School Trustee Elections

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School Trustee Elections

• October 25, 2006
• Public Information Session

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Manitobas Public Education System
The School Community Teachers, Principals,
Support Staff, PACs, Volunteers

• Public Education Governance
• School boards and divisional staff
• Ministry of Education
• Other government

• Partners, Advocates and Interest Groups
• Professional associations
• Unions
• Lobbyists
• Service clubs
• Community groups
• Media

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Manitobas Public Education SystemThe
Legislative Framework
Legislative Assembly Cabinet
The Public Schools Act The Education
Administration Act
Manitoba Education Citizenship Youth
Electorate/Community
School Boards Trustees, divisional administrators

• Schools
• Programs services
• Staffing
• Students parents

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Manitobas Public 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

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The Work of School Boards

• Governance
• Oversee and manage the planning and delivery of
  education programs and services in compliance
  with provincial laws
• budget
• personnel
• facilities and infrastructure
• local policies and procedures

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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

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The effective school trustee

• Serves in the interests of all students and all
  citizens within the division/district.

• Respects the authority of the school board and
  takes no individual action which might compromise
  the board.

• Is well acquainted with divisional and school
  policies but refrains from involvement in
  administration or operational matters.

• Is a good listener and demonstrates openness to
  diverse perspectives and ideas.

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The effective school trustee cont

• Gives careful consideration to all available
  information about an issue before making
  decisions.

• Supports the majority decisions of the board
  while retaining the right to seek changes through
  ethical and constructive channels.

• Respects the need for confidentiality concerning
  particular aspects of board business.

• Understands that his/her behaviour and attributes
  impact the reputation of the school board.

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The essentials of trusteeship

• There are no right answers, quick fixes or
  silver bullets.

• Demands and expectations will always exceed
  resources and capacity to respond.

• Controversy and conflict are inevitable.

• Rational arguments rarely make sense.

• Policies and rules should apply equally across
  the system except in individual cases.

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The essentials of trusteeship cont

• Education funding is an incomprehensible science.

• Administration can be seductive and distracting.

• Media are not necessarily your friends.

• How and why are as important as what.

• Schooling is a human enterprise. People and
  relationships are critical.

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Becoming a School TrusteeQualifications

• 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.

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Becoming a School TrusteeQualificationscont

• 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 they must take an unpaid leave of
absence from that employment in order to serve.
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Remaining a School Trustee

• A trustees 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.

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Remaining a School Trusteecont

• 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).

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Am I ready to be a candidate for school trustee?

• 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 and to learn?

• Can I work as an effective team member with other
  trustees and senior administrators?

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Running for Office

• Obtain the proper nomination papers.

• Obtain the signatures of the required number of
  qualified voters25 individuals, or 1 of the
  electors of the ward, whichever is the lesser.

• File the completed nomination papers during the
  nomination period (September 13 to 19, 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 25, dont forget to vote!