2016 Nomination and Resolution Bookbccpac2016.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/4/3/26435764/... · 2020. 2. 2. · 2016 Nomination and Resolution Book BCCPAC Annual General Meeting April 30

2016 Nomination and Resolution Book

BCCPACAnnual General

Meeting

April 30 - May 1, 2016

Annual General Meeting Location:Coast Capri Hotel Kelowna 1171 Harvey Ave, Kelowna, BC V1Y 6E8 250-860-6060

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The BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC) is a charitable organization registered under the Society Act of BC, representing the parents of children attending provincial public schools. Membership is made up of Parent Advisory Councils (PAC), District Parent Advisory Councils (DPAC), and parent associate members. The BCCPAC Board of Directors is an elected body, voted in by membership PACs and DPACs at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Our MissionThe collective voice of parents for the best possible public education of all children in British Columbia.

Our Purpose- To advance the public school education and well-being of children in the province of British Columbia.- To carry on activities to promote and enhance meaningful parent participation in an advisory role at the school, school district, and provincial levels.

Our VisionTo improve public education for all students by including and supporting parents.

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Candidates at a Glance

We are pleased to present the 2016 Candidates, who were nominated by their respective parent councils. Each candidate has accepted our terms of office and has agreed to run for election at the April 30th BCCPAC Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The elected Board of Directors performs an important and vital role in representing and supporting our members at the provincial level. To help us learn more about each candidate, we presented them with the same set of questions. We have provided their answers in this booklet to give you and your council an opportunity to learn more about them prior to the AGM.

Your council’s vote is important!

Only members in good standing as of December 15, 2015 are able to vote for a new BCCPAC board member. If a parent representative of your council is unable to attend the AGM, your council’s vote can be cast by proxy. Please refer to the Resolutions Booklet or check the BCCPAC website for proxy information.

Candidate School District President 2nd Vice President

Secretary Directors (2)

Bird, John SD 61 Victoria p

Mann, Kendra SD 8 Kootenay Lake p p p

Mezei, Jen SD 41 Burnaby p p

Nordquist, Karen SD 44 North Vancouver p p

Wright, Tracy SD 35 Langley p

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Candidate for President

John BirdSchool District: 61 Nominated by: Victoria Confederation of PACs

Please tell us about yourself

I have six children and have been involved in the school system for twenty-nine years. I spent about twenty of those years coaching school teams, primarily basketball and soccer, from grades 4 to 12.

I am profoundly passionate about educating our children in a public system that ensures the success of every student. I believe that parents are grossly underrepresented in the decisions that are made about our children in our schools and I want to see this changed.

I am an accountant by trade and have been in public practice for over forty years. I have served in a number of community service clubs and organizations. My skills include leadership, organization, negotiation, research, finance, project planning, change management and representing to the media.

I believe that parent leaders need to reach out to educators to share our expertise about children and our perspectives on education. For the last ten years, I have been presenting to teacher leadership classes at the University of Victoria. These conversations continue to reinforce my belief that parent/teacher partnership is a critical factor in student success.

How will your greatest strength help you perform in your role as a board member? What do you see as an area requiring personal growth?

My greatest strength is understanding that the combined strength of a group of people (the Board, the membership, parents) will always surpass what I can accomplish alone. I am a servant leader who will look for the strengths in every Board member and bring them to bear on the issues we face as parents.

Personal growth is something we all do as life-long learners. Areas requiring growth are revealed by the challenges we face. By sharing our strengths and skills with each other, I believe that areas for which each of us needs personal growth are addressed automatically.

What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make? And why?

At this level, all decisions that this Board should be involved with are difficult ones. We represent a huge constituency and if we succeed in our advocacy work, the decisions we make have the potential to affect all children. We must research our positions well, ensure that we represent our members and be absolutely certain that our actions are good for children. Decisions involving competing rights are the most difficult, but these can be made well with a sufficient level of dialogue and a clear understanding of who we represent.

While rewarding, being a BCCPAC board member can be time consuming. How do you see yourself balancing your professional or personal life with the duties as a board member?

I have been on the VCPAC (Victoria’s DPAC) Executive for fifteen years, nine of those as the President. During that time, it was routine to attend two or three meetings in any given week and handle phone calls and emails on a daily basis. Being self-employed provides flexibility to my day and allows me to adjust as necessary. As I will not be continuing my responsibilities with VCPAC, I see no difficulty taking on a role at BCCPAC.

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Describe the involvement that you have with the K-12 Education System in BC or elsewhere.

I became involved in PACs around the year 2000 when our district was considering moving to the middle school model. I created at parent/teacher committee at our school which developed research and conducted three surveys of parents to develop a PAC position on the issue. I learned from this process not only how you can bring a school community together on a key issue but also how important it was to have strong parent leadership at all levels.

I served as a director on six different PACs over thirteen years, three of those as the Chair. I was also a member of the SPC for five years split between two schools.

In 2001, I joined the VCPAC Executive and in 2005 started my first year as President. There were a number of projects in which I had a high level of personal involvement including: the School Fees Survey, Vancouver Island Parent Conference, Middle School Appreciative Inquiry, District Video Surveillance Policy, District Consultation Policy, Education Partners’ Council, Colquitz Middle School Parent Ambassador Program, District Community and Culture Committee and the District’s Self-Regulation First Wave Team.

Why do you wish to serve on the BCCPAC Board of Directors?

With the enormity of change that is embracing education and the level of resistance to change that our education system exhibits, I believe it is a critical time for BCCPAC. We must be involved in this endeavour to ensure that the changes our children need actually occur. I believe my experience as a parent leader and my knowledge of the education system makes it imperative for me to get involved at this time. And, I would ask the same of all the other experienced parent leaders in this province.

Describe how you have helped build a team in an organisation (work or volunteer). Tell us about a time that you diffused a potential conflict.

My best example of team building is the VCPAC Executive. In my first year as President, I set up a one-day retreat. We discussed why we got involved, what our passions were, what our vision was for VCPAC and what our vision was for public education. We eliminated the traditional director titles and developed director portfolios based on the strengths and passions of each of our directors. We repeated this process year after year. Some years new portfolios were created due to passion or need. I constantly recruited for the Executive, the result being strong directors and actual elections, year after year.

Normally, conflict creates opportunity, and one should not always try to diffuse it but indeed draw it out and understand the differences that created it. Confrontation, on the other hand, adds an element of hostility to the process. In my role as a parent advocate in our district, I have handled many individual cases. By the time I was involved, conflict had grown into confrontation. In these situations, I take the time to understand each side’s position and then focus them on the primary issue. In the cases on which I have worked, focusing on the needs of the specific student usually moves things forward.

How can BCCPAC best support parents in the BC education system? What important issues would you like to see BCCPAC address in the near future? How would you suggest BCCPAC address these issues?

Parents can best be supported by building strong, well-informed parent leaders. The two key elements to this support are well-researched timely information and leadership training. The most important issue for BCCPAC right now, is to establish itself with parents, government and the public as the primary advocate for students. That means taking positions on education matters, responding quickly to education events, keeping parent leaders informed at all times and utilizing the vast array of talent that we have to work with.

Candidate for President (continued)John Bird

School District: 61 Nominated by: Victoria Confederation of PACs

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Candidate for President (continued)

John BirdSchool District: 61 Nominated by: Victoria Confederation of PACs

Most of the issues that come up in public education are channeled to the Boards of Education to deal with. It follows that for much of our advocacy work, we need to be able to engage these Boards. Therefore, we must have strong, knowledgeable DPACs that can advocate with the same expertise and passion that we need at the provincial level.

At the provincial level, we need to involve more of our parent leaders in our activities. A Board of nine directors simply cannot cover all the bases adequately. It is time to open up our structures and step up our game. That’s how we will increase our membership.

As you think about the primary board roles— ambassador, advocate, collaborator and asker—in which role(s) do you think you will want to be most active?

Although we must and will fill all of these roles, for me, advocate is the role for which I have the most passion. If all the work we do does not make education better for children, then I don’t believe we have accomplished much. We are not here to fulfill anyone’s consultation policy. We are here to ensure that our children are well served.

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Candidate for 2nd Vice President

Kendra MannSchool District: 8 Nominated by: Rosemont Elementary/LVR

Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Kendra, I have 2 wonderful daughters and a step daughter one in grade 3 and one in grade 9. My volunteer career started while advocating for proper supports for my daughter. It was through this process that I discovered how to get involved. I have been part of the PAC at the elementary school since 2007 and part of DPAC since 2008. While working on my local DPAC I have held a lot of different positions including secretary, Vice-chair, Chair and now past chair. I have been involved with Canadian Cancer society as their treasurer for relay for life and the daffodil campaign, I also have been a leader in guiding for the past 10 years. During this time I have had training in conflict management and diffusing conflict as well as team building


My greatest strength is that I work well with others, and like to listen to other people to gain a better perspective on how others think. I feel that this will work well in my role as a board member to help me fit in with the board seamlessly and carry on the work of the board. My biggest area of personal growth is public speaking, this is something I have struggled with. Through my time as DPAC chair have gotten to work on these skills, as well as media skills and feel that I am slowly becoming better in both of these situations.


My most difficult decisions to make are ones that will affect other people who are not part of that discussion and ones where we don’t always have all the information needed to make that decision. I struggle in those situations between how others feel and weighing the information that I have and also thinking about the result from that decision.


Over the past 16 months I have been a member of the board in the position of secretary. I really enjoy volunteering with BCCPAC and would love to continue volunteering on the board of directors.

Describe the involvement that you have with the K - 12 education system in BC or elsewhere.

In the past 7 years of parent involvement I have been the secretary of the PAC, sat on the SPC for 2 terms, Secretary for the DPAC and Vice Chair for the DPAC. I have also sat on the Safety committee last year and currently volunteer some time for the minute’s committee as well as the conference committee. In the past 16 months while being on the BCCPAC board I have taken on the Awards committee and look forward

Kendra is also running for the position of:

- Secretary- Director

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to working on the SRC: Support services committee. Why do you wish to serve on the BCCPAC Board of Directors? I believe in the parent voice in BC making a difference. I want to work to make a difference at the provincial level. One of the main ways would be by trying to develop trust within relationships. The biggest of that being the trust from the public that BCCPAC is trying to do the best they can with the information they have. Getting out more talking to the public and making it known that we want to listen to how they feel and that they matter. Encouraging other parents to get involved is one of my many pleasures of Volunteer work with PAC, DPAC and BCCPAC.

Describe how you have helped build a team in an organisation. Tell us about a time that you diffused a potential conflict. Every year when I meet my new guides I develop the team. They come to me from various life moments, and we must work through things to be able to work as a team. Every year is different as every year I have a different group of girls to mentor. The final challenge is the year end camp. This past year the girls knew exactly what we all needed to do to have a successful camp, from the cooking, to the packing up. We worked hard together all year and at camp we were able to be packed up more than an hour ahead of schedule. The year-end camp gives me the insight I need to know if developing the team worked and also what I could do differently. In other situations, I tend to pull people together to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Whether it’s the closing crew at a job or trying to finish a project. Currently I work responding to telephone calls and answering questions. We always need to take a look at the “weakest link” and make sure other work mates are not “drowning”. It doesn’t take long for us to pull together and get things all caught up when we work as a team.

How can BCCPAC best support parents in the BC education system? What important issues would you like to see BCCPAC address in the near future? How would you suggest BCCPAC address these issues? The advocacy project would be one thing I think that BCCPAC could put some effort into trying to establish funding, grants or other sources of income for. All across the province I hear of parents having a tough time trying to relay their thoughts in a school setting. There is still some advocacy happening in some districts but it’s hard to get out to the parents that they have a choice of having someone there to help support them. A provincial program would allow parents to get the help they need from anywhere across the province.

The biggest important issue that I would like BCCPAC to address in the future is being more open to our general public. Whether it be broadcasting some BCCPAC meetings or reaching out, our parents across the province are not sold on BCCPAC these days and I would like to think that we can improve our image with them to help boost our membership. It will take a lot of work to change our current view in the eyes of parents around the province, but I am dedicated to spread the word of the good things that BCCPAC does.

As you think about the primary board roles - ambassador, advocate, collaborator and asked - in which role(s) do you think you will want to be most active? The primary board roles to me all roll into one. I believe that advocating for better education and advocating for parents is a role that I play daily, stepping in when I see the chance. We educate ourselves by asking others. Everyone has different points of view and we don’t always see the other side until we ask and learn. Collaborating will probably be the role I look forward to. Working together and collaborating as a board to get the job done in a timely manner. I look forward to being a parents ambassador, and advocate for better learning conditions for all children, asking others about their experiences and learning from what I hear and collaborating with the board and other partner groups.

Candidate for 2nd Vice President (continued)Kendra Mann

School District: 8 Nominated by: Rosemont Elementary/LVR

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Candidate for 2nd Vice PresidentJen Mezei

School District: 41 Nominated by: Burnaby DPAC


I am a firm believer in the public education system, and that all children should have access to a quality education where they are able to thrive regardless of where they live, their socio-economic situation, language barriers or learning needs.

My journey as a parent leader started as many of yours; we get involved to help our kids. My first board position was at the Ladysmith Preschool in 2000 and I have been involved with PACs and DPACs since 2004, winning the 2010 BCCPAC George Matthews Award for Parent Leadership.

To be taken seriously as a parent representative when dealing with complex issues, it is important to be prepared for meetings with the understanding to be able to bring forth parent concerns in a knowledgeable way that is relevant to the current context. I have

earned a reputation as a politically astute leader with the professionalism and diplomacy skills to facilitate difficult discussions at meetings in a respectful way. I am able to collaborate with parents and other partner groups to bring forth well reasoned suggestions and solutions to issues and concerns and have been a successful advocate for more parent engagement at the district level.

In 2009, I helped to establish the North American office of an international renewable energy company. I successfully managed the office as it grew from 3 to 17 employees, and from $1 million to $30 million in annual revenues. I designed and oversaw the construction/renovation to bigger offices in 2011 and 2013. I sold my interests in the company in 2014. Working in a rapidly growing company allowed me to hone a variety of skills including HR, legal, finance and administration. I look forward to utilizing these organizational skills for BCCPAC.

How will your greatest strength help you perform in your role as a board member? What do you see as an area requiring personal growth? The greatest strengths I bring to the board are my abilities to facilitate collaborative discussion, agree to and execute action items in a systematic way, and the ability to explain complex concepts in parent-friendly speak. I have good knowledge of the education system and current issues, especially in the area of special needs.


As a parent of special needs children, the most difficult decisions I have had to make were always about their needs because of unknown variables - current and future. Regardless of how much research you do to prepare and inform yourself at the time, you cannot predict how decisions on your children’s health or education needs will help or hinder them in the future.

As a organizational leader, I see contentious and difficult decisions as an opportunity. As parent leaders, we represent varying and diverse opinions and backgrounds. With transparency, effective communication and the opportunity for authentic discussion and input, decisions better reflect the members and help build a more robust organization where people feel valued, represented and heard.

Jen is also running for the position of:

- Director

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Now that I am no longer working full-time, I am able to commit the time required to become an effective board member. I have been an active volunteer and had the full support of my husband and family who have been willing to move family commitments to accommodate my volunteer schedule.


I attended K-12 in the Richmond School district and graduated with an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

I have been active as a parent leader in the BC public education system since 2004. At the school level, I have been PAC Chair, SPC member, have been a member of a PAC executive for over 10 years and have been involved with PAC fundraising, event planning and advocacy.

At the district level, I have been an executive member of the Burnaby DPAC since 2007, was DPAC Chair from 2010-2013, and currently from 2014-present. I have sat on numerous district committees including: Policy, Education, Special Education Advisory, LGBTQ, MACC Planning Committee, Mini School Planning for Secondary Advanced Learners, and hiring committees.

I am very proud of the accomplishments our DPAC has achieved during this time and the increased presence and engagement DPAC has had in our community such as:

~ Developed and implemented the Parent Information Evening (PIE) Series, an annual series of 6 evening workshops with a focus on current parenting or educational topics and speakers such as Yong Zhao, Rod Allen, SEL, Anxiety, Parents as Career Coaches and with up to 350 attendees per session

~ Successfully advocated for the establishment of a District Special Education Advisory Committee to address parental concerns

~ Successfully advocated for increased parent involvement at the Board Committee level with parent appointments on the Policy, Building and Grounds, and Youth and Community Services Committees

~ Introducing a Parent Education Grant for PACs to help offset the costs of Parent Education speakers at their school

~ Establishing a Twice-Exceptional program to address the needs of Gifted LD students in response to presentations made at Budget and Board meetings

At the provincial level, I have presented workshops at BCCPAC conferences and volunteered on BCCPAC Special Needs, Conference and CRFF Committees.


The BC Education system is currently undergoing a transformational change with the implementation of new curriculum and the development of a new accountability framework. It is important that parent leaders increase the opportunity for engagement at the school, district and provincial levels so that parent views can be included in the planning stages, rather than be an afterthought after decisions and direction have already been determined.

Candidate for 2nd Vice President (continued)Jen Mezei


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I believe that my unique skill set, knowledge and experiences will help BCCPAC become more responsive to its membership and partner groups on emerging issues as they happen. I would like to improve communication to BCCPAC membership and help foster more avenues for input and discussion.


During my first year on my school PAC, our community was torn apart by a highly contentious issue that pitted parents against parents. The situation was escalating and I helped organize a third group formed with members from both groups to find a solution that was a compromise. We presented our solution to the school board and it was included in the final proposal and decision of the board.

The next year I was elected PAC Chairperson. Our parent community was filled with distrust and it was clear that PAC’s primary goal needed to be rebuilding the relationships that had been damaged. We invited and encouraged parents representing differing views to be involved with the PAC. By having transparent operations, frequent communication and gathering parent opinions at PAC meetings and informally around the school, the PAC was slowly able to better represent the needs of the community as a whole. Working constructively with teachers and administration, we were able to move forward and restore cooperation.


As a volunteer board, it is a challenge for BCCPAC to balance supporting individual parents, individual PACs and DPACs, advocating at the provincial level, and keeping current of emerging issues in our education system.

Due to decreasing membership, many are questioning how relevant BCCPAC is as a provincial parent voice and this needs to be addressed.

By increasing dialogue between PACs, DPACs and BCCPAC throughout the year, BCCPAC will better be able to bring a provincial perspective to emerging issues in a timely way.

By increasing report frequency to its members, BCCPAC can provide PACs and DPACs the resources to be able to advocate better and participate more fully at the school and district level to proactively deal with local issues.

By increasing communication via different outlets, BCCPAC will increase its visibility.

By supporting and strengthening our DPACs, BCCPAC could help strengthen the parent voice and help improve parent engagement across our province. A strong network of PACs and DPACs across the province will be needed if we want to be successful at advocating for systemic change.

As you think about the primary board roles— ambassador, advocate, collaborator and asker—in which role(s) do you think you will want to be most active?

I have experience and am skilled as ambassador, advocate, collaborator and asker, and although some situations require a primary role, I believe that an effective board member is able to combine these roles.

Each situation is unique, and I look forward to acting as ambassador, advocate, collaborator and asker holistically as required, in a responsive and flexible way.

Candidate for 2nd Vice President (continued)Jen Mezei


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I am a stay at home parent with two daughters, ages 12 and 15, in the North Vancouver School District. I have a Master’s Degree in Sociology, which gives me a good understanding of public policy in general and skill in interpreting and deciphering the details of policy documents, polls and statistics. I’m also a skilled writer and editor, and have an extensive knowledge of a vast array of issues related to public education.

I have been involved in a number of volunteer organizations and activities. I am one of the founding members of the group “BC Parents of Special Needs Children: Equitable Access to Education” https://equitableaccesstoeducation.wordpress.com/ which works to draw attention at the provincial level to the challenges faced by families with special needs children in accessing their charter right to equal

education. Amongst other advocacy work, we have met with the Deputy Minister of Education and organized a parent/ guardian conference on “Advocating for Special Needs in BC Schools.”

I also serve on the Board of the “North Shore Safe Routes Advocates,” a parent run volunteer organization dedicated to working with all three North Shore municipalities, two school districts, and other interested parties, such as ICBC, the RCMP, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, to improve traffic safety around schools and foster active transportation (walking and biking) to school.

How will your greatest strength help you perform in your role as a board member? What do you see as an area requiring personal growth? I believe my greatest strengths lie in my determination, dedication, and reliability. I will not take on a new responsibility without complete commitment to fulfilling my obligations and going beyond the minimally expected level of participation.

I have limited political experience and need to develop further skills in this regard.


I generally don’t have a lot of difficulty in making decisions. Given my background in the Social Sciences, I prefer to base decisions on fact and rational, persuasive, respectful discussion. I understand that there can be a wide variety of opinions on any topic depending on individual history and experiences. I believe I am open minded and interested in hearing these many different perspectives, and effective at weighing and analysing this diversity of opinion to create as balanced a decision as possible.


As a stay at home parent, I have focused my attention on supporting both my daughters, and in particular my elder daughter, who is on the Autism spectrum. For over a decade, I have coordinated a full Applied Behaviour Analysis program at home for my autistic daughter involving behavioural consultants, speech and occupational therapists, hiring

Candidate for 2nd Vice PresidentKaren Nordquist

School District: 44 Nominated by: North Vancouver DPAC

Karen is also running for the position of:

- Director

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and training behavioural interventions and managing the payroll and schedule. The program has been very successful and my daughter is developing greatly increased independence. Now that both my girls are quite self-sufficient teenagers, I have extra time to take on increased external responsibilities.


I was on an elementary school PAC for four years in a wide number of roles, including on the Social Committee, as the Hot Lunch Coordinator, as the District PAC representative for the school, and as the Vice-Chair. I also served one year on the School Planning Council.

Currently, I’m in my third year on the executive of the District PAC, where I have served as Vice-Chair and Program Facilitator. I have sat as a parent representative with Trustees, Senior Administrators and representatives of the other partner groups on multiple committees, including Student Safety, Inclusion, School Calendar, and Policy Review.

At the provincial level, I am working with a number of current BCCPAC Board members on the Inclusive Education Committee and the Student Safety Committee. I also helped to draft and edit the BCCPAC’s “Universal Concerns Procedure” document.


After my daughter was harmed at school five years ago, I have become an advocate for parent and student rights at the District and Provincial levels. I have met with MLAs and with senior staff in the Ministry of Education regarding issues of student education, safety and welfare. I have consulted with the Ministry of Children and Family concerning student safety at school and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner regarding parent and student rights to privacy. I have interacted with public agencies intended to oversee and regulate school districts, including the BC Teacher Regulation Branch and the Office of the Ombudsperson.

In gathering this information, I have learned that parents and students need a strong voice to represent their interests at the Provincial level. I wish to lend my knowledge and experience in advocacy to the BCCPAC to assist in strengthening the role of parents in public education.


As the Hot Lunch Coordinator in elementary school for two and a half years, I was required to build a team of dedicated parent and student volunteers to help get 400 individual hot lunches served safely and on time each week. I believe I created a well-organized, efficient and happy team who helped contribute to the success and profitablity of this fundraising program.

In my role as a parent advocate, I have been contacted by multiple families in my district and beyond seeking support and advice for personal concerns in their own schools. I have accompanied a number of parents to school and district meetings as a support person. In this role, on several occasions I have been thanked both by parents and school district staff for my ability to help smooth over tensions and facilitate a successful and mutually satisfactory resolution.


One way that BCCPAC can assist parents in the BC education system is by offering them information, resources and support in their advocacy efforts. Parents are seeing school districts try to get by with continually tightened

Candidate for 2nd Vice President (continued)Karen Nordquist


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budgets, school closures, and decaying schools with little hope of repair or replacement. Individual parents and PACs increasingly need to advocate for their students and schools. I would very much like to help facilitate a return of the BCCPAC advocacy project.

I would also like to see the BCCPAC address the large number of resolutions, some dating back more than a decade, which remain unresolved. From serving on two BCCPAC committees I have seen how the process works, and I would like to take on more resolutions to try to move them towards an adequate resolution with the Ministry of Education and other partner groups. I believe that more effective communication by BCCPAC with its member PACs across the Province would also be helpful. For example, I would like to see communication from the BCCPAC to PACs regarding the status of resolutions which were passed at the AGM and the efforts being make to advance them.

As you think about the primary board roles—ambassador, advocate, collaborator and asker—in which role(s) do you think you will want to be most active?

Obviously the role of advocate comes first to mind. However, over a number of years of experience in dealing with government agencies, public bodies, advocacy organizations, and school district staff at all levels, I feel I have learned quite a bit about the art of negotiation and collaboration, as well as in effectively asking for the changes that are needed. Of course , there is always more to learn. If I am given the opportunity to serve on the BCCPAC Board, I look forward to working hard for the best interests of parents and students in public education in this province.

Candidate for 2nd Vice President (continued)Karen Nordquist


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Candidate for Director Tracy Wright

School District: 35 Nominated by: Langley Fine Arts School


I am just finishing my first term as a director on the BCCPAC Board of Directors. Some of the skills and knowledge I bring to the BCCPAC table are advocacy, compassion, and creativity. I hold a bachelor’s degree with a focus in Education, the Arts, and History. My work history includes 7 years in the theatre department at a local university and I currently work in the film industry. I have also volunteered my time as a costume designer for local community theatre groups. I have had the opportunity to advocate for parents and their children in order to help create a way for these children and their families to succeed in the educational system.

I have also been involved at the PAC, DPAC and BCCPAC levels over the years; as well as with organizations such as the Learning Disabilities Association Fraser South Chapter and the Learning

Disabilities Association of British Columbia. I am hoping to return to the board for another term as there is still much work still to be completed. Currently I sit on a number of BCCPAC committees and am responsible for the BCCPAC Inclusive Education committee. I thoroughly enjoy advocating for a better public education system for all students.


My greatest strengths are creativity, compassion, and determination. Together these strengths help me to look at issues from various points of view and be able to develop solutions for issues that we face as we work and advocate within the educational system. My experience with special education and advocacy is a benefit as we work toward a better education system for our children. An area that I see that has room for improvement and personal growth is to create a better balance between family, work, and volunteering. I find that I can sometimes take on too much at one time and I need to work on making sure that I can complete the tasks that need to be done at the BCCPAC level while making sure the other areas of my life are taken care of.


I find the decisions that are the most difficult to make are the ones where there isn’t a good option to pick from or could possibly have a negative effect on another group(s) of individuals. I feel that is very important that we ensure that all the pros and cons of these types of decisions are thoroughly thought out before any decision is made. At times we need to try to arrive at the best decision possible for the entire group. I believe in equality and always strive for the best decision possible.


Being on the board for the past term has been very busy, but rewarding. During these two years I have learned to developed a plan and set boundaries to help balance my roles as mother, wife, employee, and BCCPAC board member. That plan has three main components:

1. keep family first,

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2. set boundaries,

3. prioritize the tasks that need to be done and a lot a timeframe to complete the task(s),

4. ask for help when needed.


I have been involved with the K-12 education system for the past 15 years. My husband and I have three children; our eldest has graduated, and the younger two are in high school. I have been active at the school district level for many years volunteering on the PAC, DPAC, BCCPAC and sat on a number of district committees. I have also served on both the Learning Disabilities Association Fraser South Chapter and the Learning Disabilities Association of British Columbia. Two years ago I was elected to the BCCPAC board and enjoyed working at the provincial level. I also have sat on various partner group committees and have had the opportunity to work with them on items that affect both children and their parents of our province. I have also done some advocacy for parents who are having issues or challenges at their children’s school.


I would love the opportunity to serve on the BCCPAC board of directors for a second term as there is still much work I would like to see come to completion. I want to see an educational system where all children are treated fairly and have equal chance to succeed. I don’t want any child or their family to be told that their child can’t succeed. This is something I am very passionate about, having gone down this road. All children can succeed as long as they are given the proper tools and support! I have enjoyed working with our various partner groups and have seen the chance for change. I hope to continue to advocate for positive change in the education system that will benefit all the students in our province.

Describe a how you have helped build a team in an organisation (work or volunteer). Tell us about a time that you diffused a potential conflict.

Theatre has been my primary career over the past decade and without well-functioning teams the show doesn’t go on. If you weren’t cast, you were sent to work behind the scenes. This often led to crews that had little to no skills at first. I would make sure everyone in my costume shop had a role to play and was a valued team member. I would oversee all work being done; answering their questions or teaching them ways that would make their work easier. I would also appoint a student to be my second hand; they would take care of some of the simpler daily activities that were above the skills of the students. This hierarchy allowed me to be able to take care of other more difficult tasks while still being able to oversee the work being done. The key to any well managed team is assigning tasks that are within each team members ability and interests. I feel that is very important that everyone on the team understands their role, is happy in the work they need to do, they are praised and/or corrected with respect, and at the end of the day feel valued as a team member. There are times when conflict still happen within the team but encouraging open communication and placing value on each team member does help in resolving possible issues or conflict.


I feel it is very important that parents both know their rights and their children’s rights within the education system. It’s also important that our children learn to advocate for themselves. This comes through example, communication, and education; three areas that are key for advocating for our children in the public school system. I feel that BCCPAC has already started to do this over the years as we have created a number of

Candidate for Director (continued)Tracy Wright


17

booklets that help parents advocate for their children, but we need to teach our children to do the same. These resources are available to parents have been revised and translated in to numerous languages. Parents need to be empowered so they can advocate for their children.

We need to partner up with our other counterparts in the province and share resources with each other and dialogue on how we can all work together in order to create a better educational system for the children of BC. It is crucial that parent’s voice is included in the many important discussions regarding the direction that education is taking. The BC Ministry of Education has had many meetings with the BCTF, and other partner groups. These discussions are important for these groups to have, however, every decision made at the provincial level not only affects the partner groups but it also affects our children. I strongly feel that BCCPAC needs to know what our parents want and we need be more involved and have a stronger voice in these conversations.

As you think about the primary board roles—ambassador, advocate, collaborator and asker—in which role(s) do you think you will want to be most active?

Of the four primary board roles I prefer to be most active in the roles advocate and collaborator. Having served on PAC, DPAC, BCCPAC, the Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) Fraser South Chapter and LDABC I have been an advocate and collaborator on numerous occasions and enjoy that type of work. I believe every student can be successful as long as they are given the skills, tools, and support to succeed. I’m concerned about the number of students that are not receiving the supports they need to success at school. We need to advocate to ensure that every student in this province has everything they need to be succeed and be able to move into adulthood with all the tools they need to be productive and happy in whatever they chose to be.

Candidate for Director (continued)Tracy Wright


18

Help with Resolutions:

Each of the following resolutions have been posted separately on the BCCPAC website as a forum for discussion and debate prior to the AGM. Please pay attention to these forums for information to help you make an informed choice when casting a vote.

Further resolutions, if received, will be added to the ones below and distributed electronically.

19

NOTES

20

Resolutions Table of Contents

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS Tabled from 2015

4. Amendment of Bylaws: Removal of the Position of Immediate Past President (Special Resolution)..............................................................................................................Page 21 Submitted by: BCCPAC Board

5. Amendment of Bylaws: Removal of the Duties of Immediate Past President and the Special Advisor (Special Resolution)....................................................................................Page 22 Submitted by: BCCPAC Board

7. Amendment of Bylaws: Clarification of Board Member Termination (Special Resolution)....Page 23 Submitted by: BCCPAC Board

8. Amendment of Bylaws: Committee Membership and Chair Appointment (Special Resolution) ..............................................................................................................................................Page 24 Submitted by: BCCPAC Board

16. Amendment of Bylaws: Committee Membership and Chair Appointment (Special Resolution) ..............................................................................................................................................Page 25 Submitted by: BCCPAC Board

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS New for 2016

1. Amendment of Bylaws: Adding Definition of “Official Delegate” to BCCPAC Bylaws (Special Resolution)..............................................................................................................Page 26 Submitted by: North Vancouver DPAC, SD 44

2. Capacity Adjustment............................................................................................................Page 27 Submitted by: Prince George DPAC, SD 57

3. BCCPAC Materials................................................................................................................Page 28 Submitted by: Prince George DPAC, SD 57

4. Radon Testing and Remediation...........................................................................................Page 29 Submitted by: Prince George DPAC, SD 57/ Kootenay Lake DPAC, SD 8

5. Volunteer Parent Advocacy Training....................................................................................Page 31 Submitted by: Kootenay Lake DPAC, SD 8

6. Dust Colelction and Remediation in School Wood Shops....................................................Page 33 Submitted by: Kootenay Lake DPAC, SD 8

7. Resources for Teachers........................................................................................................Page 35 Submitted by: Surrey DPAC, SD 36

8. Capital Funding for New Schools.........................................................................................Page 36 Submitted by: Surrey DPAC, SD 36

21

9. Economic Stability Mandate..................................................................................................Page 37 Submitted by: Surrey DPAC, SD 36

10. Proper Funding for Quality Public Education........................................................................Page 38 Submitted by: Surrey DPAC, SD 36

11. Ministry Funding Formula......................................................................................................Page 39 Submitted by: Surrey DPAC, SD 36

12. Co-operation Between Ministries for Student Success.........................................................Page 40 Submitted by: Surrey DPAC, SD 36 13. Funding for Successful Students..........................................................................................Page 41 Submitted by: Surrey DPAC, SD 36

14. Life Membership for Stephanie Longstaff.............................................................................Page 42 Submitted by: BCCPAC Board of Directors (Awards Committee)

15. Life Membership for Susan Wilson.......................................................................................Page 43 Submitted by: BCCPAC Board of Directors (Awards Committee)

16. Life Membership for Terry Berting.........................................................................................Page 44 Submitted by: BCCPAC Board of Directors (Awards Committee)

17. Discrimination in Schools......................................................................................................Page 45 Submitted by: Victoria Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, SD 61

18. Increased Penalties for Failing to Stop for School Buses.....................................................Page 46 Submitted by: Kootenay Lake DPAC, SD 8

Resolutions Table of Contents Continued

22

2015.4 Amendment of Bylaws: Removal of the Position of Immediate Past President Special ResolutionSubmitted by: BCCPAC Board

Be it resolved that The following amendments to the BCCPAC Bylaws be approved:

1.01 (i) “Board” means the Board of Directors consisting of the directors elected or appointed in ac-cordance with Bylaws 5.01, 5.02 and 5.18, the Immediate Past President and the Special Advisor(s), if any;

Immediate Past President

5.17 The Immediate Past President shall be an ex officio member on the Board, entitled to notice of, attend and speak at but not vote at, Board meetings; and that the term of office shall be one year.

Immediate Past President and Special Advisor

7.09 The Immediate Past President and Special Advisor shall:(a) provide advice and support; and(b) provide information about resources, contacts, and other essential information.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Removal of the Past President does not affect the Board’s ability to appoint people to assist with the work of the organization or for the board to consult with the past president.

Implementers:BCCPAC

Interested Parties:None

For more information about resolution (4), please contact:BCCPAC Constitution and Bylaws Committee (2015)

email: [email protected]

23

2015.5 Amendment of Bylaws: Removal of the Duties of Immediate Past President and the Special Advisor Special ResolutionSubmitted by: BCCPAC Board


7.09:(a) provide advice and support; and(b) provide information about resources, contacts, and other essential information. Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Should both the Immediate Past President and Special Advisor be removed by the passing of both 2015.3 and 2015.4, the duties listed become redundant and should be removed too. Should either of the Immediate Past President or Special Advisor positions be retained, this resolution will be withdrawn.

Implementers:BCCPAC




24

2015.7 Amendment of Bylaws: Clarification of Board Member Termination Special Resolution

Submitted by: BCCPAC Board


Office to be Vacated

5.20 The following are grounds for termination of the office of any Board member:(a) is a member of a Regular Member who ceases to be a member of the Society; (b) is absent from two consecutive meetings of the Board without the prior written consent of the President; (c) Violates their oath of office;(d) is found to be incapable of managing his or her affairs by reason of mental infirmity has any health issue as certified by a physician that significantly impacts the ability to perform their duties over an extended period of time; and or(e) is convicted of a criminal offence or other serious offence.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: The BCCPAC Board feels the proposed amendments will provide clarity to these areas of the bylaws.

Implementers:BCCPAC




25

2015.8 Amendment of Bylaws: Committee Membership and Chair Appointment Special ResolutionSubmitted by: BCCPAC Board

Be it resolved that

The following amendments to the BCCPAC Bylaws be approved:

Internal Committees

6.07 (a) The Board may delegate any, but not all, of their powers to internal committees consisting of Board members, representatives of Regular Members in good standing, or honourary or life mem-bers, to undertake specific responsibilities. 6.08 Appointment of chairpersons and internal committee members shall be made by motion of the Board.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: The proposed amendment will be more inclusive of those people who want to volunteer for BCCPAC but are not necessarily a BCCPAC member, and allow for committees to chose their own chair.

Implementers: BCCPAC

Interested Parties: None



26

2015.16 Implementation of the Parent Portal

This resolution was sent to the BCCPAC board to report back on at the 2016 meeting. Your PAC may be asked to vote on it at the upcoming meeting, so please discuss it with your PAC members prior to the AGM. This item is included for your information.

Submitted by: BCCPAC Board

Be it resolved that

BCCPAC call on all BC Boards of Education to fully implement all aspects of the Parent Portal con-tained within the new MyEducation BC Student Information System with suitable security protocols.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: The replacement for BCESIS, MyEducation BC, has many optional features that may be implemented at the discretion of the district. One of these is the Parent Portal. In initial versions this portal allowed parents to access their child’s school records. This potentially includes access to marks, teacher notes, attendance, student work, videos of class participation, IEPs and anything else that the school might store in this database.

The system also has the potential of being able to interact on a daily basis with your child’s teacher and see how they are progressing at school and advise the teacher of activities outside of school. It could also allow direct communication between parents.

It is important that all districts implement the Parent Portal to give parents current information about their child’s progress, improve school/home communication, and give parents the ability to greatly increase their involvement with their child’s education.

Implementers:BCCPACBC Boards of Education

Interested Parties:Ministry of EducationBC School Trustees Association BC School Superintendent’s Association BC Teachers’ FederationBC Principals and Vice Principals’ Association

For more information about resolution (16), please contact:BCCPAC Constitution and Bylaws Committee

email: [email protected]/[email protected]

27

Submitted by: North Vancouver DPAC SD#44

Be it resolved that

Bylaw 1.01 (a) be amended by

Adding:“Official Delegate” means a Parent in a School District who is duly authorized by a Regular Member in that same School District to vote on behalf of that Regular Member;

The list of definitions included in Section 1.01 (a) be renumbered accordingly;

Bylaw 4.05 (a) be amended by deleting the words, “by delegate or”;

Bylaw 4.05 (b) be amended by deleting the words, “by delegate or”;

Bylaw 4.10 (b) be amended by

Striking Section 4.10 (b) “The proxy vote may be received from each member Parent Advisory Council and District Parent Advisory Council in good standing provided the proxy vote is in writing and signed by a minimum of two members of the Parent Advisory Council or District Parent Advisory Council execu-tive, and the proxy vote is cast by a duly designated person or delegate of the School Council.”

and

Replacing With Section 4.10 (b) “A proxy may be received from each Regular Member in good standing provided that the proxy is in writing and signed by a minimum of two members of the Regular Member’s executive, and the proxy vote is cast by an official delegate of the Regular Member.”

And be it further resolved that the BCCPAC Authorized Proxy Vote Form reflect these changes.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution:

The North Vancouver Parent Advisory Council believes the proposed amendment will provide clarity to the proxy process. It is our understanding that currently anyone (not necessarily a parent within Brit-ish Columbia’s public schools) may hold a proxy to vote at the BCCPAC Annual General Meeting. The credibility of our organization is associated with the delegates voting at the BCCPAC Annual General Meeting who represent our current parent population, not the general public. Our vision is to represent our current membership which are parents within British Columbia’s public schools.

Implementers: BCCPAC BCCPAC Office Staff

Interested Parties: None

2016.1 Amendment of Bylaws: Adding the Definition of “Official Delegate” to the BCCPAC Bylaws Special Resolution

For more information about resolution (1), please contact:North Vancouver District PAC


28

Submitted by: Prince George DPAC, SD#57

Be it resolved that BCCPAC lobby the Ministry of Education to adjust the capacity utilization calculations, in order to take into consideration the needs of districts with rural and urban areas, or districts that cover a large geo-graphical area.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: In assessing a school district’s capital funding request for new construction and addition, the minimum percentage utilization requirements are 100% for grades 1 to 7, 110% for secondary, and district aver-age of 95%. This formula does not take into consideration the needs of a district with rural and urban areas, or districts that cover a large geographical area. Excess capacity in one area does not negate the need to increase capacity in another area.

Implementers:BCCPACMinistry of EducationBC School Trustees’ Association

Interested Parties:BC School Superintendents’ Association

2016.2 Capacity Adjustment

For more information about resolution (2), please contact:Prince George DPAC


29

2016.3 BCCPAC Materials

Submitted by: Prince George DPAC, SD#57

Be it resolved that BCCPAC keep documents such as Speaking Up, Bullying Stops Here, or a Parents’ Guide to Indi-vidual Education Plans public, and not require the general parent population to log into the BCCPAC website in order to access them.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: The BCCPAC board may be discussing the advisability of making some resource material from BC-CPAC only accessible to PACs and DPACs who have paid to become members. Parents who require resource material that is targeted to parents in need – such as Speaking Up, or IEPs, or Bullying – should not be required to contact their local PAC or DPAC in order to get an ID and password, or convince their local PAC to become a BCCPAC member.

Implementers: BCCPAC


For more information about resolution (3), please contact:Prince George DPAC


30

Submitted by: Prince George DPAC, SD#57 and Kootenay Lake DPAC, SD#8

Be it resolved that BCCPAC produce consolidated information for all school PACs and DPACs on the hazards of radon gas, distribute this information to members, and make this information freely available on the BCCPAC website.

And Further That:BCCPAC advocate for all BC school districts to complete long term testing for radon at all school facili-ties as described by Health Canada Guide for Radon Measurements in Public Buildings and to make this information publicly available on district websites;All British Columbia schools that are found to have radon readings above Health Canada’s recom-mended maximum (currently 200 Bq/m3) have remediation undertaken by the district as a priority;Those school districts immediately implement interim measures by increasing ventilation in schools found to exceed the recommended level;All schools that have had energy retrofitting, substantial renovations or repairs be retested; And that the Ministry of Education immediately provide access to additional funds to districts specifi-cally for this testing and remediation work.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Radon is a colourless, odourless radioactive naturally occurring gas that can seep into buildings and concentrate in enclosed spaces. It is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers, causing an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year. The cancer risk from radon is higher than other, more familiar environmental contaminants, including formaldehyde, asbestos and diesel engine exhaust. The risk of developing lung cancer depends on the concentration of radon in the air and the length of exposure. Elevated levels of radon are typically found in the interior and northern parts of the province of BC, with other areas also having higher radon levels. Radon levels can vary significantly from one building to another, and even room to room with a building.Between 1991 and 1999, 400 schools in North Thompson, Nelson, Castlegar, South Okanagan, Trail, Penticton, Vernon, Prince George and Kelowna were tested for radon, and some remediation work was done at that time. In 2007, Health Canada lowered their guideline for when radon remediation should be undertaken from 800 Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3) to 200 Bq/m3. SD#8 recently tested all rooms in all district occupied buildings and found that six of 32 buildings (a total of 28 rooms) had radon concentrations exceeding 200 Bq/m3, and two of these exceeded 500 Bq/m3. SD#8 remediated the affected areas to 100 Bq/m3, the level recommended by the World Health Organization at a cost of close to $275,000.Radon testing protocols exists for schools, remediation methods are well established, and new BC building codes have radon requirements, yet testing and remediation is not mandatory for BC schools.Our school boards have a legal duty of care towards students. For more than 50 years the risk of radon causing lung cancer has been well documented. Thresholds have been tightened; yet schools have not been mandated or supported to mitigate this significant health risk to our children and school staff.Links:http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/security-securite/radiation/radon/home-test-maison-eng.php

2016.4 Radon Testing and Remediation

31

2016.4 Radon Testing and Remediation (continued)

http://www.carst.ca/page-1780354http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/downloads/2015/revisiting_canadas_radon_guideline.pdfhttp://www.healthlinkbc .ca/healthfiles/hfile42.stmhttp://healthycanadians.gc.ca /security-securite /radiation/radon/home-test-maison-eng.phphttp://www.worksafebc.com/contact_us/research/funding_decisions/assets/pdf/2006/RS2006_DG09.pdfhttp://www.sd8.bc.ca/committees/financeoperations/AgendaFO-09232014.pdfhttp://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/radiation/radon_building-edifices/index-eng.php#a61http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/radiation/radon_canadians-canadiens/index-eng.phphttp://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/construction-industry/build-ing-codes-and-standards/bulletins/b14-07_new_radon_rough-in_requirements.pdf

Implementers:BCCPACBC School BoardsBC Ministry of Education

Interested Parties:BC School Trustees’ AssociationBC Minister of HealthBC Lung AssociationInterior HealthNorthern HealthFirst Nations Health AuthorityProvincial Health Services AuthorityWorkSafeBCBC Centre for Disease Control

For more information about resolution (4), please contact:Prince George DPAC/Kootenay Lake DPAC


32

Submitted by: Kootenay Lake DPAC, SD#8

Be it resolved that The Board of Directors of BCCPAC create a program to train a minimum of two parent advocate volunteers in every school district in BC.

And be it further resolved that:This program be established and the initial parents be trained by August 31, 2017.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Parents have the primary responsibility for their child’s care and well-being and have an innate desire to ensure that their child’s rights, needs and opinions are respected. Parents can provide information about their child that can assist in making fair and effective decisions to appropriately support their child in the public school system. Parents are their child’s best advocates because no one knows your child and your situation like you do.

Some of the problems children face at school can be very complicated, and many parents don’t know where to begin to solve problems in their child’s best interest. Many are unsure about the appropriate process to use and where they “fit” in the public school system when it comes to speaking up for their child. Some parents worry about when to speak up, how to speak up, to whom to speak up and what will happen if they do (http://bccpac.bc.ca/advocacy-project, http://dpacsd8.weebly.com/advocacy-parents-helping-parents.html). Many parents do not advocate effectively and do not achieve the desired outcomes for their child resulting in frustration, damaged relationships with school and district staff and unresolved problems or inadequate support for their child

“Students and parents who learn to advocate for themselves gain an understanding of their rights and responsibilities. They develop the courage to stand up for themselves and know how to approach problem solving in an appropriate way.” From Speaking Up! A parent’s guide to advocating for students in public schools (http://bccpac.bc.ca/sites/default/files/resources/speaking_up_2008.pdf)

Between 1994 and 2009 when the BCCPAC Advocacy Project was funded by the Ministry of Education, many parent volunteers were trained and developed advocacy skills and helped thousands of parents in BC speak up effectively for their children. Many of those trained volunteers no longer have children in the public school system and their skills are no longer available to families who need assistance now and will in the future.

Trained advocates also reduce school district costs when they help parents advocate effectively for their children. Volunteer advocates help parents follow the established processes in their districts, gather the required information and avoid unnecessary and unproductive staff time responding to incomplete and ineffective parent inquiries.

School districts therefore have an interest in having trained parent advocates assist families who are struggling with issues in their schools and may be able to supply some funding. Funding may also be

2016.5 Volunteer Parent Advocate Training

33

available from foundations with an interest in advocacy, human rights and education, in addition to government ministries and school districts. This would be a fairly low cost program with a far reaching impact.

The initial two parent volunteers from each district could be self-selected, recommended by PACs and DPACs and/or school administrative staff. Additional parents would be trained by the initially trained parents, the number in each district dependent upon the number of schools and their geographic distribution. In SD#8 for example, our goal is to train a minimum of two parent advocates in each of our six families of schools by the end of June 2016.

Implementers:BCCPAC

Interested Parties:Ministry of EducationBC School Superintendents’ AssociationBC Teachers’ FederationBC Principals and Vice Principals’ Association

2016.5 Volunteer Parent Advocate Training (continued)

For more information about resolution (5), please contact:Kootenay Lake District PAC


34


Be it resolved that BCCPAC advocate for all school districts to test wood shop dust collection systems in all schools for compliance with current WorkSafeBC and BC Fire Code requirements.

Be it further resolved that:All costs for testing and remediation of school wood shops to current WorkSafeBC and BC Fire Code requirements be fully funded by the government of BC without reducing regular school operating and capital grants. And that testing and remediation work to current standards be completed by December 31, 2017.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Explosions in two BC sawmills in 2012 resulting in deaths and severe injuries revealed the danger of combustible wood dust from inadequate exhaust systems, maintenance and cleaning practices. Furthermore, there are serious respiratory concerns related to inhaling quantities of wood dust, such as asthma and decreased lung capacity (https://work.alberta.ca/documents/WHS-PUB_ch045.pdf).

The health and safety of our children is paramount. Inadequate dust collection, exhaust and cleaning practices put our children, and school staff, at risk. School wood shops are similar to industrial workplaces and should be mandated to meet the same health and safety standards (http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/OHSRegulation/Policies-WorkersCompensationAct.asp#SectionNumber:D3-115-3). Our school boards have a legal duty of care towards students based on probability of injury, potential severity of injury and the costs of reducing risk. A recent dust collection audit in SD#8 (Kootenay Lake) concluded that NO school wood shops were completely compliant with current WorksafeBC and BC Fire Code standards (p.321-346 in http://www.sd8.bc.ca/committees/financeoperations/AgendaFO-01122016.pdf).

Remediation of one wood shop at one SD#8 high school (http://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/WoodProducts/Prevention-Sawmills.asp?ReportID=37458#guidelines) is estimated to cost between $750,000 and $1,000,000, with lower costs at the other eight schools. Depending on how many of the recommendations are implemented, remediation costs will exceed $2,000,000. SD#8 has approached the Ministry of Education to fund remediation work, however to date, no funds have been forthcoming (routine capital funds for dust collection systems were only given to two schools in the province this year totalling under $300,000 (http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/resource-management/capital-planning/routine-capital-projects-2015-16.pdf).

With a recent facilities’ review concluding that under current funding models SD#8 has over $83 million of deferred maintenance costs WITHOUT bringing wood shops up to health and safety standards, funding remediation work from within capital budgets and annual facilities grants in the short term is not feasible and leaves our children at risk of serious health impacts, injury or worse.

2016.6 Dust Collection and Remediation in School Wood Shops

35

Implementers:BCCPACBC School BoardsMinistry of Education

Interested Parties:Minister of HealthMinister of FinanceBC School Trustees’ AssociationBC School Superintendents’ AssociationBC Teachers’ FederationCUPEBC Principals and Vice Principals’ AssociationBC Association of School Business Officials

2016.6 Dust Collection and Remediation in School Wood Shops (continued)



36

Submitted by: Surrey District Parent Advisory Council SD#36

Be it resolved that BCCPAC insist that adequate operating funding be provided for teachers to access requisite resources and tools to teach and facilitate the BC Education Plan and reporting student outcomes to parents.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Funding for teacher resources such as electronic devices (laptops, iPads, tablets) have been supplemented by PACs and their fundraising efforts. Employers have an obligation to provide the necessary tools for their employees to implement its vision.

Implementers:BCCPACMinistry of EducationMinistry of FinanceBC School Districts


2016.7 Resources for Teachers

For more information about resolution (7), please contact:Surrey District Parent Advisory Council


37


Be it resolved that BCCPAC advocate for sufficient capital funding be provided to school districts to build necessary infrastructure and facilities to address student growth now and anticipated growth in the future.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Surrey is growing at a rate that is not matched by proportional capital funding and students are experiencing overcrowding that hinder student learning and access to teachers for extra help and guidance. Eg: Staggered bell schedule at Earl Marriott Secondary and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary Schools.

Implementers:BCCPACMinistry of EducationMinistry of FinanceBC Cabinet Committee


2016.8 Capital Funding for New Schools



38


Be it resolved that BCCPAC advocate that the wage increases, such as Economic Stability Mandate, be fully funded as additional increases to current operating funding.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Wage increases to teachers should not take away from existing student funding and resources for students.



2016.9 Economic Stability Mandate



39


Be it resolved that BCCPAC continue to pursue Resolution 2015.21 and that it be reaffirmed.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution:Funding for the BC Education System has fallen to ninth place amongst other jurisdictions in Canada.

Resolution 2015.21 reads:BCCPAC insist on the Government’s commitment to an immediate significant increase in grants to School Districts in B.C., which directly address the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services’ five recommendations for K-12 Public Education in B.C. - Nov. 2014 (pgs.24-25) which read as follows: 22. Provide stable, predictable, and adequate funding to enable school districts to fulfill their responsibility to provide continued equitable access to quality public education, and to meet required repair and maintenance needs. 23. Provide adequate capital funding to school districts for facility improvements, seismic upgrades, and additional schools in rapidly growing communities. 24. Provide support for proposed new K-12 initiatives such as personalized learning and enhanced trades and technology training. 25. Provide resources to identify and address the growing number of students with special needs and those with minimal English language skills. 26. Restore the separate library line item in the Ministry of Education budget for public libraries, and commit to stable, ongoing funding.



2016.10 Proper Funding for Quality Public Education



40


Be it resolved that

Resolution 2009.16 be reaffirmed.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Funding formula needs a review to see what is working, not working, weaknesses, opportunities to address growth in growing districts and declining enrollment in some districts. Students in growing districts shall receive fair and equitable student funding and not be penalized based on geography. Formula should be flexible and nimble to address growing dynamics of student movement and flows between Districts.

Resolution 2009.16 reads:That BCCPAC urge the Ministry of Education to re-examine, recalculate and rework the ministry funding formula to address and fully fund all structural deficits and new programs mandated by the government.

Implementers:Ministry of EducationMinistry of Finance


2016.11 Ministry Funding Formula



41


Be it resolved that BCCPAC petition the Ministries of Education; Finance; Children and Family Development; and Health to jointly ensure that funding is available for the testing and assessment required to obtain the “designations” needed for intervention and support for students with learning disabilities.

And Be It Further Resolved That:BCCPAC advocates for intervention and support for students with learning disabilities before they reach Grade 5.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: At the primary grades, students with ‘challenges’ relative to other students are aware and will become disinterested and disengaged from the school system if not ‘stemmed’ with the right support. Parents have to go through a quagmire of obstacles from family doctors, pediatricians and referrals to psychologists, school-based teams, Children and Family Development and Ministry of Health to get a ‘designation’ so that their child will receive the necessary supports in school.

Implementers:BCCPACMinistry of EducationMinistry of FinanceMinistry of Children and Family DevelopmentMinistry of Health


2016.12 Co-operation Between Ministries for Student Success



42


Be it resolved that BCCPAC advocate for adequate funding for programs and resources for students who are doing well academically.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Academically successful students are often not challenged in ‘regular’ class settings. Special programs and necessary funding are necessary to engage them.

Implementers:BCCPACMinistry of EducationMinistry of FinanceBC School Districts


2016.13 Funding for Successful Students



43

Submitted by: BCCPAC Board of Directors (Awards Committee)

Be it resolved that Stephanie Longstaff be offered lifetime membership in accordance with the Lifetime Membership policy.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Stephanie Longstaff sat as Director for BCCPAC for two terms. Stephanie meets the criteria by assisting with BCCPAC for 5 years and she continues to assist now even with her children having graduated.

Implementers:BCCPAC


2016.14 Life Membership for Stephanie Longstaff

For more information about resolution (14), please contact:BCCPAC Awards Committee


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Be it resolved that Susan Wilson be offered lifetime membership in accordance with the Lifetime Membership policy.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Susan Wilson sat as Treasurer for BCCPAC for two terms with her last term ending after her child had already left the system. Susan meets the criteria by assisting with BCCPAC for 5 years and she continues to assist now even with her children having graduated.

Implementers:BCCPAC


2016.15 Life Membership for Susan Wilson



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Be it resolved that Terry Berting be offered lifetime membership in accordance with the Lifetime Membership policy.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Terry Berting served as Chair on the BCCPAC board of directors and still offers his time to assist with BCCPAC projects.

Implementers:BCCPAC


2016.16 Life Membership for Terry Berting



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2016.17 Discrimination in Schools

Submitted by: Victoria Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils

Be it resolved that BCCPAC advocates for initiatives and processes that are designed not only to stop discrimination in our schools but also to provide opportunities to unlearn discrimination.

Proposer’s Position Statement Supporting the Resolution: Prejudice and discrimination is learned. Children learn discrimination by observing it in their day to day lives. They are exposed through watching people’s reactions and listening to what they say. They are unaware that they are learning prejudice and, in fact, learn that this is how things work. These views are passed on through the generations, supported by peers and reinforced by our history books.

The processing of recent cases of discrimination in our schools reflect a number of mistaken beliefs:

• That we don’t tolerate discrimination.• That these events are one-offs and not reflective of our society.• That the appropriate response is sensitivity training.

We would argue that these recent cases are only the most provocative actions that we see and that discrimination is alive and well.

The answer to discrimination is not simply to contain it or to make examples of the few that get reported. We must discuss the problem openly and take steps to address the root cause of discrimination; our learned prejudices.

Implementers:BCCPACMinistry of EducationBC School Trustees’ Association

Interested Parties:BC Teachers’ Federation

For more information about resolution (17), please contact:Victoria Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils


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Be it resolved that BCCPAC advocate for the Motor Vehicle Act to be amended to increase the penalty for failing to stop for a stopped school bus which is signalling that it is receiving or discharging school children, to 6 demerit points and a $368 fine.

Adequate penalties should be put in place to remind the motoring public that driving through the flashing red lights of a school bus is both dangerous and illegal. Drivers in British Columbia do not take this matter seriously and it is just a matter of time before another child is injured or killed due to failure of a driver to stop for a school bus that is receiving or discharging school children. “From September to June, parents in rural areas send their children off to school on the big yellow school bus, trusting that their child will get to class and back home safely each day. They are counting on motorists to do the right thing (the law-abiding thing) by coming to a complete stop when approaching a school bus with its red lights flashing.

Sadly, not everyone does stop when the school bus lights are flashing and kids could be on the road. And every time someone doesn’t stop for the bus, a child’s life is at risk.”(http://tranbc.ca/2015/04/24/b-c-driver-alert-when-the-school-bus-stops-you-stop/#sthash.7qqOVikX.dpbs)

Between April 15th and June 25th, 2015, the Transportation Department of School District No. 60 recorded every instance of motorists driving through the flashing red lights of the district’s school buses and recorded more than one infraction per day during this time period.

The fine for “Fail to stop for a school bus” in BC is only $167 and 3 points. This is not an adequate deterrent. Increasing the fine to $368.00 and 6 demerit points would reflect the severity of the infraction. To put this in perspective:

(http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/tickets/Pages/fines-points-offences.aspx)

2016.18 Increased Penalties for Failing to Stop for School Buses

Motor VehicleAct Section

Description Fine Demerit Points

140 Disobey construction signs $196-$253 3141 Disobey flagman $196 3144 (1)(a) Drive without due care $368 6144 (1)(b) Drive without consideration $196 6147 (1) Speed in a school zone $196-$253 3147 (2) Speed in a playground zone $196-$253 3151.1 (3) Improper use of leftmost lane $167 3

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2016.18 Increased Penalties for Failing to Stop for School Buses (continued)

In Alberta, the fine for failure to stop for a school bus is $400 and Ontario’s fines range between $400 and $2,000 depending on previous driver infractions.

An almost identical motion was carried by the BCSTA Provincial Council in October 2015. Since then the BCSTA has written advocacy letters to the Minister of Transportation and ICBC. It is hoped that with broad based advocacy, this change can occur very soon.

Implementers:BCCPACSuperintendent of Motor Vehicles (Ministry of Justice and Attorney General)BC Ministry of Transportation and InfrastructureLegislative Assembly of BCICBC

Interested Parties:BC School Trustees’ AssociationBC School BoardsBC Ministry of EducationCUPE



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2016 Resolutions Voting Instructions

Name of PAC/DPAC: _______________________________School District: ____________________________

Name of Proxy holder:_______________________________________________________________________

This form may be used to provide your delegate with directions on how to vote on the items below. By authorizing a delegate (completing the Proxy Voting Form) you are entrusting the delegate carrying your proxy to exercise your voting rights on all matters that will be dealt with at the AGM. As BCCPAC has neither the means nor the authority to verify that member voting suggestions are followed by authorized delegates, please be sure communication is clear for the proxy holder regarding your DPAC/PACs voting intentions and whether you wish to provide discretion in how to vote, as new information is often shared and presented at the time of debate.

BCCPAC urges each member to choose delegate(s) wisely and whenever possible send their own delegate to the AGM.

(2015) Proposed Resolutions Voting Instructions4 Amendment of Bylaws: Removal of the Position of Immediate Past President

(Special Resolution)Notes:

Yes__ No__ Open__

5 Amendment of Bylaws: Removal of the Duties of Immediate Past President and the Special Advisor (Special Resolution) Notes:

Yes__ No__ Open__

7 Amendment of Bylaws: Clarification of Board Member Termination (Special Resolution)Notes:

Yes__ No__ Open__

8 Amendment of Bylaws: Committee Membership and Chair Appointment (Special Resolution)Notes:

Yes__ No__ Open__

16 Implementation of Parent PortalNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

(2016) Proposed Resolutions 1 Amendment of Bylaws: Adding the Definition of “Official Delegate” to the

BCCPAC Bylaws (Special Resolution) Notes:

Yes__ No__ Open__

2 Capacity AdjustmentNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

3 BCCPAC Materials Notes: Yes__ No__ Open__

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8 Capital Funding for New SchoolsNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

9 Economic Stability Mandate Notes: Yes__ No__ Open__

10 Proper Funding for Quality Public Education Notes: Yes__ No__ Open__

11 Ministry Funding FormulaNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

12 Co-operation Between Ministries for Student SuccessNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

13 Funding for Successful StudentsNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

14 Life Membership for Stephanie LongstaffNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

15 Life Membership for Susan WilsonNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

16 Life Membership for Terry BertingNotes:

Yes__ No__ Open__

17 Discrimination in SchoolsNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

18 Increased Penalties for Failing to Stop for School BusesNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

2016 Resolutions Voting Instructions Continued

4 Radon Testing and Remediation Notes:

Yes__ No__ Open__

5 Volunteer Parent Advocate Training Notes:

Yes__ No__ Open__

6 Dust Collection and Remediation in School Wood Shops Notes:

Yes__ No__ Open__

7 Resources for TeachersNotes: Yes__ No__ Open__

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NOTES

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Name of PAC/DPAC: _______________________________School District: ____________________________

Name of Proxy holder:_______________________________________________________________________

Candidate Position List:

2016 Board of Directors Voting Instructions

Voting instructions for your PAC/DPAC Delegate: Indicate the first and/or second candidate choice your PAC/DPAC is voting for. Leave blank if your PAC/DPAC has no preference, allowing the authorized delegate to choose on your behalf. Please keep in mind that persons may be running for more than one position.

Position Choice 1 Choice 2President

2nd Vice President

Secretary

Director 1

Director 2

Candidate School District President 2nd Vice President

Secretary Directors (2)

Bird, John SD 61 Victoria p

Mann, Kendra SD 8 Kootenay Lake p p p

Mezei, Jen SD 41 Burnaby p p

Nordquist, Karen SD 44 North Vancouver p p

Wright, Tracy SD 35 Langley p

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The following applies to all Regular Members:

1. Each Regular Member in good standing is entitled to vote. For the purposes of the 2016 Annual General Meeting (the “AGM”) a Regular Member is in good standing if membership fees have been paid by December 15, 2015. To vote, a Regular Member in good standing must complete a proxy vote form and submit it to BCCPAC in exchange for a voting card.

2. Life, Honourary and Associate Members are not entitled to vote.

3. All proxy forms must be completed and signed by two members of that member’s PAC/DPAC executive in order for an authorized delegate to exercise Regular Member voting rights.

4. In order to allow for the efficient operation of the Annual General Meeting, members are encouraged to mail, fax, or scan and email completed proxy forms to the BCCPAC office in advance. Proxy forms received in this manner no later than April 22, 2016 at 4:30 pm, will be verified and registered by BCCPAC in advance of the AGM. Voting cards for these proxies may be picked up by the authorized delegate at the Proxy Room with proof of identity. Confirmation of proxy forms that are submitted in advance will be sent within three days of receipt and registration to the Executive officers who signed the form. If you do not receive confirmation please contact the office.

5. Proxy forms not received by April 22, 2016 at 4:30 pm are required to be delivered to the Proxy Room at the venue (which will be open during the Spring Conference) in order to receive a voting card to participate at the AGM. Please note that as proxy forms need to be validated and processed before they can be exchanged for voting cards, BCCPAC cannot guarantee that proxy forms received on the day of the AGM, will be processed and exchanged for voting cards in time for the start of the AGM.

6. The delegate carrying your proxy should be aware of how your council wishes its vote to be cast (Voting Instruction Forms have been provided in this booklet and are available on the BCCPAC website). Members should be aware that new information frequently comes to light during the debate on a motion. Please be aware that by authorizing a delegate and/or authorizing the transfer of your proxy you are assigning your voting right to the individual who holds your proxy at the time of any vote. BCCPAC has no way of guaranteeing that the proxy holder will vote the way your council wishes.

7. Members who are unable to send their own PAC or DPAC delegate to the Annual General Meeting or whose voting delegate cannot be present for the entire meeting may authorize another person present to cast their vote.

How to Use a Proxy Form

Prior to the AGM: Fill out the proxy form Have the proxy form signed by two members of your council’s executive. Mail original (keep a copy for your records), fax, or scan and email a copy of the proxy form to BCCPAC

no later than April 22, 2016 at 4:30 pm. OR Bring the signed proxy form to the venue on April 30, 2016.

For the Annual General Meeting: Bring your proxy form with you Upon arrival, please register at the BCCPAC registration desk to receive your AGM delegate package

Please go to the Proxy Room to register proxy form(s) (if these were not sent to the BCCPAC office in advance) and/or to pick up voting cards.

Annual General Meeting (the “AGM”) Voting Information and Proxy Rules

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Authorized Proxy Vote Form 1. Every Regular Member in good standing, which has paid their membership fees by December 15, 2015 is entitled to vote at the 2016 Annual General Meeting. All Regular Members wishing to vote must designate an official delegate(s) to vote on their behalf. Each Regular Member must complete their own authorized proxy vote form with the appropriate council executive signatures.

2. A proxy may be transferred to another registered AGM delegate in the event a delegate cannot be present for the entire Annual General Meeting.

If you do not wish to authorize a transfer check here In compliance with the Bylaws of the B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, Part 4.10:

We, ____________________________________________________________________________________ (Name of member school or district PAC) (School District #)

hereby authorize __________________________________________________________________________ (Name of Delegate) or ______________________________________________________________________________________ (Name of Alternate Delegate) to vote on our behalf.

_____________________________ __________________________Signature Signature

_____________________________ __________________________Member Council Executive Title Member Council Executive Title

_____________________________ __________________________Phone Phone

For Office Use:Name of Authorized Delegate/Alternate: __________________________ ___________________________ Print name Signature

Transfer Authorization to: __________________________ ___________________________ Print name School/District PAC

For Office Use:

Voting Card #_________

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Information on Proxy Voting

All PAC and DPAC representatives must bring a signed Proxy voting form to the AGM in order to vote. If your PAC or DPAC is unable to send a representative to the AGM to vote in person, you can still vote via Proxy. Fill out a Proxy form to transfer your vote and give it to someone who is attending.

Details about Proxy voting and forms can be found on our website at www.bccpac.bc.ca

Not sure if your PAC/DPAC is a voting member?

Check with the BCCPAC office.tel: 604-474-0524toll free: 1-866-529-4397email: [email protected]

*A complete membership list can be found at www.bccpac.bc.ca/membership-list

Meet the CandidatesPlease join BCCPAC at the

Coast Capri Kelownaon Friday, April 29 at 7:00 pm for a

casual evening with the candidates

BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC)Suite C - 2288 Elgin AvenuePort Coquitlam, BC V3C 2B2

Phone: 604-474-0524Toll Free: 1-866-529-4397 Fax: 604-474-0967Email: [email protected]: www.bccpac.bc.ca

Documents

2016 Nomination and Resolution Bookbccpac2016.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/4/3/26435764/... · 2020. 2. 2. · 2016 Nomination and Resolution Book BCCPAC Annual General Meeting April 30