June 23, 2008 | Vol. 20, No. 21

WHAT'S INSIDE?

OPSBA Information Communication Technology (ICT) Committee
Full-Time Early Learning
OPSBA in the Media
Ministry of Education UPDATE
Supervisory Officers Qualifications and Appointment (French)
Quest 2008, November 19-21
Calendar of Events

Information Communication Technology (ICT) Committee Update

The Ad Hoc ICT Committee met face to face for the first time in Niagara Falls at OPSBA’s 2008 AGM.

Although the Committee has met several times since being formed earlier this year, all its meetings had been by conference call and through use of an online Google discussion group where members exchanged ideas and resources. The meeting was a great chance to put faces to names, chat with invited guests and assess the progress of the committee to date. A survey of board activity and issues in the area of Information and Communications Technology has been circulated to member boards and responses are currently being received. The deadline for response is June 20 but all replies are welcome until the end of the month. Planning is underway for a fall working session that will help outline a Paper on Information and Communication Technology in Schools to be brought to the Board in 2009.

The ICT Committee explores Toronto’s “Academic Workplace” initiative

Howard Goodman, Chair of OPSBA’s Ad Hoc ICT committee, arranged a visit to TDSB’s Parkdale Collegiate which is the site of the expanding technology platform for students and staff known as Academic Workplace. Howard was joined by committee members, Loralea Caruthers and Mark Bailey along with John Shanks CIO of the Upper Grand DSB, Irene Atkinson area trustee, School Superintendent Manon Gardner and Executive Officer Carla Kisko. The session was hosted by the board’s IT chief Jacob Chan, and presented by principal David Freedman, teacher-librarian Marlena Rivett and four student “Test Pilots.”  The students demonstrated the student access side of the powerful platform that is based on the social networking models established by Facebook and MySpace. This is a very exciting initiative which is currently underway in 10 Toronto secondary schools with plans to expand to many more. The goal is to create learning environments that use technology effortlessly and routinely in everyday, every class learning for students and teachers.

For more information: Dave Walpole, Director of Program Policy, ext.125

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OPSBA Meets with Dr. Charles Pascal – Early Learning Advisor

OPSBA President Colleen Schenk and Vice-Presidents Loralea Carruthers and Catherine Fife met with Dr. Charles Pascal, the Ontario Premier’s Early Learning Advisor, on June 24, 2008. OPSBA staff also participated in the meeting. The Association’s Discussion Paper on Full-Time Early Learning shaped the agenda and was the stimulus for a lively and positive dialogue.

The Discussion Paper comprises input received from OPSBA’s member boards and sets out issues for consideration in the areas of Program, Community Partnerships, Staffing and Capital Planning. The meeting afforded ample opportunity to explore such matters as schools as hubs for early learners and their families, flexibility in implementation of the Full-time Early Learning initiative, support for boards currently offering full-time kindergarten programs, consideration of integration of services for children including assessment and support for special needs, impact on the accommodation review process many boards are currently engaged in, and the urgency of getting capital planning out in advance of the full-time program.

Dr. Pascal expressed strong appreciation for the thoroughness of OPSBA’s Discussion Paper. He will continue to have roundtable discussions with stakeholders across the province; 63 such meetings have been held to date.  He confirmed that his report to the Premier is due on March 15, 2009.

If member boards have any additional comments about the issues covered in the OPSBA Discussion Paper on Full-Time Early Learning, please send them to Susan Cook, Policy Associate, and these will be incorporated in an addendum which will be forwarded to Dr. Pascal.

See
OPSBA Discussion Paper on Full-Time Early Learning

For more information: Dave Walpole, Director of Program Policy, ext.125; Susan Cook, Policy Associate, ext.103

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OPSBA in the Media

Teachers' contract talks halted
As reported by Rob Faulkner , The Hamilton Spectator, June 21

Students face an uncertain fall after talks broke off between the province and elementary school teachers.

Wages and working conditions are the chief issues.

Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario locals gave the right to bargain to their provincial office -- so provincial teams will deal with local boards like the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.

"It does make negotiations more difficult for individual boards because we don't believe local conditions will enter much into their decision-making," said Damian Borrelli, HWDSB head of human resources.

Ontario's Catholic teachers have a provincial-level deal, with a 12.5 per cent raise over four years.

As a starting point, the ETFO asked the province for a 10 per cent raise over two years; the province offered 12 per cent over four years; ETFO wants a shorter contract, when this one expires Aug. 31.

Back in 2004 Education Minister Gerard Kennedy, boards and the union had a "framework" agreeing on big issues which gave boards certainty on funding as they approached talks with ETFO locals.

With provincial talks now off, ETFO president David Clegg said the union will deal with non-monetary issues with the board mindful that ETFO wants the province to close the $711 gap between the per-student funding it gives boards for elementary and high school students.

"The stability that we all enjoyed over the last four-year agreement is, unfortunately, about to come to an end," said Clegg, noting that the union's not legally allowed to take a strike vote yet.

Sandra Emery, Hamilton ETFO local president for about 2,200 teachers, said the HWDSB has been told ETFO wishes to talk.

Talks are expected to start in September.

"The ministry has indicated they have no further resources to put toward bargaining," she said.

"Now we are going back to our local tables to see what we can negotiate there."

Borrelli said it's early going: "It's far too early to speculate on (strikes) right now. Certainly, we wouldn't expect that for the start of the school year. By October or November, we will be in a better position to comment."

Rick Johnson, past president of the Ontario School Boards' Association, said ETFO should get back to provincial talks because boards don't control salaries and hiring.

"You are going to go through this song and dance in the fall where ETFO asks for increases in prep time and boards go, 'We can't do it because that's determined provincially,'" Johnson said.

"We moved this up because we didn't want kids to be impacted by bargaining, because so often kids get caught in the crossfire: the field trips get cancelled, the extracurriculars get cancelled."

He said Ontario will give teachers 12 per cent over four years if they sign a deal at the provincial table by Nov. 31. (It would take the top end teacher salary to $94,000 by 2012.) If ETFO isn't at the provincial table, he said, it drops to a two-year deal with 2 per cent a year.

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Rainbow trustee reaffirmed
As reported by the Sudbury Star, June 23

Rainbow District School Board trustee Grace Fox has been reaffirmed as First Nations director of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.

This is Fox's third term as First Nations director.

During the past two years, Fox has made an outstanding contribution to the education of First Nations students, states a press release from the board.

Under Grace's leadership and with the support of the Council of First Nations trustees, there has been a marked increase in cultural awareness on First Nation education issues and a strong emphasis on building relationships among school boards, First Nation communities and Ontario's Aboriginal Education Office.

"The infusion of First Nation culture, history and perspectives in the Ontario curriculum must be accurate, relevant and respectful," said Fox. "One of my goals as First Nations director is to promote the development of curriculum resources by First Nation educators, which become widely circulated throughout the school system."

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

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Calendar of EVENTS