Bradner Community News

ERROR - Abby News Poll Results on K-5

3/12/2016

Abbotsford News Poll Error K-5 Abbotsford School District Abbotsford BC Shirley Wilson School Board Trustee

Source - Abby News, print edition (reproduced)

The Abbotsford News misreported results from last week's poll about the Abbotsford School Board's decision to strip the top two grades out of all Abbotsford rural schools including Bradner and Mt Lehman.

Amanda McAllister said she had been watching the online results posted on the website last week that showed that 76% of respondents were NOT in support of the board's decision, but the Friday March 4th print edition of the Abbotsford News reported that 76% DID support the decision. Affected parents feel this error adds insult to injury.

The Abbotsford News ran a tiny correction in their print edition days later without apology. To further drive the stake deeper for parents they also published the story 'Local woman pledges a year of kindness for her birthday' where one Abbotsford School Board trustee Shirley Wilson pledges to do inconvenient acts of kindness starting on March 20th, her 50th birthday.

"What about the 400+ parents involved in the re-configuration??! 100% of us do not support the trustees decision!! We could use consideration & kindness...! You, Shirley Wilson and all trustees, are mandated to represent us, by your own SD's policy!" - Heather Walsh

".....School Trustee, Shirley Wilson.... is pledging a year of kindness. Um..... Shirley, as a School trustee you perhaps may have wanted to focus some kindness efforts towards your constituents..... you know those ones that are not in agreement?" - A parent affected by the re-configuration

Parents see this pledge as a direct contradiction to the way they have been treated. All trustees have demonstrated they do not serve in the best interests of the public and that they do not share the same value for small rural communities as the parents they represent do. Trustees have rather demonstrated disrespect and ignorance throughout this process.

The Parent Advisory Council's of all six schools targeted, surveyed their members and showed nearly 100% DO NOT support the re-configuration proposal. Parents have pointed out that rural life is different than city life, that their communities enjoy traditions that go back nearly 100 years, that parents are connected here in ways that support families and children alike... that the chiseling away of communities will effect the strength of Abbotsford's communities for the future.

Parents also point out that the School Board's own policy is in direct violation of the way it has conducted itself and treated parents during their re-configuration decision.

Board Policy Policy 7 – Board Governance and Operations

"The Board believes that its fundamental obligation is to preserve and enhance the confidence and public trust in the public education system. Consistent with its objective to encourage the general public to contribute to the education process, Board meetings will be open to the public."

The K-5 issue was further fudged by the School Board after parents learned that the district's Long Term Facilities Plan is still under revision AND that a Staff Report containing the research used to base the trustees K-5/Middle School decision WAS NOT even completed before they unanimously voted to proceed with the re-configuration!

When asked directly, Kevin Godden replied in a very snarky tone at a public board meeting that "Common Sense" was used to back up their decision, to which the many in the crowd attending shouted back to Kevin that his comment was extremely disrespectful, unprofessional and grossly uneducated. It was at the February 23rd meeting that Godden told the public about the unfinished Staff Report that was being used in the decision they were voting on that night.

So, the 6 schools slated was voted in... by trustees, unanimously based on an unfinished, unreleased Staff Report and a facility strategy plan currently under-revision with no completion date.

Not one of the trustees represented the parents and public, NOT one.

Plans are underway to hold the trustees accountable. To get involved join the Facebook group Save Our K-7 Schools which has over 400 members, write to your MLA, the Ministry of Education and the trustees themselves.