Alberta School Boards Association – Zone 5
Minutes
– January 28, 2000
Call to Order Pat Stutz called the meeting to order at
9:30 AM and welcomed those in attendance.
In Attendance Pat Stutz Canadian Rockies
John
Neill Prairie
Land
Graham
Sewell Foothills
Cindy Berry Rocky
View
Terry Patey Rocky
View
Wendy
Metzger Rocky
View
Nancy
Thornton-Smith Canadian
Rockies
Ron
Taylor Alberta
Learning
Ron
Wallace Christ
the Redeemer
Mary
Stengler Christ
the Redeemer
Len
Miller Christ
the Redeemer
Kathy
Smith Golden
Hills
Sharon
Hester Calgary
Public
Lynn
Nishimura Calgary Public
Lorne
Kosack Rocky
View
Linda
Wellman Calgary
Catholic
Janina
Diodati Calgary
Catholic
Kim
Salkeld Rocky
View
Maureen
Munro Rocky
View
Shirley
Reinhardt Golden
Hills
Carolyn
Kaiser Foothills
Colleen
Brownlee Rocky
View
Adoption of
Agenda Linda
Wellman moved that the agenda be approved.
Carried.
Adoption of
Minutes Graham
Sewell moved that the minutes be approved as corrected.
(Change 4,000 participants to 2,000
participants in Linda Wellman’s report)
Carried.
Business
Arising from the Minutes:
Labour Relations Issues: will be discussed in the Labour Relations report
Web site:
Trustees are asked to inform their clerical staff to regularly check the ASBA
Zone 5 web site at http://www.crsd.ab/zone5/index.htm
for messages, agenda items and minutes.
Zone 5 hopes
to stop faxing out the minutes but for now the agenda will be faxed with a
footnote reminding members that the minutes and messages are on the web
Correspondence Card from Gary
Wilson
Prairie Land
has a one-year agreement with the ATA but it has yet to be signed;
Assistant Superintendent
contract has been renewed for two years; and
Arlene Dow has
been appointed the Secretary-Treasurer (change from “Acting”).
The Board held
a two-day retreat with the new Superintendent, Jim McLeallan;
Signed an agreement
with Signet Publishing for the marketing of Foothills developed software;
The Facility
Review team identified $9M in facility deficiencies;
A 3-year
capital plan has been put forward with proposed upgrades in High River and
Black Diamond;
A religious
exercise policy has been developed which Foothills is willing to share; and
Graduation for
Grade 6 students in the DARE program was held.
The RCMP officer doing program is an excellent role model – truly
positive experience.
Rocky View
recently placed Gold Champion Level I from Energy Management Canada – they were
the only School Board in Canada to received such an honor;
The Alternate
school in Airdrie is doing well;
A Capital Plan
for $25M has been submitted to Alberta
Infrastructure;
The Board is
undergoing a student fee review to standardize rates in all schools; and
Although the
1999-00 calendar was unpopular with staff (school started on Jan 6) there was a
major accident at one school on Jan 5!
The Board is
looking at an Internet acceptable use policy which will standardize guidelines and parameters for staff and
students in all schools;
Capital plan
has been submitted;
Canadian
Rockies is using focus groups for their satisfaction survey at each school,
with a final plenary session at the Board level;
The vote to
form a Catholic School Board in Canmore was successful;
Considering
football in the valley;
DARE is also a
very popular program in the jurisdiction; and
The Board has
applied for an Innovations Grant to move the Tech Centre into the Academy;
Plan to start
negotiating next weekend on Friday night/Saturdays which will hopefully speed
up the process; and
There are
three portables in each of Brooks, High River and Okotooks, which they hope to
replace.
Approved a
capital plan for $61M, moving some previous 2nd year projects into
the first, illustrating how serious the needs are;
Has developed
a Learning Environment Action Plan which addresses accommodation needs,
incorporating 10 pathfinding teams looking at the most serious needs;
Requested
Admin get clarification from Alberta Infrastructure for the school utilization
rules; and
Budget
deliberations are starting in the next week, which may be challenging.
The Board has
appointed a Coordinator of Staff Development who will work with all staff;
As the
jurisdiction develops its AISI program plan, Admin, ATA representatives and
Trustees are sharing ideas to address student needs. The board will receive
$700,000 in AISI funding.
Golden Hills is
hosting a System wide Think Tank and invites Zone members to attend;
Held an
informal meeting with MLA’s which went very well;
Capital Report
– working on new school complex; and
Motion for
closure of one school to go to the Catholic Board.
Requests Lorne
to take the Internet Usage issue to ASBA;
Board’s
decision is to continue offering Francophone education at Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys, where the issue is
seen as governance;
Admin is
working on the AISI proposal; and
Sees a vast
improvement in level of collaboration with all partners in Education,
i.e., ATA, Alberta Learning, ASBA etc.
Framework and
AISA handbook have been completed;
Continues to
meet with stakeholders of ACSTA and PSBA to try to come together; and
The “Vision
and Agenda for Public Education” strives to address how additional funding
would improve public education.
Graham Sewell reported as the Alternate on the ASBA Board, that he had participated in a Strategic Planning session highlighting difficulties in getting all stakeholders on the same playing field;
ASBA is hosting a conference on Feb 17-18, which will deal with rising utility and Transportation costs;
ASBA office is
moving;
Concern that
charter schools get transportation funding but alternate schools don’t;
Growth and
Density meetings to be held in Calgary and Edmonton;
ASBA will
likely be involved in resolution of the how/where expansion of Catholic School
Boards are to take place;
Primary program
Advisory committee is in place; and
ASBA has
designated $125,000 to promote Trustee awareness.
Linda Wellman moved that Zone 5 ask Chris Spearman, or an
alternate, to make a presentation regarding the transition of Catholic School
Boards. Christ the Redeemer is willing
to give up their Board Showcasing on February 25 in order for this to
happen.
Carried.
Sharon Hester moved that Don Flemming, or an alternate from
PSBA, be invited to the February meeting as well to present information on the
ACSTA Boundaries Expansion
Carried
Report
Attached
Introduced by Terry Patey, this program was aptly represented by Dr. Robert St-Onge with assistance from Mr. Errol Thompson, and Principals and staff of two Rocky View schools who have implemented the program.
Terry
is looking for Trustees to become more involved in this process.
Report
Attached
Zone will not hold any Provincial Bargaining sessions but recommends members attend the Pre-Bargaining Conference on March 23;
John Neill
reported that he has been going to Provincial Bargaining sessions in Zone 2/3;
Zone suggests
that ASBA have something in place for the spring meeting in June; and
If you had a
trustee at the Coming Together meeting in December, please forward the report
to others in your Board (Pat Stutz has copies if required).
no meeting
No meeting;
Met briefly on
Jan 14 where Gary McKinnon was asked to represent the Regional Consortium on an
AISI committee, in conjunction with Alberta Learning.
The packages
are in the mail;
The Committee
will establish and request a maximum length of Edwin Parr applicant
information; and
Deadline for
submissions is March 31.
All member
boards have paid; and
Bank balance
is $15,675.
John Neill moved to accept all reports
Carried.
The draft ASBA
Zone 5 Handbook was distributed.
Maureen Munro complemented the individuals who put so much time into the
document for the high quality of the finished product.
Terry Patey
moved acceptance of the bylaws and handbook as presented.
Carried.
The ASBA Zone
5 Handbook will be posted on the Web-site.
Adjournment
Mary Stengler
moved to adjourn at 2:55 PM.
Carried