In December, the government of Prince Edward Island announced that after many years without democratically elected school boards, the province would reintroduce an elected school governance model to give residents meaningful participation in their public-education system.
During the announcement, the province’s minister of education said that the goal was for islanders to have a stronger voice in the operation of their public-education system and more input into how to best support student learning.
In British Columbia, we’ve managed to avoid an emerging provincial trend of first eliminating and then reinstating locally elected school boards.
We’re thankful for a strong co-governance relationship with our provincial government, outlined in a jointly signed agreement between local boards of education and B.C.’s Ministry of Education.
Our co-governance agreement ensures that each level of government responsible for education in this province understands their roles and responsibilities and helps us avoid the unnecessary legislative disputes that have led to the dissolution of locally elected school boards in other parts of Canada.
The agreement allows us to remain focused on what’s most important: Continually improving student achievement across this vast and diverse province of ours.
British Columbians can feel confident that our educational governance is working, because we have consistently performed at or near the top of international assessments over the last decade.
As president of the British Columbia School Trustees Association, I was pleased to know that people in Prince Edward Island will again have the same democratic rights as every British Columbian in the operation of their public education system.
Public education is one of the key elements of a strong, well-functioning democracy and it is this essential value that resulted in the provision of locally elected boards to oversee the daily operation of public school districts.
We expect our schools to reflect the values and cultures of the communities they serve. The policies that shape educational programs must be developed, debated and implemented by members of the communities in which they are delivered.
Local school governance ensures that education policies and programming are not simply “templates” handed down from the province, but rather reflect community values and meet local needs.
Your school trustees reflect your community. Many are parents with children at school in the district they represent.
Some are parents of children with diverse learning needs, many work full-time, still others are retired. Your school trustees are focused on improving student achievement across their district, closing achievement gaps among groups of learners and making sure that every child receives a quality education at their local public school.
They provide responsible financial oversight and advocacy at all levels of government to ensure the needs of students in their communities are met. Boards of education oversee one of the most complex systems of local government, one responsible for managing something every community is deeply invested in: The education of its children.
It’s a demanding, complicated role that requires curiosity, flexibility and, above all, a willingness to listen and to learn.
BCSTA was founded in 1905 — a time when the scope of a board of education’s work was much simpler. Schools have become more complex, budgets bigger, policies more nuanced, student needs more diverse.
I’m proud to be leading an organization with a 115-year history of supporting local education advocacy. We will continue to support boards of education in their key work of laying the foundation for student success in every part of the province.
Stephanie Higginson is the president of the British Columbia School Trustees Association.
