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SUBMISSION TO THE SUPERVISION TEAM
from the
TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES
“If you’re walking down the
right path, and you’re willing to
keep walking, eventually you’ll
make progress.”
- Barack Obama -
May 1, 2009
A series of scandals at the Toronto Catholic District School Board has stretched the
public’s patience to the breaking point. The past year’s embarrassing disclosures have
been likened to a slow motion train crash. Almost everyone could see it coming and no
one was able to stop it. Such are the perilous results of an institution on the wrong track.
The swirl of controversy and the almost daily negative news reports has created an
environment where trustees might be more inclined to find a deep hole, hunker down and
wait out the storm. Doing so would not however resolve the problems that led to this low
point in the history of the TCDSB. It is incumbent on each trustee to address issues
individually and collectively; head-on. Simply bemoaning the painful erosion of public
confidence will never suffice to reclaim it. There is no question that we must extend
ourselves to gain back every inch of ground we have collectively lost.
Some might believe that it is impossible to turn the tide because reputations are
much harder to rebuild than to destroy. We are a Christ-centered institution that believes
and lives the promise of redemption through confession and forgiveness. The only way
that we can even start to regain public trust is to keep the focus on those things that really
matter. The virtues that form the pivotal function in educating the students in our care
must now form the bedrock on which we rebuild confidence in this august institution.
The process of rebuilding must be a genuine effort. The commitment to
transparency can not simply be an after thought but a primary objective. Accountability
and integrity will be our watchwords. This will be the foundation upon which public
confidence is restored and rebuilt brick by brick. Honesty will be the mortar that binds
our collective effort.
Page 2
STEEP HILL AHEAD
Building and Managing Relationships
Through whatever combination of causes, actions and reactions,
the public has lost their faith in us and they suspect that although other
factors may be at work, one critical element in this loss of faith is the
unhealthy and offensive relationships that have existed. We have been
working in an atmosphere of mistrust. This is not the way our board
charged with educating Catholic leaders of the future should be operated.
A purpose driven Christ-centered institution is about building and
managing positive relationships and we could gain much if we apply this
credo to our day to day interactions.
Rebuilding trust is not as straightforward as building trust in the
first place. Can it happen overnight? Of course not, it may take the
passage of time because trust building requires mutual commitment and
effort, especially when there are competing political agendas and conflicts.
To say that trust is fragile - like a piece of china is an understatement -
once cracked it is never quite the same. With the application of a
consistent set of values, willingness to change and a passionate concern
for others we will be able to avoid any further cracks. Over time some
cracks may become part of the patina that in the end adds value to an
antique.
Page 4
STEEP HILL AHEAD
Earning the Public Trust
Trust and confidence may be based on great tradition and inherited
values but what matters is what you do today. Trust has to be earned and
earned again - the higher the trust, the higher the expectation. We hope
that through our actions in the future that the public will begin to forgive
us and believe that we have the determination, the values and the
wherewithal to put the past wrongs right again. We have committed to
measures to make the chance of a recurrence as small as humanly
possible. It is something to build on. We must enter a new ear of hope
and progress where we bury mistrust, uncertainty and tension and begin
a new chapter of harmony and collaboration.
It will be very difficult to achieve any movement forward until people
can find some way of leaving behind their anger and more often than not,
people can only leave that anger behind if they feel that it is being heard
and honoured. In order to argue the case for a new politics of trust we
need a renewed focus on truth and reconciliation. We need to be saying
that the actions that have taken place in the past do not justify giving up
on tomorrow. As we say this, we need to be holding out some sort of
vision of what that tomorrow might look like, knowing that for quite a
number of people it would involve the most dramatic re-writing of how
they relate to us and how we relate to them.
Page 5
STEEP HILL AHEAD
Accountability - Transparency - Integrity
When you talk about trust, you have to talk about accountability, It
is the cornerstone of trust. Transparency and accountability do not
automatically earn the public trust. In the end, both depend on people of
integrity. Individuals of integrity do the right thing and this cannot be
compromised.
The objectives of transparency, accountability and integrity will not
be fulfilled if we are not committed to the philosophy of these principles.
We need to develop a culture of trust which will require us all to be honest
about differences where they exist, articulate them openly on the basis
that in expressing them we each accept that we might be wrong and are
willing to move on in our thinking – just as we invite others to move on in
theirs.
The trustees of the Toronto Catholic District School Board are
committed to the principles of accountability, transparency and integrity.
We are ready to be advocates for a clear path for the road ahead to ensure
that the trust of the public is redeemed.
Page 6
STEEP HILL AHEAD
Ethics Skilled Leadership
The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined
effort of every person within it. In order to advance and improve the
culture of ethics, skilled leadership is required that encourages both
elected officials and staff to take ethics seriously. Leadership by example
is required, as the tone at the top sets the standard below.
We will bring out the very best in each of us. We will embody a
deep and unshakable integrity. We will be courageous and innovative.
We will know the value of dialoguing with those that disagree with us.
We will listen to views on all sides of an issue and find higher common
ground. We will stand for our principles. We will hold ourselves to a
higher standard. We will respect ourselves and others and in seeking
solutions to problems we will put the needs of our students first.
Page 7
STEEP HILL AHEAD
Mutual Respect
Mutual respect means being treated with consideration and to be
willing to treat people similarly. It means to have a regard for other
peoples’ feelings, listening to people and hearing them. Respect comes
with the belief that a person can have beliefs contradictory to ours and
we should honour them. In addition, goals become easier to attain when
the element of respect is present. Respect is the first positive step in
relationship building and transforming conflict to move forward
together. We can no longer dwell on what went wrong – it is very difficult
to move forward when you are looking backward, consequently, we have
to put in a great deal of effort that may never be seen or appreciated
before we can achieve anything worthwhile. Intention without action is
useless. Looking forward, our goals are offered with well founded
optimism that things will get better and continue to improve.
We will work hard to accelerate the healing process for all concerned
and to demonstrate to all taxpayers our willingness to work together.
Honesty, the prevention of conflicts of interest, the prohibition against
using public office for personal gain, the promotion of fair procedures
and openness – all stem from the principle of mutual respect. We cannot
change the circumstances but we can take responsibility and change
ourselves.
Page 8
STEEP HILL AHEAD
Moving Forward Together
Barack Obama said “If you’re walking down the right path, and you’re
willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.” The Trustees of
the Toronto Catholic District School Board are taking their first steps
down the right road armed with determination and strength of purpose.
We look forward with positive energy to get on with the job we were
elected to do.
Page 9
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Participative Planning
You need a plan to build a house. To build a strong school board it
is even more important to have goals. Planning can be viewed as a
political process of consensus building and participation in planning
strengthens commitment for all concerned. We want plans and strategies
that lend confidence to our actions and a planning process that looks to
both short and long term goals and activities, that is creative and intuitive
and that creates a unified strategic vision. Collaboration in the planning
process establishes a common framework for communication and decision
making as well as encouraging initiative and responsibility. We are
requesting approval from the Supervision Team for a process to facilitate
participative planning. We envision the participation of the Supervision
Team, trustees and senior staff. Partial funds to hire a facilitator can
come from unused trustee conference budgets.
Page 10
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Setting Goals and Objectives
Vision is not about what we are, but what we want to be – it is about
where we are going and what kind of school system we are trying to create
now and for the future. Objectives or goals are tied to thinking about the
future; therefore, objectives are often tied to planning. A framework for
objective setting is beneficial to our organization as it will determine the
basis for decision making; method for setting performance standards and
ensures that the focus remains on the end and not on the means. We
asked ourselves “What do we need to do in order to achieve our goals?”
and with this in mind we began the process of setting objectives.
When we support our students and provide them with opportunities
to succeed, we are building a better future for everyone. In the report of
August 26, 2008 Strengthening Public Trust and Confidence: A Call to
Stewardship and Service “the qualities contributing to student
achievement are: a clear focus; a culture of trust; staff commitment;
continuous improvement in programming; sound staff morale; effective
administrative processes; and public confidence that students will
experience a Catholic education that results in their successful
contribution to society at large.” These key elements provided trustees
the foundation as a starting point to the following objectives:
Page 11
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
OBJECTIVES
To deliver a range of education programs to improve student
learning and achievement
To maintain consistently high quality educational programs
To preserve and advance Catholic education
To respect, recognize, motivate, reward and provide professional
development to staff that focuses on developing skills to improve
student learning and community engagement
To achieve organizational excellence through embracing change
and innovation
To be accountable to the public in the development of policies
and procedures to maintain the highest standard of integrity
To continuously demonstrate leadership, compassion, dedication
and an uncompromising quest for excellence
To achieve value for money through the optimum availability and
utilization of all resources and facilities, and by ensuring all future
programs and projects have a sound business rationale
To align and control financial resources and expenditures for all
programs provided and allocate those resources to protect the
programs that have the most impact on students
To meet all legal accountabilities and obligations through the
establishment of appropriate performance management and
governance including new procedural by-laws
To provide safe and healthy learning environments
To work with all stakeholders to develop sustainable Catholic
educational school communities
Page 12
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
OBJECTIVES
To build public trust and confidence by being transparent
To work in close partnership with all stakeholders to develop
innovative public engagement strategies that will:
a) improve value based decision making
b) enhance communication and public trust and
c) facilitate increased public engagement and
broad based stakeholder consultation in order to produce
a mandate that will guide and involve decision making
Page 13
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Governing For Results
How a board governs is just as important as the decisions it makes.
The core decision making functions include setting the vision, appointing
and evaluating the Director of Education, adopting the budget, advocacy,
collective bargaining and governing through policy. While it is easy to
generalize about policy functions and management functions, it is difficult
to get consensus on where the fine lines separating the two should be
drawn. Some believe that one of the key responsibilities of a trustee is to
provide a community perspective in decision making including their active
participation in the promotion of future leaders within the system. Others
believe that this responsibility falls on the administration.
Regardless of the different views trustees believe that there should
be a consultative and collaborative process in place that will provide a
community and non academic perspective. We request that the
Supervision Team consider forming a subcommittee of staff, trustees and
parents to review present policies and procedures and the recently
released governance document from the Ministry of Education and outline
a framework to clarify roles and responsibilities.
Trustees have a moral authority to govern and when they decline to
do so, they undermine the whole system. It becomes unproductive, and
Page 14
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Governing for Results . . .
inefficient. When trustees focus on operational issues rather than policy
making, the result is that senior staff is no longer doing the job they were
hired to do. They are pushed aside and left feeling demoralized and the
Director of Education has no way of enforcing accountability. The line
between trustees as determiners of policy and administrators as
implementers of policy is often anything but self evident. Trustees
sometimes involve themselves too intimately and inappropriately with
operations. Instead of micro-managing, trustees should be empowering
staff to do the jobs they were hired to do. In order to harness the
system’s resources and provide what staff needs to do their jobs it is
Important to consult them on what trustees/senior staff can do to support
and promote empowerment. Their views and advice will provide the
guiding tenet that is needed in this regard.
Real change constitutes a focus on governing, not on operations -
agreeing to work together for future generations grants clarity of vision
and purpose. The job of a trustee is to make local policy consistent with
both provincial policy and local realities. To set clear expectations and
guidelines for their schools and work with them to make sure they are
progressing toward those ends. With improving student achievement as
the end goal we offer the following suggestions and ask that the
Page 15
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Governing for Results . . .
Supervision Team request staff to report on how they can be implemented.
Produce an annual report card that speaks to the performance
of the elected board as well as staff and their progress to improve
student learning
Implement a transparent budget process that would be focused
on school improvement planning and student results
Collaboratively develop a community/communication plan
with the involvement of parents, school and community
members that will foster student achievement
Establish specific and clear standards for performance in order to know
whether we are performing in accordance with community expectations
Page 16
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Advocacy
The role of a school trustee is a complex and demanding one at the
best of times. It requires knowledge of programs and services, policy,
regulations and legislation, student achievement and the budget and
protocols. It involves an understanding of the diverse communities within
the ward and throughout the city, the unique needs and character of its
schools, the necessity of advocating for the students and families and the
responsibility of representing the community needs to the Government of
Ontario.
Sometimes parents and teachers have a difficult time advocating for
students and school needs, and being acknowledged by their school board.
One of the main roles of an elected representative is to speak for their
constituents. When parents come to the board, they want feedback, they
want to know where their trustee stands on an issue – they do not want to
feel like they are talking into a black hole. Supervision makes the access
to decision-makers even more difficult.
Page 17
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Advocacy . . .
It has long been acknowledged that the stewardship of a publicly
funded Catholic school system has a critical role, deserving of a dedicated
board of trustees, elected by the community and entrusted to care for the
public education system within that community. Central to notions of
democracy is the requirement that people have the opportunity to
participate in important decisions that impact them, not simply during
elections but on an ongoing basis in the debates that shape policy. A
system which bypasses trustees and parents during a period of unrest
further aggravates their frustration.
Our partners in education expect to be listened to so their interests
can be understood and the methods used to support their interest must
be approached with humility and honour. Parents, in particular are used
to putting the needs of their children first and tall orders can be filled
with the support and participation of the Supervision Team, trustees, staff
parents and the community. Our partners are committed to educational
experiences that address achievement. To foster the desired results clear
communication and inclusiveness must be supported with tangible steps
that encourage positive partnerships.
Page 18
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Advocacy . . .
While school boards are creatures of the Province of Ontario and
even if a government removes an unruly board of trustees is local
representation and democracy better served? At what point does such an
intrusion encroach upon the rights of the public? School trustees are the
locally elected representatives of education. The undertaking by trustees
to represent the community makes them accountable – an accountability
which is the guarantor of democracy. Supervision when enacted by the
provincial government further removes trustees from being accountable.
Public education, as the foundation of a democratic society is more secure
when responsibility for it is local, direct, clear and focused. When it is
managed from afar, education becomes vulnerable to political, ideological
or other agendas and the importance of education is much more likely to
be blurred and folded in with diverse other public responsibilities. The
importance of public education will not diminish, but our ability to make
it work will.
Placing responsibility for education in the hands of locally elected
and accountable members of the community is no guarantee that all
decisions will be wise but the crux of the matter is trustees are members
of the community they serve. They are visible and fulfill the duties of
their office by discussing the issues and making decisions in the public
Page 19
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Advocacy . . .
eye. When mistakes are made, not only are the mistakes visible but the
trustees themselves are visible. School boards are a living accessible
model of democracy in action – warts and all. Parents, staff and the public
have shared their concerns about the uncertainty they are feeling due to
lack of information, a growing ambiguity regarding decision making,
openness and a genuine fear of the unknown. It is therefore essential that
the Supervision Team put in place a process and a timeline to transition
trustees back and communicate this information to the public.
Page 20
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Information Sharing
These are testing times and the word of the hour is uncertainty. It
has been an uphill climb for trustees, staff and stakeholders to get
information. It is our view that how the Supervision team and senior
management interacts, shares knowledge and information with the rest of
the organization and the public sets the tone of the board’s culture. It is
important to have the strength of common understanding to exemplify
stability and consistency. This means being able to walk the walk and not
just pay lip service to open communication and information sharing - clear
communication and information sharing is the foundation that will
strengthen the fiber of the board.
People cannot function in a vacuum – trustees and staff alike do not
understand the rules under supervision. Staff, parents and the public
assume, rightly or wrongly, that trustees are aware of information and
decisions made by the Supervision Team and senior staff. To avoid
surprises, a deliberate attempt to convey accurate information in a timely
manner will ensure that trustees can respond with some knowledge to
questions from constituents and the community at large.
Page 21
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Information Sharing . . .
We are in new territory where we recognize that there is a higher
good which must be taken into consideration - ultimately, supervision is
for the good of the taxpayer and our students. Trustees have a duty to
ask questions and we expect responses that will tell it to us straight, no
matter if it is something we may not want to hear.
Transparency and maintaining an effective flow of information
between trustees, the Supervision Team, staff, administration, parents and
other stakeholders is necessary. No matter what our differences if we are
going to make education work for everyone and we need to, we need to
work together – and working together involves, at the outset, opening up
the doors and defining roles during the period of supervision.
In the context of this report we have developed a list of questions for
the Supervision Team. Trustees appreciate that the Supervision Team and
senior administration have a great deal of work and immediate responses
are not expected, however, trustees will appreciate receiving a timeline on
when responses will be provided. Some questions and requests are new
and some have been asked in the past.
Page 22
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Questions
Will there be a public consultation process on the budget?
When will trustees receive information on the grants?
What is the status of the deficit? Will improving student
achievement be a focus on setting priorities in the budget?
What are the plans for Catholic Education Week including
the religious programming, materials and staffing? When
will there be an update on sacramental norms?
What is the status of occasional teachers and retirements?
When will a Chair and Vice Chair be appointed? What issues
are hindering a decision? What is needed from trustees in
order to proceed?
Will trustees be briefed on conflict of interest issues?
When will trustees have input in the ARC process?
When will trustees be briefed on changes to special education?
What is the status of the HR report and the CAO position?
What is the trustee role in school improvement plans?
What equitable process across the system can be developed to
award students for community service and academics at
graduation?
What equitable process across the system can be developed to
encourage and support green initiatives at the local school level?
Will you be supporting the secondary school proposal from the
student trustee to ban water bottles?
Page 23
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
QUESTIONS
What is the status regarding the promotion of future leaders?
What steps are being taken on coterminous equitable funding?
Is there a role that trustees can play in this regard?
What is the status of capital projects? What role can trustees
play in setting priorities for future capital projects?
What is the status of principal and superintendent evaluations?
What are the performance goals for the Interim Director of
Education and what are the terms of her contract?
Page 24
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Defining Roles and Responsibilities
School boards have a single portfolio: education. The decisions are
not camouflaged by an agenda shared with health, housing and economic
development. The priorities are not determined through trade offs with
public transit and the environment. School boards have a single aim: the
best possible education for all students and the test by which to be judged
is the quality of educational programs and student achievement. Boards
and educators should have the authority to exercise and therefore be held
accountable for the discharge of their responsibilities. It is important to
clarify the various roles within the system.
Trustees wear many hats: planners, communicators, policy makers,
advocates, politicians, lobbyists and adjudicators. How board members
perform their critical representational role is as important as the role
itself. Board members’ relationships with each other, with senior
administration and other staff, and with the public have a profound
impact on a board’s effectiveness and affects the board’s ability to come
to consensus about the direction of the school system, advocate with
credibility and establish a positive climate that encourages the best from
staff.
Page 25
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Defining Roles and Responsibilities . . .
Working with senior administration the board must have a unity of
purpose to keep the focus on learning and achievement.
The Director of Education performs the supervisory management
duties required to facilitate parent, family, and community involvement in
the school system to achieve student success. A Director of Education has
the responsibility to ensure that all provincial regulations and ministerial
directives are adhered to and that the board policies are implemented.
Enhanced insight of the unique, interrelated functions of school boards
and senior administration will lead to greater student achievement. A
joint understanding of the role and responsibilities of trustees, the
Director of Education and staff can achieve an appreciation and respect
for each role in our system.
Under supervision trustees have no power. The decision making
authority as prescribed by the provincial government rests with the
appointed Supervision Team. Under supervision, the roles of trustees is
particularly blurred: superintendents and principals do not know if they
can talk to us; parents and the public are not certain what they can expect
from us; trustees do not know what the Supervision Team requires from
us and trustees are unclear as to the parameters under which they are
Page 26
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Defining Roles and Responsibilities . . .
working. Confusion exists and clear direction must be provided regarding
the roles and responsibilities during this period of supervision. To create
the kind of fundamental changes needed, trustees need help from the
Supervision Team to understand what they expect from trustees and how
trustees can become more effective. To make sure we are all working on
the same page we are requesting that the Supervision Team provide
guidelines defining roles and responsibilities and outline the operating
rules while under supervision.
Page 27
ROAD WORK AHEAD
Working Partnership with the Director of Education
In the past six years there have been five different Directors of
Education at the TCDSB, and in the past year there have been three, which
has further added to instability and dysfunction of the board. It is the
view of the trustees that the Director of Education must accept some
responsibility for building and maintaining a strong, positive working
partnership with the school board members. The Director must bring a
positive attitude to the relationship building task, seeing her board as a
vital partner, rather than a damage control challenge. Aimed with a
positive attitude the Director can also make governance – the work of the
school board a high priority, devoting time to thinking about ways to help
the board strengthen its governing performance. By involving trustees in
generating directions rather than merely reviewing finished documents
will strengthen ownership and commitment.
Good relationships, involve reciprocal obligations, and the school
trustees will contribute to the relationship by focusing on governing rather
than getting bogged down in administrative details; make a firm
commitment to strengthening governing skills and to treat the Director as
a partner deserving respect, rather than an adversary.
Page 28
ROAD WORK AHEAD
Relevant Connections
We cannot realistically, nor would we want to return to yesterday’s
modes of school boards as this would undermine our ability to recognize
forces for change and respond flexibly to them. For many people, school
boards are the unknown components in the school system. Trustees are
elected by a small proportion of the electorate and it might even be
embarrassing to discover how many constituents know their trustees’
names. Board agendas too often reflect matters that are light years away
from what happens in schools; anyone who has sat in on a meeting of a
school board knows that it can be a truly surrealistic experience. If the
school system is to reach its maximum potential with the limited
resources available it is necessary to establish the means for effective
parental involvement. Although there are many examples, we will use
Catholic School Advisory Councils as an example.
School councils consisting of elected representatives of parents,
teachers, support staff, the school principal as well as appointees from the
church and the community at large were established by the provincial
government to shift the focus to the local school level, thereby securing
greater participation and representation closer to the people. Yet, no
significant authority has been delegated to school councils – it simply
permits parents to serve, if they wish, in a purely advisory role.
Page 29
ROAD WORK AHEAD
Relevant Connections . . .
For obvious reasons school councils reduce the distance between
parents, the public and the schools; provide means for parental expression
and serve as important links to building school-community partnerships.
Legislated school councils were intended to give parents, students and
community members a larger voice in decision making. According to
legislation:
“the purpose of school councils is, through the active
participation of parents, to improve pupil achievement
and to enhance the accountability of the education system
to parents.”
There are rules in the legislation and board policies including the
following: a member of the board cannot be a member of the school
council; an employee cannot be a member of the council; every parent can
vote on the election of the council except the principal or vice principal;
the chair or vice chair must be a parent member of the council; the
majority of parent members attending a school council meeting are
Catholic and the principal shall distribute materials received from the
Ministry to the school council. Obviously, this is only a partial list but as
members of the school board know the rules and the policies are not
adhered to in many schools.
Page 30
ROAD WORK AHEAD
Relevant Connections . . .
The legislation goes on to say that board consultation includes
soliciting the views of school councils on board policies and amendments;
appropriate dress; development and implementation plans for any new
initiatives that relates to student achievement and the process and criteria
applicable to the selection of principal and/or vice principal and any other
matter the board deems appropriate. Ask any parent council member if
the profile they create for a principal or vice principal is taken into
consideration on the selection of a principal prior to making a decision?
If in fact, it is considered the information is never communicated to the
school council or the trustee. To respect the work of the parent council
in developing the profile there must be some weight placed on this profile
prior to recommending and making an appointment.
Furthermore a school council can make recommendations to the
principal or the board and the board has a duty to respond. According to
legislation the board:
Shall consider the recommendation made and the board
shall advise the council of the action taken in response to
the recommendation.
Page 31
ROAD WORK AHEAD
Relevant Connections . . .
The principal also has the responsibility to respond to any recom-
mendations made to him or her by the school. If in fact our board holds
fast to abiding to these rules then there is a problem in communicating
this to school council members, and indeed school trustees who attend
many CSAC meetings. At board meetings, it is typical that a delegation to
the board “be received” and no further follow up or communication is
provided. There is a disconnect that has to be addressed especially since
there is so much more scrutiny of student performance and achievement.
The school board must always be conscious of customer satisfaction and
more responsive to community and school needs. CSAC’s and indeed all
education stakeholders have a vital partnership role to play and the school
board needs to be seen as engaging them in a significant way. Maximizing
the effectiveness of partnerships also requires the commitment and vision
of the Director of Education and the trustees to gain a level of acceptance
and support for improvement efforts. To remain relevant and connected
different strategies need to be adopted to achieve the stated purpose in
the legislation. It is recommended that the Supervision Team request staff
to review school council legislation and board policies; consult with school
councils regarding proposals for change within the purview of the school
board; recommend strategies, new policies (if any) and ensure that
legislation is complied with.
Page 32
SLOPE OF HOPE
Transition and the Slope of Hope
Paul and Mary are given a piece of wood and a knife. Both begin
whittling. Both are serious about their task. When they are finished they
have two different results. Mary has carved a boat and Paul has carved
away his wood into shavings. What was different between Paul and Mary?
Mary had vision – which meant she could see the end result. She also
understood transition and how to get from where she was to where she
wanted to go. She had a purpose, a target and a strategy. Paul, while
working equally hard was just whittling.
Like Paul and Mary the school trustees on the TCDSB have been
stretched and challenged but have reached consensus on being purpose
driven with some targets and strategies for the future. Trustees have
vision - know where they want to go but they need help getting there. The
question remains – how can trustees be supported to focus on directing
and supporting student achievement? The partial answer rests in
understanding board characteristics and behaviours and helping trustees
to access effective training, development and expert advice and support
but most importantly to ensure that the governance role is realistic and
focused on the end result.
Page 33
SLOPE OF HOPE
Transition and the Slope of Hope . . .
Preparation is a major part of vision. Vision is not just a destination;
it is a journey. Vision is not just a product; it is a process. So what are the
steps of preparation? Vision is usually given to people who patiently wait
for it. We all hate to wait. Sometimes it feels like our entire lives are on
hold. You cannot go from being a mess one day to being totally effective
the next but trustees have done some tough homework and here is a
working definition of our will to move ahead: do the right thing – in the
right way – for the right motive – at the right time.
We have the responsibility to continually improve until we know for
certain that our work with our partners in education is making a
difference for every school, every classroom and every student. We need
to close the gap between students who are achieving at high levels and
those that are not. Our purpose is to create a Catholic faith community
which recognizes dignity, equality and respect for all and most
importantly provides a well rounded education for our students in the
spirit of the Gospel and the teaching of the Catholic Church. Through
academics, the arts and athletics we will carry out our work in our schools
to engage learners and engage communities.
Page 34
SLOPE OF HOPE
Transition and the Slope of Hope . . .
Shifting the primary focus of local education governance towards
improving education outcomes through shared decision making and
embedded accountability structures is the cornerstone to moving forward.
Working hard to gain acceptance and support from internal and external
stakeholders for improvement efforts and maximizing the effectiveness of
those partnerships requires commitment and vision. There is no fast
acting formula to cure all the tribulations of the past but reflecting,
rethinking and building consensus will set us on the right path.
According to the March 28, 2006 Ministry of Education Report –
Respect for Local School Trustees, it states that “sound local decision
making by local representatives is essential to student success.” Education
is our greatest example of democracy. The return of local control is
essential in our goal to achieve academic excellence and accountability.
Page 35
SLOPE OF HOPE
Transition and the Slope of Hope . . .
We envision the following phases to regain our rightful place at the
board room table to do the job we were elected to do and we are asking
the Supervision Team consider the following transition plan:
1. Bring trustees back to the table in an advisory capacity in private.
Define desired outcomes and evaluate progress
2. Provide training and development to ensure that trustees can
work together as a governance team.
3. Trustees act in an advisory capacity in public. Define desired
outcomes and evaluate progress.
4. Assign specific projects that trustees can participate in.
(review of by-laws etc.)
5. Co-management
6. Return of trustees to local control
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JOURNEY OF FAITH
Religion Celebrates Relationships
To conclude our submission we offer the wise words of His Grace,
Archbishop Thomas Collins:
“The foundation for any real relationship is to be able to confess
sinfulness, forgive one another and grow in that humility.
To get us from where we are to where we want to go, a navigator
must be sure both that the navigation instruments are functioning
properly, and that they are supplied with accurate information
about our present location, and the path to our destination.
We now set out on the next portion of our journey of faith, at one
with God, and blessed with a deeper understanding of our frailty
and need for his grace. The struggle continues, for we still face
the many temptations of life, and will need again and again to
return to receive the mercy of God. But through the sacramental
experience of that divine mercy we slowly become more humble,
more compassionate, more supple instruments of God’s grace in
our baptismal mission of discipleship.”
Page 37
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