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HomeMy WebLinkAboutChairs' Committee Report 3 26 Mar 2008 Minutes Public• OTTAWA-CARLETON DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD REPORT NO. 3, CHAIRS' COMMITTEE TO: The Board DATE: 26 March 2008 A meeting of the Chairs' Committee was held this evening commencing at 7:35 p.m. in the Trustees' Committee Room, 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, with Trustee Lynn Scott in the Chair and the following also in attendance: TRUSTEE MEMBERS: Riley Brockington, Alex Getty, Greg Laws (electronic communication) and John Shea (electronic communication) OTHER TRUSTEES: Rob Campbell, Cathy Curry (electronic communication), Pam FitzGerald, Jennifer McKenzie and David Moen STAFF: Jennifer Adams, Superintendent of Curriculum Cathy Nevins, Superintendent of Instruction Michele Giroux, Executive Officer, Corporate Services Dave Miller, Manager, Business and Learning Technologies Bruce Fraser, Committee Coordinator NON - VOTING REPRESENTATIVES: Ellen Dickson, Ottawa - Carleton Assembly of School Councils Peter Giuliani, Ottawa - Carleton Elementary Teachers' Federation Umber Dube, Student Trustee Advisory Committee Note: Throughout the meeting, Trustee Brockington assumed the chair whenever Chair Scott chose to participate in discussion. Call to Order Chair Scott called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. 2. Approval of Agenda Moved by Trustee McKenzie THAT the agenda be approved. - Carried - Public Question Period There were no public questions. Chairs' Committee 1 26 March 2008 4. Policy Resolutions for the Ontario Public School Boards' Association's Annual General Meeting Chair Scott noted the April 3, 2008 deadline submission for policy resolutions to be considered at the annual general meeting of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA). There were no recommendations proposed by the Committee. Board Member Motion a. Revision to Board By -laws, Recorded Votes at Budget Committee Meetings Moved by Trustee Moen, THAT the following motion be deferred to following the arrival of Trustee Campbell; or to the next Chairs' Committee meeting, whichever comes first: Moved by Trustee Moen, substituting for Trustee Campbell, THAT Annex 5, Section 7.1 c) of the Rules of Order for Board and Committee Meetings be amended to add the words "except by request of a trustee at Budget Committee ", viz.: 7.1 c) votes shall not be recorded in Committee except by request of a trustee at Budget Committee. - Carried - Note: The item was discussed at the conclusion of item 6) Presentation and Report No. 08 -067, DRIVE to Success Initiative. When dealt with later in the meeting the following discussion ensued. Moved by Trustee Campbell, THAT Annex 5, Section 7.1 c) of the Rules of Order for Board and Committee Meetings be amended to add the words "except by request of a trustee at Budget Committee ", viz.: 7.1 c) votes shall not be recorded in Committee except by request of a trustee at Budget Committee. Trustee Campbell noted that the budget motion is unique as the Budget Committee discusses and makes amendments to one multi -part motion and then presents a single recommendation to the Board. The intent of the motion is to provide clarity with respect to trustees' positions on a particular amendment by permitting votes to be recorded at the committee level. He noted that he has restricted the proposal to the Budget Committee as there are a number of issues relating to the inclusion of all committees. Trustee Brockington expressed concern that some votes may be recorded and others not depending if a request is made. He expressed a preference for votes on all, or at least substantive amendments, being recorded. Trustee Brockington noted that he had heard concerns from community members that some trustees changed their votes between discussions at the Budget Committee meetings and debate at Board. He commented that the public wants accountability and transparency. Chairs' Committee 2 26 March 2008 Executive Officer Giroux submitted that, for consistency, the language of the Board's By -laws used to govern actions at Board meetings with respect to substantive, regulatory and procedural motions should also be used at the committee level. Trustee Moen noted that currently there is no record of amendments that are defeated at the Budget Committee. He expressed the view that the budget approval situation is unique as the Budget Committee deals with multiple amendments to one motion over multiple meetings, therefore, additional accountability is required. During discussion Trustee Moen withdrew an amendment to add "by request of a student trustee at any committee meeting or" following "except by" with the understanding that staff will prepare a report for the May Chairs' Committee meeting regarding the voting rights of student trustees at meetings of the Board and its committees, including the relevance of student trustees being appointed as members of a committee, or not, by definition under the Board's By -laws versus the intent of the wording included in the Education Act. In response to a query by Ellen Dickson, Executive Officer Giroux clarified that during the last budget process, the results of votes at the Budget Committee meetings were announced, but the votes were not recorded. Trustees speaking in support of the motion reiterated the view that the unique nature of the Budget Committee process makes it important to have a recording of votes to enhance transparency and accountability. Moved by Trustee FitzGerald THAT "by request of a trustee" be deleted. Trustee FitzGerald expressed the view that the recording of votes should not be at the request of individual trustees but should be done automatically to ensure that a record of voting results for all amendments is available. Trustee Campbell commented that he had considered proposing the automatic recording of votes but was concerned with the time required to record the results for minor amendments such as grammatical changes. He submitted that he would rely on individual trustees to request recorded votes on any items that they considered significant. Trustees speaking in support of the amendment agreed that the voting results for all amendments should be recorded. Trustees speaking against the amendment expressed the view that the time required to record all votes, including minor wording changes, would be excessive and that calling for a recorded vote should be at the discretion of trustees. Trustee Getty expressed the view that, as committees make recommendations to the Board for decision making, voting should only be recorded at the Board level. Moved by Trustee FitzGerald THAT "by request of a trustee" be deleted. - Defeated - Chairs' Committee 3 26 March 2008 Trustees speaking in support of the main motion expressed the view that it would provide accountability and transparency in budget deliberations. Trustees speaking against the main motion expressed the view that accountability will not be enhanced through the use of recorded votes at Budget Committee and that recorded votes should only be called for at Board meetings. It was noted that Committee meetings are where viewpoints are introduced, debated and explored and trustees are entitled to reconsider their position at a Board meeting should new information be received. In wrap -up, Trustee Campbell submitted that recorded votes at Budget committee would provide clarity to trustees' positions for the benefit of the public. He reiterated the uniqueness of the budget process in that one motion is amended multiple times at a series of meetings and only the results of the voting on one all encompassing motion, being potentially recorded at the Board table. Moved by Trustee Campbell, THAT Annex 5, Section 7.1 c) of the Rules of Order for Board and Committee Meetings be amended to add the words "except by request of a trustee at Budget Committee ", viz.: 7.1 c) votes shall not be recorded in Committee except by request of a trustee at Budget Committee. - Carried - 6. Presentation and Report No. 08 -067, DRIVE to Success Initiative - Becoming an Evidence Informed Decision Making Organization Your Committee had before it staff report No. 08 -067 providing an overview of the "DRIVE to Success" initiative to develop the Ottawa - Carleton District School Board into an evidence informed decision making organization. Superintendent Nevins and Manager Dave Miller highlighted the purpose, development and status of the initiative of the "Data, Research, Information, Vision and Evidence" (DRIVE) to Success. The initiative incorporates evidence informed decision making (EIDM) and the District's current technology plan to support the goal of becoming a data driven board in order to improve student achievement. The Ministry of Education has developed a new data capacity building program entitled "Managing Information for Student Achievement" (MISA) which will be used to establish data standards and guidelines for school districts and improve information management procedures in the areas of data management, technology and human resources. A technology initiative known as OnSIS (Ontario School Information System) was undertaken at the provincial level to standardize the collection and validation of data from all school districts. Mr. Miller stressed the importance of effectively managing the information being collected through the OnSIS process as it will be used as the basis of funding allocations by the Ministry. Mr. Miller noted that due to the District's advanced status in identifying needs for centralized data collection the cost of a number of related activities were able to be underwritten in conjunction with the MISA project including enhancements to computer systems and equipment, training, the data warehouse, the data archive and the data reporting tools. Chairs' Committee 4 26 March 2008 Executive Officer Giroux noted that one of the major issues arising from enhanced data collection systems is the right to privacy under the Municipal Freedom o f In formation and Protection o f Privacly Act. She advised that a workshop for trustees, principals and other staff has been scheduled for April 11, 2008 to discuss privacy and access to information issues. In response to a comment by Trustee FitzGerald that advancements in technology rarely result in cost savings, Dave Miller noted that the concept behind the DRIVE to Success initiative was to improve the use and quality of data and to provide boards and the Ministry with abilities and resources not previously available. He noted that the undertaking should improve administrative decision making such as during the budget process as more accurate and up to date data would be available. In response to a query regarding data availability for corporate decision making, Dave Miller noted that the goal is to have a fully operational process to capture and analyze data by 2011. He noted that there is ongoing data capture taking place but it will take time to develop the plans, processes and human resources required to be able to organize and analyze the data in order to maximize the effectiveness of its use. Superintendent Adams reiterated concerns with privacy and access and noted that external organizations are already looking for access to the District's databases as it can save them significant investment to utilize data that is already organized. She noted that the provincial government is aware of the issues surrounding privacy, access to, and the use of, information and has established a team to develop provincial guidelines. In response to a query regarding the computerization of school libraries, Mr. Miller advised that currently twenty -five school libraries have been networked and full implementation of this project should be complete by next year. Peter Giuliani commented that for systems to be effectively implemented staff must "buy -in" to the process. He recommended that the timing of teacher training with respect to the new systems accommodate the schedules of those involved. Executive Officer, Michele Giroux noted that training references in the report refer to a wide variety of staff and a number of strategies and schedules will be developed and used due to the multiplicity of audiences. Following the presentation and discussion, it was agreed that trustees should send additional queries and comments to Superintendent Nevins. 7. Ontario Public School Boards' Association: Membership Fee Structure Your Committee had before it a memorandum provided by Trustee Moen from the Executive Office of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association ( OPSBA) providing background information with respect to the membership fee structure. Trustee Moen highlighted the recommendation in the report and noted that it includes two changes to the current fee structure. The proposed fee calculation would be based on a member board's actual, rather than projected, enrolment figures and a minimum and maximum cap based on the OPSBA year over year budget change would be introduced. He noted that the cap would be based on the OPSBA budget change ±1.5 %, therefore, if the budget increased by 4% for example, the increased fee limits would be between 2.5% to 5.5 %. Chairs' Committee 5 26 March 2008 Trustee Moen expressed the view that both proposed changes would disadvantage boards with declining enrolment levels and advantage growing boards. Trustee Brockington noted that the finance analysts at OPSBA attempted to provide financial stability through the use of caps and requested the Committee's direction with respect to the recommendation. Trustees Campbell and McKenzie expressed concern with the third part of the recommendation, i.e. the use of minimum and maximum caps. Trustee Scott noted that many boards are in declining enrolment situations and expressed the view that OPSBA fees should also be tied to enrolment as that is also how provincial funding is allocated. Trustee Brockington noted that increases or decreases to enrolment, do not impact significantly on the overall costs of providing services to member boards. Trustee FitzGerald expressed the view that the fees should be directly tied to the grant levels provided to boards and that a reduction in revenues could be an incentive to OPSBA to enhancing their role as an advocator for member boards. Ontario Public School Boards' Association Review: Mandate, Role and Member Satisfaction Your Committee had before it a memorandum provided by Trustee Moen from the Executive Office of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association ( OPSBA) providing background information with respect to "...a strategic review of the mandate, role and purpose of OPSBA, with the objective of determining member board satisfaction with OPSBA's programs and services." Trustee Brockington noted that OPSBA staff held discussions with four professional consulting organizations to determine options regarding the type and scope of a review. The recommended scope and costs resulting from the initial interviews vary widely and OPSBA is now looking for direction. Trustee Moen commented that specific feedback is needed with respect to the necessity of the review, the process i.e. staged or single phase, the depth of scope and what should be measured. Trustee Scott noted that the mandate of the previously established Governance Review Committee was not broad enough to make specific recommendations, but some dissatisfaction was expressed by a number of member boards with respect to structure. Methods should be created to ensure that all boards are kept informed of developments and opportunities for trustee participation, beyond appointed directors, be made available to all trustees. Some trustees expressed the view that a thorough review of OPSBA is required and raised concerns regarding: the value received, the role of OPSBA as an advocate for boards /public education, its relationship with the provincial government, how representation on issues is decided, the effectiveness of regional representation and the development and provision of services /benefits for trustees. Trustee Moen advised that he would distribute a preliminary proposal of items for trustee consideration and input. Chairs' Committee 6 26 March 2008 9. Review of April and Long Range Agendas for Standing and Statutory Committees Your Committee reviewed the April and long range agendas for the Board's standing and statutory committees: i. Budget Committee It was noted that, due to changes in dates for grant announcements and the release of information, there will need to be revisions to the Budget Committee meeting schedule. Some trustees suggested that it would be preferable to postpone meetings in order to retain the previously approved number of meetings for debate. The Committee agreed that staff should work with the Budget Committee Chair to develop a revised schedule. ii. Business Services Committee, 9 April 2008 Trustees requested updates on the following issues: • timelines and priorities for future accommodation studies, • the capital plan, • school property disposal issues, iii Special Education Advisory Committee, 10 April 2008 Trustee FitzGerald invited trustees to participate in a pre meeting team building activity with SEAC members. Staff agreed to confirm if non - voting representatives would be invited to participate. Trustee Scott noted that she will consult with the Chair of SEAC with respect to items which have been included on the "list of priorities" on the long range agenda for a significant length of time. iv. Education Committee, 16 April 2008 A report regarding the "data wall" will be added to the April agenda. It was noted that revised Policy P.105 Changes to Programs and Program Delivery Structures at Secondary Schools, was referred back to the Secondary Schools Program Review Ad Hoc Committee in April and the item will be moved to the May agenda of the Education Committee. It was noted that there were a number of issues included on the long range agenda which have not been scheduled for a specific meeting date and these issues should be reviewed with respect to scheduling at an agenda preparation meeting. It was noted that staff should make an effort to include "future items" in reports which are being developed on related topics. Trustee FitzGerald expressed concern with the amount of time spent on presentations at Education Committee. Chairs' Committee 7 26 March 2008 10. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 11:00 p.m. and the following information item was noted: • Report No. 08 -056, 2007 Public Sector Salary Disclosure Lynn Scott Chair Chairs' Committee Chairs' Committee 8 26 March 2008