Friday, February 03, 2012 To whom it may concern, As the parent of two children currently enrolled in the French Immersion program in the Upper Grand District School Board, I am writing this letter in regards to the Boards most recent decisions related to boundary changes. First of all, I would like to express the frustration that I am feeling on behalf of the parents and children who are essentially being denied access to French Immersion due to their location. It is unreasonable to expect students, especially in the primary grades, to travel from Rockwood to Brisbane twice daily, by bus. French Immersion has historically been perceived by many as an elitist option. The Board, unfortunately, does not realize that it has potentially underlined this misguided stereotype by making the F.I. program easily accessible to some (those who live within the city limits for example) while making it less realistic of a choice for those who live outside of the designated boundaries (which, I might add, are continuously changing). How could F.I.enrolment have suddenly increased so dramatically that the Board is unable to accommodate the demand? How are new schools being built without taking these numbers into consideration? Surely, the Board must have projected this increase long ago. By continuously providing temporary band aid solutions to long term concerns our Board of Education is working against their own mission statement. The community continues to question whether varied educational opportunities are being provided equitably. Personally, I am disappointed that I will have to seek out a new daycare provider come September 2012. The current scenario proposed by the Board leaves our family at one F.I school while imposing a move for our daycare providers family to another, even thought we live in the same neighborhood. Should they choose to keep their children enrolled in Immersion that is. I am saddened, that the friends my child has grown and learned with these past 3 years will no longer be at the same school, nor in the same city next year. For a child who already experiences anxiety around school, this will only add a new social barrier to his daily routine. Lastly, I am frustrated that the Board continues to willingly give French Immersion an unstable future due to insufficient planning on their part. I struggle to understand how an organization that is supposed to work on behalf of the public is knowingly doing more harm than good to a program that used to be so highly regarded. Is the Board aware that currently, French Immersion is being interpreted by many as a mere inconvenience. In light of the recent events surrounding many school closures and boundary changes, the general public continues to lose faith that their best interests are being taken into consideration. It begs us to question, exactly whos best interests are you looking out for anyways? Sincerely, Aaron Bird
Aaron Bird