The Record Off The Record is my personal record of and commentary on SD61 Board and Standing Committee meetings. Official, approved minutes are on the SD61 website, one month after the meeting.
The official report post-AGM here. Includes disposition of motions. Both of SD61’s motions carried. Since the SD61 Board majority did not support my motion to leave the BCSTA, clearly it was time for the SD61 Board to get more involved.
From November 28 / 16 Board Meeting: McNally: That the Board instruct the Chair to prepare the necessary documents to effect withdrawal of this Board from the BCSTA as soon as possible. / Postponed until after meeting with BCSTA President Rezansoff (below). [Was later defeated at the Board table.] “The Minister of Education is enshrined in BCSTA Bylaws as the Honourary President . What does that say about BCSTA independence as an advocate for public education? If this motion is defeated, I will bring a motion to the BCSTA AGM to end the status of the Minister as Honourary President. “
Kudos to Trustee Ann Whiteaker who did the background research on the Honourary President motion, and then shepherded it through the BCSTA process to get it on the agenda.
From February 27/17 Board Meeting: Whiteaker: That the board provide the following motion to the BCSTA AGM: “That the BCSTA Board of Directors request the legislative committee (or other ad hoc committee) to review the BCSTA current bylaws to ensure they continue to best serve the membership and the organizational structure and bring any recommendations to the 2017 AGM.” / Carried. Unanimous.
Vancouver Island (VISTA) Branch 2017-2018 Executive Committee:
• Eve Flynn, SD 69 (Qualicum) – Branch President/Treasurer
• Denise Riley, SD 62 – (Sooke) First Vice-President
• Candace Spilsbury, SD 79 (Cowichan Valley) – Second Vice-President
• Pam Craig, SD 70 (Alberni) – Secretary
• Rob Paynter, SD 61 (Greater Victoria) – Communications Liaison (newly elected)
• Jordan Watters, SD 61 (Greater Victoria) – BCSTA Professional Learning Committee representative (newly elected)
• Candace Spilsbury, SD 79 (Cowichan Valley) – BCSTA First Nations Committee
Since the BCSTA April 2016 Annual General meeting, VISTA Branch members have
participated in two professional development and business meetings.
Our fall 2016 gathering was held in the Sooke School District on September 30 – October
1, 2016. Our hosts featured two brand new secondary schools at Royal Bay and Belmont.
Our professional development programme featured the following:
• Joan Axford outlined assigning our vision with governance and finance
• Kathleen King-Hunt shared the strategies in schools with the Aboriginal
Education Elder Role model programme.
• Bryan Johnston walked through an elementary school wide process to revise/
rewrite their school code of conduct
• Student Support Services presentation on Mental Health Literacy
Our spring VISTA meeting was hosted by SD 70 (Alberni). On the Friday evening we were
honoured to have Don Avison, Ministry of Education and the Government Negotiator in
the First Nation Tripartite Education Agreements to review Aboriginal student success
and the key objectives for school districts to focus on going forward.
VISTA would like to thank Christine Younghusband for her support and participation in
our Branch initiatives. VISTA will continue to advocate for local and provincial issues
related to public education.
SUBMITTED BY: Eve Flynn, Branch President
Carol C / Eddy G: On a wall at the former Youth Detention Centre, now Choices Transitional Shelter, View Royal SD61
The Record Off The Record is my personal record of and commentary on SD61 Board and Standing Committee meetings. Official, approved minutes are on the SD61 website, one month after the meeting.
SD61 Greater Victoria School District includes students in Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Victoria, View Royal, parts of Saanich and the Highlands, and the Traditional Territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.
P1: Backgrounders/ Meeting Schedule / Trustee Appointments
P2: Standing Committee Meeting
P3: Letter to Ministry of Education from SD23 Central Okanagan
Trustees are assigned as voting members by the Chair to one of thetwo standing committees, Education Policy and Directions, and Operations Policy and Planning.Agenda setting is the prerogative of the Committee Chair, with input from senior administration. Recent Change to Standing Committee vote: October 17/16, Whiteaker: That the Board amend Bylaw 9130 Standing Committees to remove the words “with voting rights” from Item #4 and Item #5. / Carried. Unanimous. This had the effect of allowing only members of the Standing Committee to vote on motions, though other Trustees, if they attend, can participate in the debate. The Chair of the Board ex officio member both Committees, with voting rights. Quorum is a majority of Trustee members on the committee.
Standing committees are the best opportunity for stakeholders, public, and partner groups to make their views known to Trustees. Standing Committee structure operates on less formal Rules of Order than does the Board, ie. no need for a seconder for a motion, and a Trustee can speak as many times as the Chair allows; members of the public and presenters can ask questions of each other and engage in dialogue.The question can’t be called in a standing committee, meaning debate can extend for some time. Most substantive debate on motions takes place at the standing committees.
The BC School Act allows Trustees to be absent with no reason for nearly 3 months – have to show up for that last meeting in the 3d month or disqualified. Anyone else have absence leeway like that?
52 (2) If a trustee is continuously absent from board meetings for a period of 3 consecutive months, unless the absence is because of illness or with the leave of the board, the office of the member is deemed to be vacant and the person who held the office is disqualified from holding office as a trustee until the next general school election.
BOARD-ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO EXTERNAL MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS 2017
British Columbia Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA)
Paynter
British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA)
Whiteaker
BOARD STANDING COMMITTEES 2017 (Loring-Kuhanga member of both, ex officio) Operations P&P: Chair Watters, McNally, Leonard, Paynter Ed Policy&Dev: Chair Whiteaker, Ferris, Nohr, Orcherton Policy SubCommittee: (members vary ; 3 month terms)Mar/17–May/17 Ferris&Orcherton
INTERNAL COMMITTEES 2017
Aboriginal Nations Education Council
McNally
District Facilities Planning Committee
Ferris
Gender Sexuality Alliance
Watters
Equity Ad Hoc Committee
Paynter & Watters
French Immersion Advisory
Ferris
Needs Budget Advisory Committee
Orcherton, Leonard, Nohr
Public Engagement Ad Hoc Committee
McNally & Orcherton
Student Registration & Transfer Committee
Ferris & Nohr
Middle School Review Committee
Whiteaker & Leonard
SECONDARY SCHOOL CATCHMENT AREA GROUPS LIAISON 2017
Spectrum
Ferris& Leonard
Mount Doug
Paynter
Oak Bay
Loring-Kuhanga
Reynolds
Nohr&Orcherton
Vic High
McNally
Lambrick
Whiteaker
Esquimalt
Watters
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS 2017
Allied Specialists Association
Orcherton
CUPE 382
Watters
CUPE 947
Paynter
Exempt Staff
Ferris (Alternate –Whiteaker)
GVTA
Nohr (Alternate –Leonard)
Principals & VP
Loring-Kuhanga (Alternate –McNally)
EXTERNAL TRUSTEE LIAISONS – COMMUNITY 2017
Saanich Arts, Culture & Heritage
McNally
Saanich Parks, Trails & Rec
Whiteaker
Healthy Saanich Advisory Committee
Orcherton
Victoria Family Court & Youth Justice Committee
Watters
Ad Hoc Committees of the Board and their terms of reference are listed on the SD61 website.
Meeting schedule here. Next meeting May 8/17 Operations Policy & Planning. Meeting agendas posted on SD61 website Friday before the meeting. Board meetings audio and video recorded; Standing Committees not.
TTB direct the Superintendent to enhance the information available to the public and stakeholders about their role in voice at meetings, the ability to address address the Board and participate at Standing Committees as well as update the agenda package and information at the meeting itself, and improve the District website. / Carried. Unanimous.
Lined Paper (The Record Off The Record) is my personal record of and commentary on SD61 Board and Standing Committee meetings. Official, approved minutes are on the SD61 website, one month after the meeting.
P1: Backgrounders/ Meeting Schedule / Trustee Appointments
P2: Board or Standing Committee Meeting: Meeting agendas posted on SD61 websiteFriday before the meeting. Board meetings audio and video recorded, though Standing Committees are not. (Under the Board of Education menu.) P3 : Students with Intensive Behaviour Support Needs / Severe Mental Illness
Standing Committees operate on less formal Rules of Order than does the Board, ie. no need for a seconder for a motion, and a Trustee can speak as many times as the Chair allows; members of the public and presenters can ask questions of each other and engage in dialogue.The question can’t be called in a standing committee, meaning debate can extend for some time. After a motion to restrict voting in Standing Committees to only assigned members of the committee (sensible as if all Trustees are present and vote, it’s an improperly constituted Board meeting), unfortunately some Trustees have chosen not to attend the committee if they don’t have a vote, and so miss vital information.
Trustee salaries (aka “stipend): $20,486/year effective Dec 1/14. Chair and vice-chair receive an extra $3,000 and $1,500, respectively.
