One of the foundation concepts of the school closing arguments being put forward by the TDSB is the issue ofTransitions. The General Asset and Program Planning Working Group report to the Board, April 10, 2008,
“Transitions negatively impact student achievement, motivation and participation.”
This is true. But it should refer to students who have continual transitions year after year like children in foster homes. Clearly, after moving from school to school, sometimes in the middle of a grade, students academics, not to mention their social development can be damaged.
But the report goes on to contend,
“One school-to-school transition is preferable, compared to two or three transitions.”
This is a political pronouncement not an academic one.
Students have survived and prospered our three level system with two transitions for five or six decades. Moving to a new school with all of your classmates is a different and even beneficial form of transition.
This weak and almost meaningless point is just being used to manipulate parents into accepting for a change from a middle school system into a K-8 one.
If we make the change at least one school here in Jane/Finch and many more around the city will be closed and their lands sold to developers. That is the real agenda here.
