Maurice Cody Family

1
Maurice Cody Family School Association

• Proposed Structure For
• Maurice Cody School / Parent /
• Community Association
• Discussion And Vote

2
Agenda

• Joining the OFHSA / Converting FSA to a Home
  School Association
• Adding a School Council
• Next Steps

3
Home School Association

• What is it?

Benefits and Costs

• Province-wide network of members
• Charitable organisation
• Committed to obtain the best for each student
• Board of Directors considers input concerns
  from Home School Associations
• Advocates on behalf of members
• Local members can suggest OFHSA policy

• Access to policy-setting and decision-making
  tables
• Workshops and resources
• Award and recognition programs
• Bulletin (4x a year), monthly mailings
• Cost 15 per family (tax deductible)
• At least 6 parents must join

4
Home School Association

• Factors To Consider

Benefits or Challenges

• Retain own bank account and signing authorities
• Set own agenda, plan own activities
• of votes at AGM determined by of members
• No reporting requirements
• Liability insurance inside school and at outside
  venues
• Fiduciary responsibilities remain the same
• Independent voice of parents lobbying /
  advocacy
• Support, training, resources, advice
• Local, provincial, national networking

• Accountability
• Liability / Insurance
• Support / advocacy

5
QA
Guest Diane Muffoletto Director, Toronto
Council Ontario Federation of Home School
Associations
6
Proposed Motion on Home School Association
Motion I move that the Maurice Cody Family
School Association become a member of the Ontario
Federation of Home School Associations in the
first quarter of 2008. Date December 12,
2007 Moved by Ida Brass Seconded by Laura
Lindberg
7
School Council

• What is it?

Benefits and Challenges

• School parent council
• Advisory role to school staff TDSB
• Purpose to improve student achievement enhance
  accountability of the education system to parents
• Parents, staff, community representation
• Requirement of Education Act
• See also information in background materials from
  previous presentation

• Compliance with Education Act
• Ensures discussion time for academic / school
  council topics
• Raises accountability bar
• Meeting, procedure, election, reporting
  guidelines
• May limit fundraising efforts and uses

8
Adding A School Council

• Factors To Consider

Benefits and Challenges

• Cooperative stance
• Avoids duplication of effort (School
  Administration would have to form a School
  Council anyway)
• Only for pre-approved purposes
• Must use pre-approved vendors
• Tax receipts available
• Reporting to TDSB
• TDSB owns assets
• Must use TDSB bank account (in trust)

• Compliance With Education Act
• Fundraising
• Banking

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FSA/HSA and School Council Combined Meeting
Agendas

• General Meetings
• School Council Business 700 730
• Minutes of Previous Meeting
• Presidents Report
• Principals Report
• Health Safety
• Curriculum / Academic
• Other
• Home School Business 730 815
• Presidents Report
• Finance Report
• Fundraising Report
• Special Project Report
• Other

10
QA
Guest Lisa Whitwell Chair, North Lea School
Council North Lea currently operates joint
Home School Association / School Council
meetings
11
Proposed Motion on School Council
Motion I move that we take the steps required
to add a School Council effective in the first
quarter of 2008, to operate in conjunction with
the Maurice Cody Family School Association,
taking responsibility for items which enable the
parents and community to act in an advisory role
with the Principal and the Board, including areas
such as staffing, health safety, educational
issues, and academic performance. Date
December 12, 2007 Moved by Ida Brass Seconded
by Laura Lindberg
12
Next Steps Making It Happen

• OFHSA membership
• meet with OFHSA volunteer
• Identify charter members, collect annual fee and
  send to OFHSA
• Review OFHSA bylaws and best practices. Amend
  FSA constitution if required
• School Council
• Set by-laws (MoE Guide has samples - amend FSA
  constitution?)
• Hold elections (parents can vote on parent
  members, staff vote on staff, etc)
• FSA Executive or general meeting could vote on
  each set of by-laws and membership
• Possible Motion
• To give the FSA executive the authority to review
  the FSA constitution and the OFHSA recommended
  bylaws and best practices and bring forward any
  changes and recommendations to an executive
  meeting for approval.

13
Background MaterialsNov 21, 2007 FSA
MeetingPresentation
14
Maurice Cody Family School Association

• Current and Proposed Structure For
• Maurice Cody School / Parent /
• Community Association
• Evaluation of Options

15
Agenda

• What do we have today?
• Why should we consider change?
• What are the options?
• Considerations
• How it might work
• Proposed Motion / Next Steps

16
What do we have today?

• Maurice Cody has operated a Family School
  Association (FSA) for years. The FSA
  Constitution states its aim as
• To contribute to the effectiveness of the
  educational program at Maurice Cody Public School
  and in the community and
• To foster cooperation and understanding between
  the families and staff of Maurice Cody Public
  School
• FSA Members include all parents, guardians and
  staff members.
• The By-laws outline the procedures, like how to
  change the Constitution, the governance of funds,
  voting rules, and the nomination and election of
  officers
• The Fundraising Allocation Policy outlines the
  fund raising principles goals request,
  evaluation, and approval processes and criteria
  and Finance Committee responsibilities.

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Why Change?

• The Ontario Education Act requires each school to
  have a school council, which operates in a
  similar fashion to our FSA, but is not, exactly,
  a school council.
• In the past, we ( previous MC staff) have
  recorded the meetings / activities of the FSA as
  if it were a school council.
• Our new principal, Shona Farrelly, has asked that
  the FSA consider a revised structure in order to
  comply more closely with Ontario governments
  guidelines.
• Shona will share her perspective on
• The need for a school council
• The consequences if we do not have a school
  council

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Options

• Remain as a Family School Association
• Change from an FSA to a School Council
• Keep the FSA add a School Council
• What about becoming a Home School Association?
• There is an Ontario Home School Association
  that provides benefits to its members such as
  lobbying support, 3rd party liability insurance,
  etc. There are guidelines on meetings, roles,
  accountabilities, etc. It may or may not be
  beneficial for the MC FSA to consider
  transitioning to a HSA.
• This decision may be considered independently of
  the decision to create a school council, so will
  not be covered in this evaluation

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Options Anticipated Next Steps / Outcomes

• No change.
• Remain as FSA
• Change from an FSA to a School Council
• Keep the FSA add a School Council

• Principal would call for volunteers to establish
  a School Council
• Close out FSA. Initiate School Council and
  follow new guidelines.
• Operate two bodies. Align on division of
  accountabilities and how to execute meeting(s)
  efficiently and effectively.

20
What Is A School Council?

• In 1994, the Ontario Parent Council recommended
  an amendment to the Education Act... that a
  school parent council be required for every
  school to ensure equity of access and
  consistency of approach for parents ....
  Regulations address the purpose of school
  councils, operational matters, the obligation
  of the principal and boards to consult with the
  school councils.
• In 00/01, Ontario govt regulations confirmed the
  advisory role of school councils clearly stated
  that their purpose is to improve student
  achievement and enhance the accountability of the
  education system to parents.
• Key issue the extent to which a new
  association, such as a school council, would be
  burdened with new guidelines (which may not yield
  measurable improvement to its members or the
  students) and any guidelines/constraints which
  would be imposed on the FSAs fundraising
  activities and the programs or items which that
  fundraising makes possible.

21
School Councils Fundraising

• The School Council Guide says this about
  fundraising
• Some school councils may decide to include
  fundraising as one of their priorities.
  Fund-raising activities may be conducted as long
  as they are in accordance with board policies and
  guidelines and the funds raised are to be used
  for a purpose approved by the board. A school
  council may find that it is unable to continue a
  fund-raising activity in which it was previously
  involved, as the funds raised are not used for a
  purpose approved by the board. Similarly... a
  council may find that it must change the way in
  which it fund-raises for an approved purpose to
  comply with board policies and guidelines.
• Ultimately, if school councils decide that they
  would like to continue with certain fund-raising
  projects, they must work with their boards to
  develop policies or guidelines that permit the
  fundraising and the use of funds for particular
  purposes. Also...because the school board is a
  corporate entity and the school is not, any funds
  raised by the school council belong, legally, to
  the board ... All fund-raising activities
  conducted by the school council must be included
  in the annual report prepared by the school
  council.

22
Combining an FSA and a School Council...

• With concerns about fundraising, and an
  Association that is not broken, a logical
  option may be to have two bodies our FSA and a
  new School Council.
• Considerations
• Clearly differentiate the purpose of each body,
  so that accountabilities are clear and people
  understand the expectations of their role (on
  either body). Divide up the roles and areas into
  School Council and FSA areas.
• Determine how to run an efficient and effective
  meeting, in which the objectives / topics related
  to the School Council and those of the FSA are
  given appropriate time and attention.
• ... What might this look like?

23
Role of the FSA and Role of a School Council

• School Council
• The school council advises the principal and the
  Board on a variety of issues and activities
  relating to student achievement, curriculum goals
  and priorities, school budget priorities, school
  safety, renovation plans, after school
  activities, and criteria for selection of new
  principals.
• Staffing
• Curriculum
• Academic Performance Improvement
• Safety

• FSA
• The FSA contributes to the effectiveness of the
  educational program at Maurice Cody Public School
  and in the community and
• Fosters cooperation and understanding between the
  families and staff
• Fundraising
• Enrichment
• Promotion
• School Spirit / Community Connection

24
FSA SC Meeting Agendas

• General Meetings
• School Council Business 700 730
• Agenda items... tbd
• Principals Report
• FSA Business 730 815
• Agenda items... tbd