Teachers’ work and innovation in alternative schools

Abstract

Toronto boasts a large and diverse system of public alternative schools: schools where democratic practices, student access and a commitment to public education are fundamental. There are academic schools; schools with thematically focused curricula; schools driven by social movement principles such as antiracism and global education; schools for students who do not thrive in mainstream schools; and schools with alternative scheduling and delivery practices for students who must work. The schools are small, supporting personalized relationships among teachers and students, with teacher-driven curricular programs that are responsive to student interests. Curricular innovation is made possible because alternative schools are only loosely coupled with the rest of the public education system, but they still must comply with school system regulations. This paper describes how teachers’ work and the structural elements of alternative schools support school-based innovation.

Keywords:

• alternative schools
• teachers’ work
• Toronto
• alternative schools

Notes

1. In Canada, provinces have constitutional authority to set and ensure overall educational policy, including curriculum. Different provinces devolve particular aspects of educational decision making to school districts (local educational authorities). In Ontario, for example, academic program and course expectations are established at the provincial level (Anderson & Ben Jaafar, 2007; Bascia, Carr-Harris, Fine, & Zurzolo, 2014).

2. Toronto’s public alternative schools provide educational programs for students of all ages. There are primary alternative schools for children between grades Kindergarten to 6, or grades 4–6 or grades 4–8; secondary alternative schools for students between grades 9 and 12, or 10 and 12 (http://www.tdsb.on.ca/). Toronto alternative schools provide students with the same grade-level qualifications offered by mainstream schools: secondary alternative schools confer the same high school diploma on students who successfully complete Grade 12 as any other secondary school. In most cases, students and/or their parents choose to attend an alternative school voluntarily, although a minority may be ‘steered’ to alternative schooling by mainstream teachers and educational staff.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nina Bascia

Nina Bascia is Professor and Director of the Collaborative Program in Educational Policy at OISE/University of Toronto. She is the author and/or editor of eight books and numerous chapters and articles, mostly focusing on the intersection between educational policy and teachers’ work.

Rhiannon Maton

Rhiannon Maton is currently a PhD candidate in the Graduate School of Education at University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests focus on examining how agency is framed by educational policy, organizations and systems, and how educational stakeholders enact agency.