Post Event: School Options Open House & Information Night
A perfect example that it need not be perfect to be POWRful!
People and parents of Waterloo Region (POWR), and beyond, gathered on Jan 8, 2024 for the first School Options Open House and Info Night in Waterloo.
Budget: $0.
It was a beautiful unfolding and display of a grassroots movement by we, the people, standing up for not only our legislative rights, but for the conscious freedoms bestowed to each and every one us by something much greater than government or man.
Despite it being a cold Monday night and the first day back at school after the Christmas break, the committee estimated over 230 attendees – nearly 100 more than were registered. The large auditorium was overflowing, with doors propped open as discerning attendees watched from the foyer. As word spread in the days leading up to the event, vendors were contacting the organizers asking for a spot right up to and including the day of.
Mainstream Media coverage: zilch.
With the conclusion of this School Options event – the first of what we hope will be many – participants have already expressed a desire for more. Not only more of what was offered at this event, but also an eagerness to delve deeper into several specific topics. While parents and people of Waterloo Region may not agree on everything (and that’s a good thing), we share a dissatisfaction with the current state of our publicly funded school systems. In fact, many of us consider the allocation of our funds to these corporations as a form of theft. Many either seek alternative options or advocate for fixing the existing system.
Those who preregistered expressed a desire to learn more about different options, including how to remain connected, the current state of the publicly funded school system, understanding policies and the curriculum set through the ministry of education, and how to make a difference for our children! Click here for the full list.
Intention
Our hope for you with this event was threefold:
Leave more informed about the current situation.
Become empowered (and, dare we say, excited) to take action.
Know, without a doubt, that you have support in whatever decision you make in seeking better outcomes for your children.
The Event
First, participants had over an hour to connect with those hosting information booths—vendors recommended by people and parents of Waterloo Region. These vendor booths represented organizations or community members who have provided a space and/or resources for families to access education without indoctrination. Others have helped protect our children while informing parents about the current state of the systems and society.
Speaker Line Up
Dr. David Haskell spoke first about 'Education versus Indoctrination,' and he invited Geoff Horsman to provide real-world examples of indoctrination within our publicly funded schools. David Haskell then discussed evidence demonstrating negative impacts of 'DEI’. He also offered evidence to reassure parents that their children will learn what they need (and more!) from alternative options such as homeschooling or micro and private schools.
We are grateful for the powerful stand taken by these mighty POWRful fathers!
The live audience was then gifted with the courageous and wise words of Carolyn Burjoski. Carolyn gave her thoughts on the preceding remarks and then led the group through some self-reflection, posing the question:
This feedback is being compiled and will be shared here as a separate Substack piece.
Carolyn, you won't be silenced and you help show the rest of us that we too mustn’t keep quiet. If you haven’t yet, please check out Education at the Crossroads and follow the unfolding of Carolyn’s case. This is about so much more than a school board and a teacher. Whatever your personal opinion on this matter, the government-funded lawfare against its own citizens documented in this case should be enough to rattle you.
We then had the opportunity to hear from five remarkable individuals—men and women who have risen up and demonstrated how possible it is for each one of us to do the same! These parents and educators were confronted with pressing issues and knew they needed to take action.
By choosing the often inconvenient path of non-conformity—either by opting for education outside of the publicly funded system or by staying and fighting within it to serve the public—these remarkable individuals took unique paths for themselves, their children, and the many families they serve. They have truly risen up, not because it was easy, not because they had more time, but because they knew too much not to.
Sonya Martin, Homeschooling Mother & Mentor – Homeschooling & Homeschooling Co-Ops
Darryl Weinberg, Co-Founder School Pods Canada – Joining or Starting a School Pod
Sarah Pittao, Educator & Co-Founder of Learning In The Forest – Supporting families transitioning from the publicly funded school systems to education fit for them!
Gord Stevenson, CCEM Steering Committee – Starting Schools in existing spaces.
Cindy Watson, WRDSB Trustee – Navigating the Publicly Funded School System
When we speak of the People & Parents of Waterloo Region (POWR) who take action, know that they don’t do it because they have ‘more’ of anything.
It's because we understand that any inconvenience, discomfort, or challenge that arises from taking action will be far less than the inconvenience, discomfort, and struggle that results from NOT taking action.
Everyone has a role here—this isn’t about telling anyone which option is best for them or their family.
It’s about making informed decisions. It’s about understanding your options. And it’s about listening to what YOU want—without all the noise. Be confident that no matter what, you WILL figure it out, and it WILL be worth it!
Again, this is not a call or attempt to kybosh the public system. However, it doesn't mean that we don't have a duty to stand up and speak out when the system is no longer working for us. There may be many reasons why it’s not working for YOU (and your family). For some it may be the lack of informed consent for particular ideologies, while others may have concerns about air quality, violence or behavioral issues, mandates, quality of education, class sizes, or treatment of front-line staff and their work environment. Still others may have discontentment about structural issues like policies, procedures, and the lack of accountability or trust. Whatever your concerns may be about the public system, it is reasonable, correct, and necessary to voice them.
We have a duty to take a stand and make improvements for our children, the youth in our community, and for our future. Well-educated citizens benefit everyone, and a stagnating public education system contributes to plummeting productivity and lower standards of living (the per capita GDP of Ontario is now on par with some of the poorest US states). Trustee Cindy Watson, who concluded our speaker panel, has been taking a stand to do just that. A Trustee who is FOR a publicly funded school system that serves the public!
If you would like to attend future information sessions focusing on navigating the current school board, staying informed about what your child is learning, and making a difference in the quality of education and the environment in which our children learn, send us an email at empowrconnect@gmail.com.
The sustained attack on the family unit is another issue that we didn’t have the time to address. Perhaps it warrants a dedicated substack piece (or a few) or even its own event.
It seems clear that more and more parents are feeling that they have less and less capacity to be involved. But we’ll fight the demoralization, and we promise you that – although we need balance in our lives – becoming more involved in our kids’ lives is rewarding in ways that we’ve never even imagined.
What our world needs…
…is more children spending more time with engaged,
discerning mothers and fathers.
Not everyone who is dissatisfied with the system believes the system should self-destruct. Some believe that society requires a publicly funded school system but reform is needed; that “the system has become a centralized, bureaucratic fortress that, every year, becomes softer on standards for students, less accessible to parents, further out of touch with communities, and surprisingly unresponsive to teachers.”1
Others believe that the publicly funded school system is doing exactly what it was created to do. And that “genius is as common as dirt, but that compulsory governmental schooling is driving out the natural curiosity and problem-solving skills we’re born with, replacing it with rule-following, fragmented time, and disillusionment.” 2
These may be a question worth exploring as you navigate your options and determine what’s best for you, your family, and our society at large.
Regardless of your stance, the undeniable truth is that publicly funded school systems exist for us—the people. When they cease to serve our children, we not only have the right to leave, but we also have an obligation to do so.
Is this system working for you? If not, could it work for you if it changed? What’s your line? Do you know enough to know you’ve had enough? Enough to either stand up within it and make a change, or to abort it entirely? Would it make a difference if you had the funds to choose something else?
There was a wealth of information shared, and much more ground to cover. Our primary intention was for everyone who attended (or watches the replay) to ask themselves:
‘Why am I here?’
Why were you in that auditorium (or watching this replay)? What led you to connect with the people you did? Why were you exposed to the information you heard? What did you notice yourself noticing? What will you do with it?
We all have our unique reasons for being here, and each of us plays a vital role in safeguarding our children, their education, and our liberties. Our needs may vary at different points in this journey.
What was or is it for you, in this moment?
Do YOU need support?
Could you use some collaboration or connection with others going through something similar?
Were you here to listen and learn something that you can now share with someone else?
Was it to step into your power to stand up against something you know you need to be standing up about?
Is it to put your proficiencies and/or passions towards something pretty spectacular (our children and future)?
Is it to be a support for others who have endured unfortunate strife over the last few years due to policies/procedures and top-down propaganda delivered to our children in a school setting?
Do you have time, energy, expertise, or resources to offer for this mission that we’re on together?
Is it because you know someone who wants to serve in this way?
Whatever it is for you, we do hope you recognize it. We hope that you follow through with that pull, and, most of all, that you and we, as a people, reap all the joy and reward from doing so.
Gratitude
We have a multitude of people to thank for making all of this possible—gratitude that could easily take an entire evening to express. Our speakers and vendors are individuals who have dedicated years to serving families and our children. They have ventured into uncomfortable, inconvenient, and sometimes downright terrifying territory to advocate for our children and stand for our liberties. We were honored to hear from each of them, and we know there's still much more to unpack. Discussions about upcoming podcasts, events, and webinars are already underway to delve deeper into the topics that many in our community want to learn more about! Stay tuned for more updates!
The unfolding of this grassroots event was a beautiful display of what's possible when you take steps toward it with a purpose to serve. This event brought with it a story that some of us will never forget—the generosity from Creekside Church in offering the space, setting up/cleaning up, and providing a tech team; Faith FM for promoting the event on their page and announcing it on the air; community members offering their time to help with the sensational creation on the stage; the many volunteers who assisted on the day; and parents and people of Waterloo Region offering services such as printing or childcare expertise, not to mention our extraordinary planning committee. It has been a true blessing working together to make this evening a reality. The passion that all of these people exude in order to ensure that families in Waterloo Region are offered options for their children is more than remarkable - it’s heartwarmingly inspirational!
We all have it within us. In unity, we’re unstoppable! And the reward of the journey is priceless. EMPOWR wishes that for everyone.
Thank you to all of the people and parents who showed up! And for all of the positive and helpful feedback we’ve obtained thus far and for the donations! It looks like we will be able to cover the cost of the snacks and prints and perhaps have some to help offset some costs associated with FOIs. Parents of Waterloo Region will be looking into the possibility of having a bank account set up which would allow people to donate to areas they want to see more work in. We’ll keep you posted!
We had a few people asking about the playlist and the songs that were playing before the speakers. We are delighted to know that they may continue to inspire:
EMPOWRwelcome: Playlist before and after speakers (we do not endorse Spotify nor their ads)
David Haskell’s Intro song: ‘Same God’, written by Brandon Lake, Chris Brown, Pat Barrett, and Steven Furtick, sung by Jonsal Barrientes
Carolyn Burjoski’s intro song: Speechless, written by Pasek and Paul, sung by Naomi Scott
Panel’s into song: Rise Up, written and sung by Andra Day
Duplication!
If you are witnessing a need for a similar event in your area – do it!
And if we can assist in any way, reach out. We would be honoured to share the lessons we've learned. The journey itself will be well worth the effort, not to mention the outcome of parents and people in your region knowing there are numerous options to move towards better outcomes for our children and our shared future.
Or, perhaps it will be time for a more central event where we can leverage time and other resources! Connect with us if this may be something you would like to be a part of. In any case, we love to meet and bring together new people, and please reach out even if you feel that you don’t have much time or energy to contribute – even just knowing your perspective is an enormous contribution!
What’s to Come!
As we continue to gather feedback, we are already recognizing the need for and the desire to execute the following:
Town halls: To keep learning more, connecting with others, and taking action where you feel compelled to do so!
Homeschooling ('how to,' Q&A, insights from others who have done it, and establishing a Waterloo Region homeschooling community)
Pods: Exploring logistics and costs associated with joining or starting a pod, helping you determine if it's the right choice for your family
Utilizing existing spaces to provide educational environments for our children
Workshops and/or Webinars on navigating publicly funded systems, understanding the policies and curriculm from the Ministry of Education, questions you may want answers to from your principal and children’s teachers, ‘how-to’ regarding delegations, FOI and more!
Moving toward a parallel system and/or 'school choice' where families have their tax dollars follow their child
Let us know if you fit into any of these categories, and we'll do our best to continue serving our families, together, toward accessing appropriate and desired education for our children!
We are more than thrilled with the tremendously positive outcomes of this event and the growth we achieved by executing it!
Thank you, all of you, for rising up for the children of our world.
Some upcoming events that may be of interest:
Monday, Feb 5, 2024 (virtual)
Canadian Online Homeschool Conference
Saturday, February 24, 2024 (in Bradford with Waterloo Satellite/Online options)
Help for Homeschooling Highschool Seminar
Friday, May 3- Sat May 4, 2024 (Redeemer University, Ancaster)
Ontario Christian Home Education Conference
Friday, May 3-Saturday May 4, 2024 (in Toronto)
researchED Canada - The Science of Learning
Bennett, Paul W. The State of the System: A Reality Check on Canada's Schools. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2020.
Gatto, John Taylor. Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 2017
Lauren Daigle - Still Rolling Stones (lyrics). The Higher Power, 2020. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTy64xm7jwI
Sounds amazing! Great job EMPOWR!