English public education has a long and storied history in Quebec. Today the system has roughly 100,000 students in schools located throughout the province. We strongly believe that quality English public education essential to our future, and that maintaining control and management of that education by means of elected school boards is vital to the future of English-speaking Quebec.
Continue Reading “Elected School Boards are Vital to English-Speaking Quebecers”
In follow-up to BCSTA President Gordon Swan’s oral report to the Select Standing Committee on Finance, BCSTA submitted the following supplemental written submission to the committee on October 10, 2018.
Please note that this year’s presentations were held to five minutes. BCSTA will be following up with an additional written submission containing more details.
A few years ago, a British Columbia Ombudsperson’s report expressed concerns about a somewhat common practice of municipal councils and boards.
Earlier this year, former British Columbia ombudsperson Howard Kushner was appointed as the new commissioner for teacher regulation.
Howard Kushner’s bio, available on bcteacherregulation.ca, provides us with the following regarding his background and qualifications:
Continue Reading “Getting to Know BC’s Commissioner for Teacher Regulation”
Staff at the BC School Trustees Association have been keeping busy with only 62 days to go before the upcoming BCSTA Academy, taking place November 29 – December 1, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver. Taking place in the final week of November, both newly elected and seasoned trustees will find plenty of topics of interest on hand, all of which has been curated under the banner of “building a new board: elected, engaged and empowered.”
As a way to increase the profile of school trustees as the election approaches, BCSTA launched the #ProudToBeASchoolTrustee social media campaign at our 2018 AGM. Members have been encouraged to share messages on social media about why they are #ProudToBeASchoolTrustee, including why they decided to run as a trustee, the work they are most proud to be involved in and the impact of their work in their communities.
As the general election looms, and we collectively approach the three week marker, boards, trustees and the public have much to consider. SOGI 1 2 3, a learning resource created by ARC Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and educators, and developed with the goal of supporting all students regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity and providing educators with the capacity to build inclusive school environments, has become a contentious talking point.
[Received September 12, 2018]
BCCPAC president Sinclair to President Swan:
“At our 2018 Annual General Meeting, member delegates representing District Parent Advisory Councils (DPACs) and Parent Advisory Councils (PACs) from around the province gathered together to discuss important issues vital to student success and approved several Resolutions…”
[Received September 7, 2018]
BCTF President Hansman to Minister Fleming:
“On behalf of the 43,000 members of the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), I am writing to request that the provincial government ensure that the necessary funds and political direction are in place for teacher-led mentorship initiatives to flourish in all school districts across BC….”
