SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA - Alternate Schooling Study Committee
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1 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 2 Interview Findings ......................................................................................................................... 3 Hiring ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Enrolment ................................................................................................................................... 5 Educational Matters .................................................................................................................. 5 Professional Development & Staff Benefits ............................................................................ 8 Co-Curricular Activities ............................................................................................................ 9 Fees and Society Responsibilities ........................................................................................... 9 Conclusion................................................................................................................................... 11 Recommendation....................................................................................................................... 12 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Lethbridge School District 51 ................................................................................................. 13 Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan ................................................................................ 13 SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
2 Introduction The Board of the Society for Christian Education in Southern Alberta (SCEISA) undertook the drafting of a Strategic Plan which was completed in 2012. One of the directives that arose from that process was to: Thoroughly investigate the alternate programs within the public system: • Examine whether we can meet our core goals within an alternate scenario • Examine existing alternate agreements • Glean information from schools that have recently become alternate • Investigate the impact of operating across public jurisdictions • Closely examine the budget side with a view to reducing fees In October 2013 the Board formed a committee with the mandate to: Make a recommendation whether ICS should pursue joining the Alternate system and present a report to the April 2014 board meeting. The committee then started its work by consulting with stakeholder groups within SCEISA to determine what concerns should be researched. Meetings were held separately with: • Elementary School Staff • High School Staff • Granum & Nobleford Locals • Lethbridge Local • Iron Springs Local The committee collected the questions that were brought forward and selected several Alternate Schools around Alberta to interview. Schools selected ranged from the first to become Alternate in 1999 to schools which had become Alternate as recently as 2013. Schools were also selected from various School Districts around Alberta so that the policies and attitudes of those School Districts could be examined. Using these criteria, we contacted and interviewed representatives of the following schools: • Fort McMurray Christian School • Trinity Christian School in Calgary • Gateway Christian School in Red Deer • Edmonton Christian Schools • Calgary Christian School • Rocky Christian School in Rocky Mountain House • Glenmore Christian Academy in Calgary It was also important to talk to our local School Districts so that we might understand their policies and attitudes towards Alternate schools. We conducted interviews with representatives of: • Lethbridge School District No. 51(SD51) • Palliser Regional Schools (PRS) In discussions with SD51 and PRS, we learned that SCEISA is obligated to work with SD51 first, because our schools are located in Lethbridge. If we were to be rejected by SD51, then we could attempt to work SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
3 with PRS. We held a thorough interview with representatives of SD51, and conducted a more general interview with a representative of PRS. This report summarizes what we learned, and is being presented so that with this information, prayer, and God’s blessing, the members of SCEISA can make an informed decision whether ICS should become an Alternate School. Interview Findings The results of our interviews with the various Alternate Schools and School Districts have been grouped into six main areas. These areas are: Hiring, Enrolment, Educational Matters, Professional Development & Staff Benefits, Co-Curricular Activities and Fees & Society Responsibilities. These areas of discussion cover the concerns that were raised during the stakeholder group process. Hiring How has becoming an Alternate School affected hiring of principals? Selecting a new principal is a collaborative process between the School District and the Society. In all schools which had been through the process, the successful candidate was mutually acceptable to both the School District and the School Society. Several schools stressed that it is important to build a trusting relationship with the School District. The Alternate School is Alternate for a reason, and the School District is not interested in changing the Mission and Vision of the Alternate School. Alternate Schools are held accountable to their own Mission and Vision Statements by the local School District. Some schools observed that it is common for principals to move every five to ten years. SD51 indicated that SCEISA would be asked to create a Principal Profile. SD51 would advertise the position, and that SCEISA would be welcome to submit names for consideration. SD51 would filter the applicants for basic qualifications, including the faith-based criteria in the Principal Profile. SCEISA would then have the opportunity to interview all candidates, and provide back to SD51 a list of the candidates that are deemed acceptable. SD51 would then conduct further interviews with those candidates with a focus on leadership and educator elements important to SD51. The final selection would then be made in consultation with SCEISA. The process is managed collaboratively as the successful candidate must be satisfactory to both SCEISA and SD51. How has becoming an Alternate School affected hiring of teachers? The Principal is primarily responsible for hiring teachers. In most cases, the Principal, School Society, and local School District worked together to interview and select new teachers. In some cases the School Society did not have direct involvement, and the Principal made the final decision. In all cases, teachers were required to join the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA). Some schools did have teachers resign, rather than teach in an Alternate school. SD51 indicated that SCEISA would be asked to create a Teacher Profile. The Principal would work with Human Resources from SD51 to select candidates who fit the Teacher Profile. The Principal would then make a selection which would need to be ratified by SCEISA before becoming final. Teachers would be employees of SD51, and would have to apply to the School District in order to work at ICS. Teachers trained outside of Alberta or Canada would first need to be qualified by the Teacher SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
4 Qualifications Service (TQS) which is a service of the ATA. Our current teachers are already qualified by TQS. Qualification to teach in Alberta is set by the Province, not the local School District. Teachers are also qualified by TQS for placement on the salary grid. Current teachers would maintain their credentials and experience if hired by SD51. Teachers working at least 0.2 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) receive full benefits from SD51. SD51 prefers to minimize the number of part time positions to keep benefit costs down. How has becoming an Alternate School affected sourcing of substitute teachers? The Principal is responsible for sourcing substitute teachers. All of the schools indicated that they have been able to source Christian substitute teachers to their satisfaction. SD51 indicated that substitute teachers, like their permanent counterparts, would be required to be employees of SD51. SD51 maintains a pool of substitute teachers which principals are able to select from. Principals are able to subject substitute teachers to the same scrutiny as permanent teachers. Our current substitute teachers would also be able to restrict their availability to teaching only in ICS if they desire. How has becoming an Alternate School affected hiring of Educational Assistants? The Principal is primarily responsible for hiring Educational Assistants (EAs). All schools indicated that the hiring procedures for EAs were similar to those of hiring teachers. Schools reported that they were able to retain their existing EAs. SD51 indicated that EAs would also be required to become employees of the District. EA training levels are compared to the requirements for the role, so that various levels of training are acceptable. Professional Development is available for those who would like to take advantage of this resource. EAs would be required to join CUPE local 2843. EAs working at least 0.5 FTE would receive full benefits from SD51. How has becoming an Alternate School affected the number of Educational Assistants you are able to hire? Schools had different experiences depending on what district they are in. Some had no change, others were only able to hire fewer EAs, while some schools were able to hire extra EAs using donated funds. Are staff required to sign a Statement of Faith or a Lifestyle Agreement? Most schools indicated that their staff do sign a Statement of Faith. Those schools that do not are currently looking into incorporating one into their agreements. One school indicated that their District Superintendent believes that a Statement of Faith cannot be legally enforced. That school emphasizes their Vision & Mission Statements when hiring. SD51 indicated that we would also be able to have employees and families sign a Statement of Faith. The document cannot contravene the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms. SCEISA would have autonomy in determining and interpreting what ‘Christian’ means within our schools. How has becoming an Alternate School affected hiring custodians and janitors? Each school answered differently based on the school district where they reside. Some schools lease their buildings to or operate within buildings owned by the District, and thus maintenance staff are hired and selected by the District. Other schools maintained ownership and do not lease their buildings to the District. These are able to hire maintenance staff however they see fit. SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
5 SD51 indicated that we would maintain ownership of our capital assets, including buildings. SD51 is also not able to lease our buildings. SCEISA would maintain responsibility for maintaining them, and can therefore hire maintenance staff however it sees fit. Enrolment How has becoming an Alternate School affected your enrolment policies? There were a variety of responses. Some schools only accept families after an interview by their Society and a pastoral reference. These schools also require families to sign a Statement of Faith. Other schools cannot refuse admission to anyone, but make new families aware of their Mission & Vision Statements, as well as their Statement of Faith. When families learn that a Christian School is more than a Bible class with devotions at each end of the day, they usually choose another school. Some schools indicated a concern that if their Society ever became lax in their requirement of a faith commitment then the school’s mission might be compromised. This is something for SCEISA to always be vigilant for as well. SD51 indicated that SCEISA would be free to define criteria for admission into ICS, including an interview by SCEISA and a Pastor’s Reference. We would also be able to have families sign a Statement of Faith. We would not be able to exclude families based on academic performance or special needs. If a family ever demonstrates that they can no longer subscribe to the Statement of Faith, we also would be able to collaborate with SD51 to facilitate a smooth transition to another school. SD51 indicated that SCEISA would be free to accept students from other school districts. SCEISA will not be required to give SD51 students priority enrolment over out of district students. If we enrol to capacity, we would be able to choose students based on SCEISA defined criteria, without regard to where that student lives. Is your school able to give priority enrolment to school alumni and families of supporters? Those schools that are able to control their enrolment are able to give priority enrolment to whomever they wish. Most schools have not enrolled to capacity, so that it is not yet an active concern. SD51 indicated that we would also be able to give priority enrolment according to our own criteria. It is important that these criteria be defined early on, so that if they are needed later, they do not give the appearance of favoritism. Has your enrolment increased? All schools reported increased enrolment. Some schools reported that a few families did leave when the school became Alternate. Educational Matters How has becoming an Alternate School affected curriculum development and use within your school? Most schools use Teaching for Transformation (TFT), which is the same program used in ICS. These schools reported that they now have more Professional Development (PD) resources to develop the application of these lesson plans in the school. Some reported pressure from their local district to be more aggressive in pursuing a Christian perspective within the classroom. Every school in Alberta is measured against the outcomes required by the Alberta Education Program of Studies, and that is the standard to which each SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
6 District holds their schools to. Alternate Schools are intended to be unique within their Districts, and Districts are holding their schools accountable to continue to demonstrate that they are maintaining that uniqueness. Schools reported that they continue to use materials from Christian Schools International (CSI) and Prairie Centre for Christian Education (PCCE). SD51 indicated that selecting educational material is the responsibility of principals and teachers. The material used must address the outcomes outlined in the Alberta Education Program of Studies. Have you felt any pressure to teach any content or teach from a perspective which you are uncomfortable with? All schools reported back with a “no”. They are held accountable by their districts to demonstrate their uniqueness. How has becoming an Alternate school affected your grading policies? All schools reported only minimal changes to grading policies, if any. One school did report that they are no longer able to issue a “0” grade for work not done. The other schools asked had not been affected by this policy. SD51 indicated that their guidelines are flexible, but would ensure that the provincial policy on Student Assessment is followed. They currently do not have a policy on whether a student can be assigned a “0”. How has becoming an Alternate School affected your ability to help special needs children? Most schools reported increased access to resources for special needs children. SD51 indicated that each school would be allocated a learning support teacher to manage the special needs program. That teacher would work with a psychologist, assigned by SD51, to assess and manage the special needs requirements of our students. Students requiring extra care would be managed by a team of EAs, rather than being assigned a specific EA. Alberta Education no longer provides SD51 with per student funding for special needs. SD51 is assigned a profile, and is provided funding according to that profile. The Principal would then work with the Director of Student Services at SD51 to allocate staff and resources at ICS based on the needs of our students. How has becoming an Alternate School affected your ability to use volunteers in the classroom? All schools reported that they had no problems using volunteers in their classrooms. Some schools reported that they required their volunteers to submit a Vulnerable Sector Check before working in the schools. SD51 indicated that for insurance purposes, volunteers in ICS would be required to submit to a Vulnerable Sector Check. Volunteers wishing to use their own vehicles to transport children would also be required to complete a volunteer driver form indicating that they carry a minimum level of liability insurance. How has becoming an Alternate School affected your access to classroom technology funding, equipment, and support? All schools indicated increased access to technology resources in their schools. SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
7 SD51 indicated that SCEISA would receive 100% technology funding and support. They would also be willing to consider giving ICS access to the Alberta Supernet, but feasibility would first need to be studied. What criteria would be used to fund and staff our trades program? SD51 indicated that trades would be considered the same as any other class. The SCEISA would be responsible for any capital investment. Courses would be funded the same as other courses – no extra funding for Junior High students, and per Credit Enrolment Unit (CEU) funding for Senior High students. We would be able to utilize resources from other SD51 schools. Who has input into class scheduling and format? SD51 indicated that principals are responsible for setting class scheduling and formats. They are encouraged to be creative with resource utilization, in order to provide the best outcomes for our students. This can include, but is not limited to combining classes, offering classes in alternate years, etc. In an Alternate setting will the required amounts of planning and paperwork change for our teachers? SD51 indicated that there would be some changes to paperwork. Classroom plans would have to follow TQS standards. Field trips would likely require more paperwork than they do now. Individual Program Plans would be similar, but resources (e.g. Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapists) would be provided by SD51. How will the reporting of student information change? ICS computer systems would be tied into SD51 and Alberta Education. Physical files remain at the school, but electronic records would be maintained at School/District/Provincial levels simultaneously. Would teachers continue to be allowed to hug, restrain, and discipline children where appropriate? SD51 indicated that teachers would continue to be allowed to use appropriate touch with children. There is training available to help determine appropriate actions when restraint is necessary. Who determines what approaches to discipline are appropriate? Our schools would be required to follow SD51 policies on discipline. The policy provides for flexibility at the school site. The policy primarily guides what aspects of discipline must be addressed in school policy and how it is communicated to parents. See the Appendix for a link to this policy Would we be required to align our school calendar with SD51? Yes, ICS would be required to align our school calendar with SD51. Would we be able to set our own snow days? SD51 indicated that next year there will be a School Closure procedure in place whereby if the buses are not operational (e.g. inclement weather), the schools are closed. Sites that have their own buses will have their own autonomy for developing guidelines and SD51 would need to know what the guidelines are. It would be required that someone be at the school in case some students still come. This is a safety precaution. SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
8 Would we be required to have early dismissal on Fridays, coinciding with SD51 schools? At this time, the answer to this is not known - SD51 would have to research if this is a requirement. Professional Development & Staff Benefits How has becoming an Alternate School affected the Professional Development (PD) resources and opportunities available to your staff? All schools reported a significant improvement in PD resources for their staff. Their staff has more time, resources, and opportunities to develop their skills and teaching materials. SD51 indicated that we could use their PD resources to develop Christian curriculum. We would be encouraged to use these resources to verify that our current materials align with the outcomes outlined in the Alberta Education Program of Studies. ICS teachers would receive the same access to PD resources as SD51 teachers. There are also PD resources available for EAs. Are your teachers able to attend both District and PCCE teachers’ conventions? All schools that are members of PCCE reported back that their teachers are able to attend both the PCCE annual Teachers’ Convention and their District Teachers’ Conventions. Most schools encourage, if not require, their teachers to attend both. SD51 indicated that our teachers would be required to attend the SD51 Teachers’ Convention. We would also be able to send our teachers to the PCCE Teachers’ Convention. SD51 indicated that teachers would have access to PD funds to facilitate attendance at both conventions. How is a return from a leave of absence handled? SD51 indicated that every effort is made to return a leave such as a maternity leave back to the site the employee left from. With respect to a secondment or education leave, there is not a guarantee of a position being held at a particular school site, but again, every effort is made to fill the position with a temporary employee and hold it until the return of the primary employee. It can depend on the assignment and level of difficulty with filling it. What pension and benefits packages are available to staff? SD51 indicated that all staff employee groups have benefit coverage through Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan (ASEBP). Specific details for ATA and CUPE Collective Agreements regarding which plans in the handbook are in the agreements can be found on the ASEBP website. In addition to the benefit plan, employees have a Health Spending Account. See the Appendix for a link to the ASEBP website. What policies exist regarding teachers taking personal days, bereavement days, and disability insurance? SD51 indicated that disability insurance is part of the ASEBP Benefit Plan package. All leave days are outlined in the Collective Agreements (there are some differences between teachers and support staff) that are available on the ASEBP Website. SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
9 Co-Curricular Activities How has becoming an Alternate School affected your ability to run co-curricular activities? All schools indicated that there has been no change in their co-curricular activities. Schools continue to operate cultural tours through parts of Europe, international mission trips, and sports trips without issue. SD51 indicates that there should be no impact on our ability to run our sports programs, French trip, Grad trip, Band/Choir trips, etc. There are, however, no extra resources available to fund them either. We would have opportunity, at SCEISA discretion, to pair with other schools to facilitate trips. How has becoming an Alternate School affected your ability to cooperate with Christian organizations? All schools reported back that they were able to maintain relationships and projects with Christian organizations of their choosing. Some schools participate in both local and international mission projects, and their districts have had no affect on their ability to do so. SD51 indicated that we would be able to continue Christian mission events, such as the Compassion Canada 24 Hour Famine, at SCEISA discretion. Would we still be able to offer our Outdoor Education courses? SD51 indicated that yes, but no extra funding would be available for travel. Any questionable activities (e.g. butchering animals) should be evaluated by Alberta Health and Safety for safety. Schools would work with the Associate Superintendent of Instructional Services to determine if an activity falls within health and safety guidelines. Fees and Society Responsibilities How would funding and staffing levels for SCEISA schools determined? We interviewed SD51 directly on funding and staffing levels as these are dependent on local district policies. Elementary schools are funded based on need. Funding is allocated based on target class sizes, and is thus loosely based on school population. Funding for library support and one secretary would also be provided for a school the size of ICES. Full technology and funding and support would be provided. Funding levels would be on par with other district elementary schools. Junior High funding is provided per student, and Senior High funding is provided per CEU. ICHS would qualify for funding of one secretary position, as well as full technology support and funding. If the province were to cut funding levels to SD51, those cuts would be applied proportionately to ICS. How has becoming an Alternate School affected your school fees? All societies reported that their school fees either stayed the same or decreased. Some societies used the extra funds to fund capital projects or pay down debt. SD51 indicated that we would be able to charge fees at whatever level SCEISA deems appropriate. SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
10 How has becoming an Alternate School affected your Society’s willingness to donate to the school? Some societies maintained their donation levels, while others saw donations drop. In those cases, the government funds displaced the need for society donations. Donors were then free to use those funds to support other Kingdom causes. Have you been issuing tax receipts for some portion of your fees? Societies reported issuing tax receipts for anywhere from 0% to 100% for their school fees. This is currently being investigated by the province, and the rules for issuing tax receipts by Alternate Schools will likely be clarified in the near future. Donations to the society will remain completely tax deductible. How has becoming an Alternate School affected your ability to hold fundraisers? All societies were free to continue running the same fundraisers that they had before. Societies who no longer owned their buildings also had less discretion in how they could spend donated funds. One society was able to spend the money however they liked, except they were not able to hire extra staff in their school. SD51 indicated that we could continue to hold whatever fundraisers we choose at SCEISA discretion. Those funds could then be used at SCEISA discretion. Does your District lease your building? Most school societies own their buildings. In two schools, the District owns the buildings. No new Alternate schools will receive lease funding. SD51 indicated that we would continue to own all of our capital assets, including buildings. They would not able to lease our building. There would not be any funding available to finance expansion if enrolment increases. Are you required to maintain your buildings/grounds to a different standard than before? All societies that own their own buildings replied that they were able to maintain their buildings to the same standard which they had before. SD51 indicated that we own our buildings and would continue to be responsible to maintain them to our own standards. The District would provide 95% Plant Operations & Maintenance funding. How has becoming an Alternate School affected strategy or resources for student transportation? Each district has different policies on busing. Some schools do not provide transportation; others provide transportation for a fee, while others use public busing. SD51 indicates that it does not provide any transportation funding. SCEISA would be responsible to provide daily transportation, as well as for field trips, school trips, sports trips, etc. SCEISA would be able to participate with SD51 in group buying of buses, which could save us around 10% in bus purchase costs. SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
11 Conclusion The Strategic Plan posed the following directives: Examine whether we can meet our core goals within an alternate scenario All of the schools interviewed expressed that they were able to educate their children in the Light of God’s Word, teaching from a Christian perspective. In some cases, they were being held accountable by their District to demonstrate how they were accomplishing this goal. Some aspects of how the school runs have changed, but the core beliefs of the school continued to be expressed in what they taught, and how they taught it. Examine existing alternate agreements We examined agreements from some of the schools interviewed and several others from other schools in Southern Alberta. Each agreement which was drafted showed improvements from the agreements preceding them. The most recent agreements include schools that have re-negotiated their original agreements and included improvements in them. Glean information from schools that have recently converted to alternate The committee conducted interviews with seven different Alternate Schools, as well as having informal talks with several others. This report summarizes our findings, and we believe it provides an accurate reflection into the experiences which other Societies have had. Investigate the impact of operating across public jurisdictions SCEISA is unique compared to most of the other schools that have chosen to become Alternate. ICS draws students from several school districts while most other schools only draw from a single district. It is important to the viability of our school and community that this ability be maintained. We had detailed conversations about this aspect of our school with SD51 and we are confident that ICS will continue to be able to accept children from all local school districts. Closely examine the budget side with a view to reducing fees SCEISA is fortunate to have a generous community which contributes to ICS. In the Alternate scenario, there are many factors which could affect the fees which SCEISA would charge. The largest factor is that the government would fund 100% of the educational costs, including salaries of principals, teachers and support staff. Our staff are currently paid less than their local public school counterparts, and we thank them for that effort to keep costs down. In the Alternate scenario, our staff would be paid the same as their local public school counterparts. SCEISA would also receive about 35% more funding for Plant Operations & Maintenance. SCEISA would maintain ownership of all capital assets, including buildings, land, and buses. SCEISA would still be responsible for maintaining, improving, and expanding these assets as required. Preliminary projections indicate that school fees could decrease in the range of 45-60%, depending on donation levels and enrolment. Current school fees, less transportation, are tax deductible, whereas it appears school fees in the Alternate scenario may not be eligible for tax receipts. SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
12 Recommendation The committee is aware that this is an important decision for the future of ICS. When we considered this course of action, we understood that there are basically three questions which we cannot compromise on: • Who is going to teach our children? • What are they going to teach our children? • Who will our children go to school with? We considered these questions as we talked to other schools that have become Alternate. We also understand that running a school is expensive. Our Christian community is very generous in supporting ICS, and we are very thankful for that support. We also have to ask ourselves if we are being good stewards of the resources which God has given us. If ICS can continue to teach our children in the Light of God’s Word, preparing them for Joyful Service in His Kingdom, and do that using government funds, are we being good stewards of His gifts? The committee looked for reasons to reject the Alternate option with every interview that we did. God has given us a precious gift in ICS, and we are all dedicated to protecting it. We were not able to find sufficient reasons to reject the Alternate option. The Committee recommends that SCEISA negotiate an agreement to become an Alternate School. The Board moves to recommend to the Society to pursue an agreement to become an Alternate Program within the Public System. SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
13 Appendix Lethbridge School District 51 Website www.lethsd.ab.ca Policy on School Discipline www.lethsdweb.lethsd.ab.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/pp502.2 Student Discipline_final.pdf Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan Website www.asebp.ca Benefits Handbook www.asebp.ab.ca/resources/publications/benefit_handbook_complete.pdf SOCIETY FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA | Alternate Schooling Study Committee
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