June 16, 2008 | Vol. 20, No. 20

WHAT'S INSIDE?

Join with First Nation, Métis and Inuit Peoples to Celebrate National Aboriginal Day on June 21
Central West Region Hosts OPSBA’s 20th AGM and Program
Business Conducted at OPSBA’s Annual General Meeting
OPSBA in the Media
Summer 2008 – Newcomer Orientation Expands to 40 Sites
New Regulations Outline Trans Fat Standards for Schools
Ministry of Education UPDATE
Government Launches New Workplace Health and Safety Strategy
Government to Review the ESA “Elect to Work” Exemption and the Use of Temporary Help Agencies
Hamilton-Wentworth DSB, The Virtual Blackboard, June 2008
Student Trustees Choose New Leadership for 2008-2009
Calendar of Events

Join with First Nation, Métis and Inuit Peoples to Celebrate National Aboriginal Day on June 21

June 21 was chosen as National Aboriginal Day because of the cultural significance of the summer solstice – the first day of summer and longest day of the year, the rebirth of Mother Earth – and because many Aboriginal communities mark this day as a time to celebrate their heritage. Setting aside a day for First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples is part of the wider recognition of their primary and founding place within the fabric of Canada and their ongoing contributions as First Peoples.

It was in 1982 that the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) called for the creation of June 21 as National Aboriginal Solidarity Day. This call was renewed in 1995 when The Sacred Assembly, a national conference of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people chaired by Elijah Harper, called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Aboriginal peoples.

This has now become a day in the Canadian calendar when First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples express pride in their rich diverse cultures with their families, neighbours, friends and visitors.

This day carries particular significance in a year in which Canada’s Prime Minister apologized to First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples for the government’s residential school policy that removed and isolated children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and attempted to assimilate them into the dominant culture. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine commenting on the apology said: “This day testifies to nothing less than the achievement of the impossible.” 

June 21 is a day for the Ontario School Boards' Association and for all of Canada to honour the traditions, cultures, languages and contributions of First Nation, Métis and Inuit  peoples. We offer a warm thank you to the First Nations trustees who serve on school boards across the province. We send greetings and good wishes to First Nation, Métis and Inuit students, parents, teachers and communities on this day of celebration.

See
Prime Minister's Apology

> Top

Central West Region Hosts OPSBA’s 20th AGM and Program

OPSBA’s 2008 Annual General Meeting and Program marked the Association’s 20th anniversary. The more than 200 delegates celebrating this milestone were welcomed to the stunning setting of Niagara Falls by the trustees of the Central West Region. The events of the weekend were built around the theme of "Culture of Success: Empowering Every Student." 

Michael Thompson – Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys
Michael Thompson’s opening keynote address focused on how schools need to respond more effectively to the fact that boys learn and develop differently from girls. He spoke of the higher rates of placement in special education classes and higher rates of suspension and expulsion for boys. Comparing gains in academic achievement over the last 25 years, he indicated that girls are making gains in every area while boys are flatlined or falling behind. He posited that, by and large, approaches to teaching in school favour the girl brain, adding that there is scientific evidence that boys’ and girls’ brains learn differently. Recent studies show, for example, that in language rhyming tests boys use a different part of the brain than girls do.

Dr. Thompson spoke also of the lower tolerance in schools for boys’ innate physicality and competitiveness. This contributes to a lack of engagement in school and a tendency for higher numbers of boys to drop out as they see the road to masculinity existing somewhere outside of school, often in sports and video games. One of his key messages was the need to value in teachers an interest in and talent for working with boys.

Further suggested reading includes:
http://www.ascd.org/authors/ed_lead/el200411_gurian.html
"Boys Adrift: What's Really Behind the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys" by Leonard Sax, Basic Books, 2007
Why Gender Matters: what parents and teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences by Leonard Sax, Random House (2006).

First Nations Education
In a historic week when First Nation peoples headed the agenda in the Canadian parliament because of culture-destroying approaches to education in Canada’s past, the conference offered a plenary session focused on the promising future of First Nation education. Dominic Giroux, Ontario’s Assistant Deputy Minister of Education and Katherine Knott of the federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs gave a presentation on progress that has been made in integrating First Nation histories, cultures, perspectives and languages into curriculum in Ontario’s schools. First Nation, Métis and Inuit voluntary self-identification policies are in development or in place in close to 60 school boards with the aim of helping to measure progress in closing the achievement gap for students.  It was noted that Ontario’s Trillium List, the official list of approved curriculum resources, needs to recognize resources that have been developed by First Nation educational institutes and approve them for use in Native Studies programs. The first progress report on the success of the province’s First Nation Métis and Inuit Education Policy Framework is due in the fall of 2009.

Both presenters acknowledged there is still a long way to go and Ms. Knott commented that the federal education funding formula was in real need of modernization.  Comments from First Nation delegates at the conference emphasized the substantial gaps in funding between provincial and federal formulae that adversely affect First Nation students. In referring to the Prime Minister’s apology to the survivors of residential schools, they expressed the hope that this would translate into positive and concrete action to improve educational opportunities for today’s First Nation children.

Workshops – Something for Everyone
The range of workshops offered throughout the weekend touched on some major areas of interest in education today.  Some were directly focused on students and programs such as classrooms for the 21st century, boys’ literacy, and media awareness; a presentation by Dunnville Secondary School students and teachers on a Grand Erie DSB youth suicide prevention program was rated particularly highly by participants  Other workshops dealt with trustee and school board responsibilities on the legal front, in energy management, safe schools administration, labour relations and preparing for standards of accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities.

President’s Annual Dinner and Awards
At the President’s Annual Dinner on Saturday evening, Colleen Schenk expressed thanks to OPSBA members for their confidence in acclaiming her to a new term as president. She gave tribute to the founding trustee organizations that combined to create the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association 20 years previously and acknowledged in particular the contribution in this endeavour of Bob Rippey, a former Niagara region trustee.  President Schenk spoke of OPSBA’s growth:  "As an Association of education leaders, we can look back over the past twenty years and see that we have built a strong, cohesive, principled and democratic organization. In the years I have served OPSBA I have seen it grow in its expertise, responsiveness and collegiality. I am determined that we will continue on this path, going from strength to strength."
Full version of Colleen Schenk’s speech

In the after dinner ceremonies, the Dr. Harry Paikin Memorial Award was presented to Trustee Dalton Clark of the District School Board of Niagara for outstanding service as a public school trustee.   The Fred L. Bartlett Memorial Award which goes to a member of the teaching profession for exceptional contributions to education and the Jack A. MacDonald Award of Merit for outstanding student achievement will be presented to the recipients by their school boards.

Closing Speaker David Warlick – Our Students : Our Worlds
"For the first time in history our job as educators is to prepare our children for a future that we cannot clearly describe." With this opening thought, David Warlick, a veteran educator, instructional technology guru and vibrant speaker, outlined the key characteristics of the world of 21st century education – information-oriented students, a new information landscape and an unpredictable future. He spoke of students in today’s classrooms as being smart, connected and, for the most part, without a formative recollection of the 20th century.  He described the need of students to work in responsive environments, to communicate, to share personal experience and identity, to ask questions, to illustrate their accomplishments, to invest themselves, to make mistakes safely, and to earn audience and attention. He described the new information landscape as networked, digital and abundant. He said that in the face of an unpredictable future our job is to teach our children how to teach themselves.  His presentation infused a daunting task with appeal and positive excitement.
For more on David Warlick’s work:
http://davidwarlick.com/wordpress/?page_id=190

Appreciation
A big thank you is sent to the outstanding Vocal Jazz Ensemble from DSB of Niagara’s Laura Secord Secondary School who filled the night with notes of enchantment.

OPSBA also extends deepest appreciation to all the presenters and board staff for their valued contribution to the success of this year’s program. Particular thanks go to our generous sponsors:  Shibley Righton, Hicks Morley, and First Student Canada. A warm thank you to all boards for donating draw prizes.

2008  Annual General Meeting and Program Winners
We extend sincere congratulations to the following scholarship recipients.  The scholarships will be awarded to secondary students entering the first year of post-secondary studies.

Tell Us How We Did!
Thank you for completing the evaluation forms that help us plan for future conferences. Next year’s conference will be at Deerhurst Resort. You can contact us at any time with ideas and suggestions for conference content or format. Your input is invaluable. We can’t do it without you!

See
Suggested Reading
President Colleen Schenk’s speech
More on David Warlick’s work

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

> Top

Business Conducted at OPSBA’s Annual General Meeting

OPSBA celebrated its 20^th Annual General Meeting from June 12 to 15, 2008 at the Sheraton on the Falls, in Niagara Falls. The membership conducted a range of business, including receipt of the OPSBA Financial Report for the 2006-2007 year, receipt of the report on the Canadian School Boards Association and approval of the Association’s Forward Planning and Priority Setting Process for 2008-2009.

Elections were held for Executive Officer positions and representatives to the Core Issues Work Groups, and the following summarizes the results of elections to positions on Executive Council and to Core Issues Work Groups:

Three amendments to OPSBA’s Constitution that were approved by the Board of Directors were considered and confirmed by the membership and take effect immediately:

1. Constitutional amendment placing the existing requirement, that nominations be received 30 days before election for elected officer positions, be placed into the Constitution and By-Law. Section 10.03
2. Constitutional amendment to clarify the wording for the one-year term of office for Past President. Section 10.06
3. Constitutional amendment deleting Section 9.07 since following the amalgamation of school boards and reorganization of OPSBA’s Board of Directors, the section became redundant as each school board elects or appoints their representative on the OPSBA Board and informs the OPSBA office directly (not a regional election process).

Policy Resolutions submitted by OPSBA’s member boards and Executive Council were also on the floor for discussion and adoption. These covered a range of matters affecting education policy. The membership adopted the following resolutions which will be included in OPSBA’s priority planning for the coming year:

Policy Resolution #1 – Be it resolved, that OPSBA review its position on special education funding in support of creating a long term funding mechanism which truly reflects the distribution of high needs students among boards that would be updated on a yearly basis.

Policy Resolution #2 – Be it resolved, that OPSBA recommend the creation of a funding mechanism/envelope that supports school boards in minimizing their footprint on the environment for new build projects and for retrofitting older facilities;

And that OPSBA lobby the Minister of Education to provide funding to establish, maintain and support green new build projects and retrofitting of older facilities.

Policy Resolution #3 – Be it resolved, that OPSBA endorse the development and implementation of the Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy which includes targets and timetables, poverty indicators, an action plan with a budget, and ongoing evaluation.

Policy Resolution #4 – BE IT RESOLVED that the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association call on the Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction to recommend that the government’s poverty reduction strategy include social assistance rates which are determined annually and based on the actual cost of rent and other basic necessities in the communities where recipients reside.

Policy Resolution #5 – Be it Resolved that the Ontario Public School Boards' Association call on the Province of Ontario to continue to issue both the Back-to-School and the Winter Clothing Allowances to social assistance recipients;

And Further be it resolved that the Ontario Public School Boards' Association include this request in a submission to the Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction, which is currently receiving public input on the development of a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy.

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

> Top

OPSBA in the Media

Teacher talks going to next level; Provincial union to meet with local school boards
As reported by Samantha Craggs, The St. Catharines Standard, June 14

Local public schools could be in for rocky times as the school board prepares to negotiate with a provincial elementary teachers' union.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario will soon bargain with the District School Board of Niagara in a dispute over funding that the union says favours high school students over elementary ones.

Niagara isn't the only one. All local units of the teachers' union signed over their bargaining authority to the provincial office last week, giving the provincial organization the power to approach individual school boards, after it walked away from the table with the Ministry of Education. The union hopes to meet with Niagara's school board soon, federation president David Clegg said.

The negotiations are unlikely to bear much fruit, said Rick Johnson, past president and negotiator with the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.

School board funding comes from the province, Johnson said, so boards cannot offer pay raises, smaller class sizes or other big-ticket items without permission from the Ontario government. The place for the union is back at the provincial table, he said, where the province and union had hoped to hammer out a framework deal to act as a guide for local negotiations.

"The province controls the money," Johnson said. "Things like reducing class sizes or adding teachers, for individual school boards, is almost impossible."

At issue, the union says, is inadequate funding for elementary students and teachers. The provincial funding formula pays boards $711 more per high school student than it does for elementary students, Clegg said. Elementary teachers want that funding discrepancy addressed.

That includes salaries. The province offered Catholic teachers a 12.5 per cent raise over four years, which the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association accepted. The elementary teachers' federation wanted a 10 per cent increase over two years, Johnson said.

With Ontario's struggling economy, that is too much to ask, he said.

"I live north of Oshawa, where most of my neighbours work for General Motors, where they just accepted zero per cent, and at the end of two years, 2,600 people will be out of jobs," Johnson said. "It would be hard for the government to defend (the increase) in light of what's going on elsewhere in the province."

But Clegg insisted salaries are secondary. The union wants more librarians, guidance staff, teacher preparation time and smaller class sizes for grades 4 through 8, where classes are largest, he said. High school teachers spend 1,125 minutes per week in class, while elementary teachers spend 1,380 minutes in front of students, he said.

"No one has been able to answer why the (funding) discrepancy exists," Clegg said. "No one has a rationale for it."

Happy with their framework deal, local Catholic teacher unions are now negotiating with the Niagara Catholic District School Board, where both sides are optimistic, board director Angelo Di Ianni said. The framework includes a class size reduction for grades 4 to 8 and more teachers, he said.

Catholic and public teacher agreements expire in August.

Local public high school teachers have served notice to the District School Board of Niagara that they want to negotiate and are awaiting a response, said Daniel Peat, local Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation president.

Clegg could not speculate on whether the dispute could mean a strike this fall. But Johnson said bargaining typically does not take place in the summer.

"That pushes it into the fall and that affects kids," he said. "If adults are arguing, students aren't doing better."

Calls to the District School Board of Niagara were referred to the Ontario Public School Boards Association, while calls to the local Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario office were directed to Clegg.

In Niagara, the federation represents about 1,600 teachers.

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association represents 957 Catholic elementary teachers, and 531 Catholic high school teachers.

Trouble is Elementary. Public school teachers break off talks with Province setting stage for strife in the fall
As reported by Moira MacDonald, The Toronto Sun, Monday, June 16

The way it's going, parents of public elementary students wouldn't be completely ridiculous for digging up their kids' Catholic baptismal certificates if they have them, or capitalizing on any family linguistic history that get their kids into a French school.

That's because the fall is shaping up to be rocky in public elementary schools with the recent breakdown in contract-related talks between the provincial government and Ontario's largest teachers union, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO).

This comes after two unions representing Catholic teachers (whose elementary schools only accept Catholic children) and French teachers (teaching at French-only schools admitting mostly children with a family history of French) achieved provincial agreements and are just working out local contract deals with their school boards.

All current teacher contracts expire in Ontario at the end of August.

Under the 3%-a-year raise over four years the government has offered, the top end teacher salary would rise to $94,000 by 2012. Knowing ETFO walked away from that, in these times of plant closings, brings on brain cramps.

Theoretically, teacher contracts are between teacher unions and local school boards. But since Ontario took control of education financing away from boards in the late 1990s, boards have only been able to bargain teacher contracts based on the money the province gives them.

They can't raise taxes to finance teacher contract concessions if they need extra money.

When the white knight Liberals won the 2003 election, they didn't give boards their taxation powers back. They did get the province more heavily involved in teacher contract negotiations than ever.

Gerard Kennedy, then education minister, refused to call it provincial bargaining, calling it "provincial dialogues" to iron out a "framework to guide local bargaining." There were no rules around how the process would go or the rights each party had, other than to walk away. There still aren't.

GUARANTEE MONEY

Nevertheless, the province said it would guarantee money to boards allowing them to give teachers an agreed-upon raise, and improve on certain working conditions. The kicker was the local deals had to be reached by a provincially-decided deadline, or lose the extra money Kennedy was willing to pony up.

And everybody got their deals, although there was a brief teacher work-to-rule at Toronto public schools, and some boards groaned they were put under such extreme pressure by unions and Kennedy they agreed to pay raises they couldn't afford, even with the extra provincial money.

But as I warned then, the hybrid nature of three-way bargaining -- unions, school boards and the province -- set a difficult precedent to follow the next time.

So here we are. Catholic and French school boards and their unions have their frameworks and there seems no major reason why those can't be formalized into real contracts. Meanwhile ETFO has left the table, complaining the government was much less willing than the last time to negotiate ETFO's issues -- namely the $711 per student funding gap between elementary students and secondary students, which ETFO has taken up as its contract mantra in this round.

6,000 MORE TEACHERS

The funding gap idea is a clever way to sell the public on something the union expects will bring another 6,000 teachers into the system. With more teachers, upper grade class sizes might come down, which is a good thing. But those extra bodies will also give existing teachers more time out of the classroom -- called preparation time -- while their classes are taught by the newly-added specialty teachers giving lessons in such things as phys ed, music and social studies.

The only option ETFO has is to try to get what it wants locally. They know they can't, because school boards have less money to bargain with than the province. Which means ETFO's real strategy is to put pressure on the province indirectly by threatening to throw local school boards into turmoil during the next school year.

It all holds the potential to put the province into an extremely difficult position if it's pushed to give public elementary teachers a richer contract than Catholic or French school teachers get.

Makes you wonder what they'd ask for if school enrolment was actually going up.

For more information: Jeff Sprang, Director of Communications, ext.111

> Top

Summer 2008 – Newcomer Orientation Expands to 40 Sites

Last year’s a Newcomer Orientation Program was piloted in a small number of secondary schools in the Greater Toronto region. The evaluation of the program concluded that it was very successful in giving newcomer youth a level of awareness and confidence in starting secondary school in Ontario.  Peer Leaders from the host school, who were previously newcomers to Canada, are an essential component of the orientation activities.

In 2008, the program, which is funded by Citizenship and Immigration, will be offered in schools from Windsor to Ottawa. Details are provided in the latest SWIS Newsletter.

See
SWIS Newsletter 57 

For more information: Susan Cook, Policy & Communications Associate, ext.103

> Top

Calendar of EVENTS