Albert School - Would Kelly Lamrock have the same opinion as opposition Leader???

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Originally uploaded by Oldmaison.

This afternoon, I noticed this guy collecting names for a petition on King's street.

I often wonder what would have been Kelly's reaction if the Liberals were still in opposition?

I don't know much about this issue but I'll blog it and let you people debate the issue.





I told the guy to email me his views and I'll blog it! Here's his story -

Keeping the Heart in Our City

School closures have been an emotional issue for as long as there have been schools. As co-spokesperson for the Keep Albert Central Campaign, I have seen that emotion and passion up close. Our group has been interviewed for Gleaner articles and we have briefly made our case on radio and television.

Read more inside

However, we have not had a chance to fully articulate our case in a public forum. We are portrayed by the Minister of Education as an emotional, self-interested group of parents from the Hill neighbourhood who are stuck in the past and who put our own interests ahead of our children. To set the record straight, we are a broad coalition of citizens from the entire catchment area of the current Albert Street School (I live in Keswick Ridge). We have coalition members from Hanwell, Silverwood, Garden Creek, Mazerolle Settlement, and even members from the Kimble Road area who oppose the new proposed location for the school. We are Liberals, Conservatives, NDPers and Greens. Not all in our coalition are parents, but those who do have kids at Albert Street, or those who will, are fighting because they believe that a centrally located school is best for their children. We have had calls and expressions of support and interest from seniors, students, and even residents outside the province and country.



Contrary to the Minister’s portrayal of us, we are not driven by convenience. We are not driven by our property values. We are not driven by nostalgia or tradition. We have four primary concerns:



1) The benefit to the children of a centrally located school

2) The safety of the children

3) The contribution of a centrally located school to the vitality of the city

4) The process for making this decision was flawed and flies in the face of democratic principles



Our overarching concern is with the quality of educational experience for our children. Much has been said about how many kids could walk to school from one or the other location. The real issue is what facilities and resources all students can access on foot from the present Albert Street location [see attached map]. Albert Street is in the heart of the south side and within walking distance of Odell Park, FHS, UNB and St. Thomas University, City Hall, the Legislature Building, Science East, The Coliseum, the YMCA, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, the Playhouse, Queen’s Park, Charlotte Street Arts Centre and more. Most of the things that make Fredericton a great, small city are accessible by foot from the current school location. The school staff makes great use of these facilities and resources in the curriculum. The Minister believes that “creative staff” will find ways to get students to these facilities from the new location, but this would require more bussing, more cost to tax payers, and more fund-raising required of parents. At Kimble Drive, kids would be isolated from what makes their city unique.



Our children’s safety is another concern. Kimble Drive advocates argue that it is a “bigger canvas, ” yet staff from Albert Street suggest this would be a liability in terms of supervision. Students will be close to wooded land and a major highway, both of which could have safety implications. Traffic safety would be an issue at Kimble Drive. No traffic study has been done. City officials confirmed that the Kimble, Forest Hill intersection is prone to accidents. More students would also spend bus time on controlled access highways, traveling at high speeds without seatbelts.



We feel the children need to be in the city centre, but we also believe the city center needs the children. Our cause should be a concern to anyone who cares about a vibrant downtown. Roy Strickland, an urban planner from the University of Michigan has created an entire program of urban renewal called Designing the City of Learning, around the re-introduction and re-investment in schools in declining urban centers. Fortunately, Fredericton’s urban core is not in bad shape, but if it loses more primary services it could be. Strickland believes the schools are the lynchpin for maintaining healthy downtowns. The children from Albert Street volunteer at the community kitchen, they rake leaves for seniors in the surrounding neighbourhood, and parents patronize downtown businesses after picking up their children. The central location draws people downtown.



Eleven months ago, a document was sent home with children explaining that a school would be built at the Albert Street location starting in the fall of 2006. The document contained timetables and contingency plans for activities to mitigate the effects of construction. September rolled around. We looked for signs of activity. Nothing. A few months later, we learned our school was being taken away from us.



The Minister of Education, in his blog, also advocates parental choice, local leadership and the idea that schools should support the whole community. If any local issue should have community involvement, it is the location of a school. There was little community involvement by either government in this process, but we believe the original decision was the will of a strong majority. The newly elected government overturned the decision simply because it was an idea of the previous government. No “new information” has ever been presented to us, despite frequent requests.



This issue is critical to the welfare of both our children and our city. The downtown core has lost three schools in recent memory. It appears the Liberal Government is determined to rip the heart out of the city. If they go through with their plan, and we are still hopeful they will not, we will all be worse off for it. This issue is much bigger than the simple location of a school. It is a chance to stand up for our city, for democratic process and for our children. If you would like to join us, email keepalbertstcentral@hotmail.com or call 363-3687 or 454-2358. For more information, access http://www.keepalbertstreetcentral.com.

Tom Beckley