DOCSLIB.ORG

July 30, 2012 the Honourable Laurel Broten Minister Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
July 30, 2012 the Honourable Laurel Broten Minister Of Ontario Public School Boards’ Association 439 University Avenue, 18th Floor Toronto, ON M5G 1Y8 Tel: (416) 340-2540 Fax: (416) 340-7571 [email protected] www.opsba.org July 30, 2012 The Honourable Laurel Broten Minister of Education Ministry of Education 22nd Floor, Mowat Block 900 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M7A 1L2 [email protected] Dear Minister Broten, OPSBA’s bargaining goals, as determined by our member boards, are student-centred, and intentionally designed to enhance student, staff, and parent engagement, and the optimum development of nurturing and safe school environments. Our member Boards recognize the need for the financial restraints in the school board sector that will contribute to the management of Ontario’s budget deficit. Collective Agreements, however, are about much more than the "money issues" of salary and benefits. The Education Act imposes on Boards the duty to ensure student well-being and success. Implicit in this legal requirement is an obligation to pursue collective agreement provisions that would not in any way reduce supports that provide for student well-being and success, or that would diminish public confidence in our schools. Our member Boards are committed to that obligation. For the past two years OPSBA has engaged in an extensive consultation with our member boards in order to determine what the priorities should be in this round of bargaining. Early in the bargaining process, and again during a July 16 meeting with your bargaining team, we identified the priorities that we had hoped would be part of the PDT discussions with teachers, and which, to date, remain unresolved. These priorities are aligned with the government’s goals of improving student achievement, closing the gap, and improving public confidence in publicly funded education. The issues that need to be resolved in order to meet these goals are: a) Eliminating language in collective agreements that hampers our ability to attract and retain principals and vice-principals; b) Increasing the amount of supervision time that can be assigned to employees who know the students well; c) Enhancing our ability to use professional development days, and some of the preparation time teachers receive, for the purpose of increasing teacher skills without disrupting student learning time; d) Ensuring that teachers and other staff are available to meet with parents at times that are convenient for the parent; e) Ensuring that teaching teams are available to meet with other professionals in order to design the best possible educational experience for students who find learning challenging; and f) Changing the current provisions for sick leave by putting in place a system that recognizes illness, without being unnecessarily punitive. OPSBA has worked diligently over the past five months to remain at each of the provincial discussion tables. We have notified your team of the discussions we have had with our unions in spite of their refusal to sit at the PDT, and have apprised your team of the progress, issues, and the areas that could enhance the opportunity to reach an agreement with the various union groups. We continue to use our positive working relationships to encourage the unions to rejoin the formal discussions in an effort to reach agreements that balance meeting the government’s fiscal targets with supporting the conditions that contribute to student success. We believe that having all parties at the table is essential to achieving outcomes that maintain respectful relationships in schools and workplaces over the long term; for this reason we are concerned about a process that would leave either of the essential bargaining parties out of a signed MOU. Throughout the provincial discussion process we have sought, and continue to support and defend, those measures that allow schools, school boards and the staff who work there to meet their responsibilities under the Education Act, most specifically our moral and legislated accountability for student achievement, student safety and well-being. We strongly believe that there are elements beyond the fiscal parameters in the MOU that you signed with OECTA that will make it more difficult to meet our common goals: i. The elimination of professional development days in year two, and perhaps on an ongoing basis, makes the delivery of professional development to improve instructional practice difficult to do without increasing disruptions to classrooms by removing teachers during the instructional day; ii. The restrictions placed on the system-wide use of diagnostic assessment data will reduce the amount of useful data available to schools and school boards in developing and monitoring school and board improvement plans; iii. Introducing seniority as the eventual determining factor in a hiring practice is inconsistent with best practice in hiring; issues that may exist in board hiring practices would be better dealt with outside of the collective agreement; and iv. The removal of the secondary and elementary enhancement monies in order to achieve the financial targets negatively affects elementary professional development, and the secondary student success program. The latter in particular is of great importance in helping at-risk students succeed in school, and is directly related to the government’s goal of increasing secondary school graduation rates. Boards are very mindful of the desire of the government to preserve labour peace and stability in our schools and classrooms. We share that desire. However, if our member boards have to protect themselves financially by moving through the conciliation process under the Labour Relations Act, labour peace and stability in our school boards will be profoundly compromised, and lead to serious negative impacts on our classrooms and students. OPSBA has appreciated this government’s support for students and publicly funded education. It is not by chance that Ontario’s school system is considered one of the best in the world. That level of achievement is the result of a collaborative effort of teachers, support staff, school board administrators, trustees and the government who fulfill their respective roles for the benefit of students. We will continue to take every opportunity to work towards realistic agreements with our unions, and with the government, that will ensure that students are well served, and that the government’s and the Premier’s education legacy continues. Yours truly, Lori Lukinuk, Gail Anderson, First Vice President Executive Director Cc: Premier Dalton McGuinty Patricia Sorbara, Chief of Staff OPSBA Trustees & Directors of Education OCSTA, ACEPO and AFOCSC .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Alpha Letter
    2 Carlton Street, Suite 1306 Toronto, Ontario M5B 1J3 Tel: (416) 595-0006 Fax: (416) 595-0030 E-mail: [email protected] Hon. Laurel Broten 11/07/2012 Minister of Education nd alPHa’s members are 22 Floor, Mowat Block the public health units 900 Bay Street in Ontario. Toronto, Ontario M7A 1L2 alPHa Sections: Dear Minister Broten, Boards of Health Re. Modern izing Child Care in Ontario Section Council of Ontario On behalf of member Medical Officers of Health, Boards of Health and Affiliate organizations Medical Officers of of the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) I am writing to congratulate the Health (COMOH) government of Ontario for taking the next step in creating a comprehensive, continuous and integrated system for ensuring the best start for Ontario’s children. Affiliate Organizations: With the release of the discussion paper, Modernizing Child Care in Ontario, we have no doubt ANDSOOHA - Public that you will receive excellent advice from the sector and from families on the best approach Health Nursing to improving funding and accountability for an affordable, accessible and high quality child Management care system in our province. Association of Ontario Public Health Business Although the questions contained in the paper do not call upon our particular expertise as Administrators public health professionals, we do know the value of any initiative aimed at improving early Association of learning and care. The Ontario Public Health Standards make it very clear that children’s Public Health earliest experiences, growth and development are critically important factors in health later in Epidemiologists in Ontario life, which are in part dependent on reaching accepted milestones in their ability to learn, understand and communicate.
    [Show full text]
  • Provincial Legislatures
    PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURES ◆ PROVINCIAL & TERRITORIAL LEGISLATORS ◆ PROVINCIAL & TERRITORIAL MINISTRIES ◆ COMPLETE CONTACT NUMBERS & ADDRESSES Completely updated with latest cabinet changes! 86 / PROVINCIAL RIDINGS PROVINCIAL RIDINGS British Columbia Surrey-Green Timbers ............................Sue Hammell ......................................96 Surrey-Newton........................................Harry Bains.........................................94 Total number of seats ................79 Surrey-Panorama Ridge..........................Jagrup Brar..........................................95 Liberal..........................................46 Surrey-Tynehead.....................................Dave S. Hayer.....................................96 New Democratic Party ...............33 Surrey-Whalley.......................................Bruce Ralston......................................98 Abbotsford-Clayburn..............................John van Dongen ................................99 Surrey-White Rock .................................Gordon Hogg ......................................96 Abbotsford-Mount Lehman....................Michael de Jong..................................96 Vancouver-Burrard.................................Lorne Mayencourt ..............................98 Alberni-Qualicum...................................Scott Fraser .........................................96 Vancouver-Fairview ...............................Gregor Robertson................................98 Bulkley Valley-Stikine ...........................Dennis
    [Show full text]
  • International Summit on the Teaching Profession
    2012 International Summit on the Teaching Profession March 14–15, 2012 WELCOME March 14, 2012 Dear Participant: Welcome to the second International Summit on the Teaching Profession. On behalf of all our host organizations, we thank you for your interest in joining education ministers, leaders of national teachers’ organizations, and teacher leaders from countries and regions with high-performing and rapidly improving education systems for an open dialogue about your successes and challenges in preparing and developing highly effective teachers and leaders. Education is recognized around the globe as a driver of economic growth and social change, and it is high-quality teaching that enables students to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century. This year’s theme, Preparing Teachers and Developing School Leaders, was chosen based on feedback from many of last year’s participants and will build upon the dialogue that we started last year. Over the next two days, we aim to explore more deeply three specific topics: developing school leaders, preparing teachers for the delivery of 21st century skills, and preparing teachers to work and succeed where they are most needed. A background paper, prepared by the OECD, describes and highlights practices from around the world in each of these areas. Once our meeting has concluded, the Asia Society will document for the public the insights shared and lessons learned at the summit in a summary paper. As education experts and advocates, your work underscores the vital role that teachers play in building world-class education systems and preparing students for success in the 21st century.
    [Show full text]
  • Queen's Park Notes
    Queen’s Park notes FOLLOW US @Mobilepk For the week of April 18–22, 2016 ONTARIO SUPERIOR COURT RULES BILL 115 VIOLATED CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS In a major victory for Canada’s labour movement, Justice Thomas R. Lederer of the Ontario Superior Court ruled that Bill 115, Putting Students First Act, violated collective bargaining rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The controversial bill was enacted in 2012 and portrayed by the Ontario Liberals as necessary to help right the province’s economic situation. Former Premier Dalton McGuinty and his Education Minister, Laurel Broten, insisted at the time that Bill 115 was within the province’s constitutional prerogative. But, Justice Lederer disagreed saying, “The problem with what took place is with the process, not the end result. It is possible that had the process been one that properly respected the associational rights of the unions, the fiscal and economic impacts of the result would have been the same or similar to those that occurred. In response to Justice Lederer’s decision OSSTF/ FEESO President Paul Elliott said, “We are pleased that the Court has reconfirmed the importance of free, fair and meaningful collective bargaining.” In his judgement, Justice Lederer directed the government and unions to find a remedy. If they are unable to, they may ask him for his opinion. The day after the ruling, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath (Hamilton-Centre) asked Premier Kathleen Wynne, “My next question is also for the Premier. Courts have ruled that the Liberal government violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms with Bill 115.
    [Show full text]
  • Key Messages for Letters Quotes
    KEY MESSAGES FOR LETTERS In real dollars, people on social assistance have lost almost 40% of their purchasing power since because of the cuts to rates in 1995. Poverty is Making Us Sick: Lightman and Mitchell An annual increase of $1,000 in income to the poorest 20% of Canadians would lead to almost $10,000 fewer chronic conditions and 6,600 fewer disability days every two weeks. This is a nutshell, could be achieved through the HFS at least for people on Social Assistance. Cost of the HFS - $700 million this year due to higher numbers of adults on Social Assistance. It has been estimated that $100 HFS for all adults on social assistance could be paid for if taxpayers paid only $100 more this year to allow for everyone on SA to receive this moderate increase. “Charity, not social justice, has become the primary social policy to address food insecurity in Canada.” While food banks were introduced in the 1980’s as short-term emergency measures, they have taken hold permanently, in the absence of federal or provincial commitment to income or food security. Other investments the province is making in key initiatives such as early learning, mental health and addictions as well as a diabetes strategy, are clearly compromised and will not be realized when costs of living, poverty and inadequate social assistance rates continue to put individuals and families further back. Their investment strategy is not very well thought through. QUOTES - Add quotes from MPPs from when they did the Do the Math survey - Use their own words or the words of their colleagues - Over 40 MPPs met with teams across Ontario to discuss the Healthy Food Supplement; approximately half completed the Math Survey (4 from York Region); the average arrived at monthly cost of basic living for the MPPs was $1,314.
    [Show full text]
  • April 12 , 2010 Hon. Laurel Broten Minister of Children and Youth
    April 12th, 2010 Hon. Laurel Broten Minister of Children and Youth Services 56 Wellesley Street West, 14th Floor Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S3 Dear Minister Broten: We are writing to you on behalf of the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) and the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa). Together we support a joint Social Determinants of Health Working Group that is made up of representatives from both associations. OPHA is a not-for-profit organization that provides a strong, unified independent voice for all citizens, public health professionals and volunteers, committed to improving the health of all Ontarians. alPHa is a non-profit association that represents the boards of health, medical officers of health, and senior managers working in the 36 health units across Ontario. More information about our two associations is enclosed. Together, alPHa and OPHA have created a Social Determinants of Health Working Group. We would like to introduce ourselves and the Working Group to you as Minister of Children and Youth Services, as well as the lead for Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. As organizations focused on the social determinants of health, especially their integration into public health program and service planning, our associations and our joint working group have taken a great interest in the development of the Strategy as well as the first report. We applaud your commitment to breaking the cycle of poverty for children and their families and would like to offer some initial comments on the first annual report. Clearly, the development of valid indicators to measure poverty is an important first step in ensuring that government strategies are effective.
    [Show full text]
  • FRANKLY SPEAKING: Deserters
    This page was exported from - The Auroran Export date: Tue Sep 28 5:29:57 2021 / +0000 GMT FRANKLY SPEAKING: Deserters No Consequences for Deserters By Frank Klees, MPP Voters in five Ontario ridings will be heading to the polls on Thursday, August 1 because their duly elected provincial Members of Parliament deserted them and abandoned their Oath of Office. I found this common dictionary definition that describes what it means ?to desert or abandon?. The conduct of some of my former colleagues fits the description: ?The act by which a person abandons and forsakes, without justification, a condition of public, social, or family life, renouncing its responsibilities and evading its duties. A willful abandonment of an employment or duty in violation of a legal or moral obligation.? Every candidate who ran in the last general election did so with the knowledge that if elected, they were committing to serve for a four year term of office. The Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005 states that beginning in 2007, provincial elections in Ontario must be held every four years on the first Thursday in October. Barring a vote of non-confidence in the government, every MPP who swore the Oath of Office made a solemn commitment to their constituents and to the Crown to faithfully serve out that term of office. I checked my copy and there are no conditions or fine print. So, who are these five deserting Liberal MPPs, what changed for them just two years into their term of office and what are the consequences to them, to their constituents and to the province? Dwight Duncan, the former Minister of Finance presided over the Province's descent into a have-not province and left us with an $11.9 billion deficit and a debt of $273 billion.
    [Show full text]
  • February 24, 2012 Hon. Laurel Broten Minister of Education 22Nd Floor
    1 Eva Rd., Suite 304 Toronto, ON, M9C 4Z5 Tel: 416-695-9965 Or 1-888-675-OSBA Fax: 416-695-9977 Email: [email protected] WebSite:www.osba.on.ca Safely Carrying Our Future February 24, 20 12 Hon. Laurel Broten Minister of Education 22nd Floor, Mowat Block 900 Bay Street Toronto, ON M7A 1L2 Dear Minister: On behalf of the Board of Directors and the membership of the Ontario School Bus Association (OSBA), I would like to take this opportunity to offer constructive suggestions to the government on the Drummond Report. In particular, I must take issue with the section Encouraging Efficient Student Transportation (pages 220-224). First, it is important to point out that since the early 1990’s, the OSBA was and continues to be on record supporting efficiencies in student transportation including co-terminus busing, staggered bell times, double and triple routing where possible while maintaining the highest safety standards. Our recent submission to government calls for further efficiencies, including bulk fuel and bus capital pooling. OSBA consistently advocates for win-win solutions for students, parents, school boards, transportation consortia, government and the school bus industry. However, the implied beliefs underlying the Drummond Report must be addressed because they undermine the mutual trust that is essential to a positive working relationship. The Drummond Report states “the student transportation grant has increased from $629 million in 2002-2003 to an anticipated $845 million in 2011-2012, an increase of 34% (an average of 3.3% per year) (page 220). The Report goes on to recommend an immediate move to competitive procurement to reduce government spending.
    [Show full text]
  • Inside Queen's Park
    INSIDE QUEEN’S PARK Vol. 26, No. 6 GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL ANALYSIS March 20, 2013 AT THE CUTTING EDGE: SOMETHING OLD, • Remaining with Madeleine Meilleur as CoS at SOMETHING NEW Community Safety & Correctional Services and at The PCs were unable to shake the “Harris-Eves” tag Francophone Affairs, respectively, are Val Piche applied to the government which was formed 11 years and Thomas Chanzy. ago next month, but it appears that the LIBs do not • Appointed CoS to new Consumer Affairs minister have to worry that this year’s new provincial regime Tracy MacCharles is Camille Gooden. will be called “the McGuinty-Wynne” government other • Mark Hazleden is CoS to Economic Development, than in Tory news releases. Can the new premier be Trade & Employment minister Dr. Eric Hoskins. attached to the old one, or has that strategy already • Howie Bender is Acting CoS to new Education failed – in part because the new boss has forthrightly minister Liz Sandals. He was policy director to her admitted having been associated with the old boss. predecessor, Laurel Broten. Wynne has both admitted she stood with her • CoS to Bob Chiarelli at Energy is Andrew cabinet colleagues when the previous government took Teliszewsky, who formerly worked for him at unpopular decisions and sought credit for supporting Infrastructure. their popular initiatives such as full-day kindergarten. • Moira McIntyre is another experienced veteran who And she earned credibility by having gone beyond continues as CoS to Environment minister Jim stating objections to some McGuinty policies at the Bradley. cabinet table to seeking an audience with the premier in • Tim Shortill, formerly CoS to departed Finance the OPO to press her opposition to them privately.
    [Show full text]
  • Halton OSSTF Newsletter
    February 11, 2013 Wynne-OSSTF Reopen Talks Teachers' Broten Replaced by Liz Sandals Teacher Solidarity Keeps Wynne Focused Kathleen Wynne has made it clear that she wants to rebuild relations with the Teachers' Union and restore extra-curriculars. Wynne is to be sworn in as Premier today. Bulletin One of her first cabinet changes will see Liz www.osstfd20.ca 905-332-1228 Sandals replace Laurel Broten as the Minister of Education. Sandals is a former school board trustee and served as president of the Ontario School Boards Association before being first elected MPP in Guelph in 2003. Premier Wynne will reconvene the Legislative Assembly on February 19th. The Presidents and General Secretaries of the four union affiliates met on January 29th with Kathleen Wynne and two staff members from her office to initiate a dialogue about resolving current issues. The meeting lasted roughly 80 minutes, was productive and has led to OSSTF/FEESO engaging in future discussions. At a meeting of OSSTF local Presidents and Chief Negotiators on February 7, the local leaders endorsed OSSTF reopening negotiations with the new government. Unlike the previous government, Wynne is not negotiating in the press, so members will have to be patient for news releases from the OSSTF Provincial Executive. For the time being, the OSSTF Provincial Executive's position on voluntary and extra- curricular activities remains unchanged. Bill 115 Repeal Empty Gesture! The repeal of Bill 115 by the outgoing Liberal regime on January 23 changed nothing concerning the imposition of terms into Teachers' contracts. The Orders-in–Council issued by the Lieutenant-Governor are in force, and the District 20 Teachers at OFL Rally imposition of terms into our contracts remains.
    [Show full text]
  • 12 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 505 Journal of Parliamentary And
    Repealing a Statute when the Legislature Is Prorogued:..., 12 J. Parliamentary &... 12 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 505 Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law August, 2018 Legislation / Législation Repealing a Statute when the Legislature Is Prorogued: The Practice in Ontario James W.J. Bowden a1 Copyright © 2018 by Thomson Reuters Canada Limited; James W.J. Bowden 1. INTRODUCTION The 40 th Legislature of Ontario stood prorogued between its 1 st and 2 nd sessions on 3 January 2013, when the Minister of Education of Ontario, Laurel Broten, announced the McGuinty government's intent to repeal a controversial statute, An Act to Implement Restraint Measures in the Education Sector, but known more commonly by its short title, the Putting Students First Act. 1 It had received Royal Assent only four months earlier, on 11 September 2012, and superseded various collective agreements and an ongoing collective bargaining of unions representing public-school teachers. Naturally, it seemed that Premier Dalton McGuinty would therefore have to advise Lieutenant Governor Onley to recall the 40 th Legislature and open its 2 nd session--thus ending a controversial prorogation from October 2012-- so that the Legislature could repeal the Putting Students First Act. But the Premier announced no such plans. Instead, the Government of Ontario issued a press release explaining that the bill would be repealed on 23 January 2013--but without recalling the Legislature into session. 2 The McGuinty government portrayed the Putting Students First Act as such a resounding success that it no longer needed to exist. The McGuinty government issued regulations under the act to impose a new contracts on teachers' unions retroactive to 1 September 2012, even before the statute had *506 received Royal Assent.
    [Show full text]
  • Canadian Christian Nationalism?: the Religiosity and Politics of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada
    Wilfrid Laurier University Scholars Commons @ Laurier Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) 2015 Canadian Christian Nationalism?: The Religiosity and Politics of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada Leah A D McKeen Wilfrid Laurier University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, Dutch Studies Commons, Other Anthropology Commons, Other Political Science Commons, and the Other Religion Commons Recommended Citation McKeen, Leah A D, "Canadian Christian Nationalism?: The Religiosity and Politics of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada" (2015). Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 1740. https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/1740 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Canadian Christian Nationalism?: The Religiosity and Politics of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada by Leah A. D. McKeen M.A. Women’s and Gender Studies, Mount Saint Vincent University, 2009 B.A. (Hons) Religious Studies, Mount Allison University, 2004 DISSERTATION Submitted to the Department of Religion and Culture, Faculty of Arts, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario © Leah A. D. McKeen 2015 Abstract In this dissertation I examine the worldview and concerns held by members of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada (CHP) as a means of understanding Canada’s Christian Right. I present a perspective of Canada’s Christian Right that challenges assumptions made about this religio-political ideology by showing how the political choices made by members of the CHP make sense within the members’ context.
    [Show full text]