At the April 28 2018 BCSTA AGM,  3 of  4 SD61 motions carried.This year’s  (2019) AGM will take place April 25, 26, 27.

There are 28 motions, two of them from SD61 at E.2 and #12. (Although these motions are public information, they are behind a password protected “Hub” on the BCSTA site. )

Motion E.3 proposes setting up a Special Needs Advisory Committee.

My motion (carried by the SD61 Board so presented at the AGM  by SD61) to remove the Minister of Education as Honourary President from Bylaws is back for the third time. Defeated for the second time in 2018 but gained support with  66.5% support. This is an “Extraordinary Motion” – submitted to change or add to BCSTA’s Bylaws or the Foundational Statements within BCSTA’s Policy Book – and as such requires 3/4 support in a vote. Hoping for 75% support this year. Robert’s Rules states that a motion can come back to the table at future sessions.

There may be a proposal to prevent motions coming to the table more than once in a 4 year term,  a major limitation on local democracy. The Legislative Committee of the BCSTA can winnow out frivolous or egregious motions (which would be unlikely to get past a Board vote) if any were to come forward .

It’s at E.2 this year (pages below). Rationale and debate from November 26 2018 here. Rationale and vote from February 2018:

• d) McNally: That the Board submit the extraordinary resolution “Removal of  Honourary President”  as presented, to the BCSTA AGM: 1. That the BCSTA amend Bylaw 2 (a) as follows: Strike from 2. Officers (a) i “the Minister of Education who shall be the Honourary President of the Association”, and the following  reference to the Honourary President. / Carried. For: Leonard, Loring-Kuhanga, Nohr, McNally, Paynter, Watters  Against: Ferris, Orcherton, Whiteaker
• This motion is intended to reassert BCSTA’s status as an independent advocate for public education, regardless of the ideology of the Provincial government in power. A co-governance memorandum exists (hosted only on the Ministry of Education website)  which spells out the close relationship between BCSTA and the Ministry of Education. Establishment of the Minister of Education in 1987 as Honourary President was done with no  rationale – no one can find one in the records.  It’s a housekeeping motion . The current Minister of Education knows how appreciative we are, but this motion is not about the Minister of Education this year or any year.
• The Pan-Canadian Study of School District Governance (Canadian School Boards Association, 2013) states “… it is essential that school boards maintain their relative autonomy from government in their decision-making (p15)”.

SD61’s second motion this year, originally  from November 26 2018 (H.1 c here)   is at #12: That BCSTA direct the BCSTA President to consult with appropriate Branches, committees and individuals to determine the desirability of establishing a process whereby BCSTA’s eight Branches each elect a member to represent that Branch on the Indigenous Education Committee. Motion carried at the Standing Committee level and Board level and has gone forward to the AGM.

SD61’s  motion from the 2018 AGM agenda, originally my motion which carried  at the  January 29, 2018 Board meeting, and then  carried at the 2018 AGM   is mentioned in this year’s  #22, “Education Assistant Regulatory Body”:  “That BCSTA call on the Ministry of Education to develop standards of practice for education assistants in British Columbia.”

• McNally: That the Board request that the BCSTA call on the Provincial Ministry of Education to develop standards of practice for education  assistants in BC, in consultation with the BCTF and CUPE BC. / Carried as amended below. Unanimous.
• McNally: Looking forward to standardized provincial baseline of education for those who work with our most  vulnerable students as front line support. They deserve the same provincially accredited status as  teachers.
• Leonard: Where’s the problem?
  Ferris: CUPE should bring this forward.
• McNally: CUPE BC has in collaboration with others published a White Paper on this topic calling for provincial accreditation status in 2012.
• Companion (GVTA) : The BCTF should not be involved in this.
• McNally: Thought could be appropriate because of the close working relationship that teachers and education assistants have, but someone may amend.
• Orcherton: Amendment: Strike “BCTF”. / Carried. Unanimous.
• Loring-Kuhanga: In favour. Developed “Native Indian Assistants Program” years ago and that became the education standard  for Family Support Workers.

The 28 2019 BCSTA AGM motions:

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