Raise the Hammer
When you have children with mental health struggles, Parkview Secondary School has the qualities necessary to accommodate those children in a safe environment to continue their path to education.
By Cheryl Hobbins
Published March 14, 2014
Since I began to advocate for Parkview Secondary School, I was able to learn about the past history when all this began with the decision to close.
Many people have focused on the Provincial school funding formula, past stats, and other relevant numbers relating to financial monies from the Province. I have read most everything out there to learn that end of it.
What I wish to share is the realities faced by my family within the Education system we have.
My youngest child was a success, a Parkview student who now is working full time and loves life.
My middle child (I.E.P.) was enrolled in Sir John A McDonald and left the school system altogether. There were not enough resources or supports to keep her focused there. It was just a resource room with students able to leave the regular classroom to be more structured with an EA present.
My eldest child, if Parkview SS was an option, would have had the opportunity that my youngest had. With the available necessary qualified staffing, true vision of principal Paul Beattie and the perseverance of this team, my eldest child would have created a path in life, to feel self worth, and acceptance within the specialized framework of Parkview, and completed his education.
I am 100 percent sure that the stats of reality is worth much more than a forecasted funding formula, once you take a closer look at each individual student that Parkview represented. This place was a "diamond in the rough", and has long been ignored by the HWDSB.
I was a constant advocate for my children for just under 30 years and know many other individuals who also reflect on how different their life may have been if there was a Parkview SS available to them.
A super school is farthest from truly accommodating children with special needs. The population of 1300 plus is not going to benefit anyone from Parkview, only push them further out the back door!
Then let's calculate costs statistically, and let's discuss for example: unemployment, social welfare, crime, delinquency, addictions, loss of support for mental health, increased hospital and medical costs, and so on. I can give you a personal, specific example of each.
When you have children with mental health struggles, Parkview SS has the qualities necessary to accommodate those children in a safe environment to continue their path to education. This was a vehicle to reaching our children.
Do you really think a demolition permit and a transitional plan is the answer? Obviously the HWDSB and trustees are not well educated when it comes to children's mental health and their future as an important part of society.
I truly believe their sights are set on financial gain and numbers with dollar signs only. It would be impossible after 30 years to see it any different now in 2014!
By Kevin (registered) | Posted March 16, 2014 at 10:51:11
Public education is organized crime. "Dr." Chris Spence, the ultimate scammer, rose to the top in no time. "Dr." Marian Small is pushing nonsensical discovery Math like crack to children, at an equally rapid rate. The ability to read, write, do arithmetic, and think is being destroyed by public education, but provinces are blindly, stupidly throwing more and more money at it. It’s free money, up for grabs, with a legitimate tag. Boards are sacrificing special needs obligations to run gifted programs for 6 year olds. The HWDSB has declining enrollment but the “educators” at the board office need fancy, spacious, expensive new digs for hundreds of well compensated “educators” to sit around all day and take and spend money earmarked for children. Within a 2 hour drive, there are 10 or 20 more fancy board offices, The Ministry, EQAO, OCT, ETFO, consultants, guest speakers... and no one EVER sees a kid. Who knows how they sleep.
Comment edited by Kevin on 2014-03-16 10:54:13
By scrap (anonymous) | Posted March 16, 2014 at 21:00:03
Yes,we can all see the problems,however the blame must be levelled at our so called elected leaders. What is the real agenda? We have seen in our own community how those who have mental health issues are treated, they are dead and the system always protects them.We all live in a machine that is not nice,it does not value human live nor the natural world,it only serves the almighty dollar and the greed that comes with it.
By Capitalist (anonymous) | Posted March 17, 2014 at 12:57:07
Yes the funding formulas are always wrong when they don't work out the way you want.
By Kevin (registered) | Posted March 17, 2014 at 22:41:11 in reply to Comment 98520
You are a lot of things: creep, coward, idiot, jackass, loser, troll... but you sure as sheet ain't no capitalist.
By z jones (registered) | Posted March 17, 2014 at 13:43:11 in reply to Comment 98520
No, you're right, it totally makes perfect sense that the province will pay to build a new school but not to fix up an old school. It's just a coincidence that all the school boards started neglecting their existing schools right after this policy came into effect and are now closing them so they can get funding to build new schools.
By Capitalist (anonymous) | Posted March 19, 2014 at 09:57:20
Inspiring post. I love it how you lefties have to resort to name calling when the truth comes out.
By Crapitalist (anonymous) | Posted March 19, 2014 at 17:39:48 in reply to Comment 98614
We'll be sure to keep that in mind next time you resort to name calling.
By Capitalist (anonymous) | Posted March 19, 2014 at 09:58:04 in reply to Comment 98614
This was meant in reply to Kevin above. Not the author.
By scrap (anonymous) | Posted March 19, 2014 at 17:31:15
So capitalist, you have put down many people who disagree with your views. Your rightessness are what stupid??????? You never debate or argue on any points that are meaningful, you are not really informed, just an uninformed dolt.
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