Legislative Update – March 23, 2020

Archives: OPSBA News Posts

  • Legislative Update – March 23, 2020

    MPPs met on March 19 for a one-day emergency session to pass two bills aimed at supporting citizens during the COVID-19 state of emergency. Only 26 members, including the Speaker, were in the chamber. Both pieces of legislation received Royal Assent late in the day. Government news release Bill 186, Employment Standards Amendment Act (Infectious…

  • OPSBA/CTA Reaches Tentative Agreement with ETFO at the Central Bargaining Table

    Toronto, March 20, 2020 – The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) is pleased to announce that OPSBA/Council of Trustees’ Associations (CTA) and the provincial government have successfully negotiated a tentative agreement with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) for both teachers and education workers. “Despite the many challenges caused by the current pandemic…

  • Legislative Update – March 13, 2020

    MPPs begin a Constituency Week from March 16 – 20 that aligns with March Break. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario will resume on March 23, 2020 but that could change amid COVID-19 concerns. MPPs passed a motion to allow the suspension of the house beyond the constituency break “should the need arise.” Coronavirus – COVID-19…

  • Online Trustee Professional Development Program Re-Launched

    OPSBA is pleased to announce the re-launch of https://modules.ontarioschooltrustees.org/. The program focuses on topics ranging from Governance to Community Engagement to Finance, to Labour Relations, Social Media and Internal Audits. The information has been updated for the 2019-2020 school year and is presented in easy-to-use learning modules and videos. The modules condense challenging information and…

  • OPSBA statement regarding the closure of all public schools through to April 5

    “The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented and rapidly evolving event that requires an unprecedented response. School boards across Ontario have been and will continue to take direction and advice from local and provincial public health officials. We will continue to work with the Ministry of Education and our education partners to ensure the impact on…

  • Legislative Update – March 9, 2020

    The Legislative Assembly of Ontario is in session for one more week before pausing for a constituency week that coincides with March Break. Coronavirus Information The Ministry of Health provided an update on COVID-19 entitled Ontario implementing enhanced measures to safeguard public from COVID-19. Ontario is implementing an “enhanced response structure” that will bring together…

  • The National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education

    The National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE) is hosted by First Nations University of Canada, which has a 40-year history of being Indigenous-owned, operated, and controlled. The Centre is grounded in principles of respect, reciprocity, and relationship, which are understood in Indigenous ways and honoured according to Indigenous protocols and customs. The NCCIE website highlights…

  • OPSBA statement regarding Minister Lecce’s March 3 bargaining announcement

    “Our focus is always on what is best for students, and we hope that the positions highlighted today by Minister Lecce are seen by all as a path to a resolution of the current situation. There are certainly some issues that will need further discussion, but in our view, this is a positive development. The…

  • Legislative Update – March 2, 2020

    The Legislative Assembly of Ontario resumed on February 18, 2020, and has two weeks before the constituency week that coincides with March Break. Provincial By-elections Two provincial by-elections were held on February 27 for the ridings of Ottawa-Vanier and Orléans due to the vacancies created by the retirement of Liberal MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers (Ottawa-Vanier)…

  • OPSBA Board of Directors Meeting – February 21 & 22, 2020

    The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Board of Directors held a meeting on February 21 and 22, in Toronto. Lucille Kyle, Vice-Chair of OPSBA’s Indigenous Trustees’ Council (ITC), 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…

  • OPSBA identifies clear funding priorities to address pressures facing school boards

    Toronto, February 19, 2020 – The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) is pleased to announce that it has submitted its response to the Ministry of Education’s call for feedback on the government’s Grants for Student Needs (GSN) education funding plans for 2020-21 school year. “The recommendations contained in this submission are the culmination of in-depth consultations with…

  • Legislative Update – February 14, 2020

    The Legislative Assembly of Ontario resumes on February 18, 2020, after Family Day. 2020 Pre-Budget Consultations and Ministry of Education 2020-21 Education Funding Consultation At the end of January, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs held Pre-Budget Consultation public hearings in Toronto, Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay, Kitchener-Waterloo, Belleville, and Niagara. Four member boards…