EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT Meetings with Members of Government: Over the period of August 2015 to October 2015 I met with the following: Hon. Lori Sigurdson, Minister of Innovation & Advanced Education & Minister of Skills, Training, Jobs and Labour; Hon. Ifran Sabir, Minister of Human Services; and Hon. David Eggen, Minister of Education & Minister of Culture and Tourism. Meetings with Members of the Legislative Assembly: MLA Denise Woollard, Edmonton-Mill Creek; MLA Trevor Horne, Spruce Grove-St. Albert; MLA David Shepherd, Edmonton-Centre; MLA Derek Fildebrandt, Strathmore-Brooks; MLA Grant Hunter, Cardston Taber Warner; and MLA Rick McIver, Leader, Progressive Conservatives. Meetings with Member Boards, Partners and Colleagues: Meeting with Wild Rose School Division; Meeting with Northern Gateway Public Schools; Meeting with Fort Vermillion School Division; Ellen Hambrook, Assistant Deputy Minister, Education; Gareth Thomson, ACEE; Les Hagen, WELLNESS Alberta; Student Leadership Planning Committee; Maureen Towns, Consultant; Dr. Marvin Washington; Larry Huber, Executive Director, Public Section, Saskatchewan School Boards’ Association; Jeremy Nolais, Press Secretary, Minister of Education; Maureen Gough, Legislative and Outreach Assistant, Wildrose Party Other events / meetings / educational matters: Meeting with Alberta Education regarding Provincial Bargaining Model; Presentation to Nellie McClung Grade Nine Students regarding Lobbying; ASBA Day for Advocacy; READ IN Week at Oliver School; Pink Tea with Laurie Blakeman and Nellie McClung Students; and Premier Notley State of the Province Address. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT NOVEMBER 2015 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT Strategic Communications Plan: Key Messages (attached) The attached Key Messages were derived from the Association’s DRAFT 2015 – 2018 Work Plan and reflect the conversations of Members during the April 2015 and August 2015 Association Work Plan sessions. Please note that the first Key Message has been revised to align with the First Priority of the Work Plan. These Key Messages will be used in all Association work moving forward. Amendment to Association’s Special Recognition Policy (attached): As per the discussions at the August 2015 meeting of the Public School Boards Council, the Association’s Policy has been amended to allow for interrupted service. A motion is required to ratify the amendment. Association’s 2015 – 2018 Work Plan (attached): On 26 August 2015 the Association Office sent an email request to Members, for feedback on the Association’s DRAFT Work Plan; feedback was due in the Association Office on or before 30 September 2015. Thank you to Fort McMurray Public Schools, Grasslands School Division, Medicine Hat School District, Northern Lights School Division, Peace Wapiti Public School Division, Pembina Hills Regional Division, Prairie Land School Division, Prairie Rose School Division, St. Albert Public Schools and Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools for your feedback. Attached is a FINAL Draft Work Plan for the review and approve of the Public School Boards Council. Mary Lynne R. Campbell EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT NOVEMBER 2015 Strategic Communications Plan: Key Messages 15 October 2015 MEMO To: Public School Boards Council Representatives From: Mary Lynne R. Campbell, Executive Director Copy: Executive Committee Re: Association’s Communication Strategic Work Plan – Update I am pleased to share with Council Representatives, the Association’s three Key Messages. These Key Messages were derived from the April 2015 Association Work Plan and August 2015 Public School Boards Council Meeting discussions: Promote the formation of a new single Publicly Funded Inclusive Education system in Alberta; Local Autonomy: and Alberta’s Public Schools create respectful and responsive learning environments where ALL children are welcomed. I. Promote the formation of a new single Publicly Funded Inclusive Education system in Alberta. Our Members were abundantly clear that this message is about providing programing that is responsive to, respectful and inclusive of ALL students. Our commentary with this key message will include: Language and phrases that will quickly dispel the myth that our Association is working in opposition to any other publicly funded systems; Acknowledgment that the province of Alberta is facing challenging economic times that we have seen many times before. Can the province continue to support four fully funded public education systems and one partially funded private education system? Can we share instructional spaces? Programs? Can we continue to afford duplication? Contextual information that demonstrates that our Association is very well positioned to inspire, lead and carry this key message for a number of reasons including but not limited to: o Our Association Policies regarding Shared Instructional Space and Home Education; o Our successful Education Act Lobby messages regarding Children First, the need to work collaboratively with the intention of creating a positive legacy for ALL children; o Our successful effort to secure inclusive eligibility for Public School supporters who wish to vote for their / run for Public School Trustee; and o Our Association’s position regarding a more modern, transparent and community based process for Separate School District Expansion. All of these speak to our fundamental interest in creating a fully engaged and inclusive Public School Education system in Alberta. II. Local Autonomy Now is the time for Public School Trustees to demonstrate the STRONG connection between the locally elected Public School Trustee and the communities they serve. It is equally important to not only model the values of accountability, stewardship, integrity and engagement, but to also provide living examples of why the best decisions are made closest to the students within our care. Our Members have a unique opportunity to showcase through your daily work, the power of local autonomy and locally elected Public School Trustees. The Association will provide Members with ‘sentence starters’ / ‘idea starters’ so that you can create your own list of local Board examples to support this key message. III. Alberta’s Public Schools create respectful and responsive learning environments where ALL children are welcomed. We will be nesting the Association’s trademark phrase “Diversity is a Lesson Plan for Life” within this key message. Diversity is not limited just to our Public School Classrooms, it permeates throughout the Public School System. It is the diversity of: Opinions / discourse around our Public School Board tables that reflect and model the values of civil democracy; Alternative programs that Public Schools proudly offer our students; Challenges / opportunities that our Members meet in providing learning opportunities for ALL students; Partnerships that come together in support of our children; and Settings within which our Members provide respectful and responsive learning environments for ALL children. Diversity is a lesson plan for life as our children experience, see and celebrate diversity during their tenure with us. It provides our Public School children with the skills, knowledge and connections they will need in order to find their place in a globally diverse community; within this context of diversity, Alberta’s Public Schools are the Alberta Advantage. SUMMARY Attached to this Memo is a ‘cheat sheet’ to assist you, as you employ the Key Messages in the conversations within your communities, that you will undertake this school year. Mary Lynne R. Campbell Executive Director PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARDS’ ASSOCIATION OF ALBERTA KEY MESSAGES KEY MESSAGE: Promote the formation of a new single Publicly Funded Inclusive Education system in Alberta. There are currently four fully publicly funded education systems in Alberta; All four fully publicly funded education systems are vying for resources from the same funding source; As an Association, we believe that one publicly funded inclusive education system is the best option for the children of Alberta; Having one publicly funded inclusive education system in Alberta would provide all students with the greatest amount of opportunity and choice as it would eliminate the need to “compete’ for the same resources; We want to work together with the other publicly funded education systems to unite under one publicly funded inclusive system to provide ultimate choice for students and families; Students and Families need to have access to the things that are important to them (i.e. faith-based programs, language options shorter bus rides, special needs assistance); The Members of the PSBAA are ambassadors for the need to work collaboratively with the intention of creating a positive legacy for ALL children. KEY MESSAGE: Local Autonomy School Boards across the province play an important role in our students’ lives; School Boards advocate for our students and communities at a provincial level and are continuously striving to create diverse and responsive learning environments for our students’ needs; As an advocate for our community and students, our School Board is committed to: o List your TOP THREE Priorities here: o _________________________________ o _________________________________ o _________________________________ Our School Board promises to (what are your values): o _________________________________ o _________________________________ o _________________________________ Our School Board values being part of the communities we serve because: