Respectfully Standing Up

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Last updated at 9:26 AM on 06/03/09   Stop the disrespect but don't stop fighting for our school  Guest Opinion COMMENTARY LAWRENCE MCKNIGHT  As a Parkdale School parent, I first off want to acknowledge recent media coverage of comments made by some parents trying to save our Parkdale School, reactionary comments made by some at Prince Street School, then more derogatory comments by parents on public websites and elsewhere. Reports from some other presentations made outside the Charlottetown area even speak of name-calling and periodic verbal attacks. I think we all need to take a deep breath, slow down and be really careful of letting disrespect take over while losing sight of the flawed and inherently divisive process driving this whole debate. When parents get thrown into the middle of a process that is already well underway and its pre-made conclusions directly threaten their children's well-being, defensive and reactionary positioning can easily take over. Furthermore, when the report that set this whole uproar into action in the first place is now widely acknowledged as having numerous limitations, internal contradictions, inaccuracies, legal questions and that it makes some unfounded conclusions, emotions run high. Nevertheless, I fully believe that parents on all sides of this debate, who are understandably emotionally charged in defending the well-being of their children, sometimes need to be more cautious and respectful when directing outwardly their sense of powerlessness and anger. It's easy for parents to get sidetracked when feeling disempowered and threatened and even slip into disrespectful attacks. We don't need this. Our children don't need this. And yet, at least in our case, the core issues originally identified by parents at Parkdale School remain. The predicted population decline figures for our area are highly questionable and evidence that our area's population may well increase has been cited. Eastern School District superintendent Sandy MacDonald admitted at the last public presentations in Charlottetown that he had made a mistake in the report in concluding that the Parkdale site would have a problem handling more students and a potential expansion. But this central "fact" was one key reason cited to close our school. He later commented that building onto the Parkdale School, "would certainly turn Parkdale into a very, very valuable site, even more so as compared to Prince Street." Then he concludes that we should close down our Parkdale School and send all our children to Prince Street School. Digesting contradictions like this one does push our parents into a real pressure cooker. But in the end, if we parents simply allow this flawed and divisive process to shut down the Parkdale School, all children in Charlottetown and surrounding area will lose. Charlottetown children will lose forever the use of four full acres of incredibly valuable inner city green space, an incredible, new, million-dollar gymnasium, various gym programs that require this space to continue, a full onsite ball field, a unique safe area for boarding buses and the only inner city school site that can safely handle significant future expansions and developments. Let's really think ahead this time when we make these next big adjustments. MacDonald called the Parkdale site, "one of the best elementary school sites in the city of Charlottetown - these sites have characteristics in common that are essential in terms of elementary schools (the same characteristics we cited). Over the next decade these sites should be fully utilized." We agree. The property services manager for our school district, and MacDonald, actually noted that Parkdale School has an ideal location on which to extend more classroom space as needed, while still preserving all the valuable outdoor space for children's activities and making even better use of our new, million-dollar gymnasium. Home and school volunteers with construction backgrounds are currently drawing up demonstration building plans to show just how various stages of expansion to our facility could be built within a very reasonable budget. Our trustees really need, and deserve to be given, adequate time and opportunity to more fully consider these new options being presented by our group to save the Parkdale School. This Parkdale School site really is an essential resource for Charlottetown's children. For this reason, perhaps you might begin to understand our shocked, angry and emotionally charged reactions to the current threat to close down this incredible resource for all city children. But let's go easier on each other and re-focus on logical thinking and above all, saving and building upon, this key resource that is clearly very valuable for all our city children. Lawrence McKnight is a social worker, active member of the Parkdale Home and School Association and his child currently attends Parkdale School.

In The News, Ctd

'Students shouldn't settle for adequate,' school trustees told

Last Updated: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 | 8:09 AM AT Comments8Recommend5

CBC News

Parents with children at urban schools threatened with closure had their turn to speak Tuesday night, as P.E.I.'s Eastern School District continued consultations on a plan to close 11 schools.

'I would ask that you put the children first.'— Andrea MacNeil

Two schools in Charlottetown would close under the plan, St Jean Elementary, near the downtown, and Parkdale elementary, in Parkdale.

The gym at Colonel Gray High School was full for the meeting. Most of the dozen parents who made a presentation to the school board expressed their concern that Parkdale would close, when it was rated as one of the top elementary schools in the area.

"Our students shouldn't settle for adequate when they're used to superior," said Kathy MacKenna.

The students at Parkdale would be moved to Prince Street school, closer to the downtown, and parents felt they would receive a poorer quality education there. They argued the school has a large gymnasium, just built in 2002 and four acres of green space, which is not the case at Prince Street. They also pointed to the school's new playground.

Andrea MacNeil was on the verge of tears during her slide presentation of Parkdale staff and students.

"You've got a lot of things that you have to think about but I would ask that you put the children first," said MacNeil.

Prince Street students could move

Several parents suggested the students of Prince Street should be moved into Parkdale instead, if extra rooms were built to accommodate them.

Even district superintendent Sandy Macdonald, author of the report, agreed that would be a good alternative to closing Parkdale.

"That would certainly turn Parkdale into a very, very valuable site, even more so as compared to Prince Street," said MacDonald.

The reason MacDonald recommended closing Parkdale in the first place is because it doesn't have enough room for any more students, but Prince Street does, he said, adding it will be up to the school board to take those arguments into consideration.

In The News

Closing city school 'stupid' idea, meeting hears NIGEL ARMSTRONG  The Guardian Many words, sentences and documents were used by Parkdale School supporters Tuesday at a public meeting in Charlottetown but one presenter was blunt in summing up his view. Lawrence McKnight said that closing Parkdale and busing the children to Prince Street School “would be stupid, to be quite blunt.” He was speaking at the third of six planned public consultations by the Eastern School District in response to a report recommending the closure of 11 schools now and possibly two more in the near future. Two of the closures are in the Colonel Gray family of schools and it was at Colonel Gray that close to 300 people packed into the meeting Tuesday night. They were told 17 people or groups wanted to make a public presentation but if time ran out, arrangements will be considered to hear them at later meetings. It was Parkdale that received the greatest attention. Parkdale staff showed up dressed like a team in identical blue athletic wear. Parents draped green fabric over the backs of all the chairs on which they also placed a green sheet of paper outlining the Save- Parkdale campaign. It is the green space around Parkdale school that is one key focus of the support group. Parkdale has plenty of space to build an addition to the school and still have safe play space outside, which cannot be said for the destination of Prince Street, said many supporters. Lisa MacLaren, vice-president of the Parkdale Home and School group emphasized safety at the meeting.  She said the space around Parkdale allowed for much better control and safety of students in the event of a fire or school evacuation. She also spoke about safe and secure bus loading in the paved parking lot on the grounds of Parkdale whereas Prince Street loads and unloads from a street. Other presenters railed against the push to close schools before the district undertakes a rezoning in 2010 and before the effect of kindergarten integration takes place, also proposed for 2010. Samantha Watts was at the meeting in support of Grand Tracadie School which is also slated to close. She asked who told Sandy MacDonald, superintendent of education for the district, to write the school closure report. “A letter came from the minister of Education to the chair of the board,” said MacDonald.  The letter asked for a school closure report by Dec. 30 and the board gave the job to MacDonald. “So the minister of Education, who wanted this report, is not coming to these meetings?” said Watts, to loud applause. Lori MacKay spoke in support of Parkdale, saying  the present zoning has “buses zigzagging all over the city,” to cope with outdated zoning issues. She demanded the school closure project stop until rezoning can take place. “Slow this process down, and only you can do that,” she said, speaking directly to the school trustees. “Government will accept whatever decision you make. “Why the rush? Put kindergarten in place in 2010. Rezone in 2010, then look at your options.” The next public meeting on the school closure issue is scheduled for Montague High School on March 3.

Parkdale Brings Strong Showing To Board Meeting

The friends of Parkdale School came out in force for the latest meeting of the Eastern School Board's public consultations on school closures held at Colonel Gray with close to 300 people in attendance. 

Led by the Parkdale Home and School Association they made themselves heard during the question and answer session with Superintendent Sandy MacDonald and during presentations to the school board trustees. Six presentations were made in support of keeping Parkdale open because of questions about student safety, access to green space, and loss of enhanced programming and support services. Many questions were asked on details about Parkdale that were left out of the report and mistakes about Parkdale that were in the report. New facts and new ideas were given to the board.  

The message delivered was loud and clear that Parkdale School is a thriving school that gives students a quality learning environment with strong programs and should stay open.

Thank you to all who made presentations, asked questions and showed their support. A special thank you to the school staff who came out and showed their support.

Meeting Tonight

The next Eastern School Board Public Consultation Meeting on school closures will take place tonight at Colonel Gray High School. The meeting starts at 7 P.M.

This meeting will focus on the Colonel Gray family of schools. Ther e are two schools recommended for closure in this family, Parkdale and St. Jean's.

Please come out tonight and show your support for keeping Parkdale School open so that it can keep giving its students a quality education! Thanks.

Taking It To The Streets

Below is a copy of a brochure from the Parkdale Home and School Association that were hand delivered to hundreds of homes in Charlottetown this weekend by volunteers concerned about the future of Parkdale Elementary School.

Park Dale Brochure

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The Meeting Before The Meeting

The Parkdale Home and School Association will be holding a meeting tomorrow evening, Monday, February 23rd, at 6:30 P.M. The meeting will be held in the library at Parkdale School. The purpose of the meeting is to finalize preparations for the next Eastern School Board Public Consultation Meeting on Tuesday, February 24th, at Colonel Gray High School. 

If you are concerned about the future of Parkdale School and want to help the students keep receiving the quality education they get at Parkdale please attend. There are many ways to help out and volunteers are always welcome!