Toronto, September 18, 2006- The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) congratulates Kathleen Wynne on her appointment as Minister of Education and is ready to work with her on further developing the many positive education initiatives undertaken by the Liberal government.

“We are pleased that by naming Kathleen Wynne, a respected and experienced educator, to this portfolio, Premier Dalton McGuinty continues to honour his promise to keep public education at the centre of his government?s mandate,” said Rick Johnson, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.

We believe that Minister Wynne and this government share OPSBA’s commitment to building a school system that can give Ontario’s children an education that is the envy of the world. Together, we will focus on developing a strong publicly funded education system, open to all and governed by democratically elected local school boards.

OPSBA thanks Sandra Pupatello for her strong and energetic leadership and her commitment to public education. As Minister of Education, Ms Pupatello engaged wholeheartedly with school boards to support programs and initiatives that work for the twenty-first century and to develop solutions that are centered on the needs of children and youth.

In the complex environment of educational policy development, finance and instruction, each educational partner plays a unique and crucial role. Achieving optimum learning situations for our students means that each partner must respect the expertise of the other. We look forward to developing a true partnership with Minister Wynne, a partnership that is marked by renewed cooperation, collaboration and respect.

The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association advocates on behalf of the best interests and needs of the public school system in Ontario. OPSBA believes that the role of public education is to provide universally accessible education opportunities for all students regardless of their ethnic, racial or cultural backgrounds, social or economic status, individual exceptionality, or religious preference.

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For more information, please contact:

Jeff Sprang
Communications
(416) 340-2540