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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday December 10, 2008 - 15 Oakville Residents for Public Education December 10, 2008 Halton District School Board Attention: Chair Bruce Jones Congratulations on your appointment as Chair of the Halton District School Board. We are committed to our children's education, and to ensuring that sustainable educational opportunities exist across southeast Oakville for all children. We are also committed to achieving a solution that respects the character and aspirations of this community. The Cooke report has clearly indicated that the Board failed to follow its process on school closure and that the process undertaken was unclear, lacked transparency and was divisive to the community. The accommodation review process severely damaged this community's trust in the Halton District School Board's decision-making processes. But this trust can be restored, if the Board is willing to engage the community in a constructive fashion, and place real value on its input. We urge you, as Mr. Cooke states, "to recognize that public education is a partnership with parents and the community and this partnership needs to be nurtured and respected." Tonight's Board meeting provides the first opportunity to begin to restore this community's confidence in the Board's decision-making. · The closure decision of July 2, 2008 must be rescinded. · Mr. Cooke recommends that to create a solution a new process needs to be crafted. We urge you to involve the community in crafting this process. · An independent, third party must be appointed by the Province to facilitate the next phase of consultation and decision making, to assist all parties to reach consensus on a solution for our children and community. We are hopeful that the Board will take this opportunity to accept Mr. Cooke's recommendations and move forward in a positive direction. We are ready to work together. Oakville Residents for Public Education www.myoakville.org