Presentation of the English Montreal School Board To Mme Michelle Courchesne, Ministre de l Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport on

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1 Presentation of the English Montreal School Board To Mme Michelle Courchesne, Ministre de l Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport on «DÉMOCRATIE ET GOUVERNANCE DES COMMISSIONS SCOLAIRES Éléments de réflexion» Montreal, January 21, 2008

2 Preamble The English Montreal School Board is the largest English school board in the Province of Quebec providing services to over 37,000 students including the preschool, elementary, secondary, adult and vocational levels. On a day to day basis, there is synergistic interaction between the school administrators and central office personnel. The thrust of the Board s interventions are carried out with a value added mentality and act as a filter to the many policies that emanate from the M.E.L.S.. Schools are more multicultural than ever and our school board has a long history of welcoming culturally diverse members of the Quebec society. The EMSB recognizes and values the diversity of its community and aims to provide all students with the opportunity to develop their talents and achieve their personal best within a caring, safe and inclusive learning community. Our respect for diversity is reflected in our policies regarding reasonable accommodation issues. Our inclusive model for special needs students, our drop out prevention and the retention of at risk students programs represent a multifaceted approach to student success based on the cooperation and collaboration of all partners. To attain this goal, the EMSB uses resources effectively and innovatively to help schools and centres focus on the mission of instruction, socialization and qualification; thereby encouraging life-long learning and critical thinking. Our mission fosters the development of educated and responsible people who will assume their position as active members of a global and democratic society. We graduate bilingual and bi-literate students adding to the richness of Quebec. THÈME 1. Le rôle éducatif, social, culturel et économique de la commission scolaire dans sa région : In its role to educate and socialize its students, the school board takes a very strong, service-oriented leadership approach. We operate on a consensus building model, whereby each school has its own unique identity and at the same time all work towards the same common vision. Student success is at the heart of our vision. It is a supportive milieu that encourages creative thought and individuality. In allowing schools this latitude (which determines their altitude), the school board contributes to the social, cultural and economic development of our greatest national resource our students. The school board pools and distributes resources equitably but also ensures that the needs of each school community are met. All the departments and services of a school board play a unique role in supporting the school. School boards are indeed an efficient and effective way to ensure that each school has access to various services it could not be able to afford on its own. Furthermore, the school board helps the schools interpret and respond to government mandates (i.e. curriculum reform, student integration,) thus ensuring a uniform interpretation, uniform direction and a uniform vision.

3 -2- For a school to stand alone, would mean that it would not have access to the same quantity and quality of human and material resources as provided under the stewardship of the school board. 1. Partnerships between school boards and the health and social services should be strengthened to ensure client - centered interventions. 2. Strategies should be developed to promote cooperation between school boards and other government and community groups in order to capitalize on financial benefits and to help increase services. 3. Maintain school boards with universally elected school board commissioners in order to ensure it is responsive to the needs of their community and distribute resources equitably. 4. In order to be able to respond to the employment needs of the English community we recommend that English school boards be given the opportunity to expand their vocational education programs that it offers to their population. THÈME 2. La démocratie scolaire et la valorisation de la participation aux élections : It is essential that the role and function of the school commissioner be clearly defined within the education act. School commissioners perform a great number of tasks which the community in general is unaware of. The ability to communicate the information is lacking. School commissioners are present within their communities at their own expense. It is difficult to be present at public functions when commissioners are working outside the school board context. Thus the level of visibility is variable effecting the dissemination of information to the public. Other levels of government have budgets and resources which can help them more readily communicate with its constituency. The level of participation was high within our board with an increase in voter participation since 2003 and 19 out of 23 wards had elections. In fact our board had the highest participation in the province. In some wards participation was over 30 %. This increased participation occurred in spite of the numerous problems with enumeration which were experienced. Furthermore, voters in the larger territories of some of our English sector have to travel great distances to cast their vote. Again the elderly and voters without individual transportation face long distances on public transportation on election day.

4 -3- Universal suffrage for the election of school commissioners is crucial for the democratic process. An elected official has an accountability that is direct to the school community and to the public. Appointed officials would decrease the public s role in governing its school board. 1. We recommend that the English voter list be the subject of a proper enumeration process and that Elections Quebec be responsible for the enumeration process. 2. We also recommend an increase in funding for candidates and an easing up of funding rules. 3. Increase flexibility in the requirements that are set for the drawing of electoral wards so as to respond for the unique needs of the English community. 4. We do not recommend the inclusion of school board parties so as to ensure a decrease in partisan politics. We also do not recommend that the chairpersons be elected by universal suffrage. 5. Given that English school boards cover the territories of numerous municipalities and that school board divisions do not correspond to municipal districts we do not recommend twinning school board elections with municipal elections. We are prepared to discuss any new legislation on school board elections prior to implementations. THÈME 3. La transparence et la rigueur de la gestion dans les commissions scolaires en vue d une reddition de comptes axée sur les résultats : Accountability to the public is of the utmost importance and every effort should be made to maintain and improve current practices to ensure accountability. Each school board has a different culture and over the years has developed practices which facilitate communication between the Board, its schools and the community that it serves. The structure at the EMSB is based on a model that provides service and support to the schools in areas such as Pedagogical Services, Student Services, Community Services, Finance, Buildings and Grounds, Information Technologies, and Human Resources. The allocations received from MELS for special programs are decentralized to the schools in order to facilitate the implementation of their educational projects and their school success plans. The accountability factor is assured by the supervision and the centralized support structures that exist at the board level. The high level of student retention and qualification attributed to our Board (80%) is testimony to the great variety of programs and interventions that exist in our schools.

5 -4- The consultation processes involving the different stakeholders further illustrate our emphasis on transparency and the integrity of our practices. Recommendation 1. We recommend increased flexibility in funding in order to provide the students with local programs. In order for commissioners to have a more meaningful say in the development of priorities and therefore become more accountable for their decisions, there is a need for more flexibility in how government grants are spent at the level of the school board and it is important that grants and allocations be guaranteed for up to three successive years. THÈME 4. Le financement des commissions scolaires et la fiscalité scolaire : School boards offer an efficient and effective way to deliver services to the community. Local taxation no longer allows school boards flexibility in setting objectives that are specific to the needs of the school board. Furthermore, specific allocations need to allow for adaptation to the local needs of the community it services. Of concern to our electors is the fact that property owners pay taxes, some of whom do not have children and are elderly. Some tax relief for low income earners should be investigated. On the other hand, all tax payers should be paying school taxes since our youth is our greatest asset. Perhaps, a differentiated tax could be a part of the Ministry s reflection. The responsibility for education lies with every citizen It takes a village to raise a child. 1. Financial assistance should be given based on broad government objectives with allowed flexibility for implementing at the local level. 2. We recommend that as is the case with municipalities 100% of the provincial sales tax be remitted back to the school board. 3. We recommend that school boards be able to form partnerships with industry to increase funding for educational activities. School boards should also be able to explore other sources of revenues such as for services we provide for which we are not financially compensated. AM/AL/MT:lc January 21, 2008

Position Statements. Index of Association Position Statements

Position Statements. Index of Association Position Statements ts Association position statements address key issues for Pre-K-12 education and describe the shared beliefs that direct united action by boards of education/conseil scolaire fransaskois and their Association.