School Trustee Orientation

1. School Trustee Orientation September 13, 2010 Elections – October 27, 2010

2. AGENDA • welcome and introductions • Manitoba’s public education system • why serve? • what do school boards do? • do I have what it takes? • eligibility and running for office • Evergreen School Division information • Questions

3. Board of Trustees

4. Senior Administration

5. Manitoba’s Public Education SystemThe Legislative Framework Legislative Assembly & Cabinet Public Schools Act Education Administration Act Manitoba Education Other Provincial Departments School Boards Divisional administrators • Schools • Programs and Services • Staffing • Students

6. Manitoba’sPublic Education SystemThe Broader Legislative Context School board policies and practices must comply with the laws of all higher levels of government (i.e. federal and provincial). Legislation that does not deal with education specifically, but which impacts on school board operations, includes: • The Charter of Rights and Freedoms • The Employment Standards Code • The Youth Criminal Justice Act • The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act • The Public Schools Act • The Education Administration Act • The Personal Health Information Act • The Workplace Safety and Health Act • The Labour Relations Act • The Human Rights Code

7. SCHOOL BOARD AUTHORITY / ACCOUNTABILITY • The Manitoba Legislature, through The Public Schools Act, delegates authority for governance of education to locally elected school boards • School trustee elections are held every 4 years. The next election is October 27, 2010

8. SCHOOL BOARD ACCOUNTABILITY School boards are accountable • as elected officials to voters • as stewards of public dollars to taxpayers • as employers to staff • as those entrusted with the care and education of children, to parents and the community

9. THE SCHOOL BOARD’S ROLE • School boards’ core responsibility is to understand and reflect local community values and priorities for schools in its decision-making. • School boards hold all legal authority and power within the school division. • Individual trustees have a voice and a vote at the board table but no authority to act alone on behalf of the school division.

10. WHY SERVE? • because education shapes the future of our young people and their contributions as citizens • because good schools build the economic and social strength of communities • because school boards make important decisions that affect all of us • because communities should have a voice in local education decisions • because you want to make a positive difference in the education and the lives of children in the community where you live

11. SCHOOL BOARDS WEAR MANY HATS… • Employer • Policy maker • Partner • Adjudicator • Advocate • Planner • Communicator • Legislator

12. THE KEY WORK OF SCHOOL BOARDS Stewardship Financial responsibility Monitoring and evaluation Reporting Leadership Vision/mission/values Policy development Planning & decision-making Advocacy Student Learning & Achievement Relationship Organizational culture Community engagement Partnerships & collaboration

13. DO I HAVE WHAT IT TAKES ? • Why do I want to be a school trustee? • Can I commit the time and attention necessary to be an effective board member? • Am I willing to listen, to learn and to communicate? • Am I prepared to respect the authority of the board, its processes and policies? • Can I work as an effective team member with other trustees and senior administrators?

14. BECOMING A SCHOOL TRUSTEE Candidates must be: • Canadian citizens; • 18 years of age as of election day; and • living in the school division/district and having done so for a period of at least six months as of election day. Candidates may not be: • MLAs, MPs, or members of the Senate; • members of the council of a municipality; or • pupils in regular attendance at a school in the division/district in which they would be serving. Candidates may be employees of the division/district in which they would serve if elected, but must take an unpaid leave of absence from that employment in order to serve.

15. REMAINING A SCHOOL TRUSTEE A trustee’s seat will be declared vacant if he or she: • resigns or dies; • ceases to be a resident of the division/district; • fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the board without authorization by school board resolution. A trustee will be disqualified from holding office if he or she: • violates any provision of The Public Schools Act; • is convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment of five years or more; or • is convicted of an offence under certain sections of The Criminal Code (breach of trust by a public officer, selling or purchasing office, or influencing or negotiating appointments or dealings in office).

16. The Work of School Boards • Governance: Oversee the planning and delivery of education programs and services in compliance with provincial laws • budget • personnel • facilities and infrastructure • local policies and procedures

17. The Work of School Boards • Advocacy Respond to community interests and influence government policy regarding appropriate education programs and services for all students • community outreach and engagement • public relations • representation • partnerships and collaboration

18. Role of the Board • As the elected School Board, trustees create the vision to which the school division will devote its resources, and then monitor the achievement of that vision. • They describe this vision through the policies they establish or maintain for the division.

19. Role of Administration • The role of the administration is to provide reasonable interpretation of those policies, and execute them. • Often, the administration will be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the school division, and encourage the board to deploy and devote its resources to achieving the vision stated by the School Board.

20. Strategic Governance • Evergreen Board of Trustees have adopted a strategic governance model for the school division. • This model is a hybrid of Carver policy governance and recognizes the unique characteristics and requirements of the school division. • It allows the Trustees to spend more time on governance than day to day operations of the school division.

21. Evergreen School DivisionBoard of Trustees • Two Regular meetings per month, currently held on the first and third Wednesdays at 6:00 pm. • Committees of the Whole Board (e.g. In Camera) meet on a regular schedule or on an as needed basis. • The Board appoints Standing and Ad Hoc committees and appoints representatives to sit on various other division and community committees • Trustee remuneration….Chair $7,200/annum……Trustees $6,000/annum • $15 per meeting per day under 4 hours and $30 per meeting per day over 4 hours for Committee meetings except when held on regular Board meeting days • Incidental expenses as are necessary from time to time in carrying out the responsibilities of the office • Travel rate (presently $.45/km) of for travel to and from meetings, seminars, conferences in Manitoba • Expenses for attendance at conventions, conferences, workshops, seminars and such other activities approved by the Board with a per diem of $100 per day, $50(half day) to cover meals and incidental expenses

22. RUNNING FOR OFFICE • Obtain the proper nomination papers • Obtain the signatures of the required number of qualified voters – 25 individuals or 1% of the electors of the ward, whichever is lesser • File the completed nomination papers during the nomination period (September 15-21, during normal business hours) • Knock on doors, distribute pamphlets, post signs and talk to people about your vision for public education in your division/district • On October 27, don’t forget to vote

23. Evergreen School Division Foundations Mission Evergreen School Division will engage students in learning to become contributing citizens of a democratic society Vision Learning Today to Improve Tomorrow Core Values 1. Students Come First 2. Learning is Our Core Purpose 3. Public Education Serves the Common Good

24. Evergreen School Division Profile • Our school community is culturally diverse and consists of 1631 students in 8 schools located in four communities (Winnipeg Beach, Gimli, Arborg, and Riverton) • Evergreen offers a variety of different educational programs and is characterized by a dedicated and caring staff, safe schools and transportation, outstanding student services, state of the art information technology and excellent curriculum supports

25. Division Profile Continued…..

26. Ward Map

27. School Catchment Area Map

28. School Directory

29. Programs and Services

31. 2010-2013 Division Priorities

32. For More Information on Evergreen • Visit the Evergreen School Division web site at www.esd.mb.ca • Division Profile • Vision, Mission, Beliefs • Board Committees • Finance • Strategic Plan • Policy • Administrative Procedures

33. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BECOMING A TRUSTEE • Pick up handouts on display table before leaving. • Visit the school board election information website at www.mbschoolboards.ca.

34. Questions?