The end of 2023 was a busy time for the CSBA Board of Directors, and work has continued into 2024. Throughout the fall I had the opportunity to spend time with trustees in Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and British Columbia. Speaking with so many passionate elected officials around the country is always refreshing and reinforces what I already know to be true – local voices in public education matter
There continues to be follow-up with elected officials and senior staff in Ottawa since the advocacy meetings last fall. There have been additional meetings with staff from the Ministry of Families, Children, and Social Development, and the Minister of Agriculture regarding Bill C-322, an Act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program.
The Board of Directors met at the end of February in Alberta. CSBA committees and work groups presented reports, and heard from a number of partners and collaborators. These presentations and reports are always encouraging and demonstrate the amount of work trustees and education partners are doing every day to support students.
During the meeting we discussed work being done at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Ardith McGeown Plant, Executive Director with the Centre for Social Science Research and Policy at the University of Manitoba, and Dr. Royce Koop will be conducting research for their project, ‘A professional profile of school trustees in Canada.’ This research project will consist of a cross-Canada survey of elected school trustees covering several topics, including trustees’ competencies and skills, the election process, leadership, and decision-making, as well as questions related to CSBA’s strategic plan. We are very pleased to support this research and look forward to participating in the survey, and seeing the results.
Mary-Ann Zauhar-Hiscock joined the meeting virtually to present an update on the Canadian Heritage grant work, ‘Faisons parler les données – Putting Data to Work.’ Our members will be familiar with their work on the French teacher shortage in Canada. At the time of writing this update, we are waiting to hear if funding for this work will continue for 2024-2026.
Debbie Field with the Coalition for Healthy School Food presented to the Board of Directors virtually, sharing updates on funding in provinces. The Coalition for Health School Food brings together over 280 non-profit member organizations and 130 endorsers in every province and territory, including the CSBA. The guiding principles of the organization align with strategic goal areas of the CSBA, such as promoting food literacy and providing universal access to nutritious food in schools. Debbie is available for presentations, and materials are available in both French and English.
As we head into spring, we know that summer is just around the corner. Planning is well underway for the 2024 National Trustees Gathering on Indigenous Education and CSBA Congress being held in Toronto this July. Visit our website for the latest information on the conference, and be sure to watch our social media accounts for updates on registration and the program. We look forward to seeing you then!
Sincerely,
Alan Campbell, President