THE NEW LEARNING GUIDE Education Opportunities Alternatives and Enhancements for Maritime Communities

THE NEW LEARNING GUIDE Education Opportunities Alternatives and Enhancements for Maritime Communities Margaree Education Coalition January 2000 Funding for the New Learning Guide was kindly provided by the Donner Canadian Foundation. Special thanks to the Margaree Community for its support in developing the concept of New Learning and for its financial contribution that enabled the project to begin. Also, thanks to the New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island Departments of Education and existing School Boards for their help and direction during research; and to Maritime private (independent) schools for providing up to date information. Thanks to all outside readers for reviewing material and offering their valuable insights, to Polly Davis for careful editing, and to the Board of Directors for their continued support for the project. Project Design and Coordination by Brian Peters Research and Writing by Brian Peters, Pamela (Forsyth) Hudson and Karly Kehoe Book Layout and Graphic Design by Pamela (Forsyth) Hudson Published by The Margaree Education Coalition January 2000 ISBN 0-9686606-0-6 TABLE OF CONTENTS WHAT IS NEW LEARNING? Community and Education Origins of The "New Learning Project" Objectives and Format of the Project OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENTS AND ENHANCEMENTS WITHIN PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE MARITIMES Introduction Site Based Management School-Centred Program Enhancements Community Supported Enhancements The Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation NEW LEARNING ALTERNATIVES Introduction Charter Schools Private (Independent) Schools Home Schooling Alternatives in Other Countries Conclusion COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ADVOCACY Introduction The Story of Margaree's Fight to Save Its School Building Community: The Kitchen Forum Building Awareness - Further Tools Advocacy Conclusion: New Learning Educates Whole Communities THE COMMUNITY-OPERATED PUBLIC SCHOOL — A PROPOSAL Vision Prerequisite Support Governance and Operation Programs and Curriculum Draft Program Plan for Grades 9-12 Draft Financial Plan Conclusion APPENDIX A - NEW LEARNING RESOURCES APPENDIX B - PUBLIC EDUCATION STRUCTURES IN THE MARITIME PROVINCES APPENDIX C - ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENDNOTES CHAPTER 1- WHAT IS NEW LEARNING? New learning is about meeting the changing needs of our students in the new millennium. New learning is about enhancing the learning experience of our students by employing the rich array of resources and opportunities within our communities. New learning is about introducing flexibility into the structures that govern education to best accommodate the wide diversity of needs among our students. New learning is about using technology in appropriate ways to expand education opportunities and to optimize school programs. New learning is about allocating decision- making in education to local communities, where students are nurtured and their needs are best understood. New learning is about generating diverse and sustainable education communities and creating among all citizens a culture of life-long learning. As we enter the new millennium, parents around the world have one thing in common- a concern about how to best prepare our children to succeed in a rapidly changing global environment. The recent explosion of information technology has enabled goods and services, money and data to flow across national borders at a rate that most of us never imagined. International trade agreements, mergers among corporations and financial institutions, the emergence of common currencies, and the threat of global pollution all contribute to a spectre of globalization that is causing many Canadians to be apprehensive about the future for our children. We want our schools to do the best possible job of preparing students to succeed in the modern world. We want our schools to offer the greatest possible range of learning opportunities to our children. We want our schools to enlighten younger generations with the essential understandings of heritage and culture, community and civilization, environment and universe, so that they can help make the world a better place. This is the challenge of NEW LEARNING. The Margaree Education Coalition and the authors of the New Learning Project encourage you to read and enjoy, use and apply the information in the New Learning Guide, the New Learning Homepage and the New Learning Presentation. We sincerely hope that the project can help you realize your goals for the education of your children and the development of your communities. Brian Peters New Learning Project Coordinator Community and Education Community-based Education and the Modern World Operated by provincial governments, modern public education systems are expensive and complex. The cost of delivering education in the three Maritime provinces is approximately $5,000 per student per year. Current school construction and maintenance costs average $1000 per student per year. Students in the public education system are presented with a specified program of studies, and administrators and teachers are paid in accordance with provincial collective agreements. Economies of scale have caused the amalgamation of schools in order to bring enough students together in one place to be able to pay enough teachers to deliver the required programs. This trend has resulted, particularly in rural areas, in the closure of many community-based schools in favour of larger amalgamated schools. As a prevalent trend throughout North America in the last twenty years, amalgamation has been the focus of many professional studies. The literature is consistent in concluding that amalgamation does not result in greater achievement among students, and many studies identify negative impacts.1 Significant among the negative impacts is the erosion of rural communities that have lost their schools. But of greatest concern is the loss of potential learning when students are taken from their home communities. Studies have shown that students learn best in their own communities.2 By attending community schools, they avoid long, tedious and dangerous bus rides. In these schools both students and parents are known by the teachers, who are thus more capable of understanding and me eting specific needs; and parents and citizens are more likely to be involved in school activities-enriching and diversifying the students' learning experiences. Community-based public education offers valuable security and opportunity to prepare our child ren for success in the modern world. During an age of expanding globalization, it is important to strengthen local communities and economies. Students must be alert, motivated and equipped with a strong general knowledge and understanding that will prepare them for life in a rapidly changing complex world. If an area has the resources of a devoted community to help direct and enhance education, its community-based school will be the best equipped to meet the needs of students entering the new millennium. Community-based education is central to New Learning. Building Communities, Awareness, and Life-long Learning The process of building communities is intrinsic to New Learning. By cultivating strong relationships between its citizens and programs in the school, a community will develop vitality that will attract young families and businesses, thus contributing to general social and economic growth. The proximity and quality of schools are key factors in the decisions of people with young children to remain in or move to a community. Real estate values are strong in areas with vital schools, providing an adequate tax base to support expanded government services. Service industries and spin-off businesses proliferate in areas of growth. Modern communication technology also increases opportunities, and more families are able to succeed in the community of their choice- increasing student enrolment and assuring the on-going viability of the school. The building of a strong community is best accomplished by a population that is organized and aware of the forces directing the modern world. As people become more aware of the issues of education and their relation to development, they see opportunities and solutions that are most appropriate their students and their communities. Awareness leads to empowerment. As people become organized they demand more control over their social and economic development. Citizens demand more information, analysis opportunities for input. Communities those have built awareness and have become organized demand power to determine the form of education that best meets the needs of students. Particularly in rural areas, schools are community focal points and centres of organized activities and entertainment as well as learning. Students of c ommunity-based schools see themselves, their parents and older generations as participating in an integrated, evolving set of actions, perspectives and relationships. Parents are rewarded by on-going contact with the enthusiasm of youth, exposure to new ideas, and the assurance that their children enjoy a vibrant and secure learning environment. Older generations enjoy the opportunities to share their knowledge and experiences, to communicate with youth, and to be part of the continuum of learning. The resu lt of this dynamic is valuable trans-generational accessibility, communication and understanding (that grows increasingly rare in our globalized civilization) and the emergence of a culture of life-long learning. Building communities, awareness and life-long learning is the goal of

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