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The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 27, 2002 - A3 Parents and students will appraise teachers (Continued from page 1) help to improve their skills are offered it ing teachers respond to parental concerns by the principal themselves or through on an ongoing basis. professional development opportunities. The Ministry of Education says parents Clarke admits some can't adapt. of students in all grades and students in "We don't support incompetent teach Grade 11, 12 and OAC will have input in ers, we support a process" to make them teacher appraisal in areas like teacher/par better. "(Some) teachers are terminated, ent and teacher/student communication even if the public doesn't believe it." and a teacher's ability to promote learn As for new teachers coming out of ing. teachers' college, Clarke said the new Just how the evaluation will be done qualifying test seems redundant and a and what weight it will cany in a teacher's waste of taxpayer money and a new overall job appraisal isn't teacher's time. known. The ministry is still "They have final exams " It is important to working out the details. in the college. We spent all "It will not be a mark this time training them on remember this is just system so to speak," said these things and now we're one component of Rob Savage, a spokesper telling them ... we don't teacher evaluation son in the education min know if they're ready" to istry office. be a teacher. principals and "It (framework) is cur The Ministry of vice-principals are rently being developed. It'll Education now requires involved as well." basically be a survey pro those coming out of teach · Rob Savage, vided to parents and (sen ers' college to write a fourMinistry o f Education ior) students." hour test. The first one is Savage said the stu slated for April 27. spokesperson dent/parent teacher per Those who do not "suc formance appraisal will start with the next cessfully" complete the test must wait school year and likely occur every two- until the fall to re-write it. What consti three years. He wasn't sure how or when tutes a pass and the timing of a re-write the forms would be distributed. has Clarke confused and a bit worried. < . "It is important to remember this is just "If they are not successful (in April) one component of teacher evaluation - and can't re-do the test until the fall they principals and vice-principals are involved will not be able to be hired probably until as well," said Savage. next year, maybe January at the earliest." Halton's teacher union chiefs empha Even though the test is only a month size that teachers, V-Ps and principals away. Savage could not confirm many have always received ongoing construc details about the nature of the test. tive criticism of their work. "We're still working with the company "Your supervisor needs to evaluate (Educational Testing Service of New how you do your job; that's what the prin Jersey) on developing the test. We'll have cipals do," Clarke said of teacher perform the (pass) standards in place on time." ance. TTie registrar for the Ontario College of She noted there is already in place Teachers, which certifies teachers in the province-wide a two-part expectation province, said the test is being rushed into relating to the appraisals of teachers, V-Ps use. and principals. "The college and other education part There is annual co-op supervision ners have supported the initiative for a where a principal meets during the year qualifying test for new teachers in with each teacher in his or her school. Ontario," said Joe Atkinson. They have a one-on-one at the start of the "But the test has to be fair and relevant. school year to discuss goal setting and We should take this year to validate the meet throughout the year, as needed, to test properly and count it for next year. assess and re-evaluate progress or the lack The test is not ready to be used as a basis of it. for withdrawing certification, and the The formal evaluation process occurs rushed administration of it is unfair to every three years, said Clarke. The everyone who is required to take it," he province requires new teachers and those added. who have moved to another board to be Savage said the ministry has yet to des appraised twice in each of the first two ignate sites across the province - likely years. colleges or universities - where the tests Clarke said the evaluation process is will be conducted. like a professional audit entailing the pres The ministry is absorbing the cost of ence of the principal in a teacher's class the test, which Savage pegged at $2.6 mil several times during the school year. The lion for its initial development and imple analysis of what they observe is kept on mentation. file for later review. If you hav« a now *tip Of story idea, - Those teachers who need guidance or cad the O afcvttaBm vw at 845-3624. Julie Fairrie · Special to the Oakville Beaver FORE A GOOD CAUSE: The Oakville K nights of C olum bus Second A nnual C h arity G olf T ournam ent takes place June 18 at C arlisle G olf and C ountry Club with half the proceeds going to the A rthritis Society, the balance to support oth ers in need in the community. Last year's event raised m ore than $14,000. Call 827-5387 for sponsorship opportunities and foursomes. Shown here (from left) are: Len Collins, chair K of C golf com m ittee; Nilda Patey, A rthritis Society; Danny Salvatore, president F ernbrook Homes and founding sponsor; W ayne Kendall, G ran d K night O akville; A rth u r Peters, A rthritis Society and Jo h n M iron, K of C golf Com m ittee. Parent mentoring program scrambling for funding (Continued from page 1) That project includes a $30-million government pledge to establish more than 40 Early Years centres in Ontario. Early Years centres are intended to provide family-based support services. Perhaps surprisingly, neither Russell nor her group of volunteers are particu larly upset with the province for cutting the funding. In fact, she admits without initial funding four years ago, Halton Parent Mentoring may never have been established. Russell says instead of being angry at the funding cut she's now focused on taking steps to find alternative cash for the association. "We're not Harris-bashing, we just wish they had some money for us," Russell said. "It's taken us four years to get here." Russell said her group could have done more during its four-year existence to raise additional funds in case their gov ernment money ran out. That now becomes the group's main focus. "We need to partner with a group that can teach us how to (fund-raise) effec tively," Russell said. "We have the volun teer base, we just need the know-how." Bruce Jones, one of the group's most dedicated volunteers, says if Halton A R M A T " W e 'r e n o t H a r r i s b a s h in g , w e j u s t w is h th e y h a d s o m e m o n e y f o r u s ." · Peggy Russell, co-founder o f Halton Parent Mentoring Parent Mentoring's services discontinue, a great number of people in the region will be adversely affected. Jones said current users will most likely file into three groups. Some, he said, will be able to continue to parent effectively without its services. Some will slip into what Jones called an acute group needing immediate sup port, and a third may or may not develop acute problems depending on other cir cumstances. Regardless, Jones said without Halton Parent Mentoring providing free coun selling services, its users will be forced into the public system. "They'll find themselves in the social service system again," he said. "They'll need places to go an it won't be this place." Jones ultimately believes users of the services aren't the only ones who will be affected. He said dissolving Halton Parent Mentoring will have negative impacts for taxpayers on both sides of the political spectrum. "If you're left of centre it's a poor thing because the social service system is losing a key element," Jones said. "If you're a right winger the it means more money is being spent (on professional counsellors) when it doesn't need to be spent. It's not fiscally responsible." Russell and Jones said their 57 volun teers have put in about $280,000 worth of counselling work into Halton in four years. Naturally, that number increases the longer Halton Parent Mentoring offers its services, said Jones and Russell. They also claim a significant number of users become volunteers with the pro gram after benefiting from its services, which further validates the cost-saving measures proposed by Jones. Anyone interested in contacting Russell or Jones can phone Halton Parent Mentoring at 905-637-0066. E N S GOOD FRIDAY MARCH 29TM at 10:30 a.m . & MONDAY APRIL 1 s t at 10:30 a.m . Preview from 9:00 a.m. 2 ANTIQUE AUCTION SA LES ' If t h e r e is a b a b y o n t h e w a y -- ffiL L E | p r e s e n ts T he R o m a n tic M u sic o f \L<y E T ox fere: C E N T R E i You9 1 1want to attend the 1 AT THE AG RICULTU RAL H A L L , M ILTO N FAIRGROUNDS ROBERT ST. M ILTO N Both sales featuring an exceptional selection o f top quality country and formal antique furnishings, lighting, paintings, glass, china. Royal Doulton figurines, quantity of sterling silver, jewelry, primitives, highly sought after collectibles, home decoratives. and much more. 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