As the Near North District School Board “encourages professional development for trustees” it will send a few to attend upcoming training opportunities. During the board’s last meeting on January 10th, “several opportunities were brought forward for consideration,” the board explained.
It’s all part of the strategic commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, the board noted, which included supporting trustees in their development. Two student trustees, Allen Lewis Trodd and Cecilia Darling will be heading to Ottawa this February to attend the Ontario Student Trustee Association Board Council Conference. There will be sessions to “help student trustees better understand their role” on the board.
The board will also send members to the Public Education Symposium, which is presented by Ontario’s Public School Board’s Association, and takes place from January 26th to 28th at the Sheraton Centre Toronto.
This year the conference returns to an in-person event, the first time since 2020. There is a host of keynote speakers, including Ontario’s minister of education Stephen Lecce. Topics covered will include the impact Covid had on students, the curriculum, and the importance of maintaining equitable and diverse learning environments.
Erika Lougheed and Howard Wesley as the Chair and Vice-Chair will represent the board at the conference. Lougheed mentioned that trustees can also look forward to a session being developed by the board’s own Indigenous Education team.
"It’s important that trustees understand the breadth and scope of Indigenous Education at NNDSB,” said Chair Lougheed. “The session will demonstrate how it connects with departments and the Board’s role in supporting Indigenous Education.”
Since elected this past October, board members have been busy settling into their trustee positions. To help them settle, each was provided an orientation binder full of resources, including the board’s 2021-2026 strategic plan, and the Near North District School Board Governance Manual. Lest we forget the package on committee information, plus the Director’s Annual Report.
Professional development never leaves the agenda, the board emphasized, “indicating the importance the board puts on trustees’ on-going learning.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
