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OCSTA Newswire, February 3, 2010



February 3, 2010

OCSTA Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting

On January 20, 2010, OCSTA President Paula Peroni, Association staff, Carol Devine (Director of Legislative and Political Affairs) and Kevin Kobus (Sr. Policy Advisor – Finance) along with Dufferin-Peel CDSB Business Manager, Gail Robinson met with the Parliamentary Assistant for Ministry of Education (who at that time was Liz Sandals) as part of the pre-budget consultations for 2010-11 Grants for Student Needs.

During this session OCSTA was informed that:

  • Salary settlements would continue to be fully funded in the education sector (this is not the case in every sector)
  • The provincial budget allocation for education has been increased even though enrollment is down.

  • The government is looking at zero sum re-structuring in the 2010-11 GSNs (no new programs), however, they are also considering the benefit of bringing into the GSNs, EPOs (Grants for Education - Other).

  • There is a possibility that changes may be made to the Learning Opportunities Grant that could include updating the census data.

  • There is a possibility that the government might slow down the implementation of some initiatives to put less financial and administrative pressure on school boards.

  • OCSTA also raised a number of issues including:
  • The need for increased flexibility to enable boards to use available revenue most effectively and efficiently
  • The importance of equity in any changes that are made to the way in which education funding is allocated
  • The current level of administrative overload at the school board level and the reduction in the provincial allocation to the administration budget line

For more information please contact Carol Devine, Director, Legislative and Political Affairs, (416) 932-9460, ext. 224/ cdevine@ocsta.on.ca.

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OCSTA 80th AGM & Conference


Kakabeka Falls

 April 30 - May 1, 2010, at the Valhalla Inn in beautiful Thunder Bay

Have you registered for OCSTA's 80th Annual General Meeting and Conference in Thunder Bay? If not registration information can be downloaded immediately from this website at the following location:

http://www.ocsta.on.ca/AGMandConference.aspx.

Please note that the deadline for the early bird registration discount is March 12, 2010.

Program Highlights:

  • Bishop Fred J. Colli, Bishop of Thunder Bay
  • Minister of Education, The Hon. Leona Dombrowsky (invited)
  • Andrew Coyne, Editor, Maclean's Magazine
  • Regional Meetings ( all 5 Regions will meet on May 1)
  • FACE Panel Discussion
  • Ontario's new Equity and Inclusion Strategy - Panel Discussion
  • "Keeping the Faith: Partnering with Catholic Universities" - presentation by Marilyn Mason, Registrar, King's University College, University of Western Ontario
For more information, please contact Pam DeNobrega at (416) 932-9460, ext. 234 / pdenobrega@ocsta.on.ca.



OCSTA/OCSBOA 2010 Finance Seminar

April 29, 2010, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Valhalla Inn, Thunder Bay

Trustees, Directors of Education and Catholic School Board Finance staff are encouraged to register now for the annual OCSTA/OCSBOA Finance Seminar.

Program Highlights:

  • Dr. Livio Di Matteo, Chair of the Department of Economics, Lakehead University
  • Karen Maxwell, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Elementary/Secondary Business and Finance, Ministry of Education
  • Panel Discussion: Implementing the Early Learning Program - Operational Issues
For more information, please contact Connie Araujo-De Melo, (416) 932-9460, ext. 226 / cdemelo@ocsta.on.ca.


Seminar for Chairs, Vice Chairs and Directors of Education

On January 15-16 over 100 Trustees and Directors of Education from around the province met in Toronto for the Annual Seminar for Chairs, Vice Chairs and Directors of Education.

Session highlights included:

  • An inspiring keynote presentation about Catholic education, individual and community faith development by Fr. Norm Roberts
  • Discussion of the new Early Learning Program led by the Provincial lead for this effort, Assistant Deputy Minister, Jim Grieve

  • Address from the Minister of Education, Kathleen Wynne (who is now Minister of Transportation)

  • OCSTA’s first opportunity to welcome the new Deputy Minister, Kevin Costante at an Association event

  • An overview of the dynamic community engagement promotion launched by the Simcoe Muskoka CDSB entitled "Come Grow with Us."
  • An overview and discussion of the proposed OCSTA Social Media Pilot Project
Snapshots


 (l.-r.) OCSTA President Paula Peroni, OCSTA Chaplain Fr. Pat Fitzpatrick and OCSTA Vice President, Nancy Kirby.

Keynote Speaker, Fr. Norm Roberts, Teacher, Dufferin-Peel CDSB

(l.) Algonquin Lakeshore CDSB Chair, Wilf Garrah and OCSTA Director and Conference Committee Chair, Linda Ward (Vice Chair, St. Clair CDSB).

Simcoe Muskoka CDSB Chair, Jim Canning.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Early Learning Division, Ministry of Education.

OCSTA Director and Conference Committee Member, Pauline Houlahan (Trustee, Halton CDSB).

(from left) Diane Legg, Director of Communications and Public Affairs and Michael O'Keefe, Director of Education - Simcoe Muskoka CDSB.

Deputy Minister, Kevin Costante, Ministry of Education

Below is the promotional video "Come Grow with Us" produced by the Simcoe Muskoka CDSB and presented to delegates at this year's Seminar.




To view session slides or listen to presenters, please log into the OCSTA “Members’ Area" of the website at http://www.ocsta.on.ca/Memberslogin.aspx and select “Presentations.” PowerPoint slides and audio files containing speakers’ remarks are organized by event. If you need assistance accessing this area of the website please contact Pam DeNobrega at (416) 932-9460, ext. 234 / pdenobrega@ocsta.on.ca.

OCSTA in the News

The Catholic Register

Trustees, teachers seek more special ed funding

January 10, 2010

TORONTO - The Ontario government needs to invest more in special education to narrow the $68-million funding gap that 29 Catholic school boards across the province face this school year, says the head of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association.

“The problem with special education funding (in 2009-2010) and that gap is that boards are forced to take money out of other areas to fund the special education needs of our students,” Paula Peroni told The Catholic Register.

Peroni said increased special education funding will be among the top recommendations of the OCSTA when it makes its presentation before the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs in February. The committee is holding public hearings for provincial pre-budget consultations in Niagara Falls, London, Dryden, North Bay and Kingston this month and sessions in Toronto in February.

On the underfunding of special education, Peroni said boards might be spending less on textbooks and supplies or using financial reserves to balance budgets.

Although there has been an additional $49 million in the education ministry’s grant for special education needs across the province this year — with special education grants totalling $2.25 billion province-wide — the association says that isn’t enough.

“I think it’s time that the (education) minister and ministry try to find some significant solutions for special education,” Peroni said.

In the Toronto Catholic District School Board, the province’s largest Catholic board, special education underfunding is being felt by “the neediest students in the system,” said the head of the Toronto Elementary Catholic Teachers’ union.

Last year, 67 special education teachers were reassigned in the board, meaning “there are 67 less teachers providing direct special education support,” said union president Anthony Bellissimo.

Bellissimo said without appropriate programming, the support for students with special needs “will fall on the classroom teacher and I think that’s going to put a strain on the system.”

Meanwhile, Peroni said the OCSTA will also present other pressing issues for Catholic schools, including recommending “adequate and equitable funding” for the province’s full-day kindergarten program. Catholic boards don’t have the available space that public schools do, especially going into the program’s second year, she said.

The association also plans to address concerns about student transportation costs and declining enrolment. The association said it supports a provincial advisory committee made up of local school board representatives, provincial associations and senior education ministry staff to review the funding formula and provide recommendations to the education minister.

For a copy of the OCSTA brief to the education ministry, see www.ocsta.on.ca .

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