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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 OPSBA Board of Directors Meeting-September 23-24, 2011 OPSBA Board of Directors Meeting September 23-24, 2011 Prepared by Shirley Seward and Bronwyn Funiciello This was my first OPSBA Board of Directors Meeting as a Director. As such, it was very helpful to have Bronwyn Funiciello at the meeting, as she was able to provide historical background and context regarding many issues that were discussed. A full report by OPSBA of this meeting is available in the September 30, 2011 Fast Report at: http://www.opsba.org/index.php?q=advocacy_and_action/fast_report s/fast_report_september_30_2011_vol_23_no_24#article-2051 Our comments below are meant to add value to the OPSBA Fast Report, by commenting on those issues that we found most relevant to OCDSB at the present time. 1. PRESENTATION BY ONTARIO STUDENT TRUSTEES’ ASSOCIATION (OSTA-AECO) Mental Health. The student trustees have developed and are promoting the Student Charter on Children and Youth Mental Health. We were given a plaque to bring home to OCDSB. Student Survey. We received an in camera preview of the embargoed results of a student survey conducted at the end of the last school year 2010-2010. The survey examined the perceptions of both students and parents regarding a range of issues. The release date is October 18, 2011 and the results will be available at http://www.osta-aeco.org/. This survey will be highly relevant to OCDSB, and provides information that may enrich the findings of OCDSB’s own student survey. 2. EMERGING/CURRENT EDUCATION ISSUES Children and Mental Youth Health. We were shown a DVD based on the successful June 2 Summit on Children and Youth Mental Health. A commitment has been made to make this an annual event. There was considerable interest in this issue among different Boards. Full Day Kindergarten. Similar issues are emerging at several Boards regarding the extended day implementation. These issues include the nature of child care to be provided, size of classes, and the future of child care providers. Consultation is occurring at several Boards, including our own. OPSBA stressed its support for the childcare community. Code of Conduct. This issue has been on the back burner due to the provincial election. OPSBA has been working closely with Boards and the province. Once the code of conduct is released, OPSBA will provide to Boards a template for a Trustee code of conduct as well a process for enforcement of the Code of Conduct. There will be a report on this matter to the Board of Directors in November 2011. All Candidates Meetings. Boards had different experiences regarding these debates. Attendance varied. In many cases, Conservative candidates did not participate. Most Boards organized debates themselves, whereas OCDSB encouraged community organizations to participate. Brief presentations were given on other issues including special education (Minister’s advisory Council on Special Education-MACSE and the integrated accessibility regulation. Information on OPSBA’s activities in these areas is available at on the OPSBA website noted above. REPORT BY ONTARIO EDUCATION SERVICES 3. CORPORATION-OESC In the report from OESC, specific mention was made of a roster of consultants available to assist individual Boards with training using OPSBA’s governance modules. In a recent SPPC meeting, I was interested to hear from our Director of Education that she had spoken with OESC and had selected one of these consultants to assist our Board on November 16. While OESC is independent from OPSBA, it shares space, staff and other resources with OPSBA. OPSBA PRIORITIES 4. The Board approved the following five priorities as OPSBA’s future action plan: The Whole Child st 21 Century Education Trustees-Building- Building Leadership Capacity Labour Relations Education Funding GENERAL IMPRESSION OF OPSBA MEETING 5. As a first year Trustee, I am delighted to be a Director of OPSBA. I found participation in the OPSBA meetings valuable and informative. I also was impressed with the professionalism of OPSBA staff, and the wealth of information available to individual Boards. Bronwyn is a seasoned Trustee with prior experience working with OPSBA. She too found participation in this meeting worthwhile and engaging. LOCATION OF OPSBA ANNUAL MEETING 6. Of special interest to our new Director of Education, OPSBA’s Annual Meeting will be held in Thunder Bay, June 7-10, 2012.