Chair Report February 2024

Tonight the Council of Commissioners will have the opportunity to re-appoint Dr. Cindy Finn to the position of Director General of the LBPSB for the next five years, from 2024-2029. This is a privilege for this Council of Commissioners. One of our rights, as clearly stated in the Education Act that governs English school boards, is to appoint the Director General, a right that might have been rescinded had the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) and our allies in education at the National Assembly not lobbied hard and judiciously to ensure that certain articles of Bill 23, a law in part to amend mainly the Education Act … would be suspended, would not apply to the governance of English school boards. In determining who should hold the position of Director General at a school board, at the LBPSB school board, in particular, is to know that person will fulfill their duties in alignment with the vision and values of the local school community. Dr. Cindy Finn’s vast experience and unwavering commitment to excellence in education and to this school board are exemplary. It is with a great sigh of relief that the honour of making such a vital decision about the management of our school board will not be left in the hands of a committee at the Ministry of Education.

In addition, I would like to graciously acknowledge the support given to this council of commissioners by the Directorate and Secretariat on a daily basis by Carol Heffernan and Steven Colpitts, by Geneviève Dugré, by François Hamel and by Andréanne Bertrand and by Gina Clemenza. There are so many other individuals for the council of commissioners to thank. You know who you are and how much we appreciate the time you spend working with us at our committees and supporting us in other work we do together.

This past month included many activities across the school board to celebrate and learn about and value Black History in Quebec and Canada and beyond. It was also a month where staff was celebrated and honoured during staff appreciation week. It was a month where we could all reflect on what we truly appreciate about the work being done at the LBPSB and to be proud of the students who are our reason for being.

As you will see as our agenda proceeds tonight, there are several reports and some resolutions that will demonstrate to you the work behind the scenes that has taken place during the month of February, and prior, in some cases. One I would like to highlight is the fine-tuning of our By-law 9. This by-law indicates how to make a complaint or a report related to the services or the functions of the school board and who can do so in each case. It is directly linked to The Act Respecting the National Student Ombudsman and establishes a complaint or reporting procedure for students, including international students, homeschooled children and their parents who are dissatisfied with a service they received, are receiving, ought to have received or require from the school board. The complaint procedure is very important and is designed to help all families who have concerns they feel need to be addressed by the school board. That said, I ask, that when there is a complaint or concern, that it is presented in a kind and civil way, that all humans are respected in those exchanges, that social media, or the media, for that matter, are not where complaints are aired and people are disrespected. At the LBPSB we value respect for one another and civility, at all times. This is also something we hold dear for our students and we should all lead by example.

The last Wednesday of February is Pink Shirt Day, 2024’s being Wednesday the 28th. You will, no doubt, notice many people wearing pink this week. This day was actually initiated by 2 students in small-town Nova Scotia, in 2007, where they and many friends wore pink in support of a gay grade 9 boy who was bullied and harassed by schoolmates for wearing pink. This movement spread across the country, showing the strength and determination of youth in action against bullying.

I am now going to repeat a passage from my Council report in February 2023 that still holds a strong place in my heart and soul:
Education, education, education and positive actions, such as honouring Black History Month and Pink Shirt Day are a key part of the solution to helping our students and our community to be the best they can be. This is part of the path forward.

We just have to look around us, tonight, at this Council meeting, at all participants, to appreciate the fact that we are a caring community, doing our best. Can we do better? Yes we can. This is hard work and is, at times, two steps forward and one step back. Hard is hard.

I am asking everyone to promote KINDNESS in everything you do.

Let us all work together to make a difference for our students, our raison d’être. Let’s be kind, let’s be patient, let’s be the best we can be.