January 23, 2012

"Catholic education and values taught in your schools are key to shaping the character and future of our great province" Minister Broten

Over 200 Catholic trustees and directors of education from across the province gathered in Toronto from January 13-14 to participate in OCSTA’s annual Catholic Trustees' Professional Development Seminar.

The planned program was designed to provide members an opportunity to access modules from the popular Trustee Training Program developed by the Ontario Education Services Corporation and modified by OCSTA to ensure the inclusion of distinctive Catholic priorities and perspectives. 


Minister's Address



The Hon. Laurel Broten, Minister of Education, was unable to attend this year's Seminar, however, she did prepare a video recorded message tailored specifically to the interests and concerns of Ontario's Catholic school trustees. Please click here or on the image above to view.

The Minister's Message

Among the comments shared by the Minister were the following key statements for Catholic school boards:

"We are so fortunate in Ontario to have a diverse, publicly funded system.  The interplay of English, French, and Catholic is not only what makes us special, it is also what makes us so successful."

"Across the province Catholic schools are known for engaging students and parents, building strong schools communities and getting results when it comes to student success.

I believe and this government believes that the Catholic education and values taught in your schools are key to shaping the character and future of our great province.  We support you, we believe in you and we thank you for your hard work."

Regarding Bill 13, The Accepting Schools Act:

"Catholic schools, educators and trustees are our natural allies because Catholic values include love, inclusion, acceptance and empathy and Catholic schools are some of the most proactive when it comes to bullying prevention and awareness."


2012 Catholic Trustees Professional Development Seminar - Program Highlights

• Trustee Training Program, Module 9: Family and Community Engagement, presented by Marion Thomson Howell, President, ShaughnessyHowell Inc.
• Trustee Training Program, Module 10: The Advocacy Role of Trustees, presented by Marion Thomson Howell
• Trustee Training Program, Module 8 - Conflict Management, presented by Father Remi Lessard, Chaplain, Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association
• President’s Report, presented by OCSTA President, Nancy Kirby
• Ministry of Education: Video presentation to OCSTA Members featuring The Hon. Laurel Broten, Minister of Education and in-person address by Kevin Costante, Deputy Minister of Education view video on OCSTA website
• Student Trustee Workshop – A Catholic Approach to Equity and Inclusivity, presented by His Grace, Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto and President of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario
• Ontario’s Child and Youth Mental Health Strategy, presented by Dr. Bruce Ferguson, Hospital for Sick Children
• All A-Twitter: Advice Regarding the Use – and Misuse – of Social Media, presented by Joe Jamieson, Deputy Registrar, Ontario College of Teachers
• Adult Education: Strategic Planning for School Boards, presented by Richard Franz, Director, Student Success/Learning to 18 Strategic Policy Branch, Ministry of Education
• Adaptive People and Resilient Teams, presented by Human Resources Consultant,
  Dick O’Brien.

Members can view and download presentations from this event by visiting the Members’ Centre.

OCSTA wishes to thank the following 2012 Seminar sponsors:

• Best Buddies
• Borden Ladner Gervais
• Cunningham Swan Limited Partnership
  
• Donpar Roofing
• Emond Harnden LLP
  
• Halpern's - RHB Group LP
  
• Heenan Blaikie
• Keel Cottrelle LLP
• King's University College at the University of Western Ontario
• Mathews Dinsdale
  
• Thomas Roofing
  

2012 Catholic Trustees' Professional Development Seminar

	OCSTA's 2012 Catholic Trustees' Professional Development Seminar opened with a community celebration of the Eucharist. The celebrant for Mass was OCSTA Chaplain, Fr. Patrick Fitzpatrick.
	OCSTA is thankful to Dufferin-Peel CDSB teacher, Nancy Bodsworth-Boss, who once again decided to write a song to complement the Catholic Education Week theme for the year - "Walking in the Light of Christ." The song was introduced during Mass and was performed by Nancy, Ginny Bodsworth and Jeff Boss.
	Marion Thomson Howell, leading a discussion on community engagement as part of the presentation of the Trustee Professional Development Program - Module 9 - Family and Community Engagement.
	London DCSB members deep in discussion during an interactive portion of the Seminar.
	Student trustees meet with His Grace, Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto and President of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario, during the Student Trustee Workshop: "A Catholic Approach to Equity and Inclusivity."

Key Legislative Dates for 2011-12

February 21, 2012 - The Legislative Assembly of Ontario Resumes

March 12 - 16, 2012 - Constituency Week

April 9 - 13 - Constituency Week

May 21 - 25 - Constituency Week

June 8 - The Legislative Assembly of Ontario rises for Summer Break

Getting to Know Your Regional Directors: Colleen Landers, Region 1

This issue of the OCSTA Newswire features OCSTA Regional Director Colleen Landers.

Colleen Landers is a trustee with the Northeastern Catholic District School Board serving as the Regional Director for Region 1, which includes the following boards: 

Northeastern Catholic District School Board – 13 elementary, 1 secondary, 2400 students with schools in  Kapuskasing, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls, Timmins, Moosonee, Kirkland Lake, Englehart, New Liskeard and Cobalt. 

Sudbury Catholic District School Board - 4157 Elementary and 2249 secondary in 20 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and one learning centre. Schools are in Sudbury, Hanmer, Val Caron, Garson, Killarney, Lively, Markstay, Capreol, Coniston. 

Nipissing- Parry Sound Catholic District School Board- 12 elementary, 1 secondary, 1  Alternative and Continuing Education campus, 2150 elementary; 923 secondary with schools in North Bay, Callander,  Sturgeon Falls, Powassan, and Mattawa. 

Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board – 23 elementary and 3 secondary schools, over 5000 students, covering Sault Ste. Marie, Esponola, Chapleau, Hornepayne, Elliot Lake, White River, Wawa, Massey, Blind River

1. How many years have you been a Catholic Trustee?

I have been a Catholic school board trustee for twenty-three years. My first few years as a trustee were with the Timmins Separate School Board where we were part of the minority section with our French Catholic counterparts. Following amalgamation in 1999 and in the remaining years since then I have been a trustee with the Northeastern Catholic District School Board which covers a vast mass of geography.

Our region extends north from Hearst to Moosonee, south to Temagami and west to Gogama. I was elected to represent Timmins and Moosonee. Our board office is located in Timmins. 

I have been Region 1 Director for 3 years and I feel honored to represent these four boards at the OCSTA table. I also represent OCSTA on the Canadian Catholic School Trustees Association.

2. Why did you decide to become a trustee?

I believe that an education embedded in the Catholic faith is important and should be available for all Catholic children. All students are entitled to the same quality education no matter where they reside. I believe that Catholic education is a valuable gift that is worth fighting for and I continue to do that in my role as a trustee and as your Regional Director.

3. What do you hope to achieve as a member of OCSTA's Board of Directors?

As a member of the Board of Directors for OCSTA, I work towards promoting Catholic education provincially and strengthening the understanding of why Catholic education is different. I hope to bring the voice of all the boards I represent to the OCSTA board table and strengthen communication among trustees in my region and with OCSTA.

4. To help define your region for other OCSTA members, please highlight one distinctive aspect of Catholic education in the region you represent.

In Region 1, the distinctive aspect of Catholic education in our region is the many social justice initiatives that occur on an ongoing basis both at the school and board levels. Our Catholic values of giving, caring and sharing are evident at our school communities as we teach these virtues throughout our curriculum.  We are all proud to be part of such a strong and caring community.

For more information: Colleen Landers, OCSTA Director - Region 1, Northeastern CDSB - clanders@ncdsb.on.ca.

New Director, Legislative and Political Affairs: Dr. Robert Murray

OCSTA is pleased to welcome Dr. Robert (Bob) Murray to the position of Director, Legislative and Political Affairs.  Bob replaces Carol Devine, who retired at the end of 2011, after having served the association successfully for almost 15 years.

Robert comes to us from the University of Alberta where he was a lecturer in the university’s Department of Political Science.  His roots, however, are in Ontario’s publicly funded Catholic school system.

A 2002 graduate of Denis Morris Catholic High School in the Niagara Catholic District School Board, Robert is a former Catholic student trustee and provincial executive member of the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association.

In addition to holding a Doctorate in Political Science, Bob served for several years as a political adviser to a number of private and public organizations.  In light of the issues and opportunities on the horizon for Catholic education, OCSTA will be well served by Bob's insight, knowledge and commitment to our schools.

You can reach Bob by contacting OCSTA at (416) 932-9460, ext. 224 or email: rmurray@ocsta.on.ca.

Tributes

Our community is shaped by the individuals and family members whose support has helped to strengthen Catholic education in Ontario. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for those CDSB community members who have recently left us:

Edward Joseph 'Red' Finan, founding Director of Education, Durham Catholic District School Board
Nicola Pascucci, father of Mario Pascucci, Chair of the Dufferin-Peel CDSB

Annual General Meeting & Conference Update, Deadlines

The 2012 OCSTA  Annual General Meeting and Program will be held in Kingston, Ontario from April 26-29, 2012 at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel (285 King St. East). Registration can be processed online by clicking here.

Program Highlights:

Rev. James T. Mulligan, Author - "Walking in the Light of Christ"

Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, Archdiocese of Hamilton - "The Past and Future of Catholic Education"

Module 5, Trustee Professional Development Program - " Performance Review, Director of Education & Board Self-Assessment

Module 12, Trustee Professional Development Program - "Running Effective Meetings"

The Poverty Challenge:  Addressing Local Poverty Issues Through Experiential Learning

Key Deadlines - to view all Conference deadlines please visit the AGM & Conference page:

January  27, 2012	Resolutions to be Submitted to OCSTA
March 9, 2012	'Early Bird' discount on registration fees ends
April 1, 2012	Hotel rooms in OCSTA block to be released - Holiday Inn - Kingston Waterfront
April 2, 2012	Hotel rooms in OCSTA block to be released - Radisson Hotel Kingston
April 4, 2012	Hotel rooms in OCSTA block to be released - Four Points by Sheraton
March 30, 2012	Nominations deadline for: OCSTA President OCSTA Vice President OCSTA Representative to the CCSTA Board of Directors If there are no nominations received at the OCSTA office (within the time-frame published) for the position of OCSTA President, Vice President and OCSTA Representative to the CCSTA Board of Directors, nominations will remain open until, but not later than, two hours and fifteen minutes prior to the time fixed in the Notice of Meeting for the call to order of the first plenary session at the Annual Meeting.

 To register online for the 2012 OCSTA AGM & Conference please click here.

OCSTA in the News

TORONTO SUN

Funding challenged

By Moira Macdonald

Reva Landau credits Dalton McGuinty for inspiring her to take his government to court.

Last month Landau, a retired business analyst and non-practicing lawyer in Toronto, served Ontario's attorney-general with a notice she intends to challenge the government's equal funding of Catholic schools.
She argues Catholic schools should only be funded as they were at Confederation when the Constitution guaranteed existing education rights for religious minorities.

She traces her legal case back to the 2007 provincial election campaign -when then-Conservative leader John Tory poked the hornet's nest of faith-based school funding, and McGuinty fired back with arguments why it was a bad idea.

"I thought, 'Hmm, he's got some really good points here. How come we have a system in which a third of the public money is going to separate schools?'" Landau told me. "His speeches were quite good. I often thought he should listen to them."

Landau started researching the legal basis of Catholic school funding and arguments against it.

"The more I researched about it, the more outrageous it became," she says, adding she has brought the case forward independently, apart from occasional answers to research questions she got from single school system supporters.

"I believe in non-sectarian, public education," Landau said.

She's not the first to legally challenge Catholic school funding or argue for a rollback to 1867. Former Conservative premier Bill Davis' 1984 decision to extend full funding to Grades 11 and up in Catholic schools was referred to the courts, and upheld.

Parents of other denominations also challenged the unfairness of exclusive Catholic school funding and lost. A key reason given was Section 93 of the 1867 Constitution Act--guaranteeing provincial jurisdiction over education and protection of denominational school rights -- could not be trumped by the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

But Landau believes the Supreme Court of Canada has gradually evolved in its approach to the application of Charter rights and has not heard the arguments she wants to make.

"There are certain issues I think no one has ever argued, or haven't argued clearly enough," she says. "We'll have to see what happens."

An 1867 approach to funding Catholic education would mean high schools would not get government funding, she says.

Catholic elementary schools up to Grade 8 would, but would be limited to property taxes of declared Catholic ratepayers and wholly Catholic- owned businesses, with a maximum of 20% coming from government.

The attorney-general's office declined comment. Ontario's Catholic School Trustees' Association says it's "concerned" about the challenge, but doubts it will be successful.

"I just find it discouraging," said Nancy Kirby, OCSTA's president, adding critics of Catholic school funding don't understand the system's value and believe eliminating it would save lots of money, even though government will still have to educate just as many students as it does now.

Leonard Baak, who is part of Ontario's One School System Network coalition, says he's "thrilled" with the challenge, and while several people he knows have offered financial support for the case, Landau has turned them down.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association also says it's interested in looking into the case.

"Anything that draws attention to Ontario's wasteful and discriminatory school system is constructive," says Baak. "If she actually succeeds, that will be great too, because that may ultimately lead to our goal."