Paul Wehrle is a candidate for School Board Trustee in the upcoming Municipal Election.
School Board meetings are for the Board to conduct the business of the Board. No other purpose is suggested or implied in the Education Act.
That was the guiding principle in the revisions to the by-laws. I was a member of the Sub-Committee given the task of revising the by-laws.
The following are some of my thoughts which I brought forward while crafting the current by-laws.
The change in by-laws does change us to evening meetings. Previously the Board had one afternoon meeting per month which was 4 hours in duration. The Board has now gone to 2 evening meetings per month with a total time of 5 hours … a 20% increase in time. The delegations allotment has gone from 30 minutes per month to 40 minutes per month … a 25% increase in time. Indeed the proportional increase is greater for delegates than the increase in total meeting time. I am not sure of the math being used to suggest there is less time for delegations.
Yes we want people to speak to agenda items. Once an item is dealt with on the agenda it requires a 2/3 vote to even open the topic again for discussion at any future meeting. Many delegations without notice were speaking on items which were already dealt with or, items well in the future where a delegation with prior notice would be more appropriate. The opportunity for delegates without prior notice to speak to an agenda item remains open if there is time. Comments would then be germane to the meeting at hand and much more useful to the Board.
Also, during the last few months a number of delegations were using the opportunity merely to castigate the Board using presentations filled with distortions, deletions and generalizations (Robert Bandler & John Grinder) and misinformation. The time was not being used to further the business of the Board and after all, that is what the Board meetings are for. They are not public meetings; they are meetings of the Board to conduct Board business in public view ... the same way courts are open to public view.
The time was being co-opted and abused by a few so called spokespersons whose submissions appeared to me to be nothing but political statements. I had great difficulty in many cases in determining if there was any sincere effort at all to help the Board to conduct the immediate business of the Board. I felt we needed a mechanism to ensure that others who had legitimate issues had an opportunity and were encouraged to come forward, hence the limitations on repeat delegations.
The vast majority of Boards in Ontario do not allow delegations at Board meetings. I believe the fact that we do is an honest search for thoughtful public input. That is also why I prefer delegations with prior notice. Generally speaking, those delegations have taken time to research, compose and skillfully craft their thoughts. That is much more helpful to the Board. If anyone wants help in crafting or delivering a submission, I would be pleased to help them.
Moreover, the public and parents have ample opportunity to provide a great deal of input through School Community Councils, the Parent Involvement Committee and other forums such as ad hoc committees … or by making a written delegation as a matter of record without taking time to speak or, simply by making a phone call to your Trustee.
When it comes to the business of the Board, my focus is entirely on “what is best for our schools”. I would hope that all of our delegations would have the same focus. In my opinion, many of the recent delegations did not.
I attend every School Community Council Meeting possible, and I am a member of the Parent Involvement Committee. Comments, suggestions and issues brought up at these meetings do reach the Board. Indeed, on several occasions I have helped to craft a written submission to the Board from these forums. That’s my job. I am the voice of the parents and the public and I take the job very seriously. Remember though, I am but one voice among ten.
Schools are not buildings. They are communities composed of students, staff, parents and administrators … and yes, many volunteers. That is the concept I have of a school. If you share that vision (or not) and have suggestions or recommendations on how I can have a better school community to increase student achievement, I want to hear from you regardless of the forum.
Changing the topic. I am being bombarded with emails with the title of “Protect Parents’ Rights”. These are admonitions for me as a Trustee to ignore the “Equity and Inclusive Education” legislation. The emails claim that it takes away the parents’ right to instill moral/religious values in their children. I am confused. Is there a religion which does not subscribe to the values stated below?
The “Equity and Inclusive Education” legislation is an attempt to ensure that the education environment is one which promotes respect, understanding, compassion and dignity for all people.
As I said, I am all about the schools and kids. I believe in that kind of environment with all of my being. Religions notwithstanding, if our children leave school with those values, what a great world we will have.
Paul Wehrle
Trustee for the Municipality of Meaford and The Blue Mountains
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