By RICK CONRAD / Education Reporter HALIFAX REGIONAL SCHOOL BOARD
The new chairman of the Halifax regional school board wants more students to write more provincial exams more often.
Wade Marshall said Wednesday night that he believes all kids in grades 3 through 12 should be tested every year.
"It's just a matter of somebody financing it," he told reporters shortly after being elected the board's new chairman.
"And I think it's something that parents want to know. How are not just the Grade 6s and Grade 9s doing, but how are all the children doing in our system?" Mr. Marshall, who represents Lower, Middle and Upper Sackville and Lucasville, said it would mean the province would have to invest much more money in education, not only for the testing but for improving the system in response to the results.
But he believes it would be worth it because assessing students more often, as they do in the United States, would lead to improved student performance.
"If (the province) were to test more students, they would have to have a long-term plan and say, 'OK, we're gonna test them, this is what we're gonna do when we get the results back to change what we're doing to make it better.' "
Results of last school year's provincial Grade 12 math exams showed that 37 per cent of kids passed the Math 12 exam, while 60 per cent passed the Advanced Math 12 test.
Teachers in the past have criticized the move to more standardized tests. But Mr. Marshall says he believes they wouldn't mind more of them as long as it would help them "deliver the curriculum better."
"It's not about putting pressure on, it's about helping our students do better. And I think when you look at it from that aspect, teachers are more than happy to do whatever they can."
Board members were officially sworn in Wednesday night at the first meeting since the Oct. 16 municipal elections.
Mr. Marshall will be chairing a much different board, which includes seven first-timers, eight women and three members of visible minorities.
Along with electing Mr. Marshall as their chairman, members chose Bernadette Hamilton-Reid, who represents Preston-Lawrencetown-Chezzetcook, as the vice-chairwoman.
Board members earn $8,200 a year. Mr. Marshall will make $13,500 as chairman and Ms. Hamilton-Reid $10,000.
Two other non-voting members of the board were elected in June by their fellow high school students to serve a year's term.
Jivesh Parasram, a Grade 11 student at Prince Andrew High in Dartmouth, is the student adviser. Jordan Warford, a Grade 10 student at Millwood High in Lower Sackville, is the deputy student adviser.
Board meetings will be held every Wednesday at the board's offices on Alderney Drive in Dartmouth.
Source: The Chronicle Herald, November 4, 2004
http://www.herald.ca |
BRIDGET ANN BOUTILIER - DISTRICT 1 Eastern Shore-Musquodoboit Valley Age: 52 Family: Married with two sons, 19 and 22 Employment: Provincial public health inspector Education: Diploma in public health inspection, Ryerson Polytechnic, Toronto Graduated from Sydney Academy in 1970
PEGGY DRAPER - DISTRICT 2 Waverley-Fall River- Beaver Bank - Bedford Family: Two daughters in university Employment: Broker, A&H GMAC Real Estate Education: Bachelor of music education, B.Ed. from Dalhousie Graduated from New Glasgow High
BERNADETTE HAMILTON-REID - DISTRICT 3 Preston-Lawrencetown-Chezzetcook Age: 37 Family: Married with two daughters, 11 and 13 Employment: President and CEO of AlySam Greeting Cards Cultural Products Education: Two years of a bachelor of commerce degree from Dal Graduated from Sir John A. Macdonald High in 1984
GRACE WALKER - DISTRICT 4 Cole Harbour-Woodside-Eastern Passage Family: Married with five sons Employment: Retired safety consultant with Canadian Airlines Education: Year and a half of community college, as well as numerous other courses Graduated from St. Patrick's High
DEBRA BARLOW - DISTRICT 5 East Dartmouth-The Lakes-Portland-East Woodlawn Age: 50 Family: Married with one son, 27, and one daughter, 31 Employment: Former property administrator Education: Nursing diploma Graduated from Dartmouth High in 1972
GIN YEE - DISTRICT 6 Dartmouth Centre-Albro Lake-Harbourview Age: 27 Family: Single Employment: Senior systems administrator for Drugstore.com Education: Certificate in business communications from Saint Mary's University Graduated from Dartmouth High in 1995
GARY O'HARA - DISTRICT 7 Clayton Park West-Fairview-Clayton Park-Rockingham-Wentworth Age: 58 Family: Four children, 7, 21, 25 and 28 Employment: Runs business dealing in computer systems, alarm systems and networking Education: Two years at SMU, one year at Acadia University Graduated from Halifax West in 1966
KIM BERKERS - DISTRICT 8 Halifax North End-Halifax Downtown Age: 38 Family: Married with one son, 10, and one daughter, 7 Employment: Owns a stained glass business; child-care provider Education: Dental-assistant diploma from Nova Scotia Community College Graduated from Isle Madame District High in 1984
LYNN MACGREGOR - DISTRICT 9 Northwest Arm-South End-Connaught-Quinpool Age: 44 Family: Married with three children, 6, 9 and 12 Employment: Current at home Education: BA (McGill University); degree in physical education (Dal) Graduated from Queen Elizabeth High
DARREN WATTS - DISTRICT 10 Purcells Cove-Armdale-Spryfield-Herring Cove Age: 32 Family: Single Employment: Intake co-ordinator at The Teamwork Co-operative, an employment service for the disabled in HRM Education: BA (University of King's College) Graduated from J.L. Ilsley High School in 1991
DEBORAH BRUNT - DISTRICT 11 Hammonds Plains-St. Margarets-Timberlea-Prospect Age: 52 Family: "Blended family" - married; four sons Employment: Project manager/consultant Education: Project management courses at SMU Attended St. Patrick's High
WADE MARSHALL - DISTRICT 12 Lower Sackville-Middle and Upper Sackville-Lucasville Age: 44 Family: Married with two daughters, 14 and 16 Employment: Corporate accounts manager for Halifax Signs Ltd. Education: Hants West Rural High School
DOUGLAS SPARKS - AFRICAN NOVA SCOTIAN MEMBER Age: 38 Family: Married, with three daughters, 10, 13 and 15 Employment: Substitute teacher, Chignecto-Central and Annapolis Valley regional school boards Education: Bachelor of education (Dalhousie), BA in sociology (Saint Mary's University) Graduated from Dartmouth High in 1985
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