Executive Director's Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta Executive Director’s Report 2015 Annual General Meeting Executive Director, Mary Lynne R. Campbell Executive Director’s Report: 2015 Annual General Meeting I am very pleased to present this report of the work that I have undertaken on behalf of the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta during the 2014 / 2015 year. The Executive Committee directed that the focus of the work undertaken by the Executive Director include the following key areas: Continue to provide relevant and transformational Professional Development for Public School Trustees; Work with the Executive Committee in the review of an Association Strategic Communications plan which will consider the province’s political landscape; the engagement of Members in sharing the Association’s key messages; the shift in governance models from Carver to Generative as well as gathering information regarding any provincial initiatives (e.g. Education Act) that may impact the work of Public School Boards and the Association; and Continue to accompany the President (and/or Executive Committee members in the absence of the President) at all relevant meetings. The outcomes articulated within the Association’s 2013 – 2015 Work Plan were achieved, thus the Council developed a 2015 – 2018 Work Plan by engaging in planning sessions at the February 2015, April 2015 and August 2015 meetings of the Public School Boards Council. The FINAL Draft Work Plan will be brought to the November 2015 Public School Boards Council for ratification. The Report which follows provides highlights from each of the three key focus areas. I. Professional Development for Public School Trustees Over the past year, our Members were provided access to the following Professional Development sessions/presentations: Public School Board Council Meeting Presentations: Dr. Jane Martin, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) Education Division; Mr. Colin Kelly, Official Trustee, Northland School Division; Mr. Mark Ramsankar, President, Alberta Teachers’ Association; Ms. Line Porfon, Vice President, Government Relations, Merit Contractors Association; Mr. Ken Chapman; Dr. Sangita Sharma, Centennial Professor in Aboriginal and Global Health; Mr. Graham Thompson, Columnist, Edmonton Journal; and Mr. David Staples, Columnist, Edmonton Journal. Governance Sessions for Public School Trustees: Human Resource Matters for Public School Boards with Walter Pavlic, Q.C. MLT LLP; MIDTERM CHECK IN: The Ever Changing Landscape of Public School Governance with Maureen Towns; and LOBBYING YOUR MLA: New Government. New Advocacy with Maurice Fritze. 23 October 2015 Page 2 Executive Director’s Report: 2015 Annual General Meeting 2015 Spring General Assembly: A Celebration of Public School Education in Alberta: Diversity is a Lesson Plan for Life: . Presenters and Guest Speakers: Ms. Waneek Horn Miller, Former Olympian; Mrs. Sandra Woitas, Facilitator; Miss. Claire Edwards, Chair, Edmonton Youth Council: Youth Leaders’ Panel; Mr. David Bouchard, Author, Educator, Presenter; MLA Barb Miller, Red Deer-South; Hon. David Eggen, Minister of Education & Minister of Culture and Tourism; and Student Representatives from across Alberta. Break-Out Sessions: Nitohtamowin and Nistohtamowin – Listening and Understanding: with Dr. Shauna Bruno, Maskwacis Cree Nation Representative, Mr. Roy Louis, Cultural Advisor and Mr. Brian Taje, Associate Superintendent of Instruction, Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools; Dr. Jane Martin, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) Education Division; Student Trusteeship: with Johannah Ko, Student Trustee, Edmonton Public Schools and Michael Janz, Chair, Edmonton Public School Board; From Sesame Street to Katy Perry: Gender Performance in Youth Popular Culture: with Dr. Özlem Sensoy, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University; Future Trends in Group Benefits: with Daniel K. Kickham, General Manager and Travis Berthiaume, Benefits Advisor, Alberta Benefits Ltd; and Shared Services - How A Growing Number of Rural School Divisions are Moving Ahead With Technology: with Ted Harvey, Director of Technology Services and Ray Hoppins, Associate Superintendent, Chinook’s Edge School Division No. 73. Trustee University: Year III (2015): Maintaining the Dream with Dr. Paul Newton. II. Strategic Communications Plan: A. Alberta’s Political Landscape: Through meetings with a number of elected officials, those seeking office and counterparts serving in Ministerial Offices / Departments, I gained a greater understanding of the issues, as well as the political and policy directions that may impact the future and work of Public School Boards in Alberta. The following is a sample of my meetings over the past year: . Provincial Election Candidates including: Thomas Lukaszuk; Chris LaBossiere; and Stephen Khan. Throne Speech Conversations with: Hon. Deron Bilous, Minister of Municipal Affairs & Minister of Service Alberta; 23 October 2015 Page 3 Executive Director’s Report: 2015 Annual General Meeting Hon. David Eggen, Minister of Education & Minister of Culture and Tourism; Hon. Sarah Hoffman, Minister of Health & Minister of Seniors; Hon. Lori Sigurdson, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education & Minister of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour; Hon. Robert Wanner, Speaker; MLA Brian Malkinson, Calgary-Currie; MLA David Shepherd, Edmonton-Centre; MLA Denise Woollard, Edmonton-Mill Creek; MLA Christine Gray, Edmonton Mill Woods; MLA Danielle Larivee, Lesser Slave Lake; MLA Debbie Jabbour, Peace River; MLA Kim Schreiner, Red Deer-North; MLA Marie Renaud, St. Albert; and MLA Trevor Horne, Spruce Grove-St. Albert. Official Opposition: MLA Grant Hunter, Cardston-Taber-Warner; MLA Drew Barnes, Cypress-Medicine Hat; MLA Mark Smith, Drayton Valley-Devon; and MLA Rick Strankman, Drumheller-Stettler. B. Engaging and Supporting Our Members: Worked with the Executive Committee and developed the Association’s Strategic Communications Plan; Facilitated discussions at the April / August / November 2015 meetings of the Public School Boards Council to create the Association’s 2015 – 2018 Work Plan; Provided Member Boards with Key Messages and strategies in response to the proposed Provincial Education Budget; Developed and Revised Key Messages based on the Association’s Three Work Plan Priorities; Developed and shared with Member Boards, the Children First messages, based on the Association’s Education Act lobby positions; Provided DRAFT Education Act lobby positions based on Association Policy and a proposed revision to the Preamble; Collated Member Board feedback and provided same to Government regarding proposed Bill 10; Provided Member Boards with a detailed analysis of Bill 19 including its impact on the new Education Act; Met with and provided support to parents seeking access to Public School Education in Legal, Alberta; Met with and provided information to parents seeking a new Public School in Morinville, Alberta; Created and provided Member Boards access to a Generative Governance Board / Superintendent Evaluation model; Met with and provided support to Student Voice by including students in the Spring General Assembly; Continued to work with Student Representatives to grow the Alberta Student Voice brand across Alberta; and Provided Separate School District Expansion Key Messages to Member Boards. 23 October 2015 Page 4 Executive Director’s Report: 2015 Annual General Meeting C. Provincial Initiatives / Potential Partnerships: Over the past year I continued to engage in conversations / meetings / conferences with the express purpose of: growing the message that Alberta has four FULLY publicly funded systems and ONE fully Public inclusive Education system; finding shared values to work collaboratively in supporting ALL children attending Alberta’s Public Schools; and sharing information regarding the outstanding work undertaken by our Member Boards on behalf of the children within their care. The list which follows, is a sample of some of the meetings / conversations and conference / events / where I took the opportunity to share the Association’s vision regarding Public School Education in Alberta: Hon. David Eggen, Minister of Education & Minister of Culture and Tourism; Miss Lisa Blanchette, Chief of Staff, Minister of Education; Ms. Lorna Rosen, Deputy Minister, Alberta Education; Mr. Dean Lindquist, Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Education; Mr. Michael Walter, Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Education; Rural Education Symposium; Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities Waffle Breakfast; Ms. Ellen Hambrook, Assistant Deputy Minister; 26 March 2015 Provincial Budget Presentation; Speech from the Throne (November 2014 and June 2015); Swearing in Ceremony for Cabinet; Four Trustee Associations partners meetings; Mr. Barry Litun, Executive Director, College of Alberta School Superintendents; Miss. Claire Edwards, Chair, City of Edmonton Youth Council; Dr. Sangita Sharma, Centennial Professor in Aboriginal and Global Health; Mr. Gareth Thomson, Alberta Council for Environmental Education; Mr. Gordon Dirks, Former Minister of Education; Mr. Greg Bass, Deputy Minister of Transportation; Mr. Jeff Kasbrick, Vice President, Government & Stakeholder Relations at Alberta Motor Association; Mr. Khurrum Awan, Associate, MLT Lawyers; Larry Huber, Executive Director, Public Section, Saskatchewan School Boards’