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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard Meeting Minutes, 30 October 20231 BOARD PUBLIC MINUTES Monday, October 30, 2023, 7:00 pm Board Room Administration Building 133 Greenbank Road Ottawa, Ontario Trustees: Alysha Aziz (electronic communication), Justine Bell (electronic communication), Donna Blackburn, Donna Dickson, Lyra Evans, Jennifer Jennekens, Nili Kaplan-Myrth, Matthew Lee, Cathryne Milburn, Suzanne Nash, Lynn Scott, Emma Hong (Student Trustee) Staff: Pino Buffone (Director of Education), Brett Reynolds (Associate Director of Education), Michele Giroux (Executive Officer, Corporate Services), James Proulx (Executive Officer, Information Technology and Digital Transformation), Paula Hall Superintendent of People, Culture and Leadership), Reg Lavergne (Superintendent of Instruction), Shawn Lehman Superintendent of Instruction), Richard Sinclair (General Counsel), Shannon Smith (Superintendent of Instruction), Carolyn Tanner (Human Rights and Equity Advisor), Sandy Owens (General Manager, Business & Learning Technologies), Diane Pernari (General Manager of Communications & Information Services), Nicole Guthrie (General Manager, Board Services), Michael Guilbault (Content Creator, Digital Multimedia Technician), Sue Baker (Recording) Guests: Monique Manatch (Chair/Facilitator, Indigenous Education Council), Jody Kohoko (Principal, Indigenous Education) 1. Call to Order -- Chair of the Board Chair Lyra Evans called the public meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. 2. Acknowledgement of Territorial Lands Chair Lyra Evans acknowledged that the meeting is taking place on unceded Algonquin Homelands and thanked the Algonquin Nations for hosting the meeting on their land. 3. Declarations of Interest 2 Trustee Milburn declared a standing interest to be shown on all Committee and Board meetings moving forward. She advised that she is employed by the City of Ottawa's Transportation Services Department (OC Transpo) and will excuse herself from any discussions or decisions related to transportation, funding or resources. 4. Report from the Board (In Camera) The Board met in camera this evening and Vice-Chair Scott reported that there were no recommendations. 5. Approval of the Agenda Moved by Trustee Lee, seconded by Trustee Kaplan-Myrth, THAT the agenda be approved. Carried 6. Presentation of the D. Aubrey Moodie Award to Xuan Pham Chair Lyra Evans, on behalf of the Board, introduced and congratulated Xuan Pham for achieving the highest grade point average in the District for the 2022- 2023 school year with a graduating average of 99.5%. While at Cairine Wilson Secondary School, Xuan was involved in the Newspaper Club, where she spent a significant amount of her time as an editor, organizing tasks, planning deadlines, and writing articles. Xuan is currently studying software engineering at the University of Ottawa. Director Buffone congratulated Xuan on her achievements and wished her success in the future. Ms. Ellen Boynton of the Bells Corners United Church presented Xuan Pham with the D. Aubrey Moodie Award noting that for 18 years, Mr. Moodie's funds have provided the sum of $200.00 to the top student in the District "to have fun." Xuan Pham thanked the Board, staff and the Bells Corners United Church for the D. Aubrey Moodie Award. 7. Presentation from the Indigenous Education Council, Monique Manatch, Jody Kohoko Monique Manatch, Facilitator/chair of the Indigenous Education Council (IEC), and Jody Kohoko, System Principal for Indigenous Education, provided a presentation on the work of the IEC over the past year. During the presentation, and in response to queries, the following information was noted: The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) hosted a regional meeting for 12 IEC's in Eastern Ontario last year; 3 The OCDSB IEC is one of the few Districts that has a chair and terms of reference; The IEC is currently developing two campaigns to recruit community members for the IEC and two individuals to represent the IEC on the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC); The IEC is working on a letter of support for the appointment of an Urban Indigenous trustee to the Board; The IEC appreciates any advocacy activities with Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) that the Board undertakes with respect to the appointment of an Urban Indigenous trustee; The IEC would like more clarification on how the Grants for Student Needs (GSNs) are calculated as well as the number of Indigenous students in the OCDSB; The IEC is looking at how to improve the self-identification of Indigenous students in order to more accurately know the number of Indigenous students within the District; It was suggested that the Board could prepare for a change to the legislation that would allow the appointment of an Urban Indigenous trustee, including inviting an Algonquin Elder to attend Board meetings in an advisory capacity, and to open and close Board meetings; The IEC plans to bring forward a formal recommendation to the Committee of the Whole (COW) for the appointment of an Indigenous advisor to the Board. A trustee may also bring a notice of motion for the appointment of an Indigenous advisor to the Board; Staff advised that there would need to be a common understanding of what the advisor would do, how long the appointment would last, and whether it is possible for the District to implement the recommendation; Ms. Manatch advised that the IEC has discussed the relationship between the Indigenous community and the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) and many Indigenous people do not feel safe with the OPS. Ms. Manatch expressed the opinion that it is up to the OPS to identify what they intend to do to help repair the relationship; and Ms. Manatch advised that the IEC wishes to be consulted on all Board policies and curriculum to ensure they have an Indigenous perspective. She added that the Indigenous perspective should begin with the Algonquin perspective as the District is located on Algonquin territory. 8. Briefing from the Chair of the Board 4 During the briefing from Chair Lyra Evans, the following information was provided: The OCDSB Family Conference will take place on 4 November 2023 from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Brookfield High School. It will include a number of workshops on topics including supports for English language learners, mental health and well-being, success in kindergarten, and special education; Consultation regarding the New Findlay Creek Elementary School began this month. Working groups will be formed and be active in November 2023 and a public consultation will be held in December 2023; and The annual Board organizational meeting will be held on 14 November 2023 to elect the Chair, Vice-Chair and Chair of the Budget Committee for 2023-2024, as well as appointing trustees to its statutory, ad hoc and advisory committees. 9. Briefing from the Director During the briefing from Director Buffone, the following informat ion was provided: Grade 7-12 students and families are invited to the ‘All About High School’ virtual information session on 29 November 2023 to learn about subjects, programs, and other aspects of high school. More details will be shared in upcoming parent and student updates; The Canadian Association of Communicators in Education’s Bravo Awards Program, celebrates Canada’s best education communications and the OCDSB Communications team received two awards for their efforts in the 2022-2023 school year; Friday, 3 November 2023 is a Professional Activity (PA) Day for OCDSB elementary school staff. The focus is on key Ministry priorities including, literacy and numeracy, curriculum implementation, and student mental health and well-being. There will be no school for elementary students on this day; and OCDSB schools will be learning and reflecting as we approach Indigenous Veterans Day on 8 November 2023, and Remembrance Day on 11 November 2023. As Remembrance Day falls on a weekend, schools will be holding ceremonies during the week. Staff at 133 Greenbank will be marking Remembrance Day with a special ceremony on 10 November 2023. In response to a query from Trustee Bell, Director Buffone advised that a number of staff and students from Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, and Muslim communities have reached out for support in dealing with the impacts of traumatic current 5 events. Staff have shared a number of resources with educators to support them in their work to uphold human rights. 10. Delegations There were no delegations. 11. Confirmation of Board Minutes 11.1 26 September 2023 Moved by Trustee Dickson, seconded by Trustee Jennekens, THAT the Board Minutes, dated 26 September 2023, be confirmed. Carried 11.2 3 October 2023, Special Board Moved by Trustee Dickson, seconded by Trustee Jennekens, THAT the Special Board minutes, dated 3 October 2023, be confirmed. Carried 12. Business Arising from Board Minutes There was no business arising from the minutes. 13. Matters for Action 13.1 Receipt of Committee Reports 13.1.a 3 October 2023, Committee of the Whole Moved by Trustee Scott, seconded by Trustee Dickson, THAT the Committee of the Whole report, dated 3 October 2023, be received. Trustee Scott noted that the date in Part A of the motion to approve an Indigenous Student Trustee should read 1 August 2024. Moved by Trustee Scott, seconded by Trustee Dickson, THAT the Committee of the Whole report, dated 3 October 2023, be received, as amended. Carried 13.1.a.a Approval of Indigenous Student Trustee Moved by Justine Bell 6 Seconded by Lynn Scott A. THAT the position of Indigenous Student Trustee be created, to take office effective 1 August 2024; B. THAT the Indigenous Student Trustee be elected directly by students identifying as Indigenous; C. THAT the Indigenous Education Council be involved in developing the necessary revisions to Policy P.017.GOV Student Trustees and any other relevant policies and procedures; and D. THAT current Student Trustees, the Student Senate, and Indigenous students be consulted. For (11): Alysha Aziz, Justine Bell, Donna Blackburn, Donna Dickson, Lyra Evans, Jennifer Jennekens, Nili Kaplan-Myrth, Matthew Lee, Cathryne Milburn, Suzanne Nash, and Lynn Scott Carried (11 to 0) 13.1.b 17 October 2023, Committee of the Whole Moved by Trustee Scott, seconded by Trustee Blackburn, THAT the Committee of the Whole report, dated 17 October 2023, be received. Trustee Nash requested that the second bullet on page 5 of the report be clarified. Staff agreed to check the notes of the meeting, and the report will be amended to read: “An equitable recruitment and hiring policy was approved by the Board in 2021 and implementation, including refinements to hiring practices and training on equitable recruitment, is underway. This initiative was not reflected in the 2023-2024 Work Plan as the Work Plan focuses on new areas of work to implement the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.” Moved by Trustee Scott, seconded by Trustee Blackburn, THAT the Committee of the Whole report, dated 17 October 2023, be received, as amended. Carried 13.1.b.a Approval of Letter Requesting the Appointment of an Urban Indigenous Trustee Moved by Justine Bell 7 Seconded by Lynn Scott THAT a follow-up letter be sent to the Minister of Education requesting that the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board be allowed to appoint an Urban Indigenous Trustee. For (11): Alysha Aziz, Justine Bell, Donna Blackburn, Donna Dickson, Lyra Evans, Jennifer Jennekens, Nili Kaplan-Myrth, Matthew Lee, Cathryne Milburn, Suzanne Nash, and Lynn Scott Carried (11 to 0) 13.1.b.b Approval of Board Work Plan and Areas of Focus This was a non-consent item and was dealt with later in the meeting under agenda item 13.2. 13.1.b.b.a Supplemental Information, Memo 23-075 Amendments to the 2023-2024 Board Work Plan Memo 23-075, Amendments to the 2023-2024 Board Work Plan, was provided for information. 13.1 Receipt of Committee Reports 13.1.c 19 September 2023, Ad Hoc Policy Committee Moved by Trustee Milburn, seconded by Trustee Dickson, THAT the Ad Hoc Policy Committee Report of 19 September 2023, be received. Carried 13.1.d 12 October 2023, Ad Hoc Policy Committee Moved by Trustee Milburn, seconded by Trustee Blackburn, THAT the Ad Hoc Policy Committee Report of 12 October 2023, be received. Carried 13.1.d.a Approval of Revisions to Policy P.107.SCO, Naming of Schools and Educational Support Facilities and Opening Ceremonies Moved by Nili Kaplan-Myrth Seconded by Cathryne Milburn 8 THAT the revised Policy P.107.SCO - New Schools And Other Board Facilities - Naming, Signage, And Opening Ceremonies, attached as Appendix B to Report 23-073, be approved (Attached as Appendix A). For (11): Alysha Aziz, Justine Bell, Donna Blackburn, Donna Dickson, Lyra Evans, Jennifer Jennekens, Nili Kaplan-Myrth, Matthew Lee, Cathryne Milburn, Suzanne Nash, and Lynn Scott Carried (11 to 0) 13.1.e 11 October 2023, Ad Hoc Advocacy Strategy Committee (Notes) Moved by Trustee Aziz, seconded by Trustee Scott, THAT the Ad Hoc Advocacy Strategy Committee notes of 11 October 2023, be received. Carried 13.2 Non-Consent Items 13.2.a Approval of Board Work Plan and Areas of Focus Moved by Trustee Bell, seconded by Trustee Scott, THAT the 2023-2024 Board Work Plan and ‘Areas of Focus’ as outlined in Appendix A to Report 23-071 be approved, as amended. Trustee Milburn expressed concern that the Work Plan does not include metrics for measuring progress on the work, nor does it include timelines for when the work be completed. Executive Officer Giroux advised that the student achievement report that will be presented to the Committee of the Whole in the next few months and it will contain a framework and targets for measuring progress on student achievement. A professional development session is tentatively scheduled for January 2024 at which Board members will have an opportunity to discuss equity in data. Staff is currently working on a format and metrics for reporting on progress made in the previous strategic plan to be presented to the Board. Moved by Justine Bell Seconded by Lynn Scott THAT the 2023-2024 Board Work Plan and ‘Areas of Focus’ as outlined in Appendix A to Report 23-071 be approved, as amended (Attached as Appendix B). 9 For (11): Alysha Aziz, Justine Bell, Donna Blackburn, Donna Dickson, Lyra Evans, Jennifer Jennekens, Nili Kaplan-Myrth, Matthew Lee, Cathryne Milburn, Suzanne Nash, and Lynn Scott Carried (11 to 0) 14. Matters for Discussion 14.1 Report from OPSBA Representatives (if required) Trustee Jennekens advised that OPSBA's Advocacy Day meeting with Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) will take place at Queen's Park on 27 November 2023. Trustee Scott advised that she would attend the Eastern Regional Council meeting in Gananoque on 4 November 2023. 14.2 OSTA Update Trustee Lee advised that although the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) is making progress on hiring drivers, there is currently a shortage of 40 drivers. OSTA will provide regular updates on its website on the 15th and 30th of every month, including reasons why they are unable to provide compensation to families who are driving their children to school due to cancellation of their school bus. Trustee Scott noted that there are approximately 20 bus routes in the western rural area that have been without bus service since the beginning of school in September. Noting that one secondary school has several hundred students with sporadic attendance because of a lack of transportation, she queried whether additional support is being provided to help students keep up to date in their studies. Director Buffone advised that there may be an opportunity for teachers to use Google Classroom, where feasible. Also, an OSTA "Solutions Sub-committee" has been investigating other possible solutions. Associate Director Reynolds advised that senior staff are working closely with principals of rural schools to identify attendance patterns. He added that staff is working with the teachers' federations to strongly encourage teachers to use Google Classroom. 15. Matters for Information There were no matters for information. 16. New Business -- Information and Inquiries There was no new business. 17. Adjournment 10 The meeting adjourned at 8:04 p.m. Lyra Evans, Chair of the Board