A parent is speaking out following the Greater Essex County District School Board's (GECDSB) decision to end the French Immersion program at Forest Glade Public School, moving the program and students to Tecumseh Vista Public School effective this fall.
Harmony Peach is a parent of three students who attend Forest Glade Public, and says two of her children will be impacted by this change.
According to Peach, the board did not hold any public consultations before making this decision, and parents were informed through a letter sent home with students last Friday.
"I would have like to have seen that there was a respect, or a care, or consideration exemplified in the communication pathway, and I don't that there's evidence of that thus far," Peach said."
She says there is a psychological and social impact that her children will experience.
"Moving them from the safety of a place that they know, the friends who they've made along the way, the staff who know them, who know their learning abilities, who where their strengths are, where they need to build," said Peach. "I think that all of that is detrimental to their psychological well-being, but also to the overall quality of their education, so I really think that it should be rethought."
Peach says her middle child will remain at Forest Glade Public as they are currently in the English stream program, which is a combination of English and French learning, however they are not being offered board provided transportation.
"We will have transportation supplied to Tecumseh Vista for our youngest child," she said. "Our eldest child is going to high school next year so we will have a third school, three children, all at different schools, and trying to manage three different arrivals and departures in addition to our own work schedules."
GECDSB's Director of Education Vicki Houston is expected to be available to answer questions from parents at a community information meeting happening Wednesday Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. at the former Eastwood Public School.
EDITORS NOTE:
In response to this article, GECDSB provided the following statement to AM800 News:
"The decision to transition the French Immersion program from Forest Glade Public School to Tecumseh Vista Academy was made based on careful consideration of enrollment patterns, resource allocation, and long-term sustainability of our programs.
We are committed to open and transparent communication with our families. To address any concerns, we have scheduled a community information meeting on Wednesday, February 12, where parents will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive further details about this transition. We encourage all families who are unable to attend to connect with their school principal for further discussion as we work together to ensure a smooth transition for students.”