What’s New With OFHSA?

Dear Members,

The Ontario Ministry of Education is currently conducting a consultation that will form the direction of education In Ontario. As a service to our members, the OFHSA Policy Workgroup Leader in collaboration with the OFHSA Board of Managers, developed this information resource using pertinent OFHSA policies to help support our members in completing the survey as grassroots advocates.

To complete the online survey, please register by entering your email address at the link below. Your responses will be received anonymously — and unconnected to your email address.

After you have registered, you will receive an email from survey@fortheparents.ca with a single use link to the survey. Be sure to add this email address to your safe senders list so the email doesn’t go into your junk mail.

Survey Registration Link: https://registration.fortheparents.ca/

Closing Date: December 15^th, 2018

At this time, it is critical that our members provide their voice to help form the direction of education in Ontario. This information resource is based on OFHSA policy and can be used by our members to help guide in completing this online survey, or for future consultations.

It is hoped that our members will also incorporate their local perspective as it related to their involvement in their local H&S Association and school community.

This is one of the most critical times to make your voice heard to help shape education in Ontario. Please use any or all of the responses along with your personal views in completing the survey.

Ministry of Education’s Consultation: Education in Ontario

LINK: https://www.ontario.ca/page/for-the-parents

Member Resource- Consultation Education in Ontario

Municipal Elections are coming October 22nd

H&S ASSOCIATIONS AND H&S COUNCILS SHOULD:
• Stress the importance of trustee elections to all parents and taxpayers
• Distribute information to the community about the role of the school trustee
• Encourage parents to attend public meetings for trustee candidates
• Advertise the date, time and location of any trustee candidate meetings
• Sponsor or co-sponsor a meeting to which all trustee candidates can have equal opportunity to present their qualifications and answer questions about their position on educational concerns and issues
• Stress the important role that trustees have in involving parents as partners in education
• Survey parents to identify their concerns about the education system
• Prepare a questionnaire for candidates about the l local concerns and issues. Collect responses from all the trustee candidates in the area and make the responses available to parents prior to the day of the election.

For information on the role of the Trustee and the public school board, visit the website of the Ontario Public School Board’s Association: WWW.OPSBA.ORG

OFHSA Media Release

Reverting the current Phys Ed & Health Curriculum puts our students at risk

For Immediate Release – July 19, 2018

OFHSA Video Presentations

Videos

More guidance counsellors for grades 7 and 8

Minister of Education announces changes to the funding formula

The Minister of Education has announced that school boards will receive increases to funding for guidance counsellors for students in grades 7 and 8. People for Education has been calling for a change to the funding formula for guidance for a number of years and has recommended that guidance counsellors for students in grades 7 and 8 be funded at the same rate as they are in high school – which is one counsellor for every 384 students. Today, the Minister announced the province will be making that change.

According to the Ministry of Education, this will mean at least 450 more guidance counsellors in schools with grades 7 and 8.

To read the full article from People For Education, click here.

Bringing down wait times for special education

Minister of Education announces increases in funding for special education

There are few details available about the province’s announcement of a $300 Million increase in funding for special education over the next three years. But there is a commitment to reducing wait times for special education assessments by providing $125 Million over the next three years to hire appropriate professionals (psychologist, speech language pathologists etc.) to ensure students can be assessed quickly and at no cost.

According to People for Education’s 2017 Annual Report on Ontario’s Publicly Funded Schools, there are at least 35,000 students waiting for special education assessments in Ontario. While most of these students are receiving some form of support, without an assessment it may be difficult to ensure that the support is targeted and appropriate.

To read more about the changes, click here.

180 Mental Health Workers coming to Ontario high schools

New staff to help students find services, provide support

For a number of years, principals, in response to People for Education’s Annual Ontario School Survey, have raised concerns about the growth in the proportion of students struggling with mental health issues. The principals have also told us, they lack the staff to support them. While the province has not provided details as to the qualifications of these new support workers, they will be helpful to support teachers, students and school staff in ensuring that students are getting the help and the access to services that they need.

To read the full article from People For Education, click here.

News Release

New Schools and Child Care Spaces Coming to Communities Across Ontario

January 15, 2018

Province Investing in Additions, Repairs and Upgrades at 79 Schools

Ontario is supporting families in communities across the province, with new schools, additions and renovations that will create better, modern learning environments and more licensed child care spaces.

Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education, and Indira Naidoo-Harris, Minister Responsible for Early Years and Child Care, were joined by Laura Albanese, MPP for York South-Weston, at Dennis Avenue Community School in Toronto today to announce funding for 39 brand new schools and 40 major renovations and additions in communities across Ontario.

These projects will also include a total of 157 new child care rooms with more than 2,700 licensed child care spaces for children aged 0-4, helping more families access safe and affordable child care closer to home.

Ontario’s plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.

QUICK FACTS

In 2018, Ontario is investing $784 million in 79 new and renovated schools. This investment will also create more than 2,700 new licensed child care spaces for children aged 0-4.
Ontario is providing $10.8 million to help build a new school building for Dennis Avenue Community School, and $4.5 million for a four-room addition at the nearby George Syme Community School. Each project will include five new child care rooms with space for 88 children.
Since 2013, the government has invested $9.1 billion in capital funding to support more than 160 new schools and more than 460 additions and renovations.
Ontario is investing up to $1.6 billion in new capital funding over five years to support the creation of 45,000 new licensed child care spaces in schools, other public spaces and communities.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

QUOTES

“Ontario is committed to building learning environments that support student achievement and well-being. That’s why we continue to invest in new, renovated, and expanded schools so that every student can learn and grow in a space that enables them to reach their full potential.”
— Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education

“Schools are a natural fit for licensed child care spaces. They provide families with access to safe, high-quality care in a convenient setting, and offer young children the opportunity to transition into full-day kindergarten in a familiar environment. These new spaces will give our youngest learners a strong start in life, and make a real difference in the lives of many Ontario families.”
— Indira Naidoo-Harris, Minister Responsible for Early Years and Child Care

“I’m thrilled Ontario is making an important investment for the future of York South-Weston. These high-quality school buildings will help provide local students with better learning environments, while supporting the needs of our growing community.”
— Laura Albanese, MPP for York South-Weston

CONTACTS

Richard Francella
Minister’s Office
richard.francella@ontario.ca

Heather Irwin
Communications Branch
416-325-2454
heather.irwin@ontario.ca

Public Inquiries
416-325-2929

TTY
1-800-268-7095

Ministry of Education
http://www.ontario.ca/education

NEWSLETTERS:

Virtually Yours – our e-newsletter. Want to subscribe? Send an e-mail to OFHSA with ‘sign me up’ in the subject line.
The OFHSA Bulletin

Get your Association mailing sent to your Inbox

The Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations are pleased to support your association with information to your inbox! Providing the Associations mailings by email allows us to increase the information we can share at no cost!

Click here to subscribe to our mailing list

OFHSA IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE

The Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations are pleased to announce the Federation Officers for the 2017-2018 term, as elected by the Board of Directors.

Click here to view / download the official announcement.