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March 17, 2008 | Vol. 20, No. 10WHAT'S INSIDE?Substantial Dollar Savings to all Boards Through the School Energy Coalition Substantial Dollar Savings to all Boards Through The The latest Status Report from the School Energy Coalition (SEC) is attached. Through the work of the SEC, School Boards in the province will realize savings of approximately $2,000 per school over the next 5 years in reduced natural gas bills from Enbridge and Union Gas. The Status Report also describes the heavy schedule of the OEB Intervention Hearings on Electricity rates in which the SEC will participate on behalf of all School Boards in the next 3 years. For more information: Bob Williams, Director Labour Relations and OESC, OPSBA Calls for Policy Resolutions & Constitutional Amendments from Member BoardsPolicy Resolutions - Submission by Thursday, April 3, 2008 Policy resolutions should reflect the corporate position of a member school board and address issues that have provincial implications. Proposals for action by OPSBA should be clearly identified as part of the backgrounder or within the resolution. Policy resolutions received at OPSBA by April 3 will be reviewed by Executive Council, which acts as a Policy Resolutions Review Committee, and presented to the Board of Directors for information at their April meeting. In accordance with the OPSBA Constitution, policy resolutions may also be presented from the floor of the Annual General Meeting, but are subject first to obtaining the approval of two thirds of the delegates at the AGM to consider the new resolution. Once the approval to consider the resolution has been obtained, the board representative (delegate) who has introduced the new resolution must provide copies of the resolution in writing for every delegate. Constitutional Amendments - Submission by Monday, March 31, 2008 In many cases, when a constitutional amendment is proposed, it is referred to a specially formed committee for study and careful consideration of the full impact of the proposed change. That committee’s recommendation(s) would be provided in time for the following year’s process, i.e. consideration by the Board of Directors in April, and if approved, forwarded to the Annual General Meeting for confirmation by the delegates. A guide to submitting policy resolutions, including a sample submission form is available online. The OPSBA Constitution and By Laws document, which was last amended in June 2007, is also available online on the OPSBA website. Please send submissions, including a clear rationale/background and the proposed Constitutional change, to OPSBA by mail, fax or e-mail to the attention of Florenda Tingle, Executive Coordinator. See For more information: Florenda Tingle, Executive Coordinator, ext.108 20th AGM & PROGRAM 2008
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When: |
June 12 — 15, 2008 |
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Where: |
Sheraton on the Falls Hotel and Conference Centre |
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Who: |
Trustees, Directors of Education, supervisory officers, student trustees and other board members are encouraged to attend this annual OPSBA conference. |
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Hotel: |
Book early to avoid disappointment! |
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HOTEL CUT-OFF DATE: |
May 12, 2008 |
Watch OPSBA’s Fast Reports for regular updates and future announcements.
The Registration Form and the Preliminary Program will be available online in April.
For more information: Gail Anderson, Executive Director, ext.109; Ernesta Graham,Events Coordinator, ext.115; or Susan Weinberg, Policy & Professional Development Coordinator, ext.128
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Submit Nominations for the OPSBA Awards Program
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association's Awards Program strives to recognize some of the outstanding contributions made to the public education system by individuals across Ontario.
It’s not too late to nominate a student, teacher or trustee you would like to recognize for making a difference.
Complete information about the awards, including the nomination form and terms of reference, is available online. Please take a few moments to review this online information. The OPSBA Awards are:
The Jack A. MacDonald Award of Merit — recognizes the achievements of an outstanding student for a sound academic record and outstanding community service and leadership.
The Fred L. Bartlett Memorial Award — presented to an active or retired member of the teaching profession for an outstanding contribution to education throughout Ontario, including activities such as constructive participation in education affairs over a number of years or recent participation in a specific project that has had a significant impact.
The Dr. Harry Paikin Award of Merit — awarded to an active or retired public school trustee for outstanding service.
Achievement Award and Award of Excellence — recognizes the outstanding contributions of non-teaching staff, parents, volunteers and community partners from Member Boards. This award provides an opportunity to raise awareness and to promote the importance of celebrating excellence. It also emphasizes the importance of recognizing the contributions of all members of the education community.
The Bernardine Yackman Memorial Award — awarded for dedication, commitment and an outstanding contribution to education with special recognition for Northern Ontario service. The deadline for nominations for this particular award is September 12, 2008
All nominations, except for the Bernardine Yackman Memorial Award, must be received at the OPSBA office no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 18, 2008.
For the Bernardine Yackman Memorial Award, the nomination deadline is September 12, 2008.
See
OPSBA Awards
For more information: Mary Adams-Cuffy, Awards Coordinator, ext.101
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OPSBA in the Media
School Board Join Reserve Fight
As reported by Louise Brown, Toronto Star, March 14, 2008
Ontario students encouraged to write letters calling for funds to build school for Attawapiskat children
They sit scattered in portables so run down the James Bay wind can blow through cracks in the wall. Twice this winter pipes have frozen, leaving students nowhere to go but home.
It has been eight years since parents in Attawapiskat, in Ontario's northern woodland, pulled their children out of the town's grade school because of contaminated soil and moved them to what they thought would be temporary portables. But the 400 students still suit up in boots and coats every time they visit the school library, computer room or special education class or the town gym – then do it all over again when they head back to class.
So poor is this setting for learning, it's no wonder some children here drop out by Grade 8, says Attawapiskat principal Stella Wesley.
"Portables aren't the whole problem, but they make children feel very isolated in a community already segregated from the rest of society," said Wesley, whose students are at the heart of a national push for federal funding for a new school.
Ontario's public school boards will encourage their 2.1 million students to write letters to the federal department of Indian and Northern Affairs to urge funding for a new school in this northern Cree community, after eight years of waiting for funding from successive federal governments.
Several schools plan to lead a student awareness campaign for Attawapiskat, including Toronto's Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School and The Student School, a public alternative school.
"All children have the right to a quality education, and we want the students of Attawapiskat to know their peers care about them," said Waterloo trustee Catherine Fife, vice-president of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association.
The boards are responding to NDP MP Charlie Angus' YouTube call for the public to push Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl for funds for a new school in Attawapiskat, to replace the one contaminated in 1979 by a toxic diesel spill.
An Indian Affairs spokesperson told the Star this week there are no plans or timetables for when a new school might be built in Attawapiskat, even though government officials had said last fall one was in the works.
But federal officials say an unexpected fire in another native community meant having to replace it at a cost of $13 million, pushing the Attawapiskat school off the current waiting list.
"There's not a single other school in the country that is made up entirely of portables with no main building. It's unacceptable in the 21st century, especially given the dropout rate among First Nations children," said Angus, whose riding of Timmins-James Bay includes the struggling fly-in reserve.
Ontario's public school boards' association has cited aboriginal learning as a top priority and launched a number of initiatives to try to close the learning gap between native and non-native children.
"We've reached a new low in Ontario if a community like this is not even on a waiting list for a new school," said Fife.
Information on the campaign for a new school is at www.attawapiskat-school.com.
For more information: Jeff Sprang, Director of Communications, ext.111
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Ministry of Education UPDATE
Prohibitive to Repair - Project Reporting
Information on the next steps for boards that have received Prohibitive to Repair funding and planning approvals. Please find the attached numbered memorandum 2008: SB 5, regarding Prohibitive to Repair - Project Reporting
Should you have any questions regarding this material, please contact Nancy Whynot,Director, Capital Programs Branch at 416-325-4030 (or via e-mail at Nancy.Whynot@Ontario.ca)
Ontario Honours and Awards Secretariat
The Lincoln M. Alexander Award
PURPOSE OF THE AWARD
Since 1993, the Lincoln M. Alexander Award has recognized young people who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in eliminating racial discrimination. In 2003, the number of awards was permanently increased from two to three awards annually: two student awards and one community award. The award value was also increased so that each of three young people receive an award of $5,000, as well as a framed scroll.
Past recipients of the STUDENT AWARD include: a high school student who led anti–racism youth training groups through the local board of education; an 18–year–old who was one of 10 students selected fromacross Canada to participate in the production of Nobody’s Born a Racist, a national youth guide and video; and, a 16–year–old who was an innovator in race relations training and wrote an award-winning essay on the Holocaust.
Previous recipients of the COMMUNITY AWARD are between the ages of 16 and 25 and include: a young educator who worked actively for 10 years to increase public awareness about racial discrimination and to teach children, teens and adults how to change behaviour patterns; a 22–year–old who launched a clothing line with messages about “unlearning” racial discrimination; and a teenager who made significant contributions to his community’s race relations advisory committee.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Student Award
Any secondary school student attending an accredited provincial secondary school and planning to enter a post–secondary institution as a full–time student who is nominated by his/her school is eligible for the award.
Community Award
Any resident of Ontario, between the ages of 16 and 25, nominated by a community organization or agency that works extensively in the area of race relations is eligible for the award.
WHEN ARE THE AWARDS PRESENTED?
The awards will be presented at a special ceremony held in Queen’s Park in early fall. The three award recipients and their nominators will be notified by telephone in advance of the awards ceremony.
WHEN IS THE DEADLINE?
Completed nomination packages must be received no later than May 31. Late submissions will be forwarded for the following year.
Nomination forms and information outlining details of the program are available at www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/honours/
For further information contact the Ontario Honours and Awards Secretariat at (416) 314-7526.OPSBA Participates in Planning for 2010 Municipal Elections
On Wednesday March 12, 2008, OPSBA was represented at a meeting of the “Municipal Election Project Team” of the Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO). The project team includes representatives from AMCTO, as well as from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Ministry of Education and from OPSBA and OCSTA (school board representatives contributed only to those agenda items that impact school board elections.)
OPSBA recently corresponded with the government regarding issues that arose from the 2006 municipal elections, and the Project Team was provided with copies of this correspondence in order to be fully informed on the issues of interest to school boards. The participants in the meeting held a lengthy discussion on two policy issues in particular: candidate eligibility issues, and the use of school facilities as polling stations.
It was agreed that holding a discussion with both school board and municipal representatives present was useful, allowing both parties to learn about and appreciate the experiences of the other. AMCTO further agreed to establish a small working group to dialogue more regularly with OPSBA and OCSTA on municipal election-related issues.
To aid in preparing for this ongoing policy development work, Cynthia Andrew will be corresponding with all OPSBA member boards to collect policies and practices that member boards engage in locally to facilitate effective municipal elections.
Copy of OPSBA’s correspondence to the government on municipal elections issues.
For more information: Cynthia Andrew, Legislative & Policy Analyst, ext.112
In the LEGISLATURE
Ontario Legislative Assembly to Commence Spring Sittings – 2008 Budget Date Set
The Ontario Legislative Assembly will resume regular sittings again on March 17, 2008, after the winter recess. Finance Minister Dwight Duncan has announced that the provincial budget will be tabled in the Legislature on March 25, 2008.
OPSBA’s Fast Reports will continue to provide a synopsis of activities and issues from the Ontario Legislature. For trustees and school board administration who wish more detailed and timely information, OPSBA provides a daily report which is distributed to subscribers by email. This daily report contains excerpts from the daily Hansard reports of the Ontario Legislature, usually within 24 hours of the days sitting. To subscribe to the report, send an email to candrew@opsba.org
For more information: Cynthia Andrew, Legislative & Policy Analyst, ext.112
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School Boards Need Copyright Law Clarified
The second of five information bulletins on the issue of Copyright Reform is now available. The first bulletin was included in Fast Reports, February 11 edition.
This second bulletin focuses on the need for clarity in copyright legislation so that school boards, students and teachers are certain about what they are permitted to do and what activities are restricted when it comes to the Internet. The Canadian School Boards' Association, and other national educational organizations, are asking the government to make it clear that educational use of publicly available Internet material is not an infringement of copyright.
These bulletins provide valuable information for trustees and educators to learn about the issue and to use in local conversations with federal MPs.
See
Education Organizations Need Clarity in Canada's New Copyright Law
For more information: Cynthia Andrew, Legislative & Policy Analyst, ext.112
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Updated Guidelines on Developing Human Rights Policies and Procedures
Toronto – The Human Rights Commission released an updated version of its Guidelines on Developing Human Rights Policies and Procedures (previously called Developing Procedures to Resolve Human Rights Complaints within Your Organization).
The guidelines provide practical guidance to organizations in developing effective and fair policies, procedures and practices to prevent human rights infringements and to respond to human rights issues, such as harassment, discrimination and accommodation needs.
Link: http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en
For more information: Jeff Sprang, Director of Communications, ext.111
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First Province-Wide Student Newspaper
The Ontario Student Trustees' Association is excited to announce the first edition of the first province-wide student newspaper, The Papercut: The Student Voice.The newspaper is being made available to school boards across the province by mail and an electronic copy, which will be placed on the Association's website.
"This paper embodies the unique perspective and vision of the voice that matters most in education - students. We are thrilled to initiate this new endeavour as a way to connect students across the province in open dialogue that strives to celebrate education and realise improvements," said Association president Andrew Pawluch, of Sudbury.
For more information: Jeff Sprang, Director of Communications, ext.111
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Spirit of Mandela Week 2008
Spirit of Mandela Week captures the indomitable spirit of one of the greatest leaders of our time. After helping to free his nation from apartheid, he now seeks our help in assisting those children and youth in South Africa affected by disabilities, poverty, HIV/AIDS, and those in need of educational and skills development opportunities.
From April 21-25, 2008 schools across Ontario will be celebrating Spirit of Mandela Week and raising funds for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.
Please encourage your schools to visit www.spiritofmandela.ca and register online.
- The target is 1000 schools. 16 school boards have registered to date and your help is needed in ensuring that every school in every board gets involved.
- Awareness is critical. Please disseminate information on Spirit of Mandela Week through as many channels as possible, both internal and external. Please feel free to use the Mandela poster and information flyer to send to your colleagues. Please refer your colleagues to www.spiritofmandela.ca and have them forward it to as many people as possible.
For more information: Mark Beckles, Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (Canada),MBeckles@mandela-children.ca
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OPSBA Collecting Information on Heritage Buildings
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association is working collaboratively with the Ontario Catholic School Trustee’s Association on the issue of school sites with heritage designation. The amended Ontario Heritage Act was approved in 2005, and regulations to support implementation continue to be developed. One issue currently under consideration is the development of a clear list of factors that must be considered by a municipality or by the OMB when making a decision as to whether a property owner (in this case, a school board) will be allowed to dispose of or demolish a designated heritage building. These factors are known as “demolition control factors”.
In order to present the Minister of Culture (and the Minister of Education) with suggested demolition control factors that are meaningful to school boards, we are seeking examples of how the Ontario Heritage Act is currently preventing school boards from disposing of or demolishing designated heritage buildings that are prohibitive to repair or maintain, due to age, safety or expense.
OPSBA invites member boards to write a brief description of any local circumstances that fall into this situation. Please e-mail your comments to madams-cuffy@opsba.org.
For more information: Cynthia Andrew, Legislative & Policy Analyst, ext.112
Join Your Provincial Partners for CSBA Congress 2008!
The CSBA Congress 2008, Teach Our Children Well, will be held from July 3 to 5 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Special guests and keynote speakers include:
- Catriona Le May – Olympic speed skater and Gold Medal winner
- Ian Jukes – Teacher, administrator, writer, consultant, university instructor and keynote speaker
- Gordon Tootoosis – Award winning Cree First Nation actor and 2005 recipient of the Order of Canada
- Dr. Pat Wolfe – Award winning author and educational consultant specializing in the application of brain research to the educational practice
- Pat Katz – Accomplished writer and a life balance and renewal strategist who is a frequent media guest expert on issues of balance, stress, time, and organization
Visit the CSBA Congress 2008 website for regular updates.
BCSTA e-Digest: March 13, 2008
Calendar of EVENTS
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Wednesday, March 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
OPSBA Board Room, Toronto
LABOUR RELATIONS AND HUMAN RESOURCES SYMPOSIUM 2008
March 27 — 29
Sheraton Centre Hotel, Toronto
Phone: 416.361.1000 or 1.888.627.7175
OPSBA Room Rate: $172 (single or double) + taxes
Cut-off Date: February 27
CENTRAL EAST REGIONAL COUNCIL
Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Trillium Lakelands DSB, Lindsay
EASTERN REGIONAL COUNCIL
Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Upper Canada DSB, Brockville
CENTRAL WEST REGIONAL COUNCIL
Saturday, April 19, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon
Education Centre, Hamilton-Wentworth DSB
Hamilton
WESTERN REGIONAL COUNCIL
Saturday, April 19, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Thames Valley District School Board
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Thursday, April 24, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. &
Friday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
OPSBA Board Room, Toronto
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Friday, April 25, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. &
Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Metropolitan Hotel, 108 Chestnut St, Toronto
Phone: 416.977.5000
OPSBA Room Rate: $149
Cut off Date: March 25
NORTHERN REGION DIRECTORS
Friday, April 25, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
OPSBA Board Room, Toronto
POLICY DEVELOPMENT WORK TEAM
Friday, May 2, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
OPSBA Committee Room
PROGRAM WORK TEAM
Friday, May 2, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
OPSBA Board Room
20th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & PROGRAM 2008
Hosted by Central West Region
June 12 — 15
Sheraton on the Falls Hotel & Conference Centre, Niagara Falls
Phone 1.800.519.9911 or 905.374.4445
OPSBA Room Rate: $139 + taxes (Traditional Room) or
$189 + taxes (Fallsview Room)
Cut-off Date: May 12
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If you have any comments about Fast Reports,
contact CARLA GARBAS, Editor
COLLEEN SCHENK, President • GAIL ANDERSON, Executive Director
OPSBA • 439 University Avenue, 18th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Y8
Tel: (416) 340-2540 Fax: (416) 340-7571
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