BCCPAC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2015 by Jane Lagden Holborne

I attended the BCCPAC Annual General Meeting as one of NVPAC’s representatives, and I am grateful to NVPAC for reimbursing me for the registration fee, parking and mileage.  The 2015 BCCPAC AGM was held on Saturday and Sunday, May 2nd and 3rd, at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown Hotel in Burnaby.

The Saturday session began with numerous and lengthy required procedures including a credentials report and establishment of quorum; a review of parliamentary procedure for the AGM; and approval of the conference rules, the agenda and the 2014 AGM minutes.  The President and Nominations Committee Chair presented reports.  The formalities concluded with brief speeches from the candidates for election to the Board of Directors.  Voting for the Board of Directors commenced and continued throughout the meeting.  The Treasurer’s report included the 2014 financial statements, the appointment of an auditor for 2015, and the 2015 Budget.  There was no change in the membership fee.

Resolutions:

The balance of the Saturday session and most of the Sunday session was devoted to the discussion of, and voting on resolutions.  The approved resolutions are used by BCCPAC to lobby the government and other bodies with a goal of improving education in British Columbia.  BCCPAC maintains a searchable list of resolutions passed at previous AGMs.  A number of the resolutions approved at the 2015 AGM reaffirmed resolutions approved at past AGMs, the goals of which have not yet been achieved.  These are:

• 2015.13 Reaffirmation of Resolution 2007.6:  Prohibition on Asbestos Removal
• 2015.14 Reaffirmation of Resolution 2008.22:  Construction Guidelines
• 2015.25 Reaffirmation of 1998.2:  Retribution

The original wording for most of the resolutions considered at the 2015 AGM can be found on the BCCPAC website.  Changes were made to the wording of many of the resolutions; but to date, BCCPAC has not published the revised wordings for the resolutions approved at the 2015 AGM.  Follow this link to find a summary of the 2015 AGM Resolution results.  A few of the more thought-provoking resolutions approved are:

• 2015.17 Transfer of Special Needs Supports and Adaptations to Post Secondary Institutions
• 2015.20 Funding for Private Schools
• 2015.23 Regulation of Special Education Assistants
• 2015.24 Standards for Special Educational Assistants

Board of Directors:

The following individuals were elected to the Board of Directors:

1st Vice‐President Farah Shroff – SD 39 Vancouver

Secretary Kendra Mann – SD 8 Kootenay Lake

Treasurer Gordon Byers – SD 33 Chilliwack

Director Shelley Courtney - SD 23 Central Okanagan

Director Darlene Campbell – SD 57 Prince George

The new directors listed above, together with the other four directors who are at the middle point of their two-year terms provide reasonably good representation from all parts of the province.  For purposes of continuity and to ensure a mix of experienced and new Directors, BCCPAC elects only a portion of their Board positions each year.

Committee of the Whole:

Unfortunately, the Committee of the Whole session scheduled for the Saturday afternoon was cancelled in favour of working on resolutions.  Eventually, an abbreviated Committee of the Whole session was held on the Sunday morning, immediately before the final adjournment.  BCCPAC Directors presented information and sought input on several topics.

1. Regional representation/conferences:

The possibility of electing a Member-at-Large from each region of the province to the Board of Directors was explored.  There is at present no provision in the BCCPAC Constitution and Bylaws for such representation.  Before this idea can be put into practice, the membership will have to approve a change to the Constitution and Bylaws.

BCCPAC is considering forming regional branches, so that PACs and DPACs in neighbouring areas can work together on common goals and issues, such as organizing a regional fall conference.  The funds usually spent by BCCPAC on the single central fall conference would instead be used to support PACs and DPACs to present these smaller regional conferences.  A suggestion to hold video conferences or to broadcast a keynote speaker province-wide was made.  There will still be a single Spring Conference/AGM even if regional branches are formed.

2. Member Benefits:

It was agreed that the information received and the opportunity to provide input is valued more than the “stuff” – pens, notebooks, etc.  BCCPAC urges DPACs to encourage PACs to join BCCPAC for the benefits of membership.

3. Bill 11

School Planning Councils (SPC) have been removed from the School Act; the duties of the SPC have been shifted to the PAC but with no specific requirement to consult with parents.  There is a new Accountability Framework being developed; there will be something in place for the beginning of the new school year, which will be reviewed at the end of the year.

4. Lobbying for Educational Needs, and Effective Lobbying:

This was a brainstorming session; the ideas I was able to take down are as follows:

-Literacy -Mandate on free education

-Addressing childhood poverty -Funded transportation

-Equity across districts -Field trips

-More support for IEP processing -Parent engagement

-Capital funding -Adequate supports in class for special needs

-Health education and sexual health education in general

-Support for teachers to provide sexual health   education

-Support for English Language Learners and new immigrants

-Provincial assessment tools for K – 9 on numeracy & literacy

Lobbying effectively:

-More collaboration -Referendum on education

-Working groups

Jane Lagden Holborne

Chair, NVPAC