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November 28, 2022Ontarians agree – spending on education is an investment in the future
Recent survey results show investing in public education is a high priority for Ontarians
Toronto, November 28, 2022 – Today, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) and Nanos Research released new survey data regarding several public education issues ranging from education funding to curriculum, special education, equity, and governance. The associated report includes comparisons to OPSBA and Nanos’ 2019 survey.
READ THE FULL OPSBA/NANOS SURVEY REPORT
The results indicate that nine in ten Ontarians agree (61%) or somewhat agree (29%) that spending on public education is an investment in the future. This is consistent across all demographics.
A strong majority of Ontarians say a variety of education funding priorities are important with about nine in ten saying more funding is important/somewhat important for the maintenance, repair and renewal of schools, special education programming, and mental health supports, among other opportunities and supports.
“These results validate the hard work and dedication of public school boards and our member trustees to students and their families, especially in the COVID-19-related era of rapid change and adaptation,” said Cathy Abraham, President of OPSBA. “Education is the second largest funding line in the provincial budget and it is our hope that these results can help inform decisions to ensure public education is supported by stable and predictable funding. Public education is an investment for the future and we must advocate for those conditions that will help all students succeed.”
Other Highlights:
- Three in four Ontarians support (38%) or somewhat support (37%) mandatory Indigenous education curriculum for all students which advance students’ knowledge and understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, and perspectives. This is up 4% from a survey done in 2019.
- A strong majority of Ontarians (81%) say it is important (51%) or somewhat important (30%) to have mandatory anti-racism training for all students, teachers, and education workers.
- About twice as many Ontarians (58% compared to 30%) think investing in public education is more important than eliminating the deficit and paying down the debt, which is consistent with 2019 survey.
- Consistent with 2019 survey, Ontarians are four times more likely (65% compared to 15%) to say it is better to elect school board trustees than to have them appointed by the Government of Ontario.
- More than three-quarters of Ontarians (76%) say it is important (34%) or somewhat important (42%) to expand the opportunities for students to experience the arts.
- Ontarians are split on whether Ontario’s public education system does a very good/good, or does a poor/very poor job when it comes to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, with 21% saying very good or good, 37% saying average and 25% saying poor or very poor. Nearly one-fifth were unsure (17%).
- 91% of Ontarians say it is important (56%) or somewhat important (35%) to expand opportunities for students to learn coding and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
- Most Ontarians (59%) continue to say they are opposed or somewhat opposed to public tax dollars being used to help fund the private education system.
About the Research:
On behalf of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, Nanos conducted a representative online survey of 2,015 Ontario residents, 18 years of age or older, from October 19 to 30, 2022, drawn from a non-probability panel. The sample is geographically stratified to be representative to the province of Ontario. No margin of error applies to this research. The research was commissioned by the OPSBA and was conducted by Nanos Research.
Complete survey results can be found at www.opsba.org and www.nanos.co
For more information, please contact:
Shane Gonsalves
Managing Director, Government Relations and Public Affairs
Ontario Public School Boards’ Association
sgonsalves@opsba.orgT.J. Goertz
Senior Communications and Policy Officer
Ontario Public School Boards’ Association
TGoertz@opsba.orgShare
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October 3, 2018
OPSBA Board of Directors Meeting – September 28 and 29, 2018
The OPSBA Board of Directors held a meeting on September 28 and 29, 2018, in Toronto. OPSBA President Cathy Abraham gave an acknowledgement that the meeting was being held on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation and the Métis Nation.
Representatives from the Ontario School Trustees Association (OSTA-AECO) joined the Board of Directors on Saturday morning to provide a presentation.
Education policy and program issues that were discussed at the meeting are summarized below.
Legislative and Government Relations
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, led by Doug Ford, was the winner of the provincial election held on June 7, 2018. Lisa Thompson (MPP Huron-Bruce) was named Minister of Education and Sam Oosterhoff (MPP Niagara West) her Parliamentary Assistant. Nancy Naylor is the new Deputy Minister of Education, replacing the now-retired Bruce Rodrigues. Summer and Fall Sessions The Legislative Assembly of Ontario opened the first session on July 11, 2018, and rose after Tuesday, August 14, 2018. The main pieces of work included Bill 2, Urgent Priorities Act, 2018 and Bill 5, Better Local Government Act, 2018. The House resumed on September 12, for Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark to table the revamped Bill 31, Efficient Local Government Act. Bill 31 was introduced in response to an Ontario Superior Court judge’s determination that Bill 5 violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It invoked Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the notwithstanding clause, to reduce the number of City of Toronto wards and councillors to 25 before the October 22 election. Debate on Bill 31 was no longer required when a three-judge panel on Ontario’s highest court granted a stay on the Bill 5 ruling. Government House Leader Todd Smith said Bill 31 will remain on the order paper, but there is no plan to debate or vote on it. Bill 5 will be back in the Court of Appeal for Ontario in November. The City of Toronto and several private citizens and former council candidates will take part. The nomination period in Toronto opened again on September 20 and 21 to ensure no incumbents or prospective councillors or trustees were left out of the race. The government will sit again until a scheduled Thanksgiving constituency week. Opposition critics New Democratic Party of Ontario: MPP Marit Stiles (Davenport) becomes the party’s new Education Critic. Prior to being elected in the recent provincial election, Ms. Stiles was a trustee with the Toronto District School Board. Liberal Party of Ontario: MPP Kathleen Wynne (Don Valley West). Current Party Standings PC Party of Ontario – 76 Ontario NDP – 40 Ontario Liberal Party – 7 Green Party of Ontario – 1 School Board Governance – Update Four regulations have been updated and filed:Update: There is currently no direction if this work group will be established. OPSBA will continue to monitor for developments.- Regulation 246/18 Member of School Boards – Code of Conduct This regulation requires all school boards to adopt a code of conduct for Trustees by no later than May 15, 2019. In addition, all Trustee codes of conduct must now be made available to the public. If a school board already has a Trustee code of conduct, it must review it by May 15, 2019 and every school board must review its Trustee code of conduct by May 15 every fourth year thereafter. The Ministry had announced the creation of a working group to look at minimum standard to be included in a policy.
- Ontario Regulation 7/07 Student Trustees This regulation allows student trustees to have one or two year terms, staggered terms and moves their election date to the end of February.
- Ontario Regulation 357/06 Honoraria for Board Members This regulation includes the increased base amount for all trustees. It also directs compensation to appointed Section 68 school board trustees. A working group will be established to review the honoraria formula and OPSBA will be a part of that discussion.
- Ontario Regulation 463/97 Electronic Meeting This regulation has a longer implementation date (next term 2022) before it becomes into effect. It will allow a chair or designate to be “physically present for at least half of the meetings of the board for any 12 month period beginning November 15 and may provide that the chair or designate must be physically present for a greater proportion of meetings.” Distance, weather, and health-related issues are also considered.
- Programs and Services – Improving existing ones, exploring better ways to deliver them, combining them where appropriate, and closing out the ones that do not achieve outcomes;
- Increasing the voice of stakeholders in decision-making; and
- Making government spending more transparent, while paying down the provincial debt.
The Managing Transformation report includes an analysis of government spending from 2002/03 to 2017/18, an overview of direct and transfer payment spending in five major sectors including education and recommendations to improve value for money spent and tracking investment results.Bill 36, Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018 This bill was introduced on Attorney General Caroline Mulroney on September 27, 2018. Bill 36 would allow private retail stores to be open for business by April 1, 2019. The province will also create “distance buffers” between stores and schools and this is to be determined by regulation. The federal legalization date is October 17, 2018, and this bill is expected to move fairly quickly through the legislative process. OPSBA will review the bill’s contents for educational impacts, including the location of retail stores near schools and where cannabis can be consumed.Finance
Updates were provided on the followings issues related to education funding: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund The $100 million designated for 2018-19 was cancelled as of July 5, 2018. As such, school boards were told not to enter into any further related contracts after July 3, 2018. The Ministry will cover the costs incurred if school boards have entered into contractual agreements for capital works on or before July 3, 2018. School boards with projects that are in the planning and design stage, and have not entered into contractual agreements for capital works on or before July 3, 2018, may choose to proceed with these projects only with their other existing funding allocations. 2018-19 Grants for Student Needs On March 26, 2018, the Ministry of Education released memo B06 – Grants for Student Needs. Highlights are available on the OPSBA website. Benefits Technical Advisory Committee Through the 2017-18 GSN the Ministry announced the establishment of a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to discuss a go-forward approach to funding benefits within the GSN. The TAC is reviewing all benefits, including Statutory, Health, Life, and Dental. The TAC includes school business officials and financial experts from the Trustee Associations. OPSBA has designated two Senior Business Officials to represent the association on this technical advisory committee. The committee is meeting throughout the school year.Indigenous Trustees’ Council (ITC)
Chief Elaine Johnston, Chair of OPSBA’s Indigenous Trustees’ Council, provided a report that included updates on the following: Cancellation of the Curriculum Writing Sessions of Four Indigenous Studies Courses Following the government’s cancellation of summer curriculum writing sessions, the ITC has asked OPSBA’s incoming ITC Staff Advisor, Sean Monteith, to draft a letter on its behalf to submit to the Minister asking for clear and definable actions related to the cancellations. Role and Capacity of Indigenous Trustees The ITC Staff Advisor reported on research into the range of the role and capacity of Indigenous Trustees from a provincial perspective. It is clear that the role is wide and varied. Given that the Staff Advisor will be working with his Board (the Keewatin Patricia District School Board) this fall to completely rewrite their policy on Trustees to Represent the Interests of Indigenous Students, it was agreed once that new policy is approved, it would be shared with the ITC.Communications and Media Relations
Updates on recent OPSBA communications issues were provided. There has been some media activity involving OPSBA since the June Board of Directors meeting, which can be found on the OPSBA website. OPSBA sent out four news releases since the previous board meeting: September 26, 2018 – Before you vote – get to know your local trustee candidates June 4, 2018 – Cathy Abraham elected President of OPSBA June 8, 2018 – OPSBA extends congratulations to new PC government July 6, 2018 – New CSBA President and Vice-President Acclaimed OPSBA also released three media statements on Twitter during the summer months: August 22, 2018 – Education Reform Consultation August 14, 2018 – Executive Compensation July 9, 2018 – Cancellation of Truth and Reconciliation Writing Sessions Communications support was also provided for issues and projects including:- The Canadian School Boards Association website and Twitter account
- The 2018 Ontario Provincial Election
- The 2018 OPSBA AGM and Program
- FSL Labour Market Partnership
- 2018 Municipal and School Board Elections
Accessible Education
Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) New Policy and Recommendations on Accessible Education On August 29, the OHRC released a new policy and recommendations on accessible education. This policy and recommendations provide the education sector, which includes primary, secondary and post-secondary education providers, the Commission’s advice on how to meet legal obligations under Ontario’s Human Rights Code. The recommendations set out actions that the government, school boards, schools and post-secondary institutions should take that the OHRC says will make the education system inclusive, function effectively and allow students with disabilities to thrive. Of the 29 recommendations, eight are specifically aimed at school boards and private educational providers. The full policy and additional 21 recommendations can be found at http://ohrc.on.ca/en/news_centre/ohrc-releases-new-policy-and-recommendations-accessible-education. OPSBA staff are seeking feedback from member boards to determine what in the recommendations is currently standard school board practice, what boards require in order to comply and if a response to the OHRC is necessary.Program Policy Update
A summary of Ministry meetings, workgroups and program-related announcements was provided. Information shared included updates on the following: EQAO In September, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) released highlights of the provincial-level results from its 2017–2018 Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Primary Division (Grades 1–3), Junior Division (Grades 4–6), the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics and the OSSLT. At the elementary level, math results have continued in a downward trend over a 5-year period. Since 2013 reading results have improved at the elementary level, while writing has declined in Grade 3, with a slight increase at the Grade 6 level. There is no significant difference in the results in elementary mathematics, reading or writing from the 2016-17 or 2015-16 results. The secondary OSSLT and provincial Grade 9 EQAO mathematics assessment did also not see significant changes from the past two years. Health and Physical Education Curriculum The initial announcement by the government to return to the 1998 Health and Physical Education Curriculum led to a response by OPSBA and every OPSBA member board. Other education sector partners were equally engaged in providing very consistent feedback. Student safety, human rights, equity, inclusion, professional development needs and expediting the consultation process were cornerstones of the feedback. OPSBA was clear in asking for a status quo position on the 2015 curriculum for both the elementary and secondary panel. There were no opportunities made available to meet or discuss this issue. Mathematics Curriculum The Ministry of Education has released a teacher’s guide and a parent fact sheet that highlighted the fundamental math concepts and skills in the current curriculum. This does not represent new content. Some of the concepts and skills include working with numbers, recognizing number properties, mastering math facts, developing mental math skills and developing proficiency with operations. The ministry has also requested that school boards focus their numeracy professional activity (PA) day, which is one of three mandatory PA days, on fundamental math skills. To maximize impact, all boards have been asked to schedule this PA day before the Winter Break begins. Ontario Coalition for Children and Youth Mental Health The steering committee has met to discuss engagement strategies and the necessity to reintroduce the Ontario Coalition to the new government. The Coalition has sent letters to each of the Ministers of Training Colleges and Universities, Health, Education and Children, Community and Social Services to request a meeting. This year the Coalition has added the student alliance organizations from colleges and universities to strengthen the student voice from elementary through to post-secondary settings. OACAS Public Engagement, Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement Strategic Council In our continuing partnership discussions with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aids Societies (OACAS), OPSBA has been asked to join the OACAS Public Engagement, Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement Strategic Council. OACAS is continuing with its annual Dress Purple Day Campaign to raise awareness about the rights of children and youth to safety and well-being, and the responsibility of adults and community services to help children, youth, and families who need support. This year OACAS has expanded the available resources to include middle and high school students. The prevention resources are evidence based and include lesson plans based on reasons for getting help, healthy and unhealthy relationships, self-esteem, and networks of support. Resources can be accessed here. Update on 2018 Municipal and School Board Elections Campaign from Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC) OESC, on behalf of Ontario’s four school board/trustee associations, has partnered with the Ministry of Education to develop a series of resources to support trustee candidates and communities in the upcoming Municipal and School Board Elections. In July 2018, OESC was directed by the ministry to pause work on these projects while the new government evaluated its priorities and resources. In August, OESC received the ministry’s approval to carry on with pre-election resources. An update on each resource: Centralized School Board Elections Website The hub for school board election information and trustee candidate information elections.ontarioschooltrustees.org has been revitalized for 2018.The site features profiles of trustee candidates running in all four school systems across the province. Candidate listings are now online and trustee candidates are welcome to submit their bios and photos for posting to trusteecandidateinfo@oesc-cseo.org. Your Guide to Hosting a School Board Trustee All Candidates Meeting This resource is a guide for trustees, school boards and communities to encourage the organization of All Candidates Meetings in advance of the October 2018 Municipal & School Board Elections. Public Education Resources OESC has created a series of posters and newspaper ads to encourage greater interest in the upcoming elections and promote the role of trustee. The resources have three themes: 1) to encourage individuals to run for trustee office; 2) to promote All Candidates Meetings and 3) to promote the importance of voting in Municipal and School Board Elections. Making a Difference for Kids: Running for Election as a School Board Trustee This guidebook provides a user friendly overview of Ontario’s education system, school boards and the role of trustees.Share
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March 3, 2022
OPSBA Board of Directors Meeting – February 25 and 26, 2022
Education Finance Elections Federal Issues Indigenous Education Updates Labour Relations OPSBA Events OPSBA News Provincial UpdatesThe Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Board of Directors held a virtual meeting on Zoom on February 25 and 26, 2022. President Cathy Abraham provided a traditional territory acknowledgement, noting that “we are all treaty people” and acknowledged that members were joining from traditional lands across Ontario.
The Board of Directors also heard from Warren Hoshizaki, Director of Education at the DSB of Niagara, and Jim Costello, Executive Director of the Public Council of Ontario Directors of Education, regarding diversity in senior school board leadership, and received a presentation from Todd Pottle, Coordinator, and John Procter, Chair, of the Ontario e-Learning Consortium.
Education policy and program issues that were discussed in public session at the meeting are summarized below.
Education Funding
A summary of important B and SB memos that have been released since the last Board of Directors meeting in February was provided. B & SB memoranda for 2021-22 and prior years can be accessed on the ministry website.
2022-23 Grants for Student Needs
The Ministry of Education announced the 2022-23 Grants for Student Needs (GSN) and Priorities and Partnerships (PPF) funding on February 17, 2022. Grant funding is projected to be $26.1 billion, which represents an increase of 2.7% over the prior year. The average per-pupil funding amount is projected to be $13,059, which is an increase of $339 from last year. The technical paper is to be released later in March. For more information, OPSBA has completed its initial review.
OPSBA’s Submission to the 2022-23 GSN Consultation
Communications, Government and Public Affairs
An overview of recent media activity and OPSBA’s past, current and future advocacy and awareness planning was provided.
Media Statements and News Releases
Indigenous Education
The Indigenous Trustees’ Council participated in a meeting with the Ministry of Education on February 24 regarding trustee Code of Conduct. The Council will be looking to provide written commentary to the ministry’s consultation.
Legislative Update
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario resumed on Tuesday, February 22. Recent and current legislation OPSBA is following includes:
- Bill 87, Black Mental Health Day Act, 2022
- Bill 86, Our London Family Act (Working Together to Combat Islamophobia and Hatred), 2022
- Bill 85, Smoke-Free Ontario Amendment Act (Vaping is not for Kids), 2022
- Bill 84, Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, 2022
Full Legislative Updates are available on the blog. All OPSBA submissions to the government are available on the OPSBA website.
Provincial Budget
The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs conducted pre-budget consultations during the month of January and on two occasions members of OPSBA’s Executive Council were able to address the Committee virtually to share the importance of education funding. OPSBA shared its 2022-23 Education Funding/Grants for Student Needs (GSN) submission with the Standing Committee, which followed our GSN submission to the Ministry of Education in December. The budget is expected to be delivered by the end of April.
2022 Provincial Election
The next provincial election is on or before June 2, 2022. If this date remains, the writ will drop on May 4, 2022. OPSBA has begun to engage with the main political parties on the development of their election platforms to discuss and share education priorities. Meetings have occurred with the NDP, Liberals and Green Party.
Current Party Standings – 124 seats:
- Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario – 68
- New Democratic Party of Ontario – 40
- Ontario Liberal Party – 7
- Green Party of Ontario – 1
- New Blue Party of Ontario – 1
- Independent – 5
- Vacant – 2
Municipal and School Board Elections 2022
Election Day is October 24, 2022. OPSBA will be working with the Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC) on the revision to several resources, including the Candidates’ Guide, posters, Good Governance Guide and the school board elections website.
The Association has been meeting with key stakeholders including the Ministry of Education’s Leadership and Governance Branch, the Equity Secretariat, PCODE, OPC, OSTA-AECO, AMCTO, AMO, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, and senior staff and communications officers within our member boards.
The 2022 Trustee Determination and Distribution Guide has been released along with OESC’s distribution and determination tool to school boards. Population of Electoral Group (PEG) reports were to be delivered to boards by February 15, 2022. Municipal-election related information and memos can be found on the OPSBA website: Municipal Elections.
Key Dates: 2022-2026 Municipal and School Board Elections
- May 2, 2022 – Nomination and Campaign Period Begins
- August 19, 2022 – Nomination Day (Last Day to be nominated)
- August 19, 2022 – Final Day for Withdrawal of Candidacy
- October 24, 2022 – Voting Day
- November 15, 2022 – School Board Term Begins
Labour Relations
Updates were provided in private session on recent developments related to labour relations.
OPSBA’s annual Education Labour Relations & Human Resources Symposium is scheduled for April 28, 2022. Event and registration details will be available as of March 2 on the OPSBA website.
Education Program
Ministry Initiatives Committee
This committee met on December 2 and February 10, with discussions related to the following:
- PPM 144, Bullying Prevention and Intervention
- Temporary Teaching Certificates
- Prior Learning Assessment – PPM 132
- Next Steps to Modernize Education Consultation
- Learning Recovery and Renewal
- PPM 81 – Provision of Health Services in Education Settings Consultation
- Cyber Protection Strategy
- Curriculum Review Cycles Consultation
OPSBA staff consulted with the Education Program and Policy Development Work Groups and senior school board staff on ministry-proposed PPM 81 changes before sending a formal submission to the ministry on February 25.
Online Learning – English Public School Boards
The Ministry of Education has informed the sector that it is proceeding with providing direction in the form of a PPM regarding two mandatory online credits, with a very short timeline to meet the course option process for 2022-23. TVO will be assisting with creating courses for this. The e-learning consortia will also be leveraged to support school boards. OPSBA continues to reinforce that school boards are central to the administration and delivery of online courses, adherence to collective agreement language, and that any planning is inclusive of all students including special education, racialized groups and lower income households.
The 2020-21 Grade 9 cohort has been granted one credit due to the amount of remote learning already experienced by these students. Therefore, these students (currently in Grade 10) only need to earn one credit to earn their mandatory requirement on their transcript. Future cohorts will require two credits.
The Ministry has created a preview site for families to view online course content at www.ontariocoursepreview.ca. Additional course development is being discussed and will be prioritized based on criteria that is being determined. TVO is able to develop 12 new courses per year. This is in addition to courses that already exist and have been developed and offered through consortia and school boards.
Transitioning from the COVID-19 School Experience
OPSBA’s Transitioning from the COVID-19 School Experience discussion paper was released in May 2021 to all education partners and posted on the OPSBA website and associated social media platforms. Invitations were sent out to education partners to join in a collaborative discussion using the discussion paper as a springboard for visioning discussions. Five meetings of this partnership table have now occurred, with monthly meetings scheduled for the remainder of this school year.
The OPSBA online survey for parent/guardians and community groups closed on November 30, 2021. More than 8,000 responses were received, and a research report, which is now posted on the OPSBA website, was finalized with input from the education partner discussion table and OPSBA’s Education Program Work Group. This report will be released in conjunction with the Grade 5-12 Provincial Student Survey to be used to inform future discussions and recommendations. The reports have created a roadmap for ways in which school boards can support students and their families in relation to online learning. This data will be combined with other data sources to inform OPSBA’s future of education discussions to ensure recommendations are evidence-based and reflective of multiple perspectives that aim to maximize student engagement, interest, mental health/well-being and achievement.
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) – Non-Profit Education Stream
This initiative has been developed and led by OPSBA after being identified as a high-leverage strategy through the FSL Labour Market Partnership. There are many components to this strategy, but a specific goal is to encourage students, (especially core, extended and immersion students), of different lived experiences to consider teaching as a career option, thereby ensuring that future teachers reflect our communities. School boards are now able to provide this SHSM opportunity for their students for September 2022, with the deadline for application already having passed. Presentations were made to school board SHSM leads in January to promote and encourage participation. Canadian Parents for French will also be promoting this opportunity through their website. More information can be obtained through OPSBA at inquiry@opsba.org.
EQAO
An update on assessment-related initiatives and recent changes was provided, including the re-introduction of primary and junior assessments, which have not been in place for two years during the pandemic. EQAO assessments are required under the Education Quality and Accountability Office Act, 1996. For the remainder of the school year, the Ministry of Education is expecting school boards to participate in all EQAO assessments. Boards must notify the EQAO and ministry if they are seeking to be exempt from administering EQAO assessments. Such requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
French as a Second Language (FSL)
OPSBA and its members and partners continue to lead a number of initiatives under the Ministry of Education funded FSL Labour Market Partnership Project, with the goal of helping to build awareness, capacity and momentum among all 60 public and Catholic school boards province-wide for the implementation of promising practices for FSL teacher recruitment and retention.
In addition, OPSBA is leading three pan-Canadian initiatives, that include the development of an FSL Teacher Recruitment Guide for English Language School Boards, a French Language Assessment Toolkit and Resources and an initiative to support school principals in addressing challenges in hiring and retaining FSL teachers. Pilot projects are underway in all three initiatives to implement high potential strategies and approaches in various provinces.
OPSBA-OSTA Liaison Committee
OPSBA and the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association (OSTA-AECO) recently released a new publication – a Student Trustee Handbook, which was produced by the trustee members of the OPSBA-OSTA Liaison Committee and student trustees on the Public Board Council (PBC) of OSTA-AECO. It has been created for use by all school board trustees to understand fully the requirements for the role of student trustees in the governance practices of the board, but also to build appreciation of and identify processes that will fully mobilize the valuable resource student representatives provide. A key goal is to standardize some of the activities in school boards across the province.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
Board of Directors members participated in a 90-minute EDI professional development session on Friday night, led by OPSBA’s Associate Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. A work plan was also provided to the Board of Directors, with work broken into five distinct areas:
- Governance, Policy and Operational Change
- Education, Resource Development, and Resource Capacity
- Data Collection, Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation
- Recruitment, Employment, Labour Relations and Management
- Engagement, Communications, Outreach, and Advocacy
Project Compass
After 15 months, the 28 trustee members of the four Project Compass sub-committees engaged in a comprehensive review of OPSBA’s Mission, Vision and Values, strategic planning process, Policy development process and governance structures over 44 meetings. Engagement and communication were foundational throughout the process with 147 trustees responding to the Spring Survey and approximately 80 trustees participating in Regional Council and Zoom Focus group meetings.
The Board of Directors endorsed 40 actions that clarify or formalize governance structures, roles and responsibilities, policy development and priority setting processes, succession planning, onboarding, communication, trustee engagement and general awareness of the Association.
The following new policies were developed and will be posted on the OPSBA website in the coming weeks.
- Policy #100, Policy Review, Development and Monitoring Framework
- Policy #150, Strategic Planning, Implementation and Monitoring
More information about Project Compass, including the list of approved actions can be found in the Members’ Area.
Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA)
The 2022 CSBA Congress will go forward in person in Saskatoon this July, with an online attendance option available for trustees who do not wish to travel. Other current focuses for the CSBA include:
- Advancing an anti-racism project awarded to the University of Regina with a goal of providing tools and materials for local boards and associations, including to help increase the diversity of locally elected school boards through PSAs and social media
- Engagement of an Indigenous Lead to advance priorities in Indigenous Education
- An advocacy event with Federal Ministries in Ottawa on May 18
- The creation of a National Table on Education, with an initial meeting on March 4. Invited partners include the Canadian Association of Principals, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, the Canadian Association of School System Administrators, La Fédération nationale des conseils francophones, and the Assembly of First Nations.
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November 25, 2019
Strong Support for Public Education in Ontario
Recent polling results show investing in public education is a high priority for Ontarians Toronto, November 25, 2019 – Today, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) and Nanos Research released polling data regarding several public education issues ranging from student achievement and well-being, to curriculum, funding, and governance. READ THE FULL OPSBA/NANOS POLLING REPORT The results indicate that a majority of Ontarians agree that spending in public education is an investment in the future and they are twice as likely to say that spending on public education is more important than eliminating the deficit. Two-thirds of Ontarians oppose or somewhat oppose having larger average class sizes or less course selection in order to save money. Ontarians are also nearly five times as likely to say that trustees should be elected rather than appointed. When asked about a number of initiatives, expanding opportunities for students to learn skilled trades and earn apprenticeship hours garnered the highest intensity of support. “These results validate the hard work and dedication of public school boards and our Association,” said Cathy Abraham, President of OPSBA. “Education is the second largest funding line in the provincial budget and it is our hope that these results can help inform decisions to ensure public education is supported by stable and predictable funding. Public education is an investment for the future and we must advocate for those conditions that will help all students succeed.” Other Highlights:- Nine in ten Ontarians say it is important or somewhat important to invest in special education
- Seven in ten Ontarians support or somewhat support having a mandatory Indigenous education curriculum
- Nearly two-thirds of Ontarians think funding for education should be set based on number of students and inflation rather than overall provincial spending
- Just over four in five Ontarians support or somewhat support school boards having more autonomy to ensure their budgets reflect local needs
- Nine in ten Ontarians say it is important or somewhat important to invest in school maintenance and repairs
The OPSBA represents English public district school boards and public school authorities across Ontario, which together serve more than 1.3 million public elementary and secondary students. The Association advocates on behalf of the best interests and needs of the public school system in Ontario. OPSBA is seen as the credible voice of public education in Ontario and is routinely called on by the provincial government for input and advice on legislation and the impact of government policy directions.
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May 10, 2022
OPSBA Board of Directors Meeting – April 29 and 30, 2022
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Board of Directors held its first in-person meeting since February 2020 on April 29 and 30, 2022, in downtown Toronto. A number of Board of Directors members participated in the meeting virtually. President Cathy Abraham provided a traditional territory acknowledgement and noted that members were joining from traditional lands across Ontario. The Board of Directors also heard from Patricia DeGuire, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), on Friday evening. Education policy and program issues that were discussed in public session at the meeting are summarized below.2022 OPSBA Annual General Meeting and Program
The 2022 Annual General Meeting, scheduled for June 9 to 11 in Ottawa, will be OPSBA’s first in-person professional development and networking opportunity for trustees and school board staff leaders since January 2020. The full agenda and registration are now available on the OPSBA website! This event is an opportunity for trustees to re-connect and network, while learning from outstanding keynotes like pollster Nik Nanos and comedian “Brittlestar” Stewart Reynolds and informative workshops and panel discussions. On March 21, a Call for Nominations for Elected Positions 2022 was sent to Board of Directors members and alternates and all trustees in . The nomination deadline is May 10, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. A direct link to this information is posted on the OPSBA homepage. Fillable nomination forms and a list of nominations received are posted on the AGM and Program page.Education Funding
A summary of important B and SB memos that have been released since the last Board of Directors meeting in February was provided. B & SB memoranda for 2021-22 and prior years can be accessed on the ministry website. 2022-23 Provincial Budget Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy delivered the 2022-23 Ontario Budget: Ontario’s Plan to Build on April 28. The government will not have enough time to pass the budget motion or its corresponding legislation as it rose shortly after introducing the budget bill. The proposed budget is essentially the government’s election platform. Education-related items were identified in the earlier release of the Grants for Student Needs (GSN) and 2022-23 Technical Paper. Total government spending for 2022-23 is projected to be $198.6 billion – up from $187.1 billion in 2021-22. Education sector funding is projected to be $32.4 billion, up from $29.5 billion last year. This funding will largely flow through the Grants for Student Needs (GSN), which were announced in February (click for OPSBA’s review). By 2024-25, education sector expenses are projected to increase to $35.1 billion. This represents 5.9% average annual growth over that period. The Budget projects a deficit of $19.9 billion for 2022-23, falling to $12.3 billion in 2023-24, and $7.6 billion in 2024-25. Deficits are projected until 2027-28. OPSBA Review of the 2022-23 Provincial Budget OPSBA’s Submission to the 2022-23 GSN Consultation 2022-23 Capital Priorities Program On April 21, the Minister of Education announced funding to support school and child care projects as part of the 2022-2023 Capital Priorities Program. This latest round of approved projects was introduced in the February 4, 2022, memo that asked boards to submit up to five project proposals, with at least two being new project proposals. The news release, Ontario Building New Schools and Launching Rapid Build Pilot, also lists the five schools that will pilot using modular construction for their projects. Two OPSBA member boards were selected: the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and the Upper Grand District School Board. OPSBA President Cathy Abraham responded to the modular announcement in the Toronto Star.Communications, Government and Public Affairs
An overview of recent media activity and OPSBA’s past, current and future advocacy and awareness planning was provided. OPSBA Municipal and School Board Election Social Media Campaign With municipal and school board trustee nominations opening on May 2, OPSBA created a series of social media posts to generate awareness of the nomination date and process, and to encourage more diverse candidates to seek election. This campaign was designed to complement the work of OESC with posts appearing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram from April 28 to May 2, 2022. OPSBA encouraged all trustees and education partners to follow and share the posts with their contacts. To see the visuals and posts, please visit our social media accounts. I ❤️ Public Education Campaign In an effort to showcase the diversity of voices in public schools across the province, OPSBA is asking participants to submit a short clip (three to five seconds) holding a small sign with the phrase/image: “I ❤️ Public Education!” Participants can also write this in their “first language” (which may or may not be English) or any non-English language typically spoken at home. The submissions will be used to create a two to three minute video showing the full range of diversity of ages, faces, voices, and places that make up our provincial public schools, and their collective love of learning and the shared values of public education. Information will be posted at www.opsba.org shortly.Provincial Election
As we approach the provincial election on June 2, OPSBA is seeking to raise awareness of our priorities among candidates and voters by sharing a variety of materials to help our members raise the profile and awareness of our priorities in their communities across the province. OPSBA will once again be supporting those who choose to participate in our “Education Day” initiative on May 18 during the election. Association has been in touch with all parties throughout their platform development process, and has posted a comparison of each party’s platform with our OPSBA strategic priorities, and will also be sharing each party’s response to an OPSBA education priorities questionnaire. Media Statements and News Releases OPSBA Media ActivityIndigenous Education
In a verbal report, it was noted that Elaine Johnston, First Nations Director and Chair of the Indigenous Trustees’ Council of OPSBA, had recently attended and presented at the National School Boards Association conference in San Diego, California, on Indigenous Education successes and challenges with colleagues from across Canada. Canadian school boards were congratulated by American colleagues for their progressive work on Indigenous Education issues.Legislative Update
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario had a constituency week that aligned with the Easter long weekend and resumed on Thursday, April 28, 2022, to introduce the budget bill (see above). In accordance with the Election Act, writs are dated on a Wednesday and elections are the fifth Thursday after the date of the writ. This means the writ will be drawn up on Wednesday, May 4, and the election will occur on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Full Legislative Updates are available on the blog. All OPSBA submissions to the government are available on the OPSBA website. Current Party Standings – 124 seats:- Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario – 67
- New Democratic Party of Ontario – 39
- Ontario Liberal Party – 7
- Green Party of Ontario – 1
- New Blue Party of Ontario – 1
- Ontario Party – 1
- Independent – 5
- Vacant – 3 (Don Valley East, Ajax, Elgin—Middlesex—London)
Municipal and School Board Elections 2022
The nomination period is now open. The Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC), on behalf of the four school board/trustee associations (including OPSBA), has completed the first set of resources to support trustee candidates and communities in the upcoming October 24, 2022, Municipal and School Board Elections. These are posted on the school board elections website and include:- Making a Difference: Running for Election as a School Board Trustee – a PDF guide
- Printable public awareness posters to encourage nominations and get out the vote
- 2022 Voters’ guide
- 2022 Candidates guide
- 2022 Guide for third party advertisers
- May 2, 2022 – Nomination and Campaign Period Begins
- August 19, 2022 – Nomination Day (Last Day to be nominated)
- August 19, 2022 – Final Day for Withdrawal of Candidacy
- October 24, 2022 – Voting Day
- November 15, 2022 – School Board Term Begins
Project Compass
Work on the actions approved at the February Board of Directors meeting continues. To date, 31.3% of the actions are complete (12.5); and 62.5% of the actions are expected to be complete by the end of June (25). The connection between Project Compass and equity work continues to be considered in all actions. The OPSBA Roles and Responsibilities Guide has been updated to reflect feedback from Project Compass including clarification of: the role of the Board of Directors in Labour Relations, Executive Council as the Labour Relations Steering Committee, matters concerning Core Issue Work Groups, addition of information about Regional Council roles, and details about capacity building and succession planning. Information on Project Compass, including the approved actions, is accessible to all trustees in the Members’ Area.Labour Relations
Updates were provided in private session on recent developments related to labour relations. OPSBA held a successful virtual Education Labour Relations & Human Resources Symposium on April 28, 2022, with more than 170 attendees.Release of Final Recommendations Report regarding a Proposed K-12 Education Standard for Accessibility
In early March, the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility released the Final Recommendations Report from the K–12 Education Standards Development Committee (ESDC) regarding the development of a proposed K-12 Education Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). The report contains many recommendations on addressing barriers in the public education system. OPSBA has long advocated for school board perspectives to be included in any accessibility-related recommendations for the public education system, and did respond to the ministry’s consultation regarding proposed recommendations in October 2021.Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
An update was provided on work related to the 29 recommendations contained in Turner Consulting’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Audit. Earlier this year, EDI recommendations were reviewed and considered for potential implementation by the OPSBA Executive Council, Program and Policy Work Teams, the Indigenous Trustees’ Council, Project Compass (steering and sub-committees), as well as staff. The Board of Directors endorsed recommendations regarding the Indigenous Trustees’ Council and the establishment of a Black Trustees’ Caucus.Education Program
Ministry Initiatives Committee This committee met on April 7, with discussions on the following: Right to Read Ministry of Education staff shared consultation questions regarding the OHRC’s recommendations for mandatory early reading screening. The ministry invited submissions from education partners regarding the following questions. OPSBA will be submitting a response and is gathering input from school board staff with expertise in reading and trustees on the Association’s Education Program Work Group (EPWG). Modernizing Curriculum The following curricula have been communicated for implementation in September 2022:- Grades 1-8 Science and Technology / Sciences et technologie
- Grade 9 Science / Sciences course, De-streamed
- Grade 10 Math Addendum/Suppléments aux cours de mathématiques de 10e année
- To date, 140,000 students across every school board have participated in EQAO secondary assessments.
- The OSSLT spring administration is from March 23 to May 18, 2022, and individual reports will be available by the end of June 2022.
- Grade 9 assessments are ongoing.
- Primary and Junior assessments will be administered from May 4 to June 24, 2022.
Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA)
The 2022 CSBA Congress will be in person in Saskatoon this July, with an online attendance option available for trustees who do not wish to travel. Registration is now open! For more information on any of the above reports, please contact OPSBA at inquiry@opsba.org or your school board’s OPSBA Board of Director member.Share
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February 27, 2023
OPSBA Board of Directors Meeting – February 24 and 25, 2023
Education Finance Education Partner News Education Policy Indigenous Education Updates OPSBA Events OPSBA NewsThe Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Board of Directors held a meeting in Toronto on February 24 and 25, 2023. This was the first Board of Directors meeting attended by Stephanie Donaldson in her new role as Executive Director. On the evening of February 24, Board of Directors members received presentations on the following topics:- An overview of the TDSB’s Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement from System Superintendent, Equity, Anti-Oppression and Early Years Karen Murray
- Training on the background and terminology stemming from questions connected to recent school board equity and human rights-related issues, misinformation, and controversy from OPSBA Associate Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Ken Jeffers
Labour Relations
Updates were provided in private session on recent developments related to labour relations and collective bargaining. OPSBA is hosting the 2023 Education Labour Relations and Human Resources Symposium on April 27 and 28 in Toronto. Online registration will open the week of February 27, 2023. Education policy and program matters that were discussed in public session at the meeting are summarized below:Legislative Update
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario resumed on February 21, 2023. Earlier this month, the New Democratic Party of Ontario confirmed Marit Stiles (MPP Davenport) as the Leader of the party. She becomes the Leader of the Official Opposition. The riding of Hamilton Centre is vacant after former NDP Leader and MPP Andrea Horwath was elected mayor for the City of Hamilton in October. A by-election for Hamilton Centre will occur on March 16, 2023, with a full list of candidates available on the Elections Ontario web site after March 2. NDP MPP Laura Mae Lindo (Kitchener Centre) has indicated that she will resign after this next session before moving into a new role in July at the University of Waterloo. The government is currently focusing on changing the provincial health care system through new legislation. The official party standings are:- Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario: 83 members
- New Democratic Party of Ontario: 30 members
- Ontario Liberal Party: 8 members
- Green Party of Ontario: 1 member
- Independent: 1 member
- Vacant: 1 riding (Hamilton Centre)
OPSBA Advocacy Day
OPSBA’s November 28, 2022, Advocacy Day was a tremendous success. Board of Directors members and student trustees spent the day at Queen’s Park attending Question Period, meeting with their local MPPs, and participating in the evening reception. In total, OPSBA representatives met with over 50 MPP offices either in meetings or at the reception. This includes meetings with the Minister of Education, the two Parliamentary Assistants, and the education critics from the New Democratic Party, the Ontario Liberal Party and the leader of the Green Party of Ontario. The day began with OPSBA and Nanos Research releasing new survey data regarding several public education issues ranging from education funding to curriculum, special education, equity, and governance. Presenting the information were OPSBA President Cathy Abraham, Indigenous Trustees’ Council Chair Elaine Johnston, and Founder and Chief Data Scientist of Nanos Research, Nik Nanos.Education Finance
A summary of important B and SB memos that have been released since the last Board of Directors meeting in February was provided. B & SB memoranda for 2022-23 and prior years can be accessed on the ministry website. See information above regarding the release of the 2023-24 GSN. Capital Projects School boards, particularly in growing areas of the province have struggled with delays in capital projects, in many cases delays not within their control. The pressure is going to be exacerbated by the government’s intention to ramp up residential growth and construction through the Build More Homes Faster Act that was announced in October and recently passed. The speed at which residential growth can be made far outpaces the speed at which school boards can build schools under the current process. It can take years – up to a decade – to see a new school open in an area. The ministry is aware of this timing gap and growing pressure and have convened a working group of representatives from a number of sectors, include school boards, to try and come up with a way to expedite capital construction. It is believed the government is hoping to release a plan in this regard over the coming months Ontario School Board Insurance Exchange Based on the Auditor General’s recommendation that the province consolidate the financial results of the Ontario School Board Insurance Exchange (OSBIE), the Ministry of Education announced that school boards would be required to proportionally consolidate the operations of OSBIE in their financial statements. The ministry had delayed the requirement to consolidate until the March report, but very recently has indicated that they will be delaying the requirement further.Indigenous Education / Indigenous Trustees’ Council (ITC)
At the February ITC meeting Elaine Johnston was acclaimed as Chair of the ITC and Claudine VanEvery-Albert acclaimed as Vice-Chair of the ITC. Paul Cormier was acclaimed as member of the Education Program Work Group, while Howard Archibald was acclaimed to the Policy Development Work Group. The Council discussed post-pandemic planning for First Nation schools, and issues such as such as mental health, learning recovery, and access to high-speed internet. Regarding the Secondary Native Languages Curricula, concern was raised that it has not been reviewed by the government in 10 years. The ITC reiterated the importance of native languages and explained that for First Nation people, cultures, ways of being, identities and spirits live within their language and who they are as people resides in language. The ITC was pleased to welcome Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs, and Patrice Barnes, Parliamentary Assistant, Minister of Education to the Council’s January 28 meeting at the Public Education Symposium.Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC)
An update on recent initiatives undertaken by the OESC was provided by Executive Director Ted Doherty.Government Relations, Public Affairs, and Communications
An overview of recent media activity and OPSBA’s past, current and future advocacy and awareness planning was provided. To see the Association’s appearances in the media, visit OPSBA in the Media.Public Education Symposium (PES)
As part of PES, OPSBA hosted a meeting of communications staff from our member boards. Despite the weather, staff from the vast majority of our boards were able to attend. This year’s meeting included:- Presentations and updates from OPSBA Policy and Labour staff
- Equity, diversity, inclusion training, and
- Current issues case study presentations on Cyber Incidents and Equity Issues.
Program Policy
Curriculum On December 12, 2022, an announcement was made regarding two curriculum changes to better prepare students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) areas including a new Computer Studies curriculum and a new Technological Education Curriculum. Coalition for Children and Youth Mental Health The Coalition position paper was released in November 2022 and summarizes the current research on children and youth mental health and addictions, identifies goals with rationale for action, along with evidence-informed recommendations. The recommendations are aligned with Right time, right care: Strengthening Ontario’s mental health and addictions system of care for children and young people. To date, representatives of the Coalition have met with the Ministry of Children and Social Services (MCSS), Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education to present the paper and engage in an advocacy dialogue to advance the recommendations. French as a Second Language (FSL) OPSBA is leading the research and promotion of workable solutions to the issue of attracting and retaining sufficient numbers of FSL teachers. As of February 28, 2023, the Ministry of Education-funded contract to continue to mobilize research findings and workable solutions in the areas of FSL teacher recruitment, hiring, professional support and retention is finished and all deliverables have been completed. Promotional materials have been created to encourage and support school boards in offering the new Specialist High Skills Major Non-Profit in Education including bilingual videos, flyers, presentation PowerPoints and scripts geared to teachers, students, and school leaders. Education Partner Discussion Table This OPSBA-coordinated Table of education stakeholders continues to meet to create a vision for what school should look like in the next five to 10 years. All education partners continue to engage with the process and are regularly attending the meetings. It is anticipated that this work will be completed in May 2023 and include a delivered report and infographic.Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Black Trustees Caucus (BTC) Two meetings of the BTC were held at the Public Education Symposium on January 26 and 27,Fifteen trustees had expressed interest to join the BTC. Twelve of these individuals were in attendance. These meetings focused on introductions, relationship building, general discussions and brainstorming information to include in a draft Terms of Reference. It was agreed that the group should be called “The Black Trustees’ Caucus.” A draft Terms of Reference is expected to be presented to the Board of Directors for consideration by June 2023. Accessibility – AODA Review Submission Update OPSBA is currently drafting feedback for the fourth independent legislative review of the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). On December 5, 2022, a province-wide focus group of over 20 accessibility staff leads from member boards came together to brainstorm information to include in OPSBA’s recommendations.Corporate Affairs
Strategic Planning Process The process to identify multi-year strategic priorities to guide the association is well under way. Actions taken to date include:- Approval of the Project Plan (Fall 2022)
- Seek input from outgoing members of the Board of Directors (Fall 2022: prior to the end of the 2018-2022 Term of Office)
- Informal input from community and educational partners through the Executive Director (December 2022 – February 2023)
- Regional Councils were engaged in a brainstorming exercise on January 28, 2023
- A survey was sent to 365 trustees and 31 directors of education from across the province requesting individual input for consideration in the identification of priority areas.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023OPSBAMYSP
Deadline Extended to Monday, March 6, 2023 at 10 p.m.
Elections Planning (for the Annual General Meeting) Information on the election and policy resolution processes will be included in and sent directly to all OPSBA BOD members.Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA)
The CSBA Board of Directors met February 6 to 8 in Winnipeg, and were privileged to hold one day of meetings at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. CSBA Congress and the National Trustees Gathering on Indigenous Education is being held from July 3 to 5, 2023, in Banff, Alberta. Please keep checking back for accommodations. Registration will be open soon. For more information on any of the above reports, please contact OPSBA at inquiry@opsba.org or your school board’s OPSBA Board of Director member. The next OPSBA Board of Directors meeting will take place on April 28 and 29, 2023, in Toronto.Share
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March 1, 2021
OPSBA Board of Directors Meeting – February 27, 2021
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Board of Directors held a virtual meeting on Zoom on February 27, 2021. The meeting opened with an acknowledgement that participants in the meeting were connecting to the meeting from numerous traditional territories of the Indigenous peoples of Ontario. Education policy and program issues that were discussed in public session at the meeting are summarized below.Labour Relations
Updates were provided on recent developments related to labour relations.Education Funding
B/SB Memos A number of important B and SB memos have been released since the last Board of Directors meeting in September. B & SB memoranda for 2020-21 and prior years can be accessed on the ministry website. COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream: Education Related (CVRIS-EDU) Projects Approvals have started to roll out for the $700 million federal COVID-Related Resilience Infrastructure Stream (CVRIS) that was first announced at the end of October 2020. There is an embargo in place on any public announcements and there were more requests than there was available money, so not all requests will have been approved. Further guidance is coming in a ministry memo, and because projects need to be complete by December 31, 2021, boards will want to start their work as quickly as possible. Additional Funding for School Reopening Federal funding was announced in the February 1, 2021 B1 memo entitled, Federal Safe Return to Class Fund and Expanded Targeted Testing in Schools. This was the second half of the federal safe return to class fund and totalled $381 million. The funding is to focus on priorities to support the learning, health and safety of students for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. The B Memo announcing the funds was supported by an SB Memo, asking for information to inform the collaborative purchasing of equipment to support improved air quality and ventilation in schools as well as technology to support student learning. The breakdown of the funding is as follows: $50 million – to support the acquisition of additional portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and other immediate options to improve air quality and ventilation, including air quality monitors or other retrofits, repairs or upgrades to provide immediate improvements to ventilation and airflow, with an emphasis on poorly ventilated spaces (such as portables and schools with no mechanical ventilation or with inoperable windows). $64.55 million – to support health and safety. The funding can be used to support expense associated with acquiring PPE and critical supplies and equipment (CSE) supplies, including for student transportation, beyond what has been provided through the MGCS supply chain. $5 million – to address transportation related cost pressures related to COVID-19 $10 million – to support school nutrition but through the Ministry of Children, Community and Social services. It is intended that this funding will support remote learners. $62 million – to support summer learning opportunities – details are yet to be released on that. $60 million – to support online learning, and it appears that allocation will be going to TVO/TFO. $80 million – to support devices and connectivity to ensure students can access learning $6.45 million – to support equity initiatives, focused on supports for Black and Indigenous students, students from low socio-economic backgrounds and students with special education needs. Details are yet to come on this funding. $33 million – for future pandemic related needs. $10 million – to support student mental health. No board by board breakdown was provided, but it was communicated that this money was being partly distributed to boards and partly distributed to Kids Help Phone.Indigenous Education
The Association’s Indigenous Trustees’ Council (ITC), has had three meetings since the last OPSBA Board of Directors meeting held in November. On December 3, the ITC met virtually and garnered a large turnout, including Indigenous trustees, trustee observers from member boards, Indigenous student trustees and OPSBA staff. There was a board-by-board report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and issues previously identified, such as broadband connectivity, remote and virtual learning, mental health and funding, continue to be a concern. It was noted that keeping Indigenous students engaged is already a challenge and remote learning makes it more difficult. On January 6, a smaller group consisting of ITC members and OPSBA’s Northern Regional Chair, as well as OPSBA staff, met virtually to discuss issues emerging from the previous ITC meeting, and to provide information and data for the January 21 Northern Regional Meeting, with ITC members being invited to participate. At the Northern Regional Meeting, discussion occurred around connectivity for remote learning access for First Nations students, mental health needs and required support for First Nations, and the impact of the pandemic on many First Nations. OPSBA and ITC representatives met with Northern MPPs by Zoom on February 11 to share Northern Ontario issues and concerns, with a strong emphasis on Indigenous issues. ITC members have also participated in the re-established Ministry of Education “Indigenous curriculum revision” writing sessions, which has up until this past school year been paused. The focus at the Ministry of Education session was on furthering the “Indigenizing” of Grades 1 to 3 curriculum, with an emphasis on consulting traditional knowledge keepers as professional resources. Reciprocal Education Agreements (REAs) Legislation now requires boards to negotiate REAs. Related legislation has now been in effect for a year and the Ministry of Education recently conducted a review of REAs.Legislative Update
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario returned on February 16, 2021. The legislature will sit for the next four weeks before adjourning for a March Break constituency week and is set to run until June 3, 2021. Constituency weeks are also scheduled for April 5 to 8 and May 24 to 27, 2021. Full Legislative Updates are available on the blog. All OPSBA submissions to the government are available on the OPSBA website. It was noted that the Ministry of Education is providing boards with deadline flexibility regarding the approval of 2021-22 School Year Calendars. Recent amendments were made to Ontario Regulation 304 to update the change in March Break for this year only. Boards were also recently sent a memo asking them to update this year’s calendars to reflect the changes made over the course of the year (First Instructional Day, PA Days, March Break etc.). The government introduced Bill 251, Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021 and the Ministry of Education has asked education stakeholders to answer a questionnaire to aid in the development of an anti-human trafficking policy framework for the provincially-funded education sector. OPSBA’s Policy Development Work Team will convene to discuss this and the role school plays in protecting students and supporting survivors. Recent legislation and regulations that OPSBA is following include:- Bill 216, Food Literacy for Students Act, 2020
- Bill 172, Education Statute Law Amendment Act (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder)
- Bill 246, Safer School Buses Act, 2021
- Ontario Regulation 7/07: Student Trustees
- Ontario Regulation 463/97: Electronic Meetings And Meeting Attendance
- Ontario Regulation 176/10 (Teachers’ Qualifications) and Regulation 298 (Operation of Schools – General)
Virtual Advocacy Days
The Association secured dates throughout February and March for OPSBA’s Executive Council to participate with one provincial party caucus at a time. A representative from the Indigenous Trustees’ Council and provincial student trustee leaders joined the Executive Council. More information can be found on OPSBA’s website.Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at OPSBA
In November 2020, the Board of Directors supported a motion to hire an external third party to conduct an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Audit. The Association has announced that it has hired Turner Consulting Group to conduct the audit.Communications, Government and Public Affairs
An overview of recent media activity and OPSBA’s future advocacy and awareness planning was provided. OPSBA continues to coordinate monthly conference calls with school boards’ communications staff. For more: Media Statements and News Releases OPSBA Media ActivityFuture of Education
The pandemic has magnified a number of provincial issues related to successfully implementing equitable models of virtual learning. In the past, OPSBA has created discussion papers to help advocate and lead the dialogue on key educational issues. OPSBA, through the Education Program Work Team, is now creating a new discussion paper as a follow-up to A Vision for Learning and Teaching in a Digital Age, with feedback currently being received from member boards’ trustees and staff. This paper will help engage the government and education partners in looking proactively beyond the pandemic, to guide a vision and propose a set of actions to respond to the impact of the pandemic on student achievement and well-being.French as a Second Language (FSL)
Work on Phase III of OPSBA’s FSL Labour Market Partnership Project was concluded as of January 31, 2021. The Final Report of the Partnership Project will be made public this spring. Given that labour market partnership funding is mandated for three years, OPSBA has submitted a funding proposal to the Ministry of Education to extend the next steps in the Partnership’s work. There are three additional initiatives currently underway, funded by the federal and provincial government through the Department of Canadian Heritage FSL Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy. There are:- Development of an FSL Teacher Recruitment guide for English Language School Boards
- French Language Assessment Resources
- Supporting Principals to Address Challenges in Hiring and Retaining Qualified FSL Teachers
Children and Youth Mental Health
The Ontario Coalition for Children and Youth Mental Health met on November 30, 2020, to share organizational updates, explore areas that need collaborative support and to identify any themes that can be addressed or championed collectively. School Mental Health Ontario continues to expand its support and resources provided to school boards.New Grade 9 De-Streamed Mathematics Course Consultation
OPSBA was approached to review and provide feedback regarding the new Grade 9 mathematics course. As per past practice, a non-disclosure agreement was signed. OPSBA requested that school boards identify math experts to assist OPSBA staff in reviewing the high-level overview, including the strands and expectations. Feedback was submitted to the Ministry of Education on February 5, 2021. There is a sense of urgency to receive the new curriculum as quickly as possible in order for school boards to provide the training and support for the mathematics teachers. There are also continuity issues as students move from Grade 8 to Grade 9, complicated by COVID-19, and the recent change to the Grades 1 to 8 mathematics expectations. The transition conversations have become even more important to support student success.Project Compass
OPSBA’s Project Compass is reviewing the Association’s internal governance practices and processes. The Project is being led by 1st Vice-President Michael Barrett and 2nd Vice-President Kathleen Woodcock, and will include opportunities for trustees to provide input which will be used to inform recommendations to be brought to the 2022 Annual General Meeting.Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA)
The National Trustees Gathering on Indigenous Education and CSBA Congress will take place virtually in July 2021. Both events will be virtual and are being organized and hosted in collaboration with the Canadian Association of School System Administrators (CASSA), and promise to be unique and interactive. The CSBA Board of Directors last met virtually on February 8, 2021. Current key items of national importance include broadband connectivity, anti-racism initiatives, and mental health. The Association is also working to strengthen collaboration with the National School Boards Association in the United States, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, CASSA, and student trustees, including Ontario’s OSTA-AECO.Share
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May 25, 2022
Vote for Investments in Education
By Cathy Abraham, President, Ontario Public School Boards’ Association
The policies and decisions of Ontario’s next provincial government will affect the world our children and youth will inherit tomorrow. They also affect their opportunities to get a good education today.
Throughout the provincial election campaign, I’ve been encouraging all voters, and especially parents, students, seniors, and other members of school communities, to learn about the critical issues impacting Ontario’s public schools before Election Day on June 2.
The provincial government decides what is taught in our schools and how much of our taxes are used to pay for education. It’s not an exaggeration to say that our future depends on high quality, publicly funded education. This affects you – whether or not you have children in the school system. As a voter and citizen of Ontario, it is clearly in your interest to know where the candidates stand on the issues.
Throughout the pandemic, amidst all the unforeseen challenges, changes, restrictions, and subsequent re-openings, public school trustees across the province have engaged their local communities in conversations about the future of public education through advocacy, research, consultation and education. These activities have never been more important than they are during a provincial election period.
I’m proud of the work of our school boards throughout the pandemic, as we’ve partnered together to adapt to the most challenging circumstances our system has faced in decades. For a variety of reasons, parents, students, and communities are in many ways more aware than ever about the important role public education plays in the development of the next generation of Ontarians and the future prosperity and harmony of our society.
Our schools have now returned to a manner of operating that is closer to normal, but they will never be quite the same. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be with our students and our system for years to come. The next government will have the opportunity to learn from both the challenges and innovations of the pandemic, and implement a vision for the future of public education in Ontario that provides the best possible outcomes for all of our students.
As president of a non-partisan association representing all English public school boards and school authorities in Ontario, I know we need a government that will:
- Prioritize the mental health and well-being of our students and staff
- Ensure that our system is fully funded, with flexibility to enable school boards to address their unique local challenges
- Promote and facilitate the elimination of existing systemic racism and oppression within the policies, practices and structures of our public education system
- Work to address the unique needs and challenges of Indigenous students
- Maintain labour peace by successfully negotiating collective agreements (which will occur in the first year of the next government’s mandate)
- Recognize the important role that local, democratically elected school board trustees play in ensuring that our schools are world class.
As we emerge from a period in which governments of different political stripes, at all levels, saw spending increase to record levels, it is essential to remember that funding allocated to public education is an investment, with a tremendous return.
According to a 2019 report from the Conference Board of Canada, “Each dollar of public education spending generates $1.30 in total economic benefits to Ontario. At the same time, the inverse holds true for each dollar taken from public education.” What we don’t spend now, we risk spending later on fixing problems that could have been prevented in the first place. We know the negative impacts of the pandemic were greatest in marginalized communities, and that strategically targeted resources can make a world of difference.
It continues to be extremely important to have the voice of communities – school board trustees – at the table when these decisions and plans are being made. We know it’s a challenging time, but that’s why it’s more important than ever for different levels of government to work together to make smart investments and cooperate in new ways.
When deciding who to vote for in this election, I encourage Ontarians to vote for candidates who will champion the cause of public education and continue investing in our students – the future of this province.
– Cathy Abraham is the President of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and a public school trustee with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.
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May 2, 2023
OPSBA Board of Directors Meeting – April 28 and 29, 2023
Accessibility Education Finance Education Partner News Education Policy Federal Issues OPSBA Events Trustee PDThe Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Board of Directors held a meeting in Toronto on April 28 and 29, 2023. On the evening of April 28, Board of Directors members received a presentation from Association of Municipalities of Ontario Executive Director Brian Rosborough. Education policy and program matters that were discussed in public session at the meeting are summarized below:Labour Relations
Updates were provided in private session on recent developments related to labour relations and collective bargaining. Education Labour Relations and Human Resources Symposium More than 160 Trustees, Directors of Education, Supervisory Officers, Human Resources and Labour Relations Practitioners came together in Toronto on April 27 and 28 to share, strategize and learn about next and best practices and explore practical solutions to the challenges faced by Ontario school boards. With keynote speaker Jason Lietaer of Enterprise Canada, and outstanding panelists and workshop speakers on a wide variety of relevant issues, OPSBA was excited to the host the first in-person Education Labour Relations and Human Resources Symposium since 2019.Provincial Update (formerly Legislative Update)
In May, there are 11 sitting days and a constituency week after the Victoria Day weekend. In June, there are five sitting days before the summer recess that begins after Thursday, June 8, 2023. Parliamentary Assistant Matt Rae has moved to the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs – his files have transferred to Parliamentary Assistant Patrice Barnes. NDP Leader Marit Stiles also announced a revised critic portfolio list. Chandra Pasma (MPP Ottawa West—Nepean) remains the Education Critic, and Teresa Armstrong (MPP London—Fanshawe) becomes the critic for Child Care. The Ministry of Education also announced recent and upcoming senior staff retirements, which include: Deputy Minister Nancy Naylor (June 30), Assistant Deputy Minister Denise Dwyer (March 14), and Assistant Deputy Minister Denys Giguère (June 30). The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act A robust discussion on this legislation, which was introduced on April 17, 2023 by Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, occurred. The bill proposes changes to the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007, the Education Act, and the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996. It also suggests minor wording changes in the French version to the preamble of Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. The bill will most likely move quickly through the legislative process and OPSBA staff will monitor for any referral to Committee. OPSBA will be taking the necessary time to review each proposed change and addition and released an initial statement shortly after the legislation was announced. With respect to the Education Act, some of the proposed amendments include:- “setting provincial education priorities on student achievement” and requiring school boards to create multi-year plans to meet those priorities. Parents will need to be consulted on the development of their local school board’s plan twice per year and receive progress reports;
- requiring school board trustees and senior officials to undergo provincially mandated training to make sure they have the “skills and competencies” to deliver on the government’s priorities;
- standardizing performance assessments for directors of education;
- establishing a new “impartial integrity commissioner-led process” for Code of Conduct complaints about school board trustees;
- creating a new, faster process for declaring school board land as surplus; and
- working with municipalities to help implement the province’s subsidized childcare agreement with the federal government.
- Online nomination form
- Roles and Responsibilities Guide
- Candidates’ Election Guide
Indigenous Education / Indigenous Trustees’ Council (ITC)
The ITC has not met since the last Board of Directors meeting, but will be meeting virtually the week of May 15. The Council has welcomed a new staff liaison, Alicia Cameron, who began her role on April 17.Black Trustees Caucus (BTC)
The BTC is preparing to finalize a Terms of Reference and welcomed a new staff liaison, Michelle Rodney Bartalos, on April 14.Government Relations, Public Affairs, and Communications
An overview of recent media activity and OPSBA’s past, current and future advocacy and awareness planning was provided. To see the Association’s appearances in the media, visit OPSBA in the Media. Take Your MPP to School Day The objective of this week-long initiative, taking place May 23 to 26, is to raise the awareness among MPPs of the role of trustees and build upon the relationships with MPPs following OPSBA’s Advocacy Day in November 2022. It’s also an opportunity to showcase the amazing students, staff, and programs happening in local schools, as well as the local realities of education in your communities. A “Save the Date” flyer was shared with MPPs and sent to both their Queen’s Park and local constituency offices. Senior staff have been working with political staff to promote internally among the party and OPSBA will publicize centrally as well. Pupil Accommodation Reviews In June 2017, nearly six years ago, the Government of Ontario (then a Liberal government) announced a moratorium on Pupil Accommodation Reviews – the community engagement process used by school boards when considering consolidating or closing a school. Since that time, our member boards have been unable to consolidate or close schools, which has led to many challenges. OPSBA released a statement on the moratorium in late February calling for the Ministry of Education to complete its review of the Pupil Accommodation Review Guidelines, release revised guidelines, and lift the moratorium.Program Policy
Beyond Knowledge Discussion Paper OPSBA convened an Ontario Education Partner Discussion Table in spring 2021 to create space for collaborative dialogue as school boards and schools navigated the waves and impacts of COVID-19. The group, which represents Ontario’s Kindergarten to post-secondary education partners, was brought together to share evidence, insights and hopes drawn out of the pandemic experience. The focus of the Table’s meetings from December 2022 through spring 2023 was on creating a shared vision for the future of Ontario schools, which has resulted in the creation of a new discussion paper entitled Beyond knowledge: Preparing students for an uncertain future. A key recommendation is to engage the provincial government in the next phase of these discussions. This paper will be available soon on the OPSBA website, but was not published as of this report’s publication date. French as a Second Language (FSL) OPSBA is leading the research and promotion of workable solutions to the issue of attracting and retaining sufficient numbers of FSL teachers. As of February 28,2023, the Ministry of Education contract to continue to mobilize research findings and workable solutions in the areas of FSL teacher recruitment, hiring, professional support and retention is finished. All deliverables have been completed. It is hoped that the ministry will continue to engage OPSBA in this work to ensure that all school boards have the opportunity to be supported in implementing these promising practices. A new FSL website was launched in late April, which features a number of resources to assist school boards and school administrators with FSL programming.AMO Partnership
OPSBA is engaging with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) in support of their Healthy Democracy Project, which will promote the value and importance of municipal governments in Ontario and Canada’s political system. This includes the importance of diversity of leadership and perspective. The Healthy Democracy Project will build on AMO’s We All Win Campaign to attract more diverse candidates to municipal office. It will promote greater civic engagement, greater awareness of the role of municipal government, more respect for the people engaged in democratic processes, and encourage greater participation in local democracy and voter turnout.Project with Wilfrid Laurier University
Similar to past years, OPSBA staff will engage in a research partnership with the Master of Applied Politics program at Wilfrid Laurier University. Three students will work with senior OPSBA staff on a research project. This spring/summer project will be centred around local governance and the roles and responsibilities of public school board trustees. The students will be helping to gather 2022-2026 trustee data and information, and updating Local Government Week resources.AODA Review Submission
OPSBA received a request to submit feedback for the fourth independent legislative review of the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). A dedicated website provides information about the review, including a consultation plan and ways to provide feedback. OPSBA provided a submission for fourth improvement review on April 19, following consultation with the OPSBA Policy Development and Education Program Work Groups and more than 20 school board accessibility staff leads.Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA)
CSBA Congress and the National Trustees Gathering on Indigenous Education is being held from July 3 to 5, 2023, in Banff, Alberta. Registration is now open. For more information on any of the above reports, please contact OPSBA at inquiry@opsba.org or your school board’s OPSBA Board of Director member. The next OPSBA Board of Directors meeting will be held on June 8, at the OPSBA Annual General Meeting at Blue Mountain.Share
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June 19, 2023
Board of Directors Meeting – June 8, 2023
Education Finance Education Partner News Indigenous Education Updates OPSBA Awards OPSBA Events OPSBA in the Media OPSBA News Trustee PDThe Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Board of Directors held a meeting at Blue Mountain on June 8, 2023. Education policy and program matters that were discussed in public session at the meeting are summarized below:
2022-2023 OPSBA Annual Report
The full 2022-2023 OPSBA Annual Report was presented to trustees and is now available online. To view the report, visit 22/23 Annual Report.
Labour Relations
Updates were provided in private session on recent developments related to labour relations and collective bargaining.
Legislative Update and Government Relations, Public Affairs, and Communications
As of June 8, 2023, the Ontario Legislature is on summer recess and will return in late September.
Bill 98, The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act
This legislation was introduced on April 17, 2023, by Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. The bill proposes changes to the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007, the Education Act, and the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996. It also suggests minor wording changes to the French version of the preamble for the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. The Ministry of Education issued several communications about this legislation, including a news release and backgrounder, as well as two memos from the Minister and Deputy Minister; one is a high-level overview of the legislation and the second is a list of the proposed changes. The bill was also posted for commentary on the Ontario’s Regulatory Registry with a feedback deadline of May 16, 2023. The bill passed on June 8.
OPSBA’s initial statement (April 17): OPSBA statement on The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act
OPSBA undertook an extensive consultation and advocacy plan that involved senior staff, the Policy Development and Education Program Work Groups, Executive Council, as well as key stakeholders. It also referred to any relevant past commentary made by the Association. This led to the public release of the OPSBA response on Bill 98. The Association will be following up regarding upcoming consultations on Joint Use of Schools and apprenticeship pathways, as well as other areas of concern related to the bill, including the role and responsibility of Integrity Commissioners in school boards.
Take Your MPP to School Day
The objective of this week-long initiative, which took place May 23 to 26, was to raise the awareness among MPPs of the role of trustees and build upon the relationships with MPPs following OPSBA’s Advocacy Day in November 2022. It’s also an opportunity to showcase the amazing students, staff, and programs happening in local schools, as well as the local realities of education in school communities. Nearly 50 MPPs participated in the event, with some visiting multiple OPSBA member board schools. There are still some visits to come in June. Photos from the visits are availble on the OPSBA Facebook page.
OPSBA Brand Refresh
OPSBA is in the early stages of working with a Toronto-based design firm to undergo a brand refresh of all design, information and website properties. This is a long-term project with a goal of completion within the next year.
To see the Association’s appearances in the media, visit OPSBA in the Media. Full Provincial Updates, including information on other Bills, are available on the blog. All OPSBA submissions to the government are available on the OPSBA website’s Advocacy and Action page.
Education Finance
School boards are moving forward finalizing their budgets to meet the Ministry’s end of June deadline. Most boards are experiencing funding pressures from underfunded benchmarks, and one-third of school boards have preliminarily indicated they are in a deficit situation.
The Board of Directors passed the following motion:
That the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association advocate to the Ministry of Education to address the deficits in funding that support the delivery of programs affecting student success and well-being.
A summary of important B and SB memos that have been released since the last Board of Directors meeting in February was provided. B and SB memoranda for 2022-23 and prior years can be accessed on the Ministry of Finance website.
Program Policy
Education Partner Discussion Table
The Education Partner Discussion table, convened by OPSBA in 2021, collaboratively created a discussion paper entitled, Beyond knowledge: Preparing students for an uncertain future, which was released in May 2023 in both English and French. The key recommendation is to engage the provincial government in the next phase of these discussions. This document presents the big ideas that need further discussion to determine how to best implement these priorities in an evidence-informed manner. The communication plan allows for all education partners to share this evidence-informed discussion paper and use it in advocacy efforts with the government. A letter has been sent to the Minister to request a meeting to share the report and to discuss next steps in the engagement of the government.
French as a Second Language (FSL)
OPSBA has led the research and promotion of workable solutions to the issue of attracting and retaining sufficient numbers of FSL teachers. All deliverables have been completed and released. OPSBA has createda dedicated a FSL microsite to house all the reports, resources and materials to support school board efforts.
Indigenous Education / Indigenous Trustees’ Council (ITC)
Updates were provided on the following items, which included an overview of the recent May 15 ITC meeting:
Changes to Indigenous Education Funding/GSN
The Ministry of Education has outlined changes in how Indigenous Education will be funded in the 2023-2024 school year. There is concern regarding potential negative impacts to Indigenous programming, which has been raised by some school boards and communicated through Indigenous trustees. To build understanding of the changes, the Ministry of Education met with ITC representatives on May 1, 2023, but Council concerns with the changes to Indigenous Education Funding were not alleviated. The ITCsent a letter to Minister Lecce outlining continued concerns on June 9.
Consultation on Indigenous Education Priorities
ITC representatives were invited to participate in a ministry consultation session on May 19, which was meant to identify targeted Indigenous Education Priorities for the 2023-24 school year.
Black Trustees Caucus (BTC)
The BTC brings together trustees who are Black/identify as Black to collaborate, influence change, and act as a resource where needed. The establishment of a BTC was authorized by the OPSBA membership at the 2022 Annual General Meeting and its Terms of Reference were approved at the June 8, 2023, Board of Directors meeting. The BTC now has a focused mandate that is aligned with OPSBA’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan, ensuring that appropriate connections are being made to systemic racism and anti-Black racism. The BTC will also identify opportunities to employ the use of data to measure progress, particularly as it relates to outcomes and equity for Black/Black-identifying youth within Ontario’s public education system. In the course of their work within OPSBA, the BTC will develop and share policy papers and other tools and resources to support school boards to better address Afrocentric education and support Black/Black identifying students and families when warranted.
Elections for 2023-2024 Chair and Vice Chair will be held at the AGM.
Work with the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC)
The OHRC recently held round table discussions with students and duty-holders in the education sector regarding tackling anti-Black racism in education. As they review the feedback gathered from these consultations, they have plans of developing a public-facing document for the near future. They will meet with the BTC and others to discuss the next phase of this initiative.
2023 OPSBA Awards
The 2023 OPSBA Awards Judging Committee met on May 2 to consider this year’s awards nominations. OPSBA thanks those who served on this year Awards Judging Committee:
- Karen McGregor, Trustee, Limestone DSB, Chair of the Committee
- Beth Mai, Trustee, Thames Valley DSB
- John McAllister, Trustee, Upper Canada DSB
- Scott Piatkowski, Trustee, Waterloo Region DSB
- Danica Leblanc, Trustee, Lakehead DSB
- Chantal Phillips, Trustee, Near North DSB
- Nadeem Mahmood, Trustee, York Region DSB
- Jaine Klassen Jeninga, Trustee, Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB
This year’s award recipients are:
Jack A. MacDonald Award of Merit (student)
Braydon Anthony Bandurka, Cobourg Collegiate Institute, Kawartha Pine Ridge DSBCertificate of Recognition
- Calvin Bell, Beaver Valley Community School, Bluewater DSB
- Gavin Hickey, Sir Wilfred Laurier S.S., Ottawa Carleton DSB
OPSBA Achievement Award (volunteer and non-teaching staff)
- Susan Neal, Forest Valley Elementary School, Ottawa-Carleton DSB
- Phillip Rennison, Lisgar C.I., Ottawa-Carleton DSB
- Sandra Pedersen, Bells Corners P.S., Ottawa-Carleton DSB
- Andrew Jarabek, Bells Corners P.S., Ottawa-Carleton DSB
- Natasha Klages, Chesley District Community School, Bluewater DSB
- Marianne Stewart & the School and Family Health Team, Lakehead DSB
- Nolan Steen, Touring Service, Hastings and Prince Edward DSB
- Frank Lew, Greenbank Public School, Durham DSB
- Phouvieng Sackda, Zion Heights Middle School, Toronto DSB
- Laurie Vonk, Victoria Terrace P.S., Upper Grand DSB
- Gary Adduono, Terrace Bay Public Elementary School, Superior Greenstone DSB
- Romana Siddiqui, Parent Involvement Committee, Peel DSB
President’s Award in recognition of 25 years of trustee service in public education
- Judy Hunda, Trustee, Rainbow DSB
- Dena Morrison, Trustee, Rainbow DSB
Dr. Harry Paikin Memorial Award (trustee)
Doreen Dewar, Trustee, Rainbow DSB
Fred L. Bartlett Memorial Award (teacher)
Jon Swain, Teacher, Limestone DSB
OPSBA Multi-Year Strategic Plan
To fulfill OPSBA Board of Directors’ accountability for engaging in strategic planning, a comprehensive strategic planning process began in the fall of 2022. This process included a jurisdictional and environmental scan and numerous opportunities to collect input from educational partners. Based on feedback, the following refreshed multi-year strategic priorities emerged and have now been approved by the Board of Directors for the 2023-2027 time frame.
Student Success, Equity, and Well-Being
OPSBA promotes and advances high-quality, equitable, and inclusive learning environments to support student success and well-being.
Local School Board Governance
OPSBA supports the role and leadership of local, democratically elected school boards in Ontario’s English public education system.
Truth and Reconciliation
OPSBA develops and strengthens relationships to facilitate access to programs, resources and supports for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students that reflect the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
Effective Relationships and Sustainable Resourcing
OPSBA works with members, partners, the government and Federations/Unions to ensure that fiscal and human resources match school board needs and priorities.
Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA)
CSBA Congress and the National Trustees Gathering on Indigenous Education is being held from July 3 to 5, 2023, in Banff, Alberta. Registration is now open.
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