January 7, 2008 | Vol. 20, No. 01

WHAT'S INSIDE?

Public Education Symposium 2008
OPSBA calls for Representation on a Proposed Ad Hoc Governance Committee on Communications and Information Technology in our Schools
Ministry of Education UPDATE
CSBA InfoPicks, December 14, 2007
SELU Presents 2008 National Congress on Rural Education
Calendar of Events

At OPSBA

Public Education Symposium 2008

FREE  SAFE SCHOOLS PRE-SYMPOSIUM – Bill 212
Thursday, January 24, 2008
8:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.
Sheraton Centre Hotel, Toronto

THANKS TO THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO FOR THE PRE-SYMPOSIUM, THERE WILL BE:

• NO REGISTRATION FEE
  Boards that have already registered and paid for the Pre-Symposium will be refunded after the event.

• TRAVEL COSTS to a MAXIMUM of $700 will be reimbursed for the Pre-Symposium ONLY.
  Expense claim forms will be available at the OPSBA registration desk on the day of the event.

PLEASE REGISTER IN ADVANCE.  We regret we will not be able to accept on-site registration.

Invitations have been extended to all provincial trustee associations.

PLEASE NOTE:  Bill Belsey’s presentation is included in the main Symposium registration fee.

Register on-line – see links below.  Registration forms are also available at your board office.

HOTEL CUT-OFF DATE was 19 December
If you are not able to get a hotel room at the special rate, please contact Ernesta Graham for assistance.

MAIN SYMPOSIUM

OPSBA in partnership with ACÉPO
Friday, January 25, and Saturday, January 26, 2008

SPEAKERS

Workshop Sessions:

• Succession Planning for Leaders
• Building Confidence in Public Education (Board’s Advocacy Plan)
• The Impact of Media Violence on Child and Adolescent
• Development: A Critical Role for Parent and Educator Intervention
• Environmental Education and Our Future at a Crossroads: Opportunities for School Boards
• Aboriginal Education Issues
• Urban / Rural Board Caucus Sessions
• Technology Open Meeting

All trustees, directors of education, supervisory officers and other board members are encouraged to attend this annual OPSBA/ACÉPO event.

The Pre-Conference program and Pre-Conference registration form; as well as the Main Conference program and Main Conference registration form are available on-line.

For more information: Ernesta Graham, Events Coordinator, ext.115; or Susan Weinberg, Policy & Professional Development Coordinator, ext.128

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OPSBA calls for Representation on a Proposed Ad Hoc Governance Committee on Communications and Information Technology in our Schools

OPSBA’s Education Program Work Team will submit to the next meeting of Executive Council and Board of Directors a proposal for the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to respond to OPSBA’s approved priority related to the use of technology in learning and teaching. Since Board of Directors will not meet until February 28-29, 2008, the Work Team is taking tentative steps to lay the groundwork for this Ad Hoc Committee in anticipation that the Board will approve such a Committee as the vehicle for carrying out this specific priority. These tentative steps are:

1. Inviting from trustees an expression of interest in serving on the Ad Hoc Committee on Communication and Information Technology in Our Schools
2. Holding an open meeting for all trustees during the 2008 Public Education Symposium to explore views on issues such a committee should address

Proposed Mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee on Communication and Information Technology in Our Schools

It is proposed that the committee consider a wide range of issues dealing with use of communications and information technologies by school boards in each of three distinct areas:

• classroom and pedagogy functions (e.g. curriculum delivery, student assignment submission, reference materials and textbooks)
• administration and operational support functions such as payroll, accounting, student information systems, etc.
• connectivity and system support functions including servers, email, operating systems.

The issues to be considered by the committee would include, but would not be limited to: e-learning and remote course delivery, teacher readiness and training, curriculum development to utilize the potential of these technologies, standardization of software and hardware between boards, digital literacy standards, multi-board technology purchasing/consortia, supporting these technologies in existing and new school buildings, and current technology being used by boards. The proposed objective of this committee is to develop recommendations on how to use these technologies to increase student achievement, promote equity of access across the province, replicate successful models, increase system reliability, and reduce costs in the face of rapidly changing technology.

Proposed Structure of the Ad Hoc Committee on Communication and Information Technology in Our Schools

It is proposed that there be a core steering committee comprised of one trustee from each region plus an Executive Council liaison member.  This group would be expanded on an as needed basis to gather a broad range of input from trustees, staff and other experts in the field, and, if required , to establish a technical subcommittee with the expertise to address the technical aspects of the Committee’s work. Wherever possible, teleconferencing and other technologies would be used to minimize meeting costs.

It is emphasized that this proposal cannot be acted on prior to approval by the Board of Directors

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Trustees who are interested in serving on the Steering Committee, or contributing to a Think Tank to support the Proposed Ad Hoc Committee on Communication and Information Technology in Our Schools, are invited to complete and forward the attached form to David Walpole at dwalpole@opsba.org by February 1, 2008.

Criteria for recommended appointment to the Ad Hoc Committee:

• Experience with technology for teaching and learning
• Interest in the benefits and challenges of communication and information technology in schools
• Strong capacity to relate to the broad range of readiness represented in users of technology

(This communication has also been sent out to trustees of all OPSBA’s member boards).

For more information: Florenda Tingle, Executive Coordinator, ext.108

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Ministry of Education UPDATE

Memo Summary: December 2007

See
http://cal2.edu.gov.on.ca/dec07.html

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Amendments to Regulation 304, School Year Calendar, Professional Activity Days

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Across CANADA

CSBA InfoPicks, December 14, 2007

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SELU Presents 2008 National Congress on Rural Education

“Honouring Youth: Celebrating Student Success,” the Saskatchewan Educational Leadership Unit’s (SELU’s) Thirteenth National Congress on Rural Education, will be held from March 30 to April 1 at TCU Place (formerly the Centennial Auditorium) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This year’s conference features keynote presenters Raffi, an award winning song writer, recording artist and author; Christopher Spence, Director of Education, Hamilton-Wentworth DSB; and Clayton Desjarlais, owner of a consulting firm that delivers workshops on aboriginal awareness, diversity training and aboriginal issues. The conference also includes round table discussion sessions, as well as over 40 concurrent sessions on rural education issues and solutions. In keeping with the theme Honouring Youth, the National Congress will also hear from a panel of youth presenters who will speak out about their experiences in rural schools.

See
Rural Education Congress 2008

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Calendar of EVENTS