facilitating good learning.

The WSD superintendent’s office has just created a centralized system. WSD says attending one’s neighbourhood catchment school is ideal because “Children can walk or bike to school and stay with neighbourhood peers.”

Acting on this, my household applied to the School of Choice program. We live within easy walking distance and “within catchment” to a high school if one is in the French program. If a pupil is in the English program, we’re out of catchment. Our twins attended a bilingual elementary school, but like many in Ukrainian, Cree, Ojibwa, Filipino, Punjabi, or Hebrew programs, our kids did middle school in English.

In February, following instructions, we registered for the required school. We received no confirmation of receipt. In early March, we applied for our chosen high school by email according to the online directions, even though the form instructed applicants to submit directly to the school. There was no confirmation.

Getting nervous, we contacted the vice principal at our school of choice. She resubmitted the forms. At the end of March, we finally got email confirmation.

In April, we got a call about our application. I explained: our kids want to walk to school and attend with their cohort. We want the chosen school’s academic programming, including continuing teacher relationships built through Grade 8 shops and workshops. The WSD employee said she heard my “excuses” and then corrected to “reasons.” Although she called about one twin, I included both. I asked when we might know more. She said a principal would notify us in a few weeks.

A month later, we’d heard nothing. Directed to contact assistant superintendent Shelley Warkentin, I emailed Henderson and Warkentin on May 2 but got no reply. Ten days later, I called my ward trustee. Later that day, the assistant superintendent informed my husband that our chosen school was full. We wouldn’t know more until the end of June.

I called back to ask to appear before the board of trustees. I was told that a community liaison would investigate. Meanwhile, I emailed our catchment school asking for course information and graduation rates. The principal didn’t answer my questions. He didn’t have our February registration, which I provided again. He referred me to the board office.

By May 21, one of my 13-year-olds decided to advocate for himself. He already takes Grade 8 shops classes at his chosen high school. While there, he borrowed an office telephone to call the superintendent. Shuffled from clerk to clerk, they took his contact info and promised a response. He’s still waiting.

On May 28, I spoke again to the community liaison and to Henderson. The school where our children’s cohort attend, within walking distance of our home, wasn’t open to us. Months of trusting a poorly administered system means we haven’t pursued private schools, figured out tuition, or moved house. Our kids must wait uncertainly until the last minute because WSD isn’t prioritizing its own goals.

Due to few good public options, many students in our city-core neighbourhood attend private schools. WSD loses academic achievers, lowering test scores, because they cannot access the coursework their families value, like an international baccalaureate diploma or advanced placement classes.

Some high schools with empty classrooms still seek registrations. However, if parents believe their children should attend the IB program, or another rigorous option, choices are few. Instead of boosting options for excellence, the school division rations them.

Public schools meet many needs. It’s not cost effective for all schools to offer every program. The Manitoba school choice system exists, according to law, to allow students to meet their specific needs. This effort boosts academic achievement and offerings at all schools.

If schools are overcrowded, due to popularity or densification, there are solutions. Replicate the successful offerings elsewhere, at under-enrolled schools. Install portable classrooms to maintain smaller class sizes. Offer schooling in shifts, so more can attend popular schools. Correlate funding models with enrollment and attendance rather than funding based on catchment alone.

On June 4, the superintendent wrote our chosen school was closed to grade 9 school of choice pupils. This should have been announced in February.

Create a common-sense, transparent system. Allow educators to help students access their best education. We waited five months to learn that the best, nearest public school has been denied because we chose a different elementary bilingual program. We live just 230 metres out of catchment. Many others are in this situation.

It’s June. Our catchment school didn’t respond with information until I appeared as a delegation at a board of trustees meeting. Our twins aren’t welcome at the closest school with their cohort and appropriate academic programming. When asked “What school’s next in Grade 9?” – we still don’t know. Winnipeg students, including mine, deserve better.

Joanne Seiff, a Winnipeg author, has been contributing opinions and analysis to the Free Press since 2009.