OPSBA President Laurie French represented Ontario’s public school boards at the Canadian School Boards Association’s Annual Congress, held July 5-8, 2017 in Whistler, B.C. in conjunction with the National Trustee Gathering on Aboriginal Education.
President French reported on current and upcoming Ontario education issues during the Cross-Canada Check-In, including highlights of our advocacy and work in the past year including: indigenous education, mental health and well-being, community hubs, French as a second language, education funding, rural and remote education, legislative submissions, collective bargaining and labour relations, EQAO discussion paper, executive compensation, and the 2018 municipal and school board elections.
Speakers at this year’s Congress included Charlene Bearhead, Education Coordinator, National Inquiry Into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls; Peter Garrow, OPSBA’s Indigenous Trustees’ Council; Yong Zhao, Foundation Distinguished Professor, School of Education, University of Kansas; David Albury, Director, Innovation Unit, United Kingdom; David King, Former Executive Director, Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta; Former Minister, Alberta Ministry of Education; Former Chairman, Council of Ministers of Education for Canada; and Mohamed Fahmy, Journalist and Honorary Research Associate, UBC School of Journalism.
2017 Honorary Memberships were presented to Gail Anderson (OPSBA) and Brian Shortall (Newfoundland Labrador).
Congratulations to Floyd Martens (Manitoba) and Goronwy Price (Newfoundland Labrador) for being acclaimed to the positions of President and Vice-President of CSBA at the Annual General Meeting.
CSBA 2018 will be held July 4-8, 2018 at the Westin Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia
