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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPIC - Support for School Councils - Elections „, Patricia Graham <patricia.graham@ocdsb.ca> uo cYrIAMAA Irt I I:TON Fwd: FROM Nancy Dean, re PIC - Support for School Councils - Elections 1 message Sandra Salgueiro <sandra.salgueiro@ocdsb.ca> Mon, Sep 28, 2020 at 4:50 PM To: Patricia Graham <patricia.graham@ocdsb.ca> Please file. Thank you Forwarded message From: Kim Young <kim.young ocdsb.ca> Date: Mon, Sep 28, 2020 at 4:23 PM Subject: FROM Nancy Dean, re PIC- Support for School Councils - Elections To: Camille Williams-Taylor<camille.williams-taylor ocdsb.ca>, Michele Giroux<michele.giroux ocdsb.ca> CC: Sandra Salgueiro <sandra.salgueiro ocdsb.ca> Hi Camille and Michele, For your information, sent to trustees, from Nancy Dean, Parent, Council Chair, re last PIC meeting, and the recent Board decision re school councils. Kim Young, Acting Executive Assistant Director's Office Ottawa-Carleton District School Board 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, ON K2H 6L3 613-596-8211 ext. 8490 Forwarded message From: the eans sympatico®ca <thedeans sympatico.ca> Date: Thu, Sep 24, 2020 at 1:20 PM Subject: [External Sender] Support for School Councils- Elections To: <Lynn.Scott ocdsb.ca>, <director@ocdsb.ca>, <Chris.Ellis@ocdsb.ca>, <Christine.Boothby©ocdsb.ca>, Donna Blackburn <Donna.Blackburn@ocdsb.ca>, < endy.Hough ocdsb.ca>, <Rob.Campbell@ocdsb.ca>, <Lyra.Evans ocdsb.ca>, <Jennifer.Jennekens@ocdsb.ca>, <Sandra.Schwartz@ocdsb.ca>, <Mark.Fisher ocdsb.ca>, <Justine.Bell@ocdsb.ca>, Keith Penny<Keith.Penny ocdsb.ca>, <Michele.Giroux@ocdsb.ca> Cc: Malaka Hendela <malakahendela gmail.com>, Janice Manley Chamberlain <jmmmanle yahoo.com>, <pic@ocdsb.ca> Dear Trustees and OCDSB Staff I was at the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) meeting on Sept. 21 and listened in on the Board meeting Sept 22nd. I listened to the Trustees debate and discuss the original motion brought forth by Trustee Hough on behalf of the Parent Involvement Committee. I believe that the main spirit and point of the healthy discussion at PIC the previous night was not fully articulated and thus not respected. �r �r School Council Moved by Trustee Hou h s conided y T I s 1 Cam phi 11, 'l it lsta adi ng Policy .0 14w. C 0 School Councils at staff be i l I'w I� n II Gen PVr c P',II .509.„ C 0 Sc, l Council tecti ,y ;« r ,o; so at for the" school year ",, ,, ,„ pare r i ;, IIII�,,; ii N�4r r�yia�r P,,VI���r��vV�,I it to �,. ,.', ,., q,������r, a r�„r�iy -w,.�m� ��� wm r i w����i�� wrr ,��� u 1 aar y palm � , 'd uV111t1 a w, ���r be Inl r'�Ia :�l p r �� u ,�kl l�l�r' where In w t i f f t -rr p i omo1 w a "d t m.w r"v hfa uV"i ulul m lu ;,,m,rrr, , rrrvd,,� i r� uaa� ,." ,� nor ui���,a" "cr,yfar a iu�umw��-, m� vrranrt�-o�� arVy a+w�,,rrr,r�i"w' �irr�.imrci��e am�w u"Wm���, lure«Wii� ;i�wr m!� '�:,u+tr,a?e��^rs ���„I��IIII�� ���'������°��� ��ilil��u Ism ��w�� � ��w����� w��,�I�Id�w,�� � �ili�� `ow�l���� ,���um m,��1 Q =�"�ll�wl�����.�IIIV�n�� � to ��»> a�r��. mir , ur�u�� ui iu,,�4, �,, ifi�u� o o.. �a�,,,r�, .marm ; „����m a,�r uuu y of �,��m, m�li"li: i�i��ur".,.but .�iuy i��wu. uu �� ��lee n 4 N ui n .;T r ,I,I `N IU DI`��I w J III m ^I IU V( y�I rl yEr„ I "-I�o uu f I Q"I I ^�i l"u ''�J ull�r �-Nv���uuus��'�' V���i�r�D�;�w�iu�l��Ny ��Ilivlivw"�� �u-III^Ilia" VV41Ili q� rlu '''�" iiiw;w��I�i�J�r I�VUF uaami�a P �rrrrr�ml JN°j:lira;�°>!wmfrN�"�mr�,.�e N!N���uuu>Ya� �f f�Vl�i,rn.`��I�NwD11»,;�II� ukvinoU,lll ��r.;r,DNV ��II�%ul-<,0l� uarr�µ�mwili yrrryry ro� �rr�uu IIIIIIlllum�,ii�a�r�i, www„' r���rtrtr�w i I�a w�, 'i i��a;�;i. ",rrr rrTr r�l �,r, lyre �ww,wrrr �, „rrW iwrmw,�j� rrr,yrralll �°� �� Il lur9 Of" t y�U�', m 1 4"r rani "mf i rcumY,( u l , G' p mm 111 d u "VI �::,,m �`' 'llloll, to III 1 III4eww Ihw w w�:u�«Ili :ir Iiw iu i III wm 1I mww c n i ° k., to „ ; ;fit u ' ;" SchoolCouncil „ u 0 °', �U I ^Ii-1 re home oh andli ,;,,,, � ,,,,r,�I,.< ��r,.,.... i ,,;;+",;, :;. vi°�,�,ui II,: ,-,�" �;:V�;����„� �.�1 u w �,< i iu i�i. y I. r,r at .,y'��°,,, �.+ ,.p,lu_,.uillll!i IIr I._<>Id f1 iu,c u'" wurs✓„ .���.. r' -- 'VI V�'1"M..9Ml IV;u,u iVl r� a I ui 0.."�h os� ._p1 'IVuu mvlr rc� i ci, I�:. m.y, IINvw _r 1 'i e.. Y���;o _i u ,� v par n �� �i �II'�b sch h J,Vii U„w,,,council III W,irdeter i 9 ttlu by the selloil o,t, mil its if, I was compelled to write. The decision with amendment only serves to decrease parent engagement, is not equitable, and increases division. Making rules for different parents and councils is simply not equitable. Further, if this is to stand, please indicate how this will be done? How are School Councils able to move forward with this? The lack of representation and consultation of actual school councils on this discussion and the ease in which the original motion was changed without further discussion from PIC or school councils themselves, is concerning. OCASC representation was also not present, I understand due to it not being a Committee of the Whole meeting. I totally respect and appreciate the questions and concerns raised by Trustees last night. These, and other concerns, thoughts and speculations were also brought up at PIC. I would like for these following points to be considered: • School Councils are volunteer based. I have a certificate in Volunteer Management and two things that a mentor relayed to me are critical: a. Remember, that volunteers are choosing your organization/role above anything else they could be doing or people they could be with. It's critical to respect and acknowledge this. b. That volunteers vote with their feet-they will go where they choose and where they can feel their contributions make the most difference. They may not always tell you but they do show you,by showing up or not. • Parents had to make a decision on whether to register their child in-person or virtually without a full understanding of what that entailed- they had to have some faith and trust. This was a VERY DIFFICULT choice in many cases. This decision was made mostly for the purpose of health reasons, not by choice of how they would have liked their child to be educated or where. • Privacy must be respected and parents should not need to disclose the choice they made to volunteer their time. A choice which has been reported to have felt as a "forced" choice in the first place. Parents still live in the communities of their home brick and mortar school. • Legislation was created in a different reality than exists now. • School Councils are named school councils not PARENT councils because of the understanding that it is about the School as a community. • A parent has a right to have a say in all of OCDSB education formats, policies etc. • OCDSB 's policy states that OCDSB is to ensure effective functioning of School Councils. Councils require support to make their councils effective. Through PIC, these Councils had asked for a particular kind of support to help them navigate this time. My understanding of the conclusion of the discussions at PIC, was that Councils wanted an annex or addition to the policy to allow them the choice of how to include their virtual parent community in their home school. The bricks and mortar school where they live. • The Council voting members are elected. Executive positions on council are elected from those voting members that were elected. This is choice in action. There is a point which is not being considered which was alluded to last night by Trustee Ellis. A very significant point of the effectiveness of the School Council themselves. There is a parent engagement issue that OCDSB, PIC and councils all are part of. Parent engagement is considered to be low and mis- representational already. THIS is what needs to be a real concern for Trustees. Extraordinary efforts during these extraordinary times must be made to support School Councils in increasing that engagement and in there ability to effectively function. A few points /comments stood out for me as distressing • By changing the policy without consultation, the Board has violated the regulation in a more fundamental way. Inclusion broadens engagement. Imposition of restrictions and two tier rights based on an emergency is not contemplated and is counter to intentions of the PIC discussion and the rules themselves. • The notion that was raised about the possibility of the power of the decisions into the hands of parents who do not actually attend the school is to be up to that school. Councils unfortunately already have a bias in power. This assumption to me, seems to forget that any role as a voting member or executive member has to take into consideration the good of the whole school, not just that parent's good for their child. The voting and executive positions come with responsibility to the SCHOOL community. It is decided by the election process, and if the school deems it so, it is for their reasons and their right to choose. • That parents would not have the energy or bandwidth to be involved in both. That virtual school would somehow lose out on those parents. Again, appreciate the concern, this however, also seems to come with an underlying pre judgment and distrust that volunteers know their own capacities. Volunteers vote with their feet- they will go where they choose for reasons they choose. In addition, there is the possibility that more volunteers, new volunteers will come forward because of the virtual school. In conclusion, The PIC recommendation as originally presented allowed for interim accommodations that school councils require right now to help move forward in this current uncertain reality. The amended version has unfortunately made it less flexible for some councils and encourages division, and promotes decisions to be made without proper consultation and discussion. I am uncertain as to the potential to reconsider the decision made. I ask that a motion be introduced for this school year only, for the election process, that in-person councils be allowed to make up their own minds as to how OCV parents will be engaged and involved in their school council. When more information is available, with time and experience, this policy can be reviewed and changed with more consultation to be kept up throughout this year. Thank you for your time and your great efforts always, Respectfully, Nancy Dean Parent, Council Chair Sandra Salgueiro Systems Analyst- Corporate Records Division Ottawa-Carleton District School Board r , C t, ,, • t ri K2H 6L3 Telephone: 613-596-8211 ext. 8605 Email: r . ir.'• • Website: :/ Building Brighter Futures Together at the OCDSB wti"0.rrmurow, N iaw "E a i A. u,aa uaw w,n& ''^er `' l1lV\(11\A\\1INlllll`p}lll�llldd' ; II�V* '''ry, ° "�" 04 ., IVf�umutitiuqotimomnoltitititibvvouN