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Spencer Izen

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(He/Him)
  • Opinion Editor, The Ubyssey
  • Affiliated Researcher, Secrecy, Power, and Ignorance research Network
Vancouver
As seen in: The Ubyssey, The Tyee
Covers:  University, municipal, and student politics.
research coordinator @bcfipa. editor @ubysseyopinion, member @research_spin @skape_ed @unc_citap @interpretivemm. @spfacampaign. @ehnewspaper forever.
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BREAKING: VSB Trustees Vote To Close Queen Elizabeth Annex | The Griffins' Nest

BREAKING: VSB Trustees Vote To Close Queen Elizabeth Annex | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — The Vancouver School Board (‘VSB’) voted 6-3 on Tuesday night to close Queen Elizabeth Annex, a K-3 Early French Immersion school on Vancouver’s West Side.
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BREAKING: VSB Trustees Vote To Close Queen Elizabeth Annex | The Griffins' Nest

BREAKING: VSB Trustees Vote To Close Queen Elizabeth Annex | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — The Vancouver School Board ('VSB') voted 6-3 on Tuesday night to close Queen Elizabeth Annex, a K-3 Early French Immersion school on Vancouver's West Side. Trustees Janet Fraser (Green), Estrellita Gonzalez (Green), Lois Chan-Pedley (Green), Carmen Cho (Independent), Fraser Ballantyne (Independent), and Allan Wong (Vision Vancouver) voted in favour of the closure.
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Parents Believe That This is Part of a Quid Pro Quo:" The Story of the Queen Elizabeth Annex Clos...

Parents Believe That This is Part of a Quid Pro Quo:" The Story of the Queen Elizabeth Annex Clos...

The Griffins' Nest — A two-month investigation of the history and potential flaws behind one of the biggest decisions of this Vancouver Board of Education.
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Editorial | Washrooms are a Necessity, Not to Mention a Human Right | The Griffins' Nest

Editorial | Washrooms are a Necessity, Not to Mention a Human Right | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — In response to the recurring acts of vandalism at Eric Hamber Secondary School, two of three boys' washrooms have been deemed 'out of order,' and the remaining bathrooms now close at 3:59 PM. Keeping washrooms in a perpetual inoperative state is a reactive, impractical long-term solution to callous vandalism that fails the proportionality test in the administration of fairness for all students.
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Editorial | Time to Take Media Literacy Education Seriously | The Griffins' Nest

Editorial | Time to Take Media Literacy Education Seriously | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — It’s time we take media literacy seriously, as neglecting it threatens the foundation of Canadian democracy and fails the guidance offered in the School Act.
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Editorial | Thames Valley District School Board: A Case Study for the VSB | The Griffins' Nest

Editorial | Thames Valley District School Board: A Case Study for the VSB | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — If trustees were expecting a status quo meeting at the Thames Valley District School Board meeting on April 26, they were in for a surprise. The mayor of Zorra township, Marcus Ryan, delivered a stunning rebuke of the leadership, or the lack thereof, delivered by the trustees.
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Opinion | Dear Students: Please Stop Creating Disingenuous Non-Profits | The Griffins' Nest

Opinion | Dear Students: Please Stop Creating Disingenuous Non-Profits | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — Last summer, through a mutual friend, I met a student from a neighbouring school district. One of the things we talked about was how our relative jurisdictions foster an abundance of clubs, student-led organizations, and initiatives. My new acquaintance from Richmond shared that her school administration had introduced the practice of limiting students' to running a single club.
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Beyond Football: A look into the only Public School Football Program in Vancouver | The Griffins'...

Beyond Football: A look into the only Public School Football Program in Vancouver | The Griffins'...

The Griffins' Nest — "It's not about football. It's about helping people find their best potential," says Griffins Football Head Coach Mr. Bobby Gibson, reflecting back on the district-unique program he founded nearly 12 years ago. Gibson, who had grown up in Saskatoon, was surprised to learn after moving West that the sport he loved didn't have much of a place on the fields of Vancouver's public secondary schools.
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How The VSB's Ending of a Special Education Program May Bring Human Rights Litigation Against the...

How The VSB's Ending of a Special Education Program May Bring Human Rights Litigation Against the...

The Griffins' Nest — The delivery of special education is the responsibility of school boards, mandated by the Ministry of Education. And while the Ministry provides supplementary funding for designations across three levels, school districts do not receive supplementary funding for students with gifted or learning disability designations.
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EXCLUSIVE: Although No Longer Required, Vancouver Secondary Students Will Be Wearing Masks After ...

EXCLUSIVE: Although No Longer Required, Vancouver Secondary Students Will Be Wearing Masks After ...

The Griffins' Nest — “When K to 12 schools return from spring break, masks will no longer be required for students, staff and visitors,” reads a March 10 press release from the Ministry of Education. “The decision to wear a mask or face covering is a personal choice for everyone.”
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EDITORIAL: Take Notes, Trustee Candidates | The Griffins' Nest

EDITORIAL: Take Notes, Trustee Candidates | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — The Editorial Board has compiled a list of items for trustees to take action on, in a non-partisan mandate letter from the almost 20,000 district secondary students, nearly 3,000 of whom will be eligible to vote in this year's upcoming election.
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Fact Check: When it Comes to MACC Disinformation, the Third Time Isn't the Charm | The Griffins' ...

Fact Check: When it Comes to MACC Disinformation, the Third Time Isn't the Charm | The Griffins' ...

The Griffins' Nest — Following a month of continuous investigation, The Griffins' Nest has repeatedly found that the Vancouver School Board is deceiving the public regarding the research behind its proposal to effectively cancel a gifted program. Following inquires from The Nest, the District quietly produced a new set of research amounting to the most demonstrably false claims to date in the saga.
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Fact Check: When it Comes to MACC Disinformation, the Third Time Isn't the Charm | The Griffins' ...

Fact Check: When it Comes to MACC Disinformation, the Third Time Isn't the Charm | The Griffins' ...

The Griffins' Nest — Following a month of continuous investigation, The Griffins' Nest has repeatedly found that the Vancouver School Board is deceiving the public regarding the research behind its proposal to effectively cancel a gifted program. Following inquires from The Nest, the District quietly produced a new set of research amounting to the most demonstrably false claims to date in the saga.
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EXCLUSIVE: Inside the VSB's MACC Program Revisioning Being Called An "Erosion of Public Trust" | ...

EXCLUSIVE: Inside the VSB's MACC Program Revisioning Being Called An "Erosion of Public Trust" | ...

The Griffins Nest — The Vancouver School Board's plan to "revision" the Muti Age Cluster Class ("MACC") program has become a highly controversial one, sparking both significant and sustained outrage among alumni, parent, and student program advocates over the District's disingenuous consultation and casual relationship with the truth behind their research claims. Now, program advocates have initiated a (new) petition with over 450 signatures under the SaveMACC group.
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EXCLUSIVE: The VSB Says They're Revisioning the MACC Program. Alumni and Parent Critics Say They'...

EXCLUSIVE: The VSB Says They're Revisioning the MACC Program. Alumni and Parent Critics Say They'...

The Griffins' Nest — The Vancouver School Board says it's planning a "revisioning" of the Multi-Age Cluster Classes (MACC) program under the theme of equity, but alumni and parent advocates say they're tearing the program apart.
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"I don't feel safe at school": VSB Students reflect on the first week back in classrooms | The Gr...

"I don't feel safe at school": VSB Students reflect on the first week back in classrooms | The Gr...

The Griffins' Nest — UPDATED 6:50 PM, JAN. 16, 2022 TO ADD CONTEXT REGARDING SEMESTERS. After five days back in schools, Vancouver students and parents remain concerned about the realities of returning to classrooms. The Griffins' Nest asked secondary students from across the District to share their back to school experiences, and 44 responded.
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EXCLUSIVE: Functional Closures in VSB: What They Are, How They Work, And What Stakeholders Are Sa...

EXCLUSIVE: Functional Closures in VSB: What They Are, How They Work, And What Stakeholders Are Sa...

The Griffins' Nest — Administration reiterates, "during a functional closure, we will shift to providing remote learning opportunities for students to ensure continuity of learning and course completion". They also said in-person learning opportunities for "students with additional needs, such as students with special needs and children of essential workers," may be available during a closure, as done this past week.
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EXCLUSIVE: Letter Sent to Hamber Families, DPAC Still Has Major Questions For Health & Education ...

EXCLUSIVE: Letter Sent to Hamber Families, DPAC Still Has Major Questions For Health & Education ...

The Griffins' Nest — The letter defines essential workers as "those employed in Health and Health Services, Social Services, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Emergency Response, and those employed in K-12 education." Minister Whiteside delegated the task of determining who could return to schools before January 10 to individual school boards in her extension announcement last week.
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VSB sends early message on Winter Break extension | The Griffins' Nest

VSB sends early message on Winter Break extension | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — The VSB announced today the early details of the provinces' move to delay students' return from Winter Break until January 10, as well what they mean for the District. Interim Superintendent Jan Unwin penned a letter to families sent earlier today confirming that online schooling would not take place during the extension, echoing what Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside had said at a press conference yesterday.
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BREAKING: BC Delays Students' Return from Winter Break | The Griffins' Nest

BREAKING: BC Delays Students' Return from Winter Break | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — BC Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside announced earlier today that most K-12 students across the province will be returning from Winter Break on January 10, a week later than scheduled.
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THE NEST INVESTIGATES: Online Learning with the VSB's Vancouver Learning Network | The Griffins' ...

THE NEST INVESTIGATES: Online Learning with the VSB's Vancouver Learning Network | The Griffins' ...

The Griffins' Nest — After reviewing dozens of documents, 85 written testimonies, social media posts, board meetings, student interviews, and data obtained through freedom of information, a months-long Nest investigation of the Vancouver Learning Network reveals a set of mixed student experiences that make for an educational journey of either smooth sailing or academic shipwreck - with little in between.
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Facebook Inc. Renames Itself Meta After Scandal | The Griffins' Nest

Facebook Inc. Renames Itself Meta After Scandal | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — After years of heavy criticism and what experts say may have been the tech giant's biggest scandal yet, Facebook began a rebranding process to earn back consumer trust, starting with its name. The tech giant changed its name to Meta amid international outcry following the leak of "The Facebook Papers", a collection of previously undisclosed internal documents, by former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen.
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A Deeper Look at Canada's 44th Election | The Griffins' Nest

A Deeper Look at Canada's 44th Election | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — 17 million votes, 338 ridings, and $600 million. On September 20, Canadians headed to the polls, following a snap election called by the Prime Minister in mid-August. The 36-day campaign featured the major parties vying to form government, seeking a mandate to lead Canada through a COVID recovery.
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Transparency Matters, Premier Horgan | The Griffins' Nest

Transparency Matters, Premier Horgan | The Griffins' Nest

The Griffins' Nest — Bill-22 is a fundamental danger to democracy in BC. The $25 fee, among the other amendments to the Act, only adds to the already difficult and notably broken system of accessing public information.
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