Motions on Your Behalf
Just to let you know that there are three motions presently being examined by the TDSB as a result of motions that I have made at committee or in the Board
On the Use of Volunteers
Whereas The school principal has the authority to allow volunteer supervised activities. If there are no TDSB staff available to supervise an extra-curricular activity that would promote student achievement and well-being, the school Principal will decide whether to offer the activity under the supervision of a community volunteer in consultation with the: Family of Schools Superintendent, Chair(s) of the School Council and Chair(s) of the school’s Student Council (if one exists)
Whereas volunteers must have the skills and background checks to supervise. Every community volunteer is to be assessed for the specific extra-curricular activity and must have undergone police background checks required by those in contact with students;
Whereas volunteers will be covered by the TDSB’s liability insurance. Board insurance will cover volunteers for their involvement in an extra-curricular activity; and that the Director present for review, operational procedures to support this policy of the Board as soon as possible.
Therefore Be it Resolved:
That the Director develop procedures to allow volunteers to supervise extracurricular activities, based on the following principles:
Effects of Residential Schools on Aboriginal Communities
Whereas, as an educational institution the Board has an obligation to teach about the failed Canadian vision of education called Residential Schools, as for over 120 years families were separated – parents from children and siblings from each other, as well as the trauma of separation, many residential students suffered abuse; and
Whereas, as students graduate and become contributing citizens, they have an obligation as fellow Canadians to work with the First Nations communities to help mitigate the wrongs of the past;
Therefore, Be it Resolved:
That the Director convene a committee of curriculum experts to determine a way for students to graduate with a significant knowledge of the effects of Residential Schools on Aboriginal communities.
Establishment of a Documents for Access, Transparency and Accountability Workgroup
Open government is the governing doctrine which holds that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight.- Wikipedia
Whereas, the Toronto District School Board collects considerable data to inform decision making; and
Whereas, the Toronto District School Board aspires to be a leader in community engagement; and
Whereas, the Board is a public institution which desires to be transparent and accountable to the citizens of Toronto while maintaining the confidentiality of information of a sensitive, personal and fiduciary nature; and
Whereas, in this digital age it is possible to communicate data on a platform situated in a central location online that is easy to access;
Therefore, Be it Resolved:
(a) That a Documents for Access, Transparency and Accountability (DATA) workgroup be established in order to begin a process that would have data published to the Board’s web site unless it was deemed to be private;
(b) That the data be consolidated online in a way that is easily accessed by the public;
(c) That staff consider the establishment of a comprehensive Open Data Policy, similar in nature to the Ontario Government, the Federal Government and other bodies, which would lead to improvements in the Board’s freedom of information process.
