What is "Alternative"?

Alternative Education in Ottawa Public Schools: A History

In 1982, local parents banded together and convinced the former Ottawa Board of Education (OBE) to turn Lady Evelyn Public School into Ottawa’s first Alternative School based on the philosophy of parental involvement, non-competition, anecdotal reporting, mixed grades and an integrated curriculum. During the first three years of this primary-grade pilot, Lady Evelyn’s program was evaluated by independent researchers (Watkin and Bonyun, 1983-5) and positively reviewed. With this endorsement and in response to demand, the Program was allowed to expand over time to three additional locations (Churchill in 1984, Crichton in 1987 and Riverview in 1985) and into the junior grades by 1989. In 1991 the Program expanded into grades 7 and 8 with the establishment of Summit.

In 1998 the Ottawa Board of Education and the Carleton Board of Education amalgamated, forming the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. After amalgamation it was decided that current Alternative Program boundaries would remain, effectively limiting the Alternative Program to the old OBE area. Then came the provincial government’s take-over of funding, which implemented a cap on new school construction in the suburbs if there was any space unused elsewhere in the Board. The resulting school closure process, which included the closure of Crichton Alternative School, scared many of the more downtown schools into defensive mode and convinced many in the Alternative Program that it was in the cross-hairs of the administration. This feeling of threat was not helped by the September 1998 recommendation by the Director’s Council of Superintendents that the Alternative designation be removed. This did not lead to a supportive environment for expanding or experimenting with the Program.

At the same time, many of the successes of the Alternative Program, such as parental involvement and integrated curriculum, were being picked up by non-Alternative schools and even pushed by both the Ministry of Education and the Board. At the other end of the spectrum, tighter provincial curriculum requirements and standardized report cards made it harder for the Alternative Program to deliver on mixed-grade classrooms and anecdotal reporting. Labour contracts also lead to difficult staffing models at two of the co-located schools. The Alternative Program has survived, and thrived in some schools, but there are stakeholders who feel that some of the innovation and experimentation has been lost.

Philosophy of the Alternative Program

These core elements have long been the pillars of the Program and are laid out both in the Alternative Program brochure as well as the Alternative Program Letter of Understanding.

1. Cooperation and Teamwork
   Cooperation and teamwork are emphasized instead of competition in all aspects of the school. The core belief is that children who are motivated from within, instead of by rewards, will become lifelong learners, eager to take on challenges.
2. Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning
   A commitment to innovative approaches to teaching and learning through a shared responsibility among staff, students, and parents.
3. Child-centred Learning
   A balance between student-directed and teacher-directed learning: the teacher acts as a facilitator/mentor/guide of the child’s learning; enhances self-concept, enthusiasm for learning, and personal responsibility.
4. Multi-aged Groupings (as distinct from multi-grade classrooms)
   Multi-aged groupings: interaction among children of different ages and at different stages of development provides an environment wherein students learn from each other as well as from the teacher.
5. Integrated Curriculum
   Integrated curriculum: this provides a natural progression from whole to parts and stresses the interrelation of all learning and subjects.
6. Parental Involvement
   A family-centered school environment wherein parental involvement is a partnership between the home and school fostering self-respect, respect for the ideas and the opinions of others, and an appreciation for people’s differences.
7. Anecdotal Reporting and Self-Assessment
   Assessment and evaluation is ongoing using multiple strategies which include student selfevaluations. The primary focus of this process is personal growth, as well as being used as a tool for program planning and assessment.

The commitment to “Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning” requires that the Program evaluate itself and seek out new ideas and new approaches.