Page Tools:
Edmonton Public Schools Champion Choice for Parents
diversity, edmonton, edmonton public schools, education,
Back in the mid-1970s, Edmonton Public Schools implemented a revolutionary idea: Parents could choose to send their children to any school in the district, regardless of where they lived. Schools were also tailored to meet the needs of particular student populations and interests.
More than three decades later, the district still champions choice for parents, and that philosophy has been the trademark of its success.
“The notion that parents could choose any school began with the belief that there are different ways of educating children,” says Edgar Schmidt, superintendent of Edmonton Public Schools. “Even though the government says a student should be able to do certain things by the end of a school year, we believe there are different ways to get there. The one-size-fits-all model of education and the idea that there’s only one way to cross the finish line doesn’t fit our diverse society.”
The district reflects that diversity and includes everything from Ukrainian, Muslim and Christian schools to specialty schools that teach the Alberta curriculum by incorporating the arts, international language studies and pedagogical programs.
“We have quite a number of families who choose alternative programs, though we never want to lose sight of the importance of the community school program as well,” Schmidt says. “About half of parents in our community choose their own neighborhood school.”
Through its international language programs, the schools offer students, teachers and the general public the opportunity to receive international certification for their second language proficiency in French, Mandarin, German, Japanese and Spanish.
“Our Mandarin program has been recognized internationally, which has been quite an honor because the Chinese government provides funding to support improving the knowledge of Chinese culture and language,” Schmidt says.
In collaboration with the Shandong Education Commission and the Communication University of China, the new Confucius Institute opened at Edmonton’s Alberta School for the Deaf in May 2008. The Confucius Institute will support Chinese language programming in Edmonton Public Schools and offer increased professional development opportunities for teachers and resources for instruction of Chinese language and culture.
Examples of other Edmonton specialty schools include the Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts; Mee-Yah-Noh School, which focuses on literacy and reading comprehension; Talmud Torah School, which offers a program of Judaic and secular studies in a Hebrew bilingual setting; and Edmonton Christian School.
Schmidt says giving parents a choice benefits students in the end.
“When you have parental choice linked with teachers who are passionate about teaching a particular way, students benefit from their parents and teachers walking together,” he says. “Giving that option to parents creates opportunities for students to find their niche.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Jeff Adkins
