a history of curriculum services canada
a history of curriculum services canada
a history of curriculum services canada
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
The “Clearinghouse” Concept: A Convergence <strong>of</strong> Interests<br />
During this time, Mr. Sebastian had occasion to liaise with members <strong>of</strong> the various education<br />
associations, many <strong>of</strong> whom formed part <strong>of</strong> the review board for the 1991-2 project. It was<br />
during one <strong>of</strong> these discussions, with Ruth Baumann and Pierre Lalonde <strong>of</strong> OTF, that the idea <strong>of</strong><br />
sharing information among teachers re-emerged. As a former teacher in a small board, Mr.<br />
Sebastian recalled wanting to increase his ability to do his job pr<strong>of</strong>essionally in the classroom<br />
but being frustrated by the difficulty in sharing <strong>curriculum</strong> and good ideas. While large boards<br />
produced second-generation <strong>curriculum</strong> documents for sale, and small boards purchased them,<br />
no central agency co-ordinated the collection and dissemination <strong>of</strong> <strong>curriculum</strong> materials for the<br />
province as a whole.<br />
As discussion continued, all three individuals became increasingly excited about the potential for<br />
an agency that would help teachers "share anything, everything good." With this vision in mind,<br />
Mr. Sebastian first consulted with other education associations and then took the idea to the<br />
Ministry’s regional <strong>of</strong>fices. Enthusiasm was universal. The final consultation would be with the<br />
Assistant Deputy Minister, Carola Lane, who would then contact the Minister.<br />
The timing was clearly right. The Provincial Auditor's Report 1993 had called for a more<br />
effective balance between the need to develop <strong>curriculum</strong> and other resource documents and the<br />
cost <strong>of</strong> having 170 boards developing it independently. 2 The Ministry was favourably disposed<br />
toward collaborative <strong>curriculum</strong>-based projects that held the promise <strong>of</strong> future savings to the<br />
education community, and the education community had long been looking for ways to develop<br />
a central <strong>curriculum</strong> sharing agency. Moreover, the NDP government <strong>of</strong> the day was anxious to<br />
reward teachers for their support. The lack <strong>of</strong> opportunity for teacher input into the C-14 process<br />
was a rather sore point and the clearinghouse project <strong>of</strong>fered an ideal solution. The new project<br />
would provide teachers with the ability to influence the <strong>curriculum</strong> process by producing<br />
materials to fill the gaps not covered by C-14 and have those materials marketed to teachers<br />
throughout the province.<br />
Thus, with the alignment <strong>of</strong> political, bureaucratic, and community aspirations, $500,000 was<br />
committed by the Ministry to bringing a <strong>curriculum</strong> clearinghouse to life.<br />
©2008 Curriculum Services Canada 3