old school - new school

To the editor ( February 25, 2010 )

Let’s have some optimistic involvement in the new high school design.

The fate of MHS is set; as any skillful predictor of public policy could have guessed a year ago, a compromise solution was taken that aims to save the historic building and establish a new school. Its an idea that tries to please people and be inexpensive. Although the fate of the MHS building is still up in the air, that is not my concern here. My interest is in starting a public debate over what we want in our new high school.

Will we be happy with a clone of Northrop Frye? It would be an economical idea as the architectural plans are already drawn up. We could dress up the front with a few stones in the style of MSH, adding character at low cost. Actually I think that sort of thing is a horrible idea. The new school should be NEW, that includes having its own name. It can not be MHS and it should not try. Let’s dream up a bright hopeful name for the future or go digging the local history for a name to use; consider some of Moncton’s first teachers back in the 1800s.

My point is that we should get some public input on this project. The Times & Transcript should open an electronic forum to collect ideas and criticisms of those ideas; then publish a summary before the building goes up.

Let’s hear from the students, what is good and bad about the high schools they go to now. Let’s hear from the teachers, about how the school environment can be made to help learning. Let’s hear from anyone with a good idea.

I want to see a wish list of all the best things that should be in a school. Then I want to see the list cut down by sensible penny pinching critics. I’m not cynical here, just realistic. Thus I make final more difficult request. I want to see innovative ideas as to how the good items on the wish list can be economically integrated into the new school.