A8 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday August 18, 1999 Halton Board thinks it's on right track By Tim Whitnell SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER The Halton District School Board has gone 'naked', exposing its actions and concerns in educa tion over the last few years . Now it's waiting to see if the Education Improvement Commission likes what it sees. Recent turmoil and massive change in education has brought in the EIC, an arms-length agency of the Ontario government, to investi gate the status of the province's 73 school boards. Five EIC members, including two commissioners, were part of the reconnaissance team that visit- fed the Halton public board Tuesday Jo gather feedback on how trustees and board employees have adapted to changes imposed by the provin cial government. What they heard from board director Dusty Papke is that his people feel they have done a good job, under the circumstances, of educating students but communica tion -- both internally and with the public -- and employee morale needs significant improvement. 'Tremendous changes have Resulted in employees experiencing a period of mourning, a sense of loss, a belief that a negative percep tion exists about public education, a Jyelief that employees' work is not Education Improvement Commission paid a visit to Halton yesterday to see how the public board is coping valued and they are used as scape goats to drive a political agenda," he told the EIC. Papke said Mission 2000+, a professional development day put aside in October, will try to address the issue of self-esteem by bringing all Halton board employees togeth er to develop a mission statement and beliefs. Among his many observations was a conclusion that a number of professional activity days taken away by the government should be reinstated. After the two-hour public por- tion of Tuesday's meeting, Halton Hills trustee and public school board chair Ethel Gardiner said she liked Papke's overview of the board's achievements and current difficulties. "This is what we have done and what do you think?," is how Gardiner termed Papke's address to the EIC. (The commission mem bers were to meet with various groups within the board for the rest of Tuesday and Wednesday.) "We should never be offended when they (EIC) tell us how we can improve. It's all for the benefit of Com m unity map now available The 1999 edition of the Oakville community map is now available for $1, from Town Hall. The map, designed and produced annually by the Town of Oakville, contains current information, including roads and subdivisions current ly in the developmental stages, as well as new transit routes for the coming year. Several educational and informative facts relative to the Town, such as Oakville's size, population and modes of transportation. Added to this year's addition are dates of special events and festi vals and updates on new schools, churches, parks, recreational facilities and golf courses. Oakville Town Hall is located at 1225 Trafalgar Road. ! P h o to s n o w h a v e th e ir o w n h o m e (C o n tin u e d fro m p a g e 5) { Once again, it's taken at a Quirky angle: it's shot from a cor ner of the stage so that the chil dren are all look ing away from ithe camera...all J>ut one curious, Sombre girl. And what are they singing, these lit tle ones? 'T here'll always be an England." In the fore ground are the backs of the heads of a few in the audience. The pianist is intent on the music in front; twinkling lights are over head. A few other children lean against the stage, listening. When my kids saw the photo and read the title, they i m m e d i a t e l y thought of Kit Pearson's trilogy about the chil dren sent to Canada from England. Is this what it is, they asked. The photogra pher captured, in an instant, the mood of the times. Finally there is an intriguing !scene of a crowd !of people at Bay their faces. Whatever the real story, it's fun today to speculate about each and every one of the shots now, finally, framed and mounted. The photos tell their own stories. It's about time they got their own home. the students," said Gardiner. The board chair said pressing issues like lack of new schools in growing communities and $6 mil lion in reduced money for special education were stressed, once again. "I hope they will take from this presentation, and I'm sure they've heard this from other boards, to adjust the funding model to make it fairer. If all schools had no excess school spaces, it would be a fairer model." However, as Papke noted in his speech to EIC co-chair Ann Vanstone and fellow commissioner Betty Moseley-Williams, Halton board administrators are hamstrung by 1,600 excess pupil spaces in the elementary sector and another 4,000 in high schools, which pre vents the generation of provincial money to build new schools. Special Education funding, for students with unique physical or emotional needs, also needs to be a top priority, said Gardiner. A Halton mother with a deaf daughter took advantage of the EIC's visit to approach Vanstone outside the meeting and give her a letter for the new Minister of Education, Janet Ecker. The parent told a sympathetic Vanstone she fears bottom-line management style, where cheaper is better, may result in special edu cation students being taught in cen tralized locations, separating them from their siblings who are main stream students. A final report for Halton, detail ing the EIC's recommendations is expected to be delivered to the board by late September. Full Colour Flyer Today's P a p e r !^ ^ ^ ^ Now Open Special Hours Saturday 7am To 7pm! 28th Anniversary Sale! BRICK 'O AC l«k Cord Mutnwi pvrdtoM *250 Any Ird drfnwy ckargot. appUabi* taxt and '49 95 odnunrsradon (m payable at I offwrcka* TrocWrtolAKMUStn̂moimnolHoU.̂ NV U«d *dr I cm* by Loyally Monogtnwnl Ooep Caroda Inc •Sal* pr*« do not apply to cartom boddutg prodoc* F i n d H H H K T F o r d a t Summerfest 1999 - Nottinghill Park, August 20, 21 & 22. And picture yourself in a sporty new Mustang! W y e c ro ft KeC. 'and Queen 'stopped for a [moment and booking towards [what was a large [screen where the 'news was flash ing on at the time. [He caught them [all, as one, turned [towards the news [at Bay and Queen [and not one per son seemed to notice the pho tographer stand ing a little dis tance away. [Immediately you begin to wonder ■what is was they were all watch ing...the war that had begun: what was running through the minds of the men all wearing hats and the women in their shopping dresses and coats? Had they any idea of what [would prove to be devastating news for the next few years? Probably not. '■And, you know, they all might have simply been reading the latest on sales items at Eaton's. But I don't think so, not judging from the looks on all of m i. O s c a r ! This year we're proud sponsors of the Glen Abbey Resident Association's annual summer festival. Don't miss the party . Come on dow n, find our Mustang under the blue and red banner and w e 'll snap your picture behind the w heel! And you're a lw ays welcome at our home location, just o ff QEW at Dorval. Drop by to take a look at our executive driven demonstrators (or check them out online at www.kennedyford.ca): 0% Finoncing/48 Mo. 0% Financing/48 Mo. 0% Financing/48 Mo. '99 F150 Supercab '99 Explorer XLT $35,636 '99 Taurus SE $21,915 '99 Cougar V/6 Sport $24,940 "l}t6 O riginal in Ford C o u n try 280 South Service Road West, Oakville L6K 3X5, (905) 845-1646 Ad disclaimer hotline: (905) 845-1646 ext 210 Visit us online at www.kennedyford.ca A/ V v http://www.kennedyford.ca http://www.kennedyford.ca By Tim Whitnell Education Improvement Commission paid a visit to Halton yesterday to see how the public board is coping Community map now available ! Photos now have their own home Full Colour Flyer Now Open Special Hours Saturday 7am To 7pm! Sale! BRICK at Summerfest 1999 - Nottinghill Park, August 20, 21 & 22. This year we're proud sponsors of the Glen Abbey Resident Association's annual summer festival. Don't miss the party. Come on down, find our Mustang under the blue and red banner and we'll snap your picture behind the wheel! And you're always welcome at our home location, just off QEW at Dorval. Drop by to take a look at our executive driven demonstrators (or check them out online at www.kennedyford.ca): '99 F150 Supercab '99 Explorer XLT $35,636 '99 Taurus SE $21,915 '99 Cougar V/6 Sport $24,940 280 South Service Road West, Oakville L6K 3X5, (905) 845-1646 Ad disclaimer hotline: (905) 845-1646 ext 210 Visit us online at www.kennedyford.ca