OCSTA Update
January 16, 2015
♦ Presented by: Kathy Burtnik, OCSTA President
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New Beginnings
Each OCSTA meeting is
not only an opportunity
to learn something new,
but to meet new
colleagues in this special
vocation.
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A Call to Service
“In Catholic education it is our ageless desire in Christ to
let no person be held at bay from the love of God
because they fear their weakness will find no welcome. It
is also our greatest care that none are separated from the
love of Christ, because we failed to build a Bethlehem
that could welcome their weakness. In this sense, every
school we have ever built must become Bethlehem.”
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Build Bethlehem Everywhere – A Statement on Catholic
Education, Canadian Catholic Trustees’ Association
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The Success of Catholic Schools
“When you screen out family
differences that can give some
schools an edge, Ontario’s
Catholic schools still come out on
top.”
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Toronto Star, Aug. 9, 2009
“ The McKinsey group, and
Harvard's Program on Education
Policy and Governance have all
done recent case studies on
Ontario's education system,
concluding that it is one of the
most improved and highest
performing in the world.”
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The Atlantic, May - 2012
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OCSTA: A Provincial Voice
85 years of service
OCSTA is routinely called
on by the provincial
government for input and
advice on legislation.
OCSTA consistently
promotes the pivotal role
of trustees in representing
the interests of parents in
political and legislative
forums where they would
otherwise have no voice.
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Benefits of Membership
Professional development
opportunities designed for
Catholic trustees
Tailored resources to
support the promotion of
Catholic education (e.g.
Catholic Education Week
– May 3-8, 2015
www.goodnewsforall.ca)
Labour Relations: OCSTA
is the designated
bargaining agent for
CDSBs in Ontario
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Benefits of Membership
Advocacy on funding
issues – Recent successes:
Access Copyright dollars;
funding for increases in
OMERS contributions, and;
funding for collective
agreement amendments
Representation on all
provincial consultations
and working groups
See more membership
benefit details in delegate
package.
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Leadership at OCSTA
Consider becoming a
member of your OCSTA
Board of Directors
3 Table Officers –
President,Vice President
and Past President
15 Regional Directors
(election at the 2015
AGM)
Non-voting members:
Executive Director,
OCSTA Chaplain and
ACBO Liaison
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Labour
We are undergoing a new collective bargaining process –
one that OCSTA members had the opportunity to shape
through government consultations with all four trustee
associations.
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The result: legislation designed to create a stable framework
for labour relations in our sector. With the passage of Bill 122
in 2014, OCSTA officially took on the role of designated
bargaining agent for Catholic school boards.
Comprehensive overview to be presented on Saturday.
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Gr. 3 Health and Phys. Ed Curriculum
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The Institute for Catholic Education (ICE) will be
developing resources to support the teaching of this
provincially developed curriculum from a Catholic
perspective – something we have always done successfully
with provincially developed curricula.
The members of ICE include OCSTA, and our
organizational partners in Catholic education:
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Catholic teachers’ union (OECTA)
Ontario Bishops (ACBO)
Catholic parents (OAPCE)
Supervisory officers (OCSOA), and
Catholic principals (CPCO)
Demonstrating Who We Are
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As guardians of this great
school system, we have a
responsibility to
demonstrate the defining
attributes of the Gospel
through the things we say
and do, and the decisions
we make.
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Our Schools – An Extension of the Church
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“Let the church
always be a place
of mercy and hope,
where everyone is
welcomed, loved
and forgiven.”
Pope Francis
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A United Front
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Your association helps to
provide opportunities to
illuminate trustee
leadership and the good
work of Catholic schools
through events like the
Catholic Education Lobby
Day at Queen’s Park –
jointly hosted by OCSTA,
Ontario’s Bishops (ACBO)
and Ontario’s English
Catholic Teachers’ Union
(OECTA).
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Thank You
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