Three decades of choice in Edmonton schools

Abstract

This paper considers the establishment of three alternative programs within a school district over time to explore the assumption that such programs reflect families' preferences and that consumer demand dictates their survival. We examine differences in discourses around alternative programs that relate to the type of program and when, why, and by whom it was introduced. Our analysis suggests that the school district played a critical role in constructing the market by determining provision, and that the process of establishing an alternative program required access to particular forms of social and cultural capital.

Keywords:

• school choice
• alternative programs
• markets

Notes

1. The school website states, ‘In 1975, the Talmud Torah Society formed a partnership with Edmonton Public School Board. At this time the Province of Alberta Department of Education was exploring means by which private schools could become associated with existing public school boards. In September 1975, an understanding was reached between Howard Starkman, the president of the Talmud Torah Board of Directors, and Michael A. Strembitsky, the superintendent of the EPSB, whereby the public board would fund the Talmud Torah's secular component. This arrangement continues to the present time’ (see http://talmud.epsb.ca/history.htm).

2. This number does not total 37 because some alternatives were not maintained.

3. The response of the EPSB representative is likely to underestimate the influence of district staff since Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts was described as being initiated by ‘district and community’ and the Logos program was described as initiated by ‘community.’ In both cases, our data suggest that district staff played a primary role and community people a secondary role in the establishment of these programs.

4. This information is found on the website of the school that houses the Awasis program (http://princecharles.epsb.ca/about.html). The Awasis program was started as a kindergarten program in 1973 by the West Edmonton Task Force (funded by provincial and city governments) and came under the jurisdiction of the EPSB a few years later.