That being said,

here is an interesting article from the most recent issue of University Affairs: “The rise of the monoglots: Fewer and fewer universities require students to master a second language. Some think that’s a shame,” by Léo Charbonneau, University Affairs (Aug.-Sept./08).

Today’s Dilbert

seems particularly apropos, for so many reasons …

[cross-posted to Living in interesting times]

Disappointing

is the only word I could think of that doesn’t have four letters. I am listening to the press conference from Fredericton. The mandatory intensive French programme is still in place, and early immersion will be less effective as it will only start in grade three. As far as I can tell that is the only bone thrown to the critics: the retention of some form of early(-ish) immersion. The rest of the original Lamrock plan remains, and the Minister is still trotting out much of the same disinformation: that poor and aboriginal children are clustered in core, without acknowledging that EFI is frequently not offered in the rural areas where those children often live (a situation that will continue with the new gr. 3 entry point as the Minister explicitly said that there are no plans to expand early immersion to rural schools); that students in K-2 need to develop language skills in their mother tongue; that intermediate French is bilingualism. Still fixated on testing, teacher “accountability” and “rewards”. There is to be a new “Ministerial Advisory Group” and more “stakeholder” meetings. Nothing about increased FSL resources. In a nutshell, lots of rhetoric but the result is a mishmash that will make few happy, neither the entrenched anti-EFI people in the DoE and elsewhere, nor those who blame immersion for streaming, nor those who want children to have the opportunity to develop advanced language skills. And significantly, our system in N.B. will still remain out of step with K-12 education in the rest of the country, making moving to and from the province difficult.

Lots of rhetoric, LOTS of self-congratulation, but no mention of the primary causes of the woes in N.B. education: our lowest per-capita spending, per student, in the country, followed closely by a centrally controlled, un-democratic DoE.

Unintentionally hilarious moments: both Graham and Lamrock repeatedly congratulating themselves on overseeing a province-wide debate on education.

So yes, disappointing. Very disappointing.

[Cross-posted to Living in interesting times.]

Details for Tuesday, August 5th

From CEC:

There will be a press briefing at 11, and at 12 a public announcement which will be open to the public.  The main event, with Graham and Lamrock, will be at the Centennial Bldg, with public overflow a block away at the Crowne Plaza (Lord Beaverbrook Hotel) being simulcast.

I expect there will be many interested parties in attendance, and I hope as many of you who can attend will.

Link to government media advisory.

Posting here

may be light in the next little while as the latest post-secondary education report has hit the fan.

One thing about the Liberals: they are consistent.

For the latest news, events, updates, and media links on FSL, go to these fine sites:

• Citizens for Educational Choice (CEC)
• Immersion delayed is immersion denied
• Facebook

And be sure to read the new hand-out from CEC, Be bilingual in this place (download PDF). It’s a thing of beauty. Pass it on.

Those of us

who only read one of the three big papers would do well to look further afield; there are some worthwhile pieces today in the Miramichi Reader, The Northern Light, the Bugle-Observer, and the Kings County Record.

CEC Press release sent out June 19:

Parents Demand Improved Engagement Process for FSL Program Changes

Saint John (New Brunswick) – Thursday June 19, 2008 – In light of Wednesday’s Ombudsman’s Report, parents in New Brunswick are calling on the government to improve its engagement process with parents and other concerned citizens and expand the timeframe for determining changes to French Second Language programs.

The report released by Ombudsman Bernard Richard was very clear in identifying the serious flaws in the process used by Education Minister Lamrock and his Deputy Minister Kershaw. It highlighted the fact that consultation was insufficient and that Commissioners Croll and Lee “acted unfairly to a good number of those who appeared before them”. Even more disturbingly, the Ombudsman uncovered clear evidence that the Department of Education was working on a plan to phase out Early French Immersion before the final report was even submitted. After the Minister received the report, he led the public to believe that he was considering, however briefly, public opinion. These revelations cast serious doubt on that fact. In keeping with these concerns, the Court of Queen’s Bench last week also ruled that “the decision of the Minister was unfair and unreasonable.”

The Minister has subsequently announced a six week consultation process via the internet, stating that a decision on the French Second Language curriculum in Anglophone schools will be announced on August 5th, four weeks before the 2008-09 school year starts. The Ombudsman has expressed grave concern with this schedule. Parents are also very concerned that this timeframe is unrealistic and will not allow schools to prepare in time for the beginning of the school year.

“We have no faith in the six week process outlined by the Minister, given his conduct as revealed by the Ombudsman’s investigation,” said Bruce Robertson, a parent involved in pushing for change. “What’s more, implementing massive change four weeks from August 5th is completely unrealistic and demonstrates that the government is not serious about listening to new ideas or implementing the best French Second Language system for New Brunswick.”

“We’re calling on the government to put together a committee of experts to review the issues and set a realistic timeframe for implementation,” said Paula Small, one of the parents who submitted an affidavit to the court case. “To retain any credibility on this issue and offer the best chance of meaningful improvement, the government must take the time to review the system properly.”

In order to do this, parents are asking the government to respect the Ombudsman’s recommendations and the court ruling, and support schools in reinstating Early French Immersion for Fall this year. They’re also asking the government to go one step further, and, again following the Ombudsman’s recommendation, reinstate Core French and delay implementing any changes to FSL programming until 2009-10. Parents are not advocating for the status quo, but rather want to ensure that the changes made are the correct ones based on the best available information. Given that the discredited Croll and Lee report did not provide this information, it is imperative that the government takes the appropriate time to gather it.

“At this point in the year, the government needs to promote certainty and stability in the education system,” said Tim Jackson, another parent involved in pushing for change. “Let schools plan with certainty now for the 2008-09 school year and conduct a genuine engagement process which involves experts on inclusion, literacy and FSL. Then decide what an appropriate timeframe for implementation might be.”

For more information on the engagement process the group is asking the government to follow, please see the attached backgrounder.

For more information, please contact:
Bruce Robertson

Excellent editorial

today in the Globe and Mail which begins

“Quashing” is a technical, but pleasingly expressive word for what happened to an ill-considered decision to phase out early French immersion (EFI) in New Brunswick, Canada’s most genuinely bilingual province, and our only officially bilingual one.

and concludes

Canada leads the world in French immersion, and hitherto New Brunswick led Canada in providing it. The provincial government must now engage in genuine consultation, and the result should not be a forgone conclusion. It has an opportunity to reconsider its rushed ending of this valuable program.

Hear hear.

The debate continues

back and forth in the media, with a steady and growing groundswell of opinion against Kelly Lamrock’s desperate circling of the wagons. Well, the wagon. It’s increasingly clear that there is only one.

And that it’s wheels are loose.

Breaking news

• “Judge quashes N.B. gov’t plan to cut early French immersion,” Chris Morris, Canadian Press
• “N.B. bid to scrap early French immersion suffers setback,” Globe&Mail
• “N.B. to review decision to end early French immersion,” National Post
• “Judge quashes N.B. gov’t plan to cut early French immersion,” canadaeast.com

[NB: The original titles of these articles are listed here, though the Canadian Press, followed by canadaeast.com, subsequently changed their titles and some content.]

Missing the bus. Again.

Did you see Nathan Rochford’s ” School, community partnerships needed: Stronger relationships between education system and community key to education success” (Times&Transcript, June 7/08, D3)?

Some quotes:

[Dr. Paul] Cappon, president and CEO of the Canadian Council on Learning, stressed the idea of communication on all levels of the community as a key to solving New Brunswick’s education woes.…

Also, the process of standardized testing was addressed.

While standardized tests are generally how students are graded in high school and university, Cappon said too much emphasis can be put on the test.

“It’s important to measure progress over time,” he said. “We use standardized testing as one of our 25 measures of seeing where the students are at with their learning. It’s an important factor, but it’s only one measure.

“You need standardized testing. But it is only a snapshot of one particular moment in time.…”

Someone should forward this to the N.B. Minister of Education.

Media release

PARENTS WELCOME EFI JUDICIAL REVIEW HEARING

Saint John (New Brunswick) – June 4, 2008 – Parents across the province today are welcoming the judicial review hearing against the elimination of Early French Immersion (EFI) being held at the Court of Queens Bench in Saint John.

A group of parents retained lawyer Thomas Christie to argue on their behalf that the Minister of Education rushed through the changes to the French Second Language (FSL) education program without engaging in a reasonable period of public consultation. They believe that the Minister also showed no consideration for the impact on families who had already registered their children for Grade 1 EFI starting September 2008.

Lawyers representing both the Department of Education and parents seeking a delay to the FSL program changes will present their legal briefs to the Court. Both sides have submitted affidavits to support their cases, including three from parents whose kindergarteners were due to start EFI this fall.

One of those included the Woodstock-based Marcoux family. They are a francophone family who, with the elimination of EFI, will no longer able to access French language education for their children.

The group of parents believe that even if the judge rules against them, the case has represented an important opportunity for keeping debate on the FSL program changes alive.

“Going to court has been a last resort for parents who are dismayed at the elimination of Early French Immersion and the other changes made by the government to the French Second Language programming in our province,” said Tim Jackson, one of the parent-organizers behind the Judicial Review. “Even if the judge does not find that the government has broken the law, we still believe it has a moral obligation to consult broadly with stakeholders for a change of this magnitude to the education system. Such a disregard for consultation and due process is a consequence of both the current government’s attitude to consultation and flaws in the New Brunswick Education Act.”

The parents also believe the issue goes beyond simply reinstating EFI this fall.

“We hope that the judicial review process will uphold the rights of New Brunswick children and parents to have choice in education not only for September 2008 but beyond 2008 as well,” said Paula Small, one of the parents who submitted an affidavit to the hearing. “Many parents have come forward to voice their support to us in this process. We must continue to work with the government to ensure choice is returned permanently in New Brunswick’s education policy.”

The group has established a Fund for donations to offset legal costs of the case. Information on how to donate and on the broader issues can be found at www.educationnb.org.

For more information, please contact Tim Jackson.

Succinctly put.

In a comment to “French second language program reversal could cost $2M” in the T-J today, one commenter writes:

So the government line is, “It doesn’t matter if we’re wrong, we did it so fast that you should have to live with it now”.

That about sums it up.

Media coverage bias

Here is a comment to the letters to the editor today in the Daily Gleaner:

The Telegraph Journal, Daily Gleaner and the Times and Transcript are irresponsible in failing to cover significant news related to FSL news in NB. These papers have also failed to publish letters sent to them by experts that oppose Kelly Lamrock’s new FSL plan.
Some omissions by the major papers of southern NB:

• A letter to the editor by expert Dr. Fred Genesee
• A letter to the editor by expert Gene Ouellette
• A letter to the editor by expert Robert Leavitt
• A letter to the editor by expert Joseph Dicks
• Measha Bruggergosman’s public statements against the elimination of EFI
• coverage of the CEC meeting in Fred. with 200 people in attendance
• coverage of the CEC meeting in Moncton on May 27th
• the alternate FSL plan by Dr. Joseph Dicks
• coverage of the French for the Future conference held in Fredericton with 210 French Immersion and Francophone students, 35 teachers and 20 guest speakers in attendance.

Papers should not selectively omit important news and letters.

The media on this issue

is increasing rather than fading, and the CEC website, as well as Immersion Delayed is Immersion Denied, have been doing a great job keeping track and flagging the highlights. However, there are a couple of recent items that are well worth double- or even triple-tagging:

• Update: Read the lucid “Not so fast, New Brunswick” by Gene Ouellette (Globe and Mail, May 25/08), though the knee-jerk bigotry in some of the comments is disheartening.
• “Experts take exception to minister’s use of their research,” Miramichi Leader (May 23/08): responses from Fred Genesee and Joseph Dicks.
• Minister Lamrocks latest attempt at self-justification and the ninety-three one hundred and four, at last count, comments.
• “French program cutback spurs outcry: Richmond school district says move is crucial to sustain program but parents say district is not trying hard enough,” Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun (May 20/08).
• And don’t forget the image of the day, above. Though “Kellocchio” strikes me as even more appropriate.

As always, if you are reading online, be sure to read the comments.