EDITOR,
First of all, I would like to express my disappointment that you have chosen to write an article about the Fraser Institute School Rankings ("Three schools improve in Fraser rankings," Chief, Feb. 10). Teachers have been opposed to the rankings since they were first produced by the Fraser Institute in 1998 for secondary and in 2003 for elementary schools. Most partner groups, including school trustees, parent advisory councils, principals, and superintendents, have also spoken out against these damaging rankings because of the impact they have on schools and communities.
I also have serious concerns about the unbalanced nature of your report, which quotes verbatim the Fraser Institute's own rhetoric about the validity of their rankings, with no attempt on your part to examine their flawed methodology, or their neo-conservative and anti-public-education agenda. Please allow me to provide some context.
In using only data gathered from the narrowly focused FSA tests, the rankings completely ignore core academic areas like science and social studies, and other important elements such as citizenship, creativity, critical thinking, the arts, and physical education. The quality of a school and the work educators do, there is so much more than one test could ever measure. I would also like to point out that the Fraser Institute is a right-wing think tank whose stated aim is: "A free and prosperous world through choice, markets and responsibility." In the education sector, the institute's agenda is to promote private schools at the expense of public education.
I hope that in future, when reporting on educational issues, you will seek input from local educators, including teachers, school principals, and school district management. On the Fraser Institute rankings, I think you will find that we are in agreement. Simply put, the rankings are misleading and punitive. Using FSA test scores to blame and shame schools who are working to meet the needs of all children is unnecessary. Even the Ministry of Education opposes the rankings: "Attempting to rank schools or districts based on FSA results invites misleading comparisons that ignore the particular circumstances that affect achievement in each school."
Finally, I hope that parents in the Sea to Sky Corridor will ignore the rankings, and instead pay a visit to local schools, and speak with local educators, when making a decision about where to send their children. If you have any questions regarding the Fraser Institute Rankings, please feel free to contact the Sea to Sky Teachers' Association at (604) 892-3056.Beth Miller
President, Sea to Sky Teachers' Association Squamish
