Another Satinwood School proposal to increase its student population has been rejected by the Wolf Creek school board.
Satinwood proposed a home education program based out of Red Deer be absorbed into the public education system under the Wolf Creek Public Schools (WCPS) umbrella.
The home-based students would be registered as students of Satinwood but would continue to learn at home. Creating a public school home education program would add 600 to 700 students to Satinwood’s roster.
However, the school board feels integrating the home education program into its public school system has too many unforeseen challenges, and therefore isn’t a feasible plan.
“Under the proposal the funding would come from us. There would be a burden placed on Satinwood School to ensure all the payments we make are appropriate, going out to these families,” said Joe Henderson, secretary-treasurer.
He added Satinwood has a “very skeletal staff” compared to other schools that would be taking in an additional 600 to 700 students.
The school board would have to maintain proper school records for all the home-based students, as well as have someone look after the program and ensure it’s constructed to support Wolf Creek’s standard of student learning.
Trustees agreed guaranteeing the program would thrive in a public school system would require tremendous amounts of resources from both Satinwood and WCPS staff.
Satinwood would receive a minimum $60 for every home-based student registered through the school. “They’re seeing it just being this revenue source,” said Henderson.
However, Henderson explained more upkeep and attention than could possibly be given by Satinwood and WCPS would be needed to run the program. Money could not be collected from the students only to have them run their own education.
“On that basis alone the recommendation that would come from the minister is that this is not an appropriate program for us to enter into,” said Henderson.
If the board had approved Satinwood’s proposal, seven to eight more teachers would need to be hired to support the home learning program. However, the trustees weren’t sure where these teachers would come from or even if they would be Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) members.
Currently teachers for the program are hired by the operators in Red Deer.
“Wolf Creek Public Schools has an agreement with the Alberta Teachers Association, a collective agreement, that governs our employment of teachers. We do not employ teachers for Wolf Creek Public Schools, in any capacity, without them being members of the ATA,” said Henderson.
The board said the ATA could argue teachers already associated with the program are more like “facilitators,” rather than teachers.
Henderson said if they had contact with students in a public school home education system the ATA could claim WCPS ran a program without properly trained teachers.
The home program currently uses the Canadian Test of Basic Skills. If they were integrated into the public system they would have to work with the mandated Provincial Achievement Exams and Diploma Exams.
“So that to me would be another issue of concern. If we are going to take these young people in I would have to question whether or not these teachers are certified. We spend a lot of time upgrading our teachers,” said Lacombe trustee Bob Huff.
“Our first thought has to be for the students, which it is,” said Bentley/Eckville trustee Karen Engen. “I would speak against this because in order for us to do what we should be doing for the students it would cost us a substantial amount of money.”
Home education programs give parents and students choices and flexibility public systems don’t; which could disappear if the program entered the public school system.
“These parents made the choice not to put their children in a public school,” said Huff. “So if this is taken on by Wolf Creek are they going to all of a sudden have a change of heart?”
Huff was skeptical and feels by choosing home education the parents have already made their decision for flexibility and autonomy. If the program became public schooling the parents might take their children to another home education program instead of registering them under Satinwood.
However, this rejection doesn’t mean the end of the road for Satinwood School. Trustees remain eager to continue proposal discussions with the school and the involved parents.