The Role of Catholic Trustees by Colleen Landers Vice Chair Northeastern CDSB

CATHOLIC EDUCATION About Gospel teachings and the way those teachings come to life in our Catholic schools. Help to inspire students to be transformative in the interactions with people and in the decisions they make to enhance lives and the world around them. Trustees to strengthen our community of support for Catholic education in Ontario to build strong Catholic communities and schools across Ontario.

CATHOLIC TRUSTEES WE are Advocates, Guardians and Stewards of our publicly funded Catholic Education system here in Ontario.

Catholic Trustees Democratically elected to govern Catholic schools within the jurisdiction in which they live. The powers, duties and responsibilities are detailed in the Education Act and other legislation, and in regulations. The Catholic board of trustees functions within this legislative authority as a corporate body. Individual trustees possess no authority or power to act independently.

CATHOLIC TRUSTEES Occupy positions of public trust and confidence. Expected to discharge their duties and responsibilities in a professional, impartial and Catholic manner. Imperative that the Catholic Trustees be, and be seen to be acting in the best interests of the public they serve.  Not compromise themselves in the discharge of their duties by failing to declare a conflict of interest as required pursuant to the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, by contravening any other law, by disclosing confidential business, personnel or student information and by misappropriating board resources.  Follow the boards Code of Conduct, Comply with the Law, Specific Requirements of the Education Act to act with respect to student achievement, school board governance and certain other matters, uphold confidentiality, and follow municipal act, and resources.

CATHOLIC TRUSTEES As members of the Catholic community, Catholic trustees share in the joy of providing an education that addresses the spiritual, moral, academic and physical needs of our young people. Trustees are encouraged by the knowledge that the contribution of their skills, experience and time is an investment in the future leadership of our communities, our Catholic schools, our country and our Church. Have a vision of Catholic education that is Christ-centered. Committed to educating students in the Roman Catholic tradition. Willing to work with all partners within and beyond the Catholic education community. Willing to devote time to prayer and reflection, to meetings, to public functions and to addressing concerns of Catholic school voters.  

Stewardship Christian stewardship means managing everything justly. Catholic trustees are entrusted with the significant responsibility of stewardship of the mission of Catholic education. This involves ensuring the integrity of the Catholic school system which is based on the religious ideals of our Catholic faith, and is dedicated to sharing gospel values through the life and programs in our schools.

The Joy of Service As members of the Catholic community, Catholic trustees share in the joy of providing an education that addresses the spiritual, moral, academic and physical needs of our young people. Trustees are encouraged by the knowledge that the contribution of their skills, experience and time is an investment in the future leadership of our communities, our Catholic schools, our country and our Church. Catholic stewardship is also reflected in the insistence by boards that all government curriculum guidelines are infused with philosophy and values consistent with the Catholic tradition.

Catholic Trustees are accountable to Catholic school electors for… Establishing the system’s mission and goals. Support student achievement in the school community. Establishing the annual budget Developing policies to ensure the efficient operation of the board. Determining the type, size and location of schools.

Orientation An in depth orientation is required for new trustees. Chair and Vice Chair providing a full day of review of many documents should be held along with time with the Director to review policies and procedures. Trustee Professional Development Modules http://www.ocsta.on.ca/trustee-modules-2 At our board there is a binder I prepared with a usb stick. There is a wide range of information shared such as Renewing the Promise, Call to Stewardship, OCSTA pamphlet, Roles of a Catholic Trustee, Conflict of Interest Trustee Modules outlines and documents , History of Catholic Education, Government documents on role of trustee, Roberts rules, Governance, Bill 177 , Policies and budget process and more. This information is then readily available to new and experienced Trustees to keep our work focused and ensure shared understanding of the role. An index of the binder is provided in handouts. Trustee Modules Authentic Governance Through Ethical Leadership Authentic Governance for Student Achievement – Boards Matter! Right from the Start: Roles and Responsibilities Common Ground, Common Purpose: Relationships in School Boards a) Performance Review: Director of Education b) Board Self Assessment: Governance Performance The Strategic Role and Multi-year Strategic Planning Exercising Authentic Governance: The School Board’s Role as Policymaker Conflict: Managing it Creatively Family and Community COEngagement—could use a current document on parental involvement in Catholic schools 15 MIN work Advocacy: Engaging the Public Conflict of Interest and Judicial Proceedings: Some Legal Aspects of Governance Running Effective Meetings Finance Human Resources What Makes a Great Board Chair? First Nations Trustees: Leading in Two Developing a Code of Conduct for Trustees Social Media Internal Audits and the Role of Audit Committees

Conflict Interest It is important that new trustees know about conflict of interest. Financial gain! Declaring a conflict is an individual trustee’s responsibility. Understand the result of not declaring a conflict to the board and themselves. Have access to policy and also to legal opinion if you have a conflict of interest as each situation can be different. At our board this is included in orientation and a power point presentation on conflict of interest from a Peter Lawyer included in the Trustee binder. New trustees receive an orientation and review the power point and then can ask questions. If required the Director or Superintendent of Business can assist in reviewing the proper process. The board can also provide a legal opinion for the trustee. Every conflict of interest situation is different, so it is important that individual trustees understand their own conflicts of interest and address them properly.

Budget According to Bill 177 Policy and budget are trustees two major roles. Understanding the Budget process is a learning task for anyone that has not dealt with budgets. Assist new trustees to understand process, read budget sheets and learn what to look for in the budget are some key points for their orientation. In our trustee orientation binder we have sample budget sheets and process. At out board we receive budget figures well in advance to a budget meeting. All trustees are invited to send any questions or concerns to the Chair and director, ahead of the scheduled meeting. This provides our senior team with time to provide thorough explanations. Questions are answered and further explanations are given, depending on the nature of Trustee concerns. Budget is a public process and input from staff and the public is accepted. We use the same general process for both Budget Estimates and Revised estimates. In orientation you need to review the budget process for your board, review budget sheets and develop an understanding of revenue and expenses. It is also helpful to know what to look for and the different ways funds are used. If no financial experience it can be a full year or more before new trustees are comfortable with budget .

The Role of Catholic Trustees by Tricia Chapman Vice Chair Durham CDSB

Ontario’s Catholic Schools Catholic schools not only provide religious instruction, teach Gospel values, and display religious symbols but, most importantly, create a Catholic learning culture which speaks a language echoing the mystery of God. The Catholic school is an integral part of the Church’s mission to evangelize youth. --from “Becoming A Catholic School Trustee”, published by OCSTA

The Catholic Community Catholics in Ontario are privileged to have their own local system as a constitutional right. This fundamental right includes the right to: Elect Catholic trustees to govern our schools Determine the curriculum and teaching staff in accordance with government regulation Set the annual budget within the boundaries of government grants

The Catholic School Board The Catholic school board establishes a Christian vision for the school system. It exercises direction and leadership by applying Christian principles to such key issues as: System mission and goals Strategic planning Policy formation and procedural by-laws Approval of curriculum including Religious education and Family Life Education programs Approval of budget guidelines and design Employment of staff committed to the philosophy of Catholic education.

Catholic Schools are faith communities which… Engage students in a life-long faith journey rooted in the person of Jesus Nurture spirituality through a Gospel-centered approach to learning in all subjects Impart knowledge through religious education and family life education programs “The perspective of life which Catholic education provides to its graduates is of benefit not only to them, their families and their church, but to the common good of all citizens.

Retreat Annual Advent retreat to support social justice, service initiatives Social justice, service activity combined with a study or teaching of the Gospel Spring retreat which reflects Pope Francis’ teachings Walking through Door of Mercy

Policies Director recommends policies to be developed or reviewed Board approves annual roster of policies to be reviewed or developed Board completes first reading then vetted through stakeholder groups for 2nd and 3rd reading Revisions may be made based on stakeholder input Board approves every reading A legal opinion may be sought prior to third reading at Director’s discretion Adminitrative procedures developed simultaneously to support policies

Director Performance Appraisal All trustees provide input on Director’s performance in relation to strategic plan and board improvement plan Chair of the Board responsible for forwarded requirements and Director’s objectives to the whole board Chair responsible for collating the responses and presenting the performance appraisal to the Director. Colleen to give how her board does this.

QUESTIONS? The governance guide and stewardship pamphlet was handed out at the registration desk. We have some resources from this talk plus slides