Teaching About Local Government: School Boards

Local Government in Alberta 1

Teaching About

Local Government: School Boards

A Teacher Resource Guide

LEARNING

2 Local Government in Alberta

Alberta Learning and the Alberta School Boards Association gratefully

acknowledge the following individuals and groups who have assisted in the

development of this resource.

Teaching About School Board Governance in Alberta

Review Committee

Sheila Busch

Elk Island Public Schools Regional Division No. 14

Jared Eszczuk

Red Deer Catholic Regional Division No. 39

Myron Ganser

Vice-chair, East Central Alberta Catholic Separate School Division No. 16

Kelli Holden

Parkland School Division No. 70

Patricia Rijavec

Vice-chair, Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2

Ray Sauer

Chair, Aspen View Regional Division No. 19

Thelma Watrich

Northern Lights School Division No. 69

Consultant/reviewer

Dick Baker, Consultant

Nichols Education Consulting Group

Consultant/writer

Patricia Shields

Design/typography

Cheryl Anne Lieberman Typographics

Cover Illustration

Matt Gould

Editor

Anita Jenkins

Project Co-ordinators

Joan Engel

Program Manager

Curriculum Standards Branch, Alberta Learning

Terry Kernaghan

Curriculum Consultant

Curriculum Standards Branch, Alberta Learning

Suzanne Lundrigan

Manager, Communications

Alberta School Boards Association

four inchpocket usestandingdie-frontCheck ifpocket isgluedColour aspage pms3282


Teaching About

Local Government: School Boards

A Teacher Resource Guide

Copyright ¤ 2000, the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Learning.Alberta Learning, 11160 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5K 0L2.

Permission is given by the copyright owner to reproduce this document for educational purposesand on a nonprofit basis.


ContentsTeaching About Local Government: School Boards

Teaching About Local Government: School Boards

Overview for teachers 7

The purpose of this resource 8

Local Government: Program of Studies 9

The importance of teaching about school boards as a form

of local government 12

The organization of this resource 13

Teaching and learning sequence 14

Make this resource kit your own 15

A suggested timeline 15

Teaching and Learning Segment 1

Overview and Segment Objectives 16

How are decisions made in my school? 18

Segment 1 Teacher Backgrounder and Student Sourcebook Sources 25



How are schools and school boards part of the local community? 41




Who are the people who serve on school boards? 60




What are my roles and responsibilities as a student? 83




What do I do next? 102


Resources and References 115



Teaching About Local Government: School Boards

Overview for teachers This teaching resource is intended to

increase and encourage students’ awareness and understanding of the role

of school boards and of the roles, rights and responsibilities associated with

school boards. Students will study the roles and responsibilities of school

boards and the work and services of the school jurisdictions governed by

the boards. School boards and municipal councils (city, town, village,

county) are examples of local government in Alberta. The legislation that

makes provisions for boards and councils recognizes the need for local

government to reflect the characteristics, needs and values of communities.

This teaching resource addresses selected objectives in Alberta Learning’s

Program of Studies for Social Studies Topic 6A. School boards are the bod-

ies that govern school jurisdictions and are known as regional or school

divisions, school districts or Francophone education regions. School board

trustees are elected from constituencies, most commonly wards that are part

of the local government structure. This resource includes teaching sugges-

tions as well as background information about school board governance in

Alberta. This resource does not address other elements in the provincial

education system such as charter and private schools.

This resource is designed to supplement the teaching and learning strate-

gies provided in Teaching About Local Government in Alberta, a teaching

resource produced by Alberta Municipal Affairs and Alberta Learning.

The strategies in each of the segments of this resource correspond to the five

segments in Teaching About Local Government in Alberta.

Teachers can select one or more of the following steps to integrate these two

resources:

• Design your unit for Topic A: Local Government by integrating activities

from Teaching About Local Government in Alberta and Teaching About Local

Government: School Boards as well as basic resources you are already using

for Topic A.

• Integrate the activities from both resources by using each segment from

both resources in sequence.

• Teach a self contained ”mini-unit” that focuses specifically on school

board governance; this can be used as an introduction to Topic A: Local Gov-

ernment. This icon will

show you where you can

make connections between

Teaching About Local

Government in Alberta and

this resource.


The purpose of this resource This teaching resource provides

activity ideas for teaching Grade 6 Topic A: Local Government through a

series of questions that focus on the students’ relationship to their school

and the school board’s role in local government. The questions provide a

focus on the school and school board; the people who work for school

jurisdictions; and the issues they face. The resource develops students‘

awareness and understanding of the roles and responsibilities of school

boards and how school boards make decisions. It encourages students to

look at the impact of school board decisions on them, their school, the

jurisdiction and the communities in which they live. This teaching resource

is meant to supplement, not replace, existing units and resources already

in use with your students.

The teaching resource is designed to meet the objectives listed on the

following pages from the Alberta Social Studies Program of Studies.

Specific correlation of objectives to each of the teaching and learning

segments in this resource are provided on the overview page at the

beginning of each segment.role inlocalgovernment


• level of government: local

• difference between needs met by families andby governments (public services); e.g., schools,libraries, swimming pools

• how people organize themselves at the local levelto meet needs not met by the governments;e.g., form a wheelchair basketball club, build a

church, print a local newspaper, form a hockeyclub, build a cultural centre

• political decisions form the basis of bylaws and laws

• how governments raise money to meet needs

• needs of individuals met by local government;

e.g., surveys, consulting, bylaws, taxes• different positions and roles of officials in a localgovernment

• how individuals can contribute to and participatein local government by voting, attending meetings,initiating or supporting petitions

• in a democracy, citizens have rights and responsi-bilities

• democracy allows and needs people to take partin government (voting, petitions, meetings, specialinterest [lobby] groups)

• differences between rights and responsibilities ofcitizens; e.g., right: freedom of speech; responsibil-ity: obeying laws, paying taxes

• lobby groups can exert power on elected officialsand influence decisions; e.g., petition, write letters,attend meetings

• some of the difficulties faced by political repre-sentatives in trying to provide appropriate levelsof service; e.g., making unpopular decisions, taking

a stand on controversial issues

Canadians organize them-

selves through three levels ofgovernment to meet some oftheir needs.

The major responsibility of a

local government is to dealwith issues and concerns ofthe local community.

In a democracy, citizens haverights and responsibilities.

Needs

Government

Local government

DemocracyRightsResponsibilities

Lobby groups

Knowledge Objectives The students will demonstrate an understanding of the following:

GENERALIZATIONS CONCEPTS RELATED FACTS AND CONTENT

Local Government

This teaching resource is designed to meet the following objectivesfrom the Grade 6 topic A, Social Studies Program of Studies.


Skill Objectives

Process Skills

LOCATING/ORGANIZING/INTERPRETING INFORMATION

• acquire information from a variety of sources: newspapers, news broad-

casts, magazines and pamphlets recognizing the difference in purpose and

coverage

• distinguish between fact and opinion

• gather information through interviews, field studies or surveys

• plan procedures, rules of behaviour, questions to be asked, and things to

watch/listen for on a field study, survey and/or interview

• evaluate the planning and enactment of the field study, survey and/or

interview

• record, summarize and evaluate information from field study, survey,

and/or interview

• organize information gathered into a chart, diagram or graph

GEOGRAPHY/ MAPPING

• on a map, locate the boundaries of own local, provincial and federal juris-

dictions

ANALYZING/ SYNTHESIZING/ EVALUATING

• analyze examples of how lobby groups influence government decisions

• analyze how government action can affect the people, both positively and

negatively (e.g., saves public money, reduces service to some people)

• analyze examples of how well local government is meeting needs

• draw conclusions about rights and responsibilities

Communication Skills• take notes on an oral presentation (e.g., interview, speech, film)

• summarize information from a variety of sources

• use prepared notes in presenting an oral report (e.g., responsible citizen-

ship), recognizing the use of main idea and sequencing

• write a simple report from notes and/or a student and teacher-generated

outline; support main idea with appropriate detail

analyzeandconclude


Participation Skills• demonstrate respect for the rights and opinions of others

• participate in a small group discussion or activity by following established rules

• debate a local concern by using parliamentary procedures (e.g., a simulation of a

concern resulting in passage of bylaw)

• plan, carry out and evaluate an action that would demonstrate responsible citizenship

Attitude Objectives• self-confidence, by being able to participate effectively in classroom and school

decision-making processes and by being able to offer constructive criticism

• respect for the democratic process as a means to meet needs

• respect for opinions and rights of others

• responsibility for one’s own actions

• satisfaction in exercising one’s role as a citizen

• appreciation and respect for the efforts of political representatives

appreciationandrespect


The importance of teaching about school boardsas a form of local government Public education is an impor-

tant part of democracy. It teaches citizens to think critically and actively

participate in their governance. The way that public education is governed

in Alberta demonstrates our commitment to democratic principles. Two of

these principles include the responsibility to participate and the freedom to

critically analyze decisions. It is important to understand the ways in

which decisions are made in schools and school jurisdictions and to teach

students about school boards as a form of local government.

Elected school boards and municipal councils were Alberta’s first manifes-

tation of local government. Every three years, concurrent with the municipal

elections, the province’s communities elect approximately 450 Albertans to

serve as school trustees on Alberta’s public, separate and francophone

school boards.

Students need to understand the connection that public education and its

governance has to our democratic system. The building of awareness of

the role of school boards in our local government is important for the

development of our communities and our province. This resource provides

a valuable, Alberta-focused supplement to any resources or existing units

on local government.

Throughout this resource are suggested opportunities to involve school

board trustees in helping your students learn about school boards and the

role they play in local government. Trustees have received a brochure that

outlines the activities that your students will be involved in with this

teaching resource. Contact your school board for names of individuals who

would be willing to work with the students in your classroom. As each

jurisdiction has a unique protocol for contacting trustees, teachers are

encouraged to discuss plans to involve trustees with their principals, who

can give the teacher direction about how to approach the school board or

individual trustees.publiceducation


The organization of this resource This resource kit includes

materials that will help you teach about school boards and involve trustees

in helping students learn about school boards and local government.

The following components are included in your teaching kit:

• teacher resource guide

• brochure for school board trustees

This teacher resource guide includes:

Teaching and Learning Segments

This resource is organized to correspond to the five learning segments in

the resource Teaching About Local Government in Alberta. Each segment

provides experiential activities that reinforce concepts, skills and attitudes

and broaden students’ understanding of local government and of school

boards as a form of local government. Each segment provides a series of

activity ideas and a sequence in which they can be implemented with

students. Within each of the segments are Teacher Backgrounder informa-

tion sources. Student Sourcebook suggestions are provided to correspond to

the activities in Teaching About Local Government in Alberta.

Teacher Backgrounder

Teacher Backgrounder information sources provide specific information

about school boards as a form of local government in Alberta. They are

provided to give background information on the workings of school boards

in Alberta and specifically support the activities in each Teaching and

Learning Segment.

Student Sourcebook

Student Sourcebook photocopy masters are designed to be used with stu-

dents as they construct their own sourcebook of information on school

boards and local government in Alberta and their communities. The Stu-

dent Sourcebook photocopy masters provide activities for students as well

as background information. Students are encouraged to supplement the

information provided by the Student Sourcebook photocopy masters with

information they collect as they work through this unit.

understanding oflocal government


Five Teaching and Learning Segments

Teaching and learning sequence This resource provides

activities for the following five segments. Each segment contains activity

ideas, Student Sourcebook photocopy masters and Teacher Backgrounder

information sheets.

4. What are my roles and responsibilities asa student?Decision making: A school board meeting

Dealing with issues

Developing a newspaper article

1. How are decisions made in my school? Role of school board governance in a democracy

History of the development of school boards in Alberta

School history activity

2. How are schools and school boards part of thelocal community?School boards in Alberta

School boards and decision making

Schools and school board “file folder” profiles

3. Who are the people who serve on school boards?Meeting the needs of the students and the people in the community

Roles and responsibilities of school board trustees

Media centres

5. What do I do next?Developing a plan for responding to an issue

Creating a guidebook for actionschool boards


A suggested timeline

Make this resource kit your own The ideas and activities

presented in this resource are meant to actively engage students in a study

of school boards as a form of local government. They are also provided to

supplement existing units and resources for this topic with a specific focus

on Alberta. Select those ideas that best meet the needs of your students and

your teaching style. All of the ideas can be modified and adapted; they are

presented with this intent. They can be used as a stand-alone mini-unit

within a study of local government or integrated with other units.

Adapt and use the strategies and activity suggestions to best meet the

needs of your group of students.

Segment 1: How are decisions made in my school? 2-4 class periods

Segment 2: How are schools and school boards part 4-6 class periods

of the local community?

Segment 3: Who are the people who serve on school boards? 5-7 class periods

Segment 4: What are my roles and responsibilities 6-9 class periods

as a student?

Segment 5: What do I do next? 3-5 class periods

activelyengagestudents


TEACHING AND LEARNING SEGMENT 1

How are decisions made in my school ?Overview

Introducing decision making as part of a democracy and local governmentStudents take a tour of their school and look for examples of decision making andresponsibilities to compare to their understanding of democracy and local government.• Teacher Backgrounder: The development of school boards in Alberta• Student Sourcebook: Activity #1 Schools are part of a democracy

Grouping: Individual and whole classTimeline: 1-2 class periods

Learning about the development of school boardsStudents construct a timeline to show how public education and school boards haveevolved in Alberta and relate to their community.• Teacher Backgrounder: The history of school boards in Alberta• Student Sourcebook: Activity #2 School boards have a history

Activity #3 School boards as a form of local governmentSchool Board Trustees: Invite school board trustees to participate in your class as a guestspeaker.

Grouping: Small group and whole class

Timeline: 1-2 class periods

Assessment and Reflection

timeline


Segment ObjectivesKnowledge:

NeedsGovernment• level of government: localDemocracy• difference between needs met by families and by governments (public services);

e.g., schools, libraries, swimming pools

Skills:

• gather information through interviews, field studies or surveys• plan procedures, rules of behaviour, questions to be asked, and things to watch/listen for

on a field study, survey and/or interviews• organize information gathered into a chart, diagram or graph• take notes on an oral presentation• use prepared notes in presenting an oral report, recognizing the use of main idea and

sequencing• participate in a small group discussion or activity by following established rules

Attitudes:

Respect for the democratic process as a means to meet needs

respect


Introducing decision making as part of a democracy and local government

• Students take a tour of their school and look for examples of decision making

and responsibilities to compare to their understanding of democracy and local

government.

Using the Student SourcebookUse the Student Sourcebook that you may have initiated with students

in their study of local government in Alberta. Students have discussed the

meaning of government and looked at examples of government in their

community. Ask students to think about if and how the concepts of

”government” and ”democracy” apply to their school.

Discuss the concept of democracy by reviewing the phrases that could

be used to define democracy: a democracy “allows and needs people to

participate in decision making”; in democracies “decisions are made by the

majority while respecting the rights of minority”; a democracy is “a govern-

ment that is periodically elected and thus controlled by the people who live

under it. Under a democracy, the people rule either by direct vote at public

meetings or indirectly through the election of certain representatives to

govern them” (Gage Canadian Dictionary, 1997). Ask students to think about

how their examples can be applied to these definitions.

Have students place a list of examples in their Student Sourcebooks. Ask

students to discuss what they know about the ways in which school boards

are a form of local government.

Teacher Backgrounder: The development of school boards in Alberta, page 27.

governmentanddemocracy

How are decisions made in my school ?


School WalkHave students discuss how they think needs are met within their school by

discussing the following questions with a partner:

• What are some of the needs that schools must meet?

(Need to learn; need for people to live, work and play together; need to meet basic

physical needs, etc.)

• Who makes decisions about meeting the needs of students in schools?

(The teachers, the principal, the parents, the students and the school boards.)

Have students work with their partner to take a ”school walk” to look for

examples of how needs are met within the school. Provide students with

Student Sourcebook Activity 1. Have students watch for examples of

ways in which needs are being met and decisions are being made in the

school.

Student Sourcebook Activity 1: Schools are part of a democracy, page 32.

Pair-Compare-ShareHave each pair combine with another pair to work in small groups of four

students and brainstorm a list of needs that are met in a school using

information gathered from their school tours. Have the groups share their

lists with the whole class. Create a class list titled ”Meeting Needs in my

School” and post it in the classroom.

how needsare met in myschool


Class DiscussionStudents should already have discussed how the concepts of decision

making and needs relate to the concept of democracy. Ask students to

consider and discuss how they think schools are part of local government,

and therefore, part of our democratic system.

• How do people in schools meet needs and make decisions?

(People in schools meet needs by providing an environment in which to learn; by

protecting the rights of the students and people who work there; by encouraging

participation in the running of the school; by deciding about what should be

learned, etc.)

• Because people in schools meet needs and make decisions, how does

this mean they are part of a democracy?

(In meeting needs, decisions are made for the good of all the students in a school;

sometimes decisions are made by the majority of people who are in the school;

some schools have student governments that make some of the decisions in the

school.)

• Who makes the decisions in a democracy?

(Decisions are made by the majority while respecting the rights of the minority;

people are elected to represent all citizens and make decisions on their behalf.)

• Who makes the decisions about what happens in schools?

(Teachers, principals, parents and students can make decisions, but school board

trustees are elected to help make decisions on behalf of all citizens about what

happens in a school jurisdiction; schools are not themselves always democratic

but some of the principles or ideas of democracy are represented in schools.)

• Who is responsible for making sure needs are met in a school?

(Teachers, principals, parents and students all have responsibilities in a school;

school boards also must make sure that needs are met for all the people who work

and learn in the school.)

• Why does this make schools part of local government and democracy?

(Because all of the people who make decisions must consider all the citizens who

live and work within the jurisdiction; because we elect people to represent all

citizens and make decisions about schools on their behalf.)

meetingneeds andmakingdecisions


Learning about the development of school boards• Students construct a timeline to show how public education and school boards have

evolved in Alberta and relate to their community.

Think-Pair-ShareAsk students to discuss what they know about the history of their commu-

nity and their school. Have students make a list of ways they could find

out about the history of their school by considering sources of information

such as community history books, people who live in the community, their

parents and/or grandparents, people who work in the school or school

board trustees.

Discuss the history of school board government with students. Provide

students with Student Sourcebook Activity 2 and have them work with a

partner to read the information on the handout. Ask students to work

together to answer the questions on the bottom of the handout. Then have

each pair share their responses with another pair of students. Discuss the

questions as a whole class.

Teacher Backgrounder: The history of school boards in Alberta, page 29.Student Sourcebook Activity 2: School boards have a history, pages 33-37.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this activity with the Think-Pair-Share Activity on page 17 to have studentslook at the similarities and differences between the history of municipal councils andthat of school boards.

Group ConsultHave students work in groups of three or four to compare the history of

the development of school boards with the history of municipal councils

in Alberta. Provide each large group of students with Student Sourcebook

Activity 3 and have them discuss the questions using a group consult

process. As one group member reads or reviews the first question, the

group members discuss possible responses. The student to the left of the

reader checks to see that all group members understand and agree on a

response. When there is agreement, each group member picks up a pen

and records a response in his/her own words. Have students rotate roles

through the group.

Student Sourcebook Activity 3: School boards as a form of local government, page 38.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this activity with the Group Consult Activity on pages 17-18 to have studentslook at the similarities and differences between municipal councils and school boards.


Guest Speaker: School Board TrusteeArrange to have a school board trustee visit the classroom to talk about

the history and development of the community, and the schools within the

community. The guest speaker may be asked to focus on information such

as when the school was built, where the name of the school comes from,

how decisions have been made about the building of the school, how the

school has changed over the years, and any ways in which the community

uses and depends upon the school. Have students prepare specific ques-

tions for the guest speaker. As each jurisdiction has a unique protocol for

contacting trustees, teachers are encouraged to discuss plans to involve

trustees with their principals, who can give the teacher direction about how

to approach the school board or individual trustees.

Three Dimensional Timeline or Animated PresentationHave groups of students take responsibility for a certain event in the devel-

opment of school boards in Alberta or in the history of their community or

their school. Students can be asked to interview community members,

school board trustees or family members for information about their school

and/or their community.

Students can be asked to ensure they include:

• a paragraph that describes the event and why it was important

• a visual (picture, photograph, diagram) that represents the event

• the year that the event happened

• who was involved

Provide each group with a wire coat hanger and have them develop a three-

dimensional display using the coat hanger. The display should represent

information about the event as well as clearly indicate the year of the event.

Hang the displays in chronological order on a wire stretched across the

classroom. Provide time for each group to share their work with other groups.

Alternatively, have each group create an animated PowerPoint presentation

that represents the history of school boards, their community and their

school. Students can be asked to create PowerPoint slides of various time

periods, events or changes in the development of school boards, their

schools or their communities. Student can draw characters or buildings or

use clip art. They can then use the “Animation” commands within the

“Slide Show” menu in PowerPoint to animate them. Or they can create

characters and buildings and copy them onto slides, animating them by

placing them in a slightly different position on each subsequent slide.

importantevents


Assessment

Have students create their own description of how their school is part of

local government and a democracy, and write a paragraph that provides

some examples. Assess student paragraphs by discussing and using the

following rubric, or personalize the rubric by working with the students:

4 Provides a clear definition of local government and democracy and

shows how school boards are a form of local government and democracy

through clear examples

3 Provides a definition of local government and democracy and examples

that relate to the definition or to school boards

2 Provides a definition of local government and democracy or examples

of how the community makes decisions

1 Provides a description of some of the facilities and services provided by

the local government or provided by schools in the community

Have students hand in their three-dimensional timeline or present their

animated presentations for evaluation. Timeline mobiles and PowerPoint

presentations can be evaluated using the following scale:

/5 Provides examples of the development of local government in

Alberta’s history

/5 Provides examples of some significant dates in their community’s

history

/3 Is accurate and clearly presented

/2 Is attractive and interesting

An oral presentation can be evaluated using the following scale:

/5 Provides a clear and interesting presentation that focuses on significant

events in the history of school boards, schools or communities

/5 Demonstrates understanding of using main ideas and sequence to

organize the presentation

/3 Presents in a clear manner; uses eye contact and movement to hold

audience’s attention

/2 Uses presentation visuals that are attractive and interesting

Consider finding ways of displaying the projects in the classroom, school

and in the community.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this activity with the Timeline or Time Capsule Activity on page 18 to havestudents compare the histories of municipal councils, communities, and school boardsor schools.

historyof schoolboards


Reflection

Give students individual time to reflect on what they have learned about

school boards as a form of local government. Encourage students to record

their ideas and thoughts on questions such as the following:

• What have I learned about meeting needs and decision making in

schools?

• How do school boards meet needs and make decisions?

• Why are schools considered to be part of a democracy?

• What have I learned about sharing ideas with my classmates?

school boardsas a form oflocal government


Teacher BackgrounderandStudent Sourcebook

SEGMENT 1 SOURCES



TEACHER BACKGROUNDER

The development of school boardsin Alberta

School boards have served communities and provincial governments for

almost as long as Canada has been a country and longer than Alberta has

been a province. In 1884, the Edmonton Public School District was formed

and the first board was elected in 1885. School boards have been vital

participants in the province’s efforts to build a universally accessible,

publicly funded education system.

School boards in Alberta have been given specific responsibilities and

decision-making authority through provincial legislation. Like most

institutions in Canada, school boards vary in size and composition. Some

are responsible for a single urban area, and provide schooling for tens of

thousands of students. Others span many small communities. Still others

combine a central urban area with the smaller communities surrounding it.

In a few remote northern areas, school boards govern a single elementary

school.

Under the Canadian constitution, provincial governments are responsible

for education: they establish school board duties and determine how they

get their money. In most provinces, locally elected school boards set and

monitor the administration of an annual budget; and set policies that are

consistent with provincial legislation relating to the programs, instructional

services, school buildings and student transportation. School boards also

set policies that guide the administration of the day-to-day business of the

jurisdictions.

Each province applies its own formula to determine the number of trustees

elected to local school boards – based on population, student enrolment,

geographic area or some combination of those factors.

In Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, separate

school systems operate alongside the public school system. These parallel

systems remind us of Canada’s early commitment to minority rights in

education. The British North America Act (now the Constitutional Act of 1867)

guaranteed existing educational rights for religious minorities – at that time,

Protestants in Quebec and Roman Catholics in other provinces.

Quebec recently won the right to replace its religious-based system with

one based on language. In Alberta, minority or separate school boards are

usually Roman Catholic separate boards. However one Protestant separate

board exists in St. Albert. The St. Paul Education Regional Division, located


in Northwest Alberta is distinct from all other jurisdictions in Alberta. It

operates both public and separate schools under the governance of one board.

In 1982, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms enshrined educational

rights to both French and English minorities wherever they live in Canada.

As a result, French first language school boards may offer instruction,

where numbers warrant, to children of those citizens* who choose to exer-

cise their right to have their children educated in French.

Over time, the powers of elected school boards have changed as tensions

between centralized versus local control have been tested in the political

arena. What has remained constant is the belief that this form of democratic

representation is the best way to reflect the values, characteristics and

needs of the community.

In 1996, the Alberta School Boards Association adopted principles for

public education that continue to be consistent with the primary purpose

of public schooling. The Alberta School Boards Association policy states:

We believe that public education in Alberta should:

1. Be accessible to all children;

2. Aim for the optimal development of children;

3. Provide all children with equitable learning opportunities;

4. Require all participants to be publicly accountable;

5. Strive to meet the highest standards possible;

6. Be a responsibility shared by students, parents, teachers and the community;

7. Be governed by locally elected boards of education who are responsible

to the community;

8. Be directed by professional, prepared educators who are committed to

the beliefs of public education and responsible for the quality of education;

and

9. Support and advance a democratic society.

*To be eligible to receive French first

language instruction, one of the

following three criterion must be

met:

Canadian citizens:

i) who were educated in primary

school, in French and live in a

province where French is a

linguistic minority; or

ii) whose first language learned and

still understood is French which

is a linguistic minority of the

province

have the right to have their children

receive French language education

in their province. Also, if one child

is being educated in French, all

children in the family have the right

to receive a French first language

education.


The history of school boards in Alberta


BeginningsThe major initiator of early schools in Western Canada were the

churches, both Protestant and Roman Catholic. Father Thibault first

established a mission at Lac Ste. Anne in 1842. Reverend Rundle

reached Fort Edmonton in the 1840s and established both day and

Sunday schools.

The concept of public schools has been part of Canadian history

since the mid-1800s. Egerton Ryerson, Ontario’s first superintendent

of schools, established the foundations on which the public education

system for all Canada would be based. He believed that the primary

purpose of schools was to make children good and useful members of

a multicultural society.

The first territorial government support for schools appeared in

1880 with the Territorial Ordinance that provided for the establishment

of school districts. The government of the North West Territories

followed the Quebec model of providing assistance to both Protestant

and Roman Catholic schools. The minority in any community had the

right to establish a school of its own. Edmonton established the first

district in Alberta in 1884. In 1895, there were 58 public school districts

and one separate school district. Within six years, the education system

had grown to 243 public and 11 separate districts. When Alberta was

created in 1905, there were already 602 school districts in existence.

The Constitution Act of 1867The Constitution Act of 1867 placed education within the authority of

provincial government. Section 92 states:

In and for each province the Legislature may exclusively make laws in relation to

education.


Provincial responsibilities: The Alberta ActThe province’s right to make such laws is limited by the Alberta Act,

Section 17, which states:

Nothing in any such law shall prejudicially affect any right or privilege with respect

to the separate schools which any class of persons have at the date of the passing of this

Act, under the terms of Chapters 29 and 30 of the Ordinance of the North West

Territories, passed in the year 1901, or with respect to religious instruction in any public

or separate school as provided for in the said Ordinances.

In the decades following the creation of the province in 1905, schooling was

characterized by the small, one-room rural school. It provided education to

the children within a four-mile square boundary, a school district. These

districts were operated by a local school board and supervised by a Depart-

ment of Education school inspector.

Changes in the 1930sThe mid-1930s saw the beginning of many significant changes to Alberta’s

school system. A strong thrust toward larger school units was an indication

that fundamental changes were coming in the provincial school system. In

an effort to consolidate almost 4,000 school districts, 11 larger school divi-

sions were created in 1937.

Many of the initiatives of the decade of the 1930s came into effect at the end

of the Depression and World War II. The poverty of the Depression, which

saw declining student enrolments and an increase in debt by many dis-

tricts, delayed solutions to such problems as the provision of high school

education to rural students. The resources committed to World War II

further impeded efforts to improve Alberta’s education system. The end of

World War II provided the school system with the people and resources to

continue, and to complete changes begun in earlier decades. The one-room

school was replaced with larger school units that were able to accommo-

date students bused to the place of instruction.


TodayMany Albertans are directly involved in receiving and providing

educational services. There are approximately 575,000 students and

26,000 teachers. Approximately 450 school trustees serve on 61 Alberta

school boards.

See the ASBA website for current numbers, http://www.asba.ab.ca

Alberta School Act, S.A., 1988, C.S.3.1.The laws relating to elementary and secondary education in Alberta are

found primarily in the Alberta School Act. Throughout the twentieth cen-

tury, this act has been changed periodically to reflect the needs and think-

ing of the times. The most significant changes occurred in 1970 when more

local control and decision-making authority was given to school boards.

1994 marked another significant change in the way education was to be

structured and governed. This change included the restructuring of school

boards, reducing the number of school boards, reducing their

control and decision-making authority, providing a provincial funding

system for the equitable distribution of funds throughout the province

and developing a mechanism for measuring educational results to increase

the accountability of school jurisdictions.

Amendments to the School Act in 1994 included provisions for the establishment

of Francophone school boards in Alberta, the establishment of charter

schools, and a mandate for school councils. Changes were made to the

taxation system, removing the right of school boards to establish a supple-

mentary requisition on local property taxes. Subsequent amendments to

this act clarified the advisory role of school councils, and enabled boards to

establish an additional local tax (up to 3%) subject to receiving the approval

of the electorate through a plebiscite.

ASBA websitewww.asba.ab.ca


Use the chart below to help you record information about your school andthe way it meets needs and makes decisions.

Student Sourcebook Activity 1

Schools are part of a democracy

What I see Who I see doing things What needs are being met What decisions are being made



School boards have a historyRead each paragraph and answer the questions that follow.

Before there were schools and school boards like the ones we have today, children

used to go to schools that were run by their churches, or they were taught by some-

one in the community who was respected and trusted by families and community

leaders. Public schools grew out of local parishes and villages. A parish is an area

that is served by a church.

How do you think the family played a role in schooling children in the past?

What features of school history do you see today?



Alberta used to be part of a larger territory called the North West Territories.

In 1875, a Territorial Council was appointed to govern the North West Territories.

The Territorial Council was a group of people appointed by Britain. In 1880, a law

provided the ability to start school districts. A community could start a school.

This school was called the “public” school. All children had the right to attend

this school, no matter what their religion. The minority (either Roman Catholic or

Protestant) in any community could start up a school of its own. The minority’s

school district was called the “separate” school. Edmonton was the first community

to establish a public school district in Alberta in 1884. In 1895, there were 58 public

school districts and one separate school district. By 1901, there were 243 public

school districts and 11 separate districts.

What type of area do you live in, rural or urban? What type of school do you

attend today? What does it look like?

Why do you think the North West Territories wanted to keep control of its

schools and school districts?



When Alberta became a province in 1905, there were already 602 school districts

in the province. In the years that followed the creation of Alberta as a province,

most schools were small, one-room buildings in rural areas of the province. School

districts had a four square mile boundary. Students living within the boundary

could attend the school. Each district was operated by a local school board. The

school board was supervised by a school inspector who was appointed by the

Department of Education, a provincial government department.

What has changed from this time in the history of schools and school boards?

Do school boards still operate school districts? What is different about school

districts today?

What does this tell you about the provincial government’s role in looking after

education?


Throughout a period of much growth and change in Alberta, school districts

changed. They became larger and many districts joined together to form large

divisions. In 1937, 11 large school divisions were created from almost 4,000 smaller

districts. By the end of the Depression and World War II, larger schools were being

built. Students were bused to their schools, and high schools were built in rural

areas.

What do you know about other schools in the area in which you live?

How do you think growth and change affected the types of decisions that school

boards had to make?



Many people in Alberta are involved in education. There are approximately 575,000

students and 26,000 teachers. Approximately 450 school trustees serve on Alberta‘s

61 school boards.

Why do you think schools are considered to be public services?

How are needs in schools met differently now than in the past?




What are school boards? What are municipal councils?

How are school boards a form of local government?

List ideas to answer each question in each of the circles. Then look for ideasthat you see in both circles. List these ideas in the middle area between thecircles. Then answer the question below.

School boards as a form of local government

Local Government


Overview

Learning about schools and school boards in the communityStudents learn about the schools and school boards in their community and across Alberta.• Teacher Backgrounder: Types of school jurisdictions and school boards in Alberta• Student Sourcebook: Outline map of Alberta (not included)

Activity #4 Types of school jurisdictions in AlbertaSchool Board Trustees: Invite local school board trustees into your classroom to listen tostudent presentations on the schools and school decision making within the community.

Grouping: Individual, small group and whole classTimeline: 2-3 class periods

Describing services and facilities that are part of school board governmentStudents discuss the roles and functions of school boards and how they relate to theirschools as they construct a file folder profile of school boards across Alberta.• Teacher Backgrounder: The roles and responsibilities of school boards• Student Sourcebook: Activity #5 File folder researchSchool Board Trustees: Request a field study tour of your school board office from yourlocal school board trustee or administration.

Grouping: Small group and whole classTimeline: 2-3 class periods



NeedsGovernmentLevel of government: local• difference between needs met by families and by governments (public services);

e.g., schools, libraries, swimming pools• how people organize themselves at the local level to meet needs not met by the govern-

ments; e.g., form a wheelchair basketball club, build a church, print a local newspaper, forma hockey club, build a cultural centre


How are schools and school boardspart of the local community?

schools and school boardsin the community


Skills:• acquire information from a variety of sources: newspapers, news broadcasts, magazines

and pamphlets recognizing the difference in purpose and coverage• on a map, locate the boundaries of own local, provincial and federal jurisdictions• gather information through interviews, field studies or surveys• plan procedures, rules of behaviour, questions to be asked, and things to watch/listen for

on a field study, survey and/or interview• evaluate the planning and enactment of the field study, survey and/or interview• record, summarize and evaluate information from field study, survey, and/or interview• organize information gathered into a chart, diagram or graph• take notes on an oral presentation (e.g., interview, speech, film)• participate in a small group discussion or activity by following established rules• demonstrate respect for the rights and opinions of others

Attitudes:Respect for opinions and rights of others


Learning about schools and school boards in the community• Students learn about the schools and school boards in their community and across

Alberta.

Mapping the Province and CommunityHave students work in small groups of three to four students and use maps

of Alberta to locate their community and their schools (students may have

already completed this sketch map while using the Teaching About Local

Government in Alberta resource).

Have students use a web site on the Internet, such as www.asba.ab.ca, to

find out the names of school boards in different areas of Alberta. Students

can be asked to create a map of Alberta showing the zones in which school

boards are found. They can create a list of all of the different school boards

that are found within each zone. Students can also be asked to identify the

boundaries of their own school jurisdiction. Depending on the size of the

area in which you live, they can indicate some or all of the other schools

that are in their jurisdiction or community. Some of the school boards on the

www.asba.ab.ca site have their own web sites. Check the links to different

sites to ensure this information is available before having students use it.

Ensure that you preview web site content for appropriateness.

Once students have located their community on the map of Alberta, ask

them to create a sketch map of their community. Have students indicate

on their sketch maps where their school is located and where other schools

and facilities in their community are located. Students can be asked to

discuss why decisions might have been made about locating schools in

different types of locations, and about why different types of schools

(elementary, junior and senior high) are located where they are. Ask

students if they know where their school board office is located. Have

them research the location of their school board office and indicate its

location on their community map.

Student Sourcebook: Outline map of Alberta (not included)

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this activity with the Community Map Activity on page 33 to have studentsconsider how schools are part of their community and how they also meet needs andinvolve decision making.

How are schools and school boardspart of the local community?

areas ofAlberta


School PosterHave students continue to work with their groups to develop a poster

collage that represents the features of their school and other schools in their

community. Depending on the type of community in which you live, each

group could be assigned a different school to profile. Each group can be

asked to emphasize the special features of their school, where it is located,

what it provides to the students and the community, how needs are met

within the school (transportation and bus services, food or lunch services,

supervision by parents, etc.) and what types of things are in the school

because of decision making (computers, new books, etc.).

Ask students to also consider how the community uses the school. Have

students interview or talk to the office staff or a member of the school ad-

ministration to find out about the groups in the community who use the

school. Have students consider how community groups use the school to

meet their needs. Discuss how needs are not always met by government,

and how people need to find their own ways of meeting them. Have stu-

dents add groups that use the school to their posters and explain how these

groups meet their own needs outside of government.

Student PresentationsInvite school board trustees to visit the classroom to listen to groups of

students present information on their schools and the schools in their com-

munity. Students can be encouraged to develop a presentation around their

posters and emphasize the types of decisions that have been made about

schools in their community. Encourage school board trustees to come pre-

pared with information they may have about the location, building and

development of schools and school programs in the community. Ask school

board trustees to talk to students about the different types of school boards

in Alberta. As each jurisdiction has a unique protocol for contacting trustees,

teachers are encouraged to discuss plans to involve trustees with their

principals, who can give the teacher direction about how to approach the

school board or individual trustees.

schoolprofile


Comparison ChartIntroduce the different types of school jurisdictions in Alberta by

providing some basic introductory information on school jurisdictions

and school boards to students as part of the discussion.

Provide students with Student Sourcebook Activity 4 and have them

read the descriptions of the types of school jurisdictions and school boards

in Alberta. Then ask students to identify different jurisdictions in Alberta

under each of the categories in the chart. Students can use the

www.asba.ab.ca web site to find one example of each type of school

jurisdiction in Alberta. Students should be encouraged to realize that all

types of school boards are examples of local government and make

decisions on behalf of the students and communities that they serve.

Teacher Backgrounder: Types of school jurisdictions and school boards in Alberta, pages 49-51.Student Sourcebook Activity 4: Types of school jurisdictions in Alberta, pages 55-56.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this activity with the Comparison Chart Activity on pages 33-34 to have studentsrecord information about how different types of school boards meet needs and connect tolocal government.

Describing services and facilities that are part of school board government• Students discuss the roles and functions of school boards and how they relate to their

schools as they construct a file folder profile of school boards across Alberta.

Class DiscussionHave students work as a class to brainstorm a list of what they have learned

so far about school boards. Ask students to think of what school boards are

and review how school boards are a form of local government. Record, or

have students record, the list of ideas on the blackboard. Have students

work in small groups to discuss the following questions, and then conduct

a whole class discussion to introduce the idea of school board programs and

services.

• What types of planning do you think school boards do for our commu-

nity and schools?

(Programs and services offered by the school jurisdiction that meet the needs and

wishes of the community and that use available resources and provide good

educational services.)

• How do you think school board trustees and employees plan to make

sure services and facilities related to schools are available in our com-

munity?

(Let students come up with their own ideas, but lead them to realize that school

board trustees work together and with the public to make decisions and put them

into action.)

programsandservices


Field Study: Local School Board CentreArrange with a local school board trustee to plan a field study tour to

your local school board office. Have students prepare questions that focus

on the types of decisions made by the school board and the various areas

or people that look after different roles for which the school board is

responsible. If there is information available from the school board office

on schools in the district, and the ways in which the board meets needs and

makes decisions, have students collect this information. Ask school board

trustees to talk to students about the different types of school boards in

Alberta. As each jurisdiction has a unique protocol for contacting trustees,

teachers are encouraged to discuss plans to involve trustees with their

principals, who can give the teacher direction about how to approach the

school board or individual trustees.

File Folder ProfilesHave students work in small groups of three or four to prepare a file folder

profile of school boards in Alberta. Have each group gather the information

they have learned and researched about schools in their community and

school boards in Alberta. Provide each group with a file folder and Student

Sourcebook Activity 5, and ask them to create a profile of schools and

school boards. Their profiles should contain the following information:

• what a school board is

• the purpose, roles and responsibilities of a school board

• why the school board is a form of of local government

• the kinds of decisions made by school boards

• what a school is and what it provides to the community

• how decisions affect students in schools

Teacher Backgrounder: The roles and responsibilities of school boards, pages 52-54.Student Sourcebook Activity 5: File folder research, page 57.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaStudents can be asked to represent their knowledge of school jurisdictions, boards andthe services they provide by adding the school jurisdiction, schools in their community,and the school board office to the wall murals of the community that they have created inthe activities on pages 34 to 36.

typesof schoolboards


decisionmakinginschools

Assessment

Ask students to consider the similarities and differences in the kind of

information that is presented in different sources such as:

• the Internet

• textbooks or printed information

Have students use the information they have learned as well as different

sources to create a web or mind map that answers the following question:

• How does our geographic setting and the type of community we live in

influence what we do in our schools, and the decisions we make with our

local governments?

Assess the mind maps or webs by discussing and using the following

rubric, or personalize the rubric by working with the students:

4 Provides a clear link between the geographic or community environment

and decision making in the schools and supports with appropriate exam-

ple s

3 Provides a link between the community environment and decision mak-

ing in the school

2 Provides examples of types of links between the community and decision

making in the school

1 Provides a description of the way the community can influence decision

making

Have students hand in their comparison charts for evaluation. Charts can

be evaluated using the following scale:

/4 Applies definitions accurately to selected examples of types of school

jurisdictions

/4 Provides examples of the ways different school jurisdictions meet needs

/2 Is accurate and neatly presented

Reflection


school board governance. Encourage students to record their ideas and

thoughts on questions such as the following:

• What are some of the things we learned as we worked in groups to

construct our file folder profiles?

• What have I learned about how democratic decisions are made for

schools?



SEGMENT 2 SOURCES





Types of school jurisdictions and

School JurisdictionsJurisdiction describes the area(s) and population governed by a school

board.

Typically, in Alberta, a school jurisdiction may be a district, school/regional

division or Francophone education region.

In terms of population served, jurisdictions may be public or separate as

seen in the preamble to the School Act.

“Whereas there is one publicly funded system of education in Alberta whose primary

mandate is to provide education programs to students through its two dimensions, the

public schools and the separate schools in such a way that the rights under the Consti-

tution of Canada of separate school electors are maintained.”

A district may be made up of one or more schools in a geographically

defined community.

A school / regional division may be composed of more than one district.

Where numbers warrant, Francophone Education Regions may be estab-

lished to provide education to the children of those citizens* who choose to

exercise their right to have their children receive a French first language

education.

Jurisdictions may be either public or separate.

Separate school jurisdictions serve their own resident students. Residency

is based upon both faith and place of residence. School board electors are

asked to declare if they are of the Roman Catholic faith. With the exception

of only one school jurisdiction in Alberta (St. Albert), those electors declar-

ing to be of the Roman Catholic faith are residents of the separate school

jurisdiction and usually send their children to schools in the Roman

Catholic Separate school jurisdiction.

Schools in the public jurisdiction (with the exception of St. Albert) are

secular and therefore provide educational services for all students who

choose to attend regardless of faith.

SchoolAct

* These are Canadian citizens

whose first language learned and

still understood is French or who

received their primary school

instruction in French. Also if one

child has received primary or

secondary instruction in French, all

children in the family have the right

to be educated in that language.

school boards in Alberta


Northland School DivisionNorthland School Division No. 61 was established in 1961 through an Order

in Council by the Alberta government. By the creation of Northland School

Division, many small northern schools and school jurisdictions were

brought under one umbrella. The Northland School Division serves the

educational needs of communities in the remote and isolated areas of Alber-

ta’s North. There is a local elected board at each school in this school division.

One person from each local board is elected to the Corporate Board.

Band Operation School SystemsAll band schools are governed by a school board, which gets its mandate

from the band council. The size of boards varies from community to com-

munity, depending on the size of the First Nation. In most cases the board

operates independently from council. However, in some cases the band

council is also the education board. The Peigan Board of Education and the

Blood Tribe Education Board are corporate bodies under the Societies Act.

Band operated school boards’ roles and responsibilities are similar to those

of the public and separate jurisdictions.

School BoardsEstablished by the Minister of Learning, school boards are corporations that

govern the provision of educational services and programming within the

jurisdiction. The school board establishes the mandate, mission and vision

for the jurisdiction; determines the policies, goals and priorities; determines

how the financial resources will be used; represents and reflects the values

and aspirations of their electorate; and accounts to their electorate for the

results of the jurisdiction. The school board hires a superintendent to man-

age the affairs of the jurisdiction.

School jurisdictions


Zone 1Education Regions

Northwest Francophone Education Region No. 1

School Districts

Grande Prairie RCSSD No. 28

Grande Prairie School District No. 2357

School/Regional Divisions

Fort Vermilion School Division No. 52

High Prairie School Division No. 48

Holy Family Catholic Regional Division No. 37

Northland School Division No. 61

Peace River School Division No. 10

Peace Wapiti Regional Division No. 33

Zone No. 2/3Education Regions

East Central Francophone Education Region No. 3

Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2

School Districts

Edmonton School District No. 7

Fort McMurray RCSSD No. 32

Fort McMurray School District No. 2833

Lakeland RCSSD No. 150

Lloydminster RCSSD No. 89

Lloydminster Public School District No. 1753

St. Albert PSSD No. 6

Yellowknife Education District No. 1

Yellowknife Separate Education District No. 2


Aspen View Regional Division No. 19

Black Gold Regional Division No. 18

Buffalo Trail Regional Division No. 28

East Central Alberta CSS Regional Division No. 16

Edmonton Catholic Regional Division No. 40

Elk Island Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 41

Elk Island Public Schools Regional Division No. 14

Evergreen CS Regional Division No. 2

Grande Yellowhead Regional Division No. 35

Greater St. Albert Catholic Regional Division No. 29

Living Waters Catholic Regional Division No. 42

Northern Gateway Regional Division No. 10

Northern Lights School Division No. 69

Parkland School Division No. 70

Pembina Hills Regional Division No. 7

St. Paul Education Regional Division No. 1

St. Thomas Aquinas RCS Regional Division No. 38

Sturgeon School Division No. 24

Zone No. 4School Districts

Red Deer Public School District No. 104


Battle River Regional Division No. 31

Clearview School Division No. 71

Chinook’s Edge School Division No. 73

Red Deer Catholic Regional Division No. 39

Wetaskiwin Regional Division No. 11

Wild Rose School Division No. 66

Wolf Creek Regional Division No. 72

Zone No. 5Education Region

Greater Southern Francophone Education Region No. 4

School Districts

Calgary RCSSD No. 1

Calgary School District No. 19


Canadian Rockies Regional Division No. 12

Christ the Redeemer CS Regional Division No. 3

Foothills School Division No. 38

Golden Hills Regional Division No. 15

Prairie Land Regional Division No. 25

Rocky View School Division No. 41

Zone No. 6School Districts

Lethbridge School District No. 51

Medicine Hat School District No. 76


Grasslands Regional Division No. 6

Holy Spirit RCS Regional Division No. 4

Horizon School Division No. 67

Livingstone Range School Division No. 68

Medicine Hat CS Regional Division No. 20

Palliser Regional Division No. 26

Prairie Rose Regional Division No. 8

Westwind School Division No. 74

This list was compiled in February 2000.

For a current listing see the ASBA website

at www.asba.ab.ca

The school jurisdictions in Alberta are divided into five zones.



The roles and responsibilities of school boards

The Alberta Legislature, through the School Act, has delegated certain

authority for the governance of education to locally elected school boards.

School boards are agents of the provincial Legislature and, as such, have

certain obligations to perform and certain powers to carry out tasks. The

philosophy supporting the existence of local governments is that decisions

are most effective when they are made close to the people affected by the

decisions. Historically, community residents have elected trustees to

boards to act on behalf of the Legislature in their local schools.

School boards are therefore able to assist the provincial government in

meeting its overall educational objectives through the implementation of

government policy. They are also able to meet the local needs of their

community through the development and implementation of policy at the

local level.

School boards are responsible for carrying out the duties and responsibili-

ties assigned to them by the Minister of Learning through the School Act. In

addressing matters related to their mandate, boards serve as representa-

tives and advocates of their electorate. Education policies are judged first

on what is best for the development of all students. While schools cannot

usurp the role of the family, board membership means being partners with

parents in ensuring that children are provided with the best possible

educational opportunities to become productive citizens who contribute to

their communities in a meaningful way.

School boards are the governing bodies that are closest to the public,

schools and classrooms. School boards make more specific the policies and

direction given by the Minister of Learning. This added specificity reflects

the values, aspirations, characteristics and needs of the local community.

In doing this, school boards add value to the quality of education received

by students.

authority for the governance ofeducation


A key element in the delivery of educational services is the teacher. Boards

recognize the important role of teachers and school administrators in

translating policy into educational practice. The contribution of other

employees of the board is also recognized as a critical component of the

provision of services to students. The board plays an important role in

representing the interests of parents and the

non-parent community as well as businesses and agencies in the community.

The non-parent community makes up approximately 70% of the electorate.

As a representative of the people, the board is a decision maker, one that

must integrate information from all the individuals, groups, organizations

and agencies that have an interest in the work of schools, process that

information, evaluate it, and make a decision compatible with the board’s

beliefs, values and goals. The board must keep in mind the interests of all

students within the school jurisdiction, rather than the interests of a few

students in a particular school or geographical area. In arriving at decisions

and working within this framework, the school board assumes a number of

roles. The board’s roles include:

• planning for the jurisdiction, setting priorities in light of community

wishes, available resources and sound educational practice

• setting goals for the jurisdiction, ensuring education stays in step with

today’s world

• hiring and evaluating the chief executive officer (superintendent)

• adopting an annual budget for the school system

• making policy to guide the administration and employees toward district

goa l s

• communicating with the community and staff on behalf of the jurisdic-

tion

• informing others, with a goal of ensuring education is given a high

priority by the public and keeping the community aware of the jurisdiction’s

achievements

• gathering information in order to make sound decisions

• adjudicating in policy or decision appeals

• lobbying all levels of government on behalf of education


Some examples of responsibilities that arise from the above roles include:

• approving and authorizing:

-the programs offered in the jurisdiction

-the basis for allocation of resources to schools

-collective agreements with employee groups

-transportation services for students

-jurisdiction and school budgets

-the construction, opening and closing of school buildings.

• hearing appeals on student placement and expulsion

• monitoring school and jurisdiction expenditures

• advocating on behalf of the electorate with other levels of government

• ensuring the safety of students in school and on the playground

responsibilities



Types of school jurisdictions in AlbertaIn Alberta, a school jurisdiction can be called a district, a school/regional division

or a Francophone education region.

A district can be made up of one or more schools in an area that has geographic

boundaries.

A school/regional division can be made up of more than one district.

A Francophone education region is established for the people in communities who

want to have education for their children in the French language.

Both public and separate school jurisdictions are part of the public education

system in Alberta.

What type of school jurisdiction does your school belong to?

Describe the types of programs you have in your school to meet your needs.


Type of school jurisdiction Examples Meeting needs


List the types of school jurisdictions in the first column of the chart below. Find an exampleof an actual school jurisdiction for each type and write it in the second column.

Then think about the types of needs people would have in these different kinds of schooljurisdictions. Write some examples of needs for each type of school jurisdiction.


Use the titles below to help you build your file folder portfolio of schoolboards in Alberta and how they are a form of local government. Place theinformation you collect on a separate sheet of paper using each title.Then place your sheets of paper inside your file folder.


File folder research

What a school is and what it provides to the community

The kinds of decisions made by school boards

Why the school board is a form of local government

The purpose, roles and responsibilities of a school board

How decisions affect students in schools

My folder

What a school board is


OverviewMy role in schoolStudents think about the how municipal councils and school boards affect their lives.

Grouping: Whole classTimeline: 1-2 class periods

Introducing the roles of school boardsStudents learn about the roles of school board trustees, and research and construct amedia centre to explain these roles.• Teacher Backgrounder: Roles and responsibilities of school board trustees

Responsibilities: The School Act• Student Sourcebook: Activity #6 Roles and responsibilities of school board trustees

Activity #7 School board trusteesSchool Board Trustees: Interview school board trustees about their roles and responsibili-ties over the phone or by email; invite a panel of guest speakers from your school boardoffice to present perspectives on their roles as school board trustees.

Grouping: Individual, small group and whole classTimeline: 4-5 class periods



Who are the people who serve on school boards?

how municipal councilsand school boardsaffect students’ lives



Local government• Needs of individuals met by local government: e.g., surveys, consulting, bylaws, taxes• Different positions and roles of officials in a local governmentResponsibilities

Skills:


on a field study, survey and/or interview• evaluate the planning and enactment of the field study, survey and/or interview• record, summarize and evaluate information from field study, survey, and/or interview• organize information gathered into a chart, diagram or graph• analyze how government action can affect the people, both positively and negatively

(e.g., saves public money, reduces service to some people)• draw conclusions about rights and responsibilities• take notes on an oral presentation (e.g., interview, speech, film)• summarize information from a variety of sources• participate in a small group discussion or activity by following established rules

Attitudes:

Respect for the democratic process as a means to meet needsAppreciation and respect for the efforts of political representatives

roles of officials ina local government


My role in school• Students think about how municipal councils and school boards affect their lives.

Class DiscussionHave students review the types of decisions that are made by school boards

and the needs that are met by such decisions. Ask them to think about what

they have learned about local government. Have them think about how

school boards and municipal councils are both a form of local government

by discussing questions such as the following:

• Why are school boards important to me as a student?

• Why is the municipal council important to me as a student?

• What did I learn about school boards that I didn’t know before?

• How are school boards part of local government?

• What do I know about the people who work for school boards?

Encourage students to record their opinions and thoughts in their student

sourcebooks.

Cause and Effect WebHave the class work together to develop a list of the services provided by

school boards and how they use these services in schools (use of technology

and computers; setting rules and policies that protect students). Encourage

students to consider how they are affected by the decisions made by school

boards in their community and how these school boards are a form of local

government. Ask them to create a cause and effect web in their student

sourcebooks by starting with the school board in the centre of their web;

then webbing out various programs and services provided by school

boards; then webbing out how they benefit from these programs and deci-

sions.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this activity with the Cause and Effect Web on page 53 to have students comparethe types of services provided by municipal councils and school boards. Reinforce theidea that school boards are a form of local government.

Who are the people who serve on school boards?


Introducing the roles of school boards• Students learn about the roles of school board trustees, and research and construct a

media centre to explain these roles.

BrainstormingHave students brainstorm about the types of jobs done by people who

work for school boards by thinking about and discussing the following

questions:

• What kinds of activities do you think happen in school board meetings?

(Make decisions about the types of programs and instructional services that go

into the schools; make sure the needs of students are met.)

• Who works in school jurisdictions?

(Students may not know the terminology to describe these people, but may

mention superintendent, principal, teachers, custodians, support and central

office staff, etc.; if students offer “school board trustees“ clarify that trustees are

elected to serve on the board that governs their jurisdiction, not to work in the

jurisdiction. People who work in the jurisdiction are appointed and are called

employees.)

• Why are people who work in school jurisdictions important to the

community and to the school?

(They help make decisions for the school; they serve students, teachers and

people in the community.)

• Why are the people who are elected as school board trustees important

to the community and the school?

(Students may mention that school board trustees are elected by the people in the

community; lead them to realize that school boards are responsible and account-

able to both the provincial government and the people of the community. Inform

students that some trustees represent the school board on local library boards,

childrens‘ service boards and other agencies in the community.)

Important to the communityand the school


Roles and Responsibilities CardsPlace students in four or five classroom groups (five to six students per

group) and provide each group with a set of roles and responsibilities

cards, found in Student Sourcebook Activity 6. Assign one or two

specific roles to each student in the group, or have students select their

own roles to research. Have students read and discuss the information

on their cards with each other, and complete the questions at the bottom

of their card. This will involve each group in research. Students should

be asked to research what the key words in each of their sentences

means and how it affects the way school board trustees must act.

Have students use the local school board’s web site, if available, to find

information on the individuals who are members of their school board.

If a web site cannot be used, have students call the school board office

for information. If possible, have students interview one of the trustees

to help them answer the questions. This can be done as a phone inter-

view or by email. Ensure that students select different trustees so that all

are represented in the role cards. Work with school board trustees to set

up a time when students might conduct their interviews in person, over

the telephone or by email. As each jurisdiction has a unique protocol for

contacting trustees, teachers are encouraged to discuss plans to involve

trustees with their principals, who can give the teacher direction about

how to approach the school board or individual trustees.

Teacher Backgrounder: Roles and responsibilities of school board trustees, pages 67-69.Teacher Backgrounder: Responsibilities: The School Act, Pages 70-71.Student Sourcebook Activity 6: Roles and responsibilities of school board trustees, pages 72-77.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaHave students use the Roles and Responsibilities Card Activity on page 54 to look atthe roles and responsibilities of both municipal officials and school board trustees.

roles toresearch


Media CentreHave each small group create a ”mini media centre” that displays the roles

of school board trustees. Have students use Student Sourcebook Activity 7

to synthesize the information they have collected on roles and responsibili-

ties of school board trustees. The media centre can include:

• the sentence that describes the role(s) that students have selected or been

ass igned

• definitions of key terms

• a visual, drawing and/or photograph illustrating this role

• a press release explaining all of the roles of a school board trustee

The media centre can be created from a file folder or a pizza box. Display

each media centre in the classroom and encourage groups to share with

each other.

Student Sourcebook Activity 7: School board trustees, pages 78-80.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this activity with the Press Release Activity on page 54 to have students focuson the people involved in both municipal councils and school boards.

Guest Speaker PanelInvite a panel of school board trustees and administrators to come to the

classroom to participate in a question and answer session with students.

Have student prepare questions in advance, based on the research they

have done. Consider including someone from central office, yourself or

another teacher on the panel as an employee of the school board.

Ask students to consider what additional information they would like

to find out about school boards and prepare questions for the panel.

Discuss ways that students can take notes from the panel presentation.

Have students add information to their media centres after the panel

presentation. As each jurisdiction has a unique protocol for contacting

trustees, teachers are encouraged to discuss plans to involve trustees

with their principals, who can give the teacher direction about how to

approach the school board or individual trustees.panelpresentation


Assessment

Have students hand in their media centres, including their press release,

for evaluation. Centres can be evaluated using the following scale:

/4 Provides complete information about the roles and responsibilities of

trustees

/4 Provides an accurate description of the role of trustees in local govern-

ment

/4 Provides examples or anecdotes that relate to school boards as a form of

local government

/3 Is neatly presented

Reflection




• What have I learned about the roles and responsibilities of school board

trustees?

• How are school board trustees responsible to us and to our community?

Why is this important in a democracy?

• What have I learned about leadership when I am working with a group?

• What challenges do people face when they have to work and make

decisions together?

roles and responsibilities ofschool board trustees


SEGMENT 3 SOURCES






School boards in AlbertaThe legislation in Alberta provides the rules for the composition of school

boards. Members are elected from constituencies (most commonly referred

to as wards) within a jurisdiction defined by the Minister. Members of

school boards are called trustees. Individuals eligible to be elected must be

at least 18 years of age, Canadian citizens, and residents of the jurisdiction

served by the board. Residency is based upon faith and location of physical

residence. A trustee cannot be an employee of the board.

Who is eligible to vote for a school board trustee

PublicAn individual is eligible to vote in an election for public school trustees if he

or she is:

1 At least 18 years old

2 Is a Canadian citizen

3 Has resided in Alberta for the 6 consecutive months immediately preced-

ing election day and is resident in the area on election day

SeparateAn individual is eligible to vote in an election of trustees for an established

Separate school district if he or she is:

1 At least 18 years old


3 Has resided in Alberta for the 6 consecutive months immediately preceding

election day and is resident of that separate school district on election day

4 Of the same faith as the faith of those who established the separate school

district

FrancophoneAn individual is eligible to vote in an election of trustees of a Francophone

Regional Authority if he or she is:

1 A Francophone*

2 Has a child who is a student enrolled in a school operated by the

Francophone Regional Authority

3 Is 18 years of age or older


5 Has been a resident of Alberta for the 6 consecutive months immediately

preceding Election Day

Membersof schoolboards

* A Francophone means any

person who has rights under section

23 of the Charter to have his or

her children receive a French first

language education.


The roles of the school boardThe province, through the Minister of Learning, delegates to school boards

the responsibility of conducting the affairs of the school jurisdiction. The

board’s roles include:

• planning for the jurisdiction, setting priorities for the system in light of

community wishes, available resources and sound educational practice

• setting goals for the jurisdiction, ensuring education stays in step with

today’s world

• hiring and evaluating the chief executive officer (superintendent)

• adopting an annual budget for the school system

• making policy to guide the administration and employees toward district

goa l s

• communicating with the community and staff on behalf of the jurisdiction

• informing others, with a goal of ensuring education is given a high prior-

ity by the public and to keep the community aware of the jurisdiction’s

achievements

• gathering information in order to make sound decisions

• adjudicating in policy or decision appeals

• lobbying all levels of government on behalf of education

The roles of the school board trusteesAll authority delegated by the province is to the board and not to individual

board members. Elected trustees fulfil a number of roles. These roles include:

• An advocate for their electorate, assessing educational policies in terms

of what the community values and aspires for its children.

• A politician and a member of the school board charged with the responsi-

bility to govern the affairs of the school jurisdiction. Trustees are responsi-

ble to their electorate through the democratic process.

• A goal setter for the school jurisdiction, identifying the results the board

wishes the jurisdiction to achieve.

• A planner, setting priorities in light of community expectations, available

resources and sound educational practice.

• An evaluator, ensuring policies are within the parameters of the board’s

authority; consistent with goals; compatible with other policies, imple-

mented in a fair and just manner and effective in achieving intended

outcomes.

• A financial planner, assessing the needs of the jurisdiction and deciding

what can be achieved with available resources.

• A policy maker, crafting policies that guide the administration and other

employees towards achieving the jurisdiction’s goals.

• A legislator, making policy.


• A communicator, interacting with the many publics who have a stake in

education.

• An advocate for education, keeping the positive image of schooling

before the community to ensure education is given a high priority and

to keep the community aware of public education’s accomplishments.

• A receiver and disseminator of information, receiving, analyzing, using

and disseminating information in fulfilling the roles and responsibilities

of a school board trustee. Good information forms the basis for sound

decisions.

• An adjudicator, hearing appeals from individuals and groups who feel

policies or decisions affect them in a prejudicial manner.

• A lobbyist, communicating with all levels of government to ensure that

the voice of the local community is heard by those who have the power

to keep education high on the list of public priorities.

As trustees, the mandate - given to them by the public who vote for them –

is to create a public education system that best serves all the children of their

community. Trustees, as members of the school board, do not think in terms

of individual schools but for the entire jurisdiction. They must bring the

whole jurisdiction’s perspective to the decisions they make.

trustees fulfil a numberof roles



Section 44 Powers of the Board44(1) A board must

a) establish policies respecting the provision of educational services and

programs;

b) in respect of its operations

i) keep in force a policy or policies of insurance,

ii) with the approval of the Minister, participate in an arrangement

under Part 154 of the Insurance Act, or

iii)with the approval of the Minister, participate in an arrangement

acceptable to the Minister,

for the purpose of indemnifying the board and its employees and

school councils in respect of claims for

iv)damages for death or personal injury,

v ) damages to property, and

vi)damages to property owned by the board in respect of which the

board has an insurable interest

A) that the board has agreed to insure, or

B) for which the board otherwise has or may have assumed liability;

c) maintain, repair, furnish and keep in good order all its real and personal

property;

d ) make copies of the rules made available to those of its employees who

are affected by the rules;

e) make rules respecting the circumstances in which a student may be

suspended or expelled and the circumstances in which an expelled

student may be re-enrolled.

(2) A board may

a) subject to section 25 and the regulations, develop, acquire or offer

courses or programs;

a.1)subject to section 25 and the regulations, develop or acquire

instructional materials for use in programs or in schools;

b) subject to the regulations and in co-operation with school councils,

provide for parental and community involvement in schools;

c) invest only in investments authorized by section 5 of the Trustee Act or

as otherwise permitted by the Minister;

d ) provide for the payment of travelling and other expenses and honoraria

to

i) trustees, and

ii) persons appointed to committees of the board;

e) make payments, other than loans or grants, to another board;

Responsibilities: The School Act


f) make grants or payments, other than loans, to an association of school

trustees or to a person or organization engaged in educational activities;

g ) at its own expense or otherwise, arrange, undertake or sponsor for its

students educational, cultural or recreational trips inside or outside its

district or division;

h) establish committees and specify the powers and duties of the commit-

tees;

i) charge a parent of a student fees with respect to instructional supplies or

materials;

j) make any banking arrangements necessary for the carrying out of its

duties and powers.

(3) A board may make rules

a) repealed 1999 c28 s12;

a.1) respecting activities sponsored or approved by the board;

b) respecting the attendance of students at schools;

c) subject to the regulations, respecting the establishment, administration,

management and operation of

i) schools operated by the board, or

ii) school buses used for the purpose of the board;

d ) respecting any other matter under the jurisdiction of the board.

1988 cS-3.1 s44; 1990c36 s19; 1993 c24 s12; 1994 c29 s18; 1995 c27 s7; 1999 c28 s12

powers of the board


I am an advocate for the people who elect me, and I look at what the community thinks is

important and wants for the education of its children.

Answer the following questions in your notebook.

What does ”advocate” mean? How would a school board trustee be an advocate?

What kinds of things might a trustee have to do to be an advocate?

What does this mean for you as a student?

Find the name of one of your school board trustees.

What can you find out about this person?



I am a politician because I am a member of the school board. I have the responsibility to

govern the affairs of the school jurisdiction. I am responsible to my electorate through the

democratic process.


What is a politician?

Why is a school board trustee a politician?

What kinds of things does a trustee have to do to be elected?






I am a goal setter for the school jurisdiction. I identify the results the board wishes the

schools to achieve.


What does “goal setting“ mean?

How would a school board trustee be a goal setter?

What kinds of things might a trustee have to do to be a goal setter?

How does this affect you as a student?



I am a planner. I help make and identify our priorities. I have to pay attention to what the

community says, the resources that we can use, and what educators say is best for the

students.


What does “planning“ mean? How would a school board trustee be a planner?

What kinds of things might a trustee have to do to be a planner?






I am an evaluator. I have to make sure that our policies and decisions match the goals we

have set and that they are are fair and just.


What does ”evaluation” mean?

How would a school board trustee be an evaluator?

What kinds of things might a trustee have to do to be an evaluator?




I am a financial planner. I help make decisions about our budget.


What is financial planning?

How would a school board trustee make decisions about finances?

What kinds of things might a trustee have to do to be a financial planner?






I am a policy maker, making policies that help the administration and other employees

to achieve the jurisdiction’s goals.


What does “policy“ mean?

How would a school board trustee be a policy maker?

What kinds of things might a trustee have to do to be a policy maker?




I am a legislator, making policy that becomes law.


What does “legislation“ mean?

How would a school board trustee be a legislator?

What kinds of things might a trustee have to do to be a legislator?






I am a communicator, interacting with the many people who are involved in education.


What does “communication“ mean?

How would a school board trustee be a communicator?

What kinds of things might a trustee have to do to be a communicator?




I deal with information.


Why would a school board trustee have to deal with information?

What kinds of information might a trustee have to deal with?






I am an adjudicator. I listen to complaints from people who feel they have not been treated

fairly and help make fair judgements on those complaints.


What does “adjudicator“ mean?

How would a school board trustee be an adjudicator?

What kinds of things might a trustee have to do to be a adjudicator?




I am a lobbyist, communicating with all levels of government.


What does “lobbying“ mean?

How would a school board trustee be a lobbyist?

What kinds of things might a trustee have to do to be a lobbyist?





Who are the people who serve our community as school board trustees?

How would you describe the roles that they have?

What do these roles tell you about the responsibilities of school board trustees?

Why is it important for other people to know about trustees‘ jobs?


Think about the contents of your media centre by answering the following questions withyour group. Use the information to complete the press release.

School board trustees


Why is their work important to you as a student?

Why is it important to your school?

Why is it important to the community?

Write a press release that tells about the role school board trustees play in your commu-nity. Add any other interesting information you have found out about the people who workin your school jurisdiction, and for your local government.

Create your press release using the information you have gathered from answering thequestions in this activity.Check for:• Spelling• Sentence structure• Capital letters• Punctuation• Descriptive words



TO

FROM

RE

DATEPRESSRELEASE


Create the press release below:



Overview

Decision making: Roles, responsibilities and challengesStudents discuss their roles as students. They learn how roles and responsibilities apply tothemselves and to school boards and look at some of the issues that a school board mightface in its decision making.• Teacher Backgrounder: Decision making in school board governance; Roles and responsibilities

of teachers• Student Sourcebook: Activity #8 Roles of students

Activity #9 The meeting Activity #10 Email interviews

School Board Trustees: Invite elected trustees to work with small groups as they deal withsome local issues and challenges that apply to school board governance; talk to electedtrustees about providing time to students for telephone or email interviews.


Relationship between the province and school boardsStudents examine the relationship between the province and their community as theyprepare for a province-wide local government election.




Local government• how individuals can contribute to and participate in local government by voting, attending

meetings, initiating or supporting petitionsRightsResponsibilities• democracy allows and needs people to take part in government (voting, petitions, meet-

ings, special interest [lobby] groups)• differences between rights and responsibilities of citizens; e.g., right: freedom of speech;

responsibility: obeying laws, paying taxes• some of the difficulties faced by political representatives in trying to provide appropriate

levels of service; e.g., making unpopular decisions, taking a stand on controversial issues

What are my roles and responsibilitiesas a student?

roles ofstudents


Skills:


on a field study, survey and/or interview• evaluate the planning and enactment of the field study, survey and/or interview• record, summarize and evaluate information from field study, survey, and/or interview• organize information gathered into a chart, diagram or graph• analyze how government action can affect the people, both positively and negatively

(e.g., saves public money, reduces service to some people)• analyze examples of how well local government is meeting needs• draw conclusions about rights and responsibilities• use prepared notes in presenting an oral report (e.g., responsible citizenship) recognizing

the use of main idea and sequencing• demonstrate respect for the rights and opinions of others• debate a local concern by using parliamentary procedures (e.g., a simulation of a concern

resulting in passage of bylaw)

Attitudes:

Self-confidence, by being able to participate effectively in classroom and school decision-making processes and by being able to offer constructive criticismRespect for the democratic process as a means to meet needsAppreciation and respect for the efforts of political representatives


Decision making: Roles, responsibilities and challenges• Students discuss their roles as students. They learn how rights and responsibilities apply

to themselves and to school boards and look at some of the issues that a school board

might face in its decision making.

Creating a School ActProvide students with Student Sourcebook Activity 8. Have them examine

their responsibilities as outlined by the School Act and assess the part they

play in their own schooling. Have students brainstorm a list of the ways in

which these responsibilities affect their roles in the classroom and in their

school. Have students work in small groups to construct their own version

of a ”School Act”. Students can be asked to take part in a mock meeting in

order to debate and pass their ”School Act” into law. Display the students’

”School Act” in a prominent place in the classroom or the school.

Student Sourcebook Activity 8: Roles of students, page 95.

The MeetingHave students work in small groups of four to five students. Provide each

small group with a copy of Student Sourcebook Activity 9. Discuss with

students the difference between fact and opinion, and the meaning of

controversy. Have students highlight and discuss the following terms

which appear in the introduction to the activity.

• costs

• benefits

• choices

• priorities

• lobby

What are myroles and responsibilities as a student?

roles in theclassroom


Have students examine the issue and the information provided in the

minutes of the meeting. Ask students to act as a board and work through

the process of making a group decision on the issue by following the

process described below. Remind students to use what they have learned

about school boards and local government to help them review the impact

of the decision on the school and the community.

• Understand the question/problem

(How should we ensure that space is provided for students in schools in the

community?)

• Develop research questions and procedures

(What are the possible effects of using portable classrooms? How are decisions

made about what is best for students? What is involved in the provision of

classroom space for students? What are the costs and benefits of different choices?

What are the priorities of the school?)

• Gather, organize and interpret information

(Students may be asked to conduct telephone interviews with school board

trustees to obtain information on the use of portables in schools and why such

decisions are made; students may also be asked to list the advantages and

disadvantages of using portables as classroom space after reviewing the informa-

tion provided in the activity handout.)

• Think of alternatives/Make a choice

(Students should justify their alternatives with reasons and make a final choice on

the basis of the reasons provided.)

Have students present their final choice in the form of a resolution for the

school board. Have students discuss the issue and vote on the resolution.

Student Sourcebook Activity 9: The meeting, pages 96-98.

InterviewsHave students work in small groups to prepare for an interview with a

school board trustee. Ask them to focus the interviews on some of the issues

and challenges facing their school board. Work with school board trustees to

set up a time for each group to conduct their interview in person, over the

telephone or by email. Have each group present their questions to the

trustee and record the responses. Students may be encouraged to include

questions such as the following:

• What are some issues the board has made decisions on for this jurisdiction?

• What are some of the challenges facing the school board now?

• What are the different points of view on these issues and challenges?

interviews


Provide students with Student Sourcebook Activity 10 to help them

prepare for their interviews and consider how to use emails to communi-

cate with others and obtain information. As each jurisdiction has a unique

protocol for contacting trustees, teachers are encouraged to discuss plans to

involve trustees with their principals, who can give the teacher direction

about how to approach the school board or individual trustees.

Student Sourcebook Activity 10: Email interviews, page 99.

Writing a Newspaper ArticleHave students use the information they have collected on local school

board issues and challenges to write a newspaper article, presenting the

issue and the different points of view. Students may work individually,

with a partner, or in a small group of three or four students. They may also

be asked to come to their own decision on the issue and design a poster

that advocates a point of view. Consider having students post their news-

paper articles on their own or the school web site.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaHave students use the Student Sourcebook Activity on page 74 as a model forconstructing their newspaper article and poster.

Class Citizenship ListHave students review what they have learned about the roles and

responsibilities of school boards and the types of decisions they make.

This information can be listed on a poster and displayed in the classroom.

Discuss some of the roles and responsibilities you have as a teacher with

students.

Then ask students to think about what they have discussed and learned

about their own roles as students in both the school and their community.

Have them consider how these roles affect them as citizens. Have them

discuss the difference between rights and responsibilities.

Ask students to brainstorm individually to create a list of their own rights

and responsibilities as students in a school and a community. Have them

compare their list with a partner. Use discussion to come to a consensus on

citizens‘ rights and responsibilities in schools and communities and create a

class list to post in the classroom.

Teacher Backgrounder: Decision making in school board governance, pages 91-93.Teacher Backgrounder: Roles and responsibilities of teachers, page 94.

roles ofteachersandstudents


Relationship between the province and school boards• Students examine the relationship between the province and their community as they

prepare for a province-wide local government election.

Local Issues GameHave each group select a local education issue of importance to them, or a

school issue, and create a game that uses the decision-making process from

the previous activity. Students may be asked to model their game on popu-

lar game formats such as Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, or Jeopardy.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this activity with the Local Issues Game Activity on page 76 and have studentsconsider both municipal and educational issues while creating their games.

ElectionInform the class that local elections are coming. Discuss the procedures

involved in holding local elections across the province, and the fact that in

Alberta most municipal and school board elections are all held on the same

day.

Have students work in small groups to prepare their own election campaign

for a school board trustee. Groups can be asked to appoint one group mem-

ber as their candidate and work together to prepare the campaign. If feasi-

ble, work with another classroom to present platforms, and have each class

vote for their representatives. Their campaign can be based on issues that

have been discussed in class, or on local education issues of the community.

Ask students to write their campaign actions and issues as a simple report.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this activity with the Election Activity on page 76 and have some groups focuson municipal election campaigns while others focus on the election of school boardtrustees.

campaign actionsand issues


Assessment

There are a number of opportunities to assess student projects in this

segment. Have students hand in their interview results, their local issues

game or their election campaign reports. Students‘ understanding of the

connection between decision making and the process used in school board

governance can be the focus of evaluation.

Reflection




• What have I learned about my rights and responsibilities as a student?

• What have I learned about the ways in which my rights and responsibili-

ties as a student are looked after by school boards?

• How does it feel to be part of a group decision making process?

• Why are school boards important?

• How does what I learned about school board governance apply to my

group activities in the classroom?




SEGMENT 4 SOURCES



dutiespowers


Decision making in school board governanceSchool boards in Alberta must follow the provincial government’s goals

for education and, where appropriate, define the goals more specifically to

reflect their communities and the needs of the children in those communities.

In the conduct of its duties and in the exercising of its powers the board acts

as a corporate unit. The board speaks with one voice. Decisions are deci-

sions of the board – not of the individual trustee. Typically, the chairperson

of the board speaks for and on behalf of the board. Trustees are elected to

represent the interests and aspirations of the public. As individuals they

have no authority. Their rights in relationship to the jurisdiction are no

different than those of any citizens. Their effectiveness as trustees is demon-

strated by their ability to work as members of a team – the school board.

The team must arrive at decisions.

While the duties and powers of school boards are defined in provincial

legislation, there is little guidance provided to boards regarding how they

should function. Boards may make rules to govern their own internal

procedures and meetings. They are free to perform their duties in any

ways that work for them provided that they act prudently, ethically and in

accordance with the law, and fulfil the mandate as required by the Minster

of Learning.

The primary legislation for education in Alberta defines the “duties” (those

things every school board shall do) and the “powers” (those things a school

board may do) of school boards. Generally, within the wide-ranging state-

ments of responsibilities the legislation describes three primary roles for

school boards:

• legislative

• executive (administrative)

• judicial

Effective boards consult widely with staff, parents and public during their

policy development and subsequent review of policies. The practice of

consultation prior to taking action increases the chances for public support

of the board’s direction.


Legislative:School boards are legislative in that they make rules and policies that have

the force of law and must be adhered to by those to whom they apply.

Executive (Administrative):Boards are responsible for accessing available funding, determining the

basis for deploying resources, ensuring the safety and upkeep of facilities,

monitoring the ongoing operations of the jurisdiction, setting and approv-

ing the jurisdiction‘s budget, and for hiring the Chief Executive Officer.

Certain of these functions may be delegated by the board to appropriate

authorized individuals. School boards are also responsible for entering

into contracts, providing transportation services, and ensuring that all

legislation is followed.

Judicial:School boards are called upon to act in a quasi-judicial fashion. In carrying

out this role school boards are required to apply the principles of fairness

to such proceeding as suspension and expulsion hearings, termination

hearings for teachers, and with respect to appeals of student related issues

before the board. As such, the board will make determinations with

respect to rights or matters that are critically important to those affected,

and must act fairly in fulfilling these roles.

School boards develop policies that define their duties and powers. Such

policies focus on their mandate, and organize and schedule their activities

and agendas. These policies should include a specific statement of the roles

and responsibilities of the board.

Examples of the key elements that are included in policies defining the

roles of a school board include statements that:

• acknowledge the contextual legal framework within which the board

works – specifically provincial statutes, regulations, board policies and

contractual obligations

• establish the board’s duty to:

• explicitly address the fundamental values of the community served

• maintain constant focus on the mission and vision of the jurisdiction

• advocate the services and outcomes expected of the jurisdiction

• provide leadership and overall direction for the jurisdiction through

goal statements and priorities

• assure the provision of human and fiscal resources to the jurisdiction

to fulfil its mandate

• assure the provision of training and professional development for staff

and trustees

• monitor the implementation of policy, goals and priorities

principlesof fairness


• evaluate the results achieved in each school and the jurisdiction

• report the results achieved to the public

• hire and evaluate the Chief Executive Officer (Superintendent or

Director of Education)

• monitor and evaluate its performance

Examples of the key elements that are included in policies defining

responsibilities of school boards include statements that:

• identify the outcomes or results for which the board is to be held account-

able. These statements come from the jurisdiction’s Mandate Statement.

• accordingly, through its leadership and direction the board shall be

responsible for:

• the achievement and educational improvement of each student

• the confidence and satisfaction of students and parents

• the confidence and satisfaction of the public

• the physical assets of the jurisdiction

• the jurisdiction’s finances

• the continual improvement in effectiveness and efficiency in all areas

of performance

Decisions must be made by school boards in light of their roles and

responsibilities.

accountability


The School Act, Section 1313 A teacher while providing instruction or supervision must


Roles and responsibilities of teachers

a) provide instruction competently to students;

b) teach the courses of study and education programs that are prescribed,

approved or authorized pursuant to this Act;

c) promote goals and standards applicable to the provision of education

adopted pursuant to this Act;

d ) encourage and foster learning in students;

e) regularly evaluate students and periodically report the results of the

evaluation to the students, the students’ parents and the board;

f) maintain, under the direction of the principal, order and discipline

among the students while they are in the school or on the school

grounds and while they are attending or participating in activities

sponsored or approved by the board;

g ) subject to any applicable collective agreement and the teacher’s con-

tract of employment, carry out those duties that are assigned to the

teacher by the principal or the board.


The School Act is legislation. It is the law. It tells schools and school boards what

they must do to make sure all students have an equal opportunity to receive

education and schooling. The School Act also tells students their responsibilities.

Read the following section of the School Act. Then answer the questions that follow.

7 A student shall conduct himself so as to reasonably comply with the following code of

conduct:

a) be diligent in pursuing his studies;

b) attend school regularly and punctually;

c) co-operate fully with everyone authorized by the board to provide education programs

and other services;

d)comply with the rules of the school;

e) account to his teachers for his conduct;

f) respect the rights of others.


Roles of students

What do these responsibilities mean to you as a student?

How do they compare with the roles and responsibilities of a school board?

What other responsibilities do you think you should have as a student?

What responsibilities do you have as a citizen of your school and community?



The meetingSchool boards have to consider information carefully before they make decisions.

Before they decide whether to make decisions that affect students in schools, and build

or provide facilities and services, they have to think about the costs and the benefits.

If the school board makes a decision to spend money on one type of program or facility,

the benefit is that this program or facility will improve the educational services that the

school is providing to students. But then school boards cannot spend this money on

anything else. In other words, the school boards have to make choices. The way that a

school board makes decisions about the money it has available depends on the ideas

and ideals that are important to the community and the students. These ideas are called

the community’s priorities.

People often value different things. Many people lobby the school board to make their

opinions known through actions such as attending school board meetings and voicing

their concerns.

MINUTES of the REGULAR MEETING of the Central Alberta Board of Trustees held in the SchoolBoard Office at 1000 Centre Square, Smalltown, Alberta.

The meeting commenced at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 03, 2000.

Trustees Present: Officials: Delegates present:A. McGregor B. Callan, Principal J. TrentR. Salish M. Hall, Superintendent A. Campbell

M. Jones S. Bean, Secretary Treasurer D. StanfordJ. Rohit (Chair)B. Couture

AgendaMoved by Trustee McGregor “THAT the Board of Trustees approve the agenda as circulated.”Motion CarriedUnanimously

The meeting (excerpt)


The minutes

Moved by Trustee Salish “THAT the minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees held on April

14, 2000, be approved as circulated.”

Motion Carried

Unanimously

Relocating portables to James Smith School for the 2000-2001 school year

Moved by Trustee Jones “THAT the Board of Trustees approve the purchase of two stand-alone portables for

James Smith School for the 2000-2001 school year, if required.”

Responding to a trustee question, Ms. Hall (Superintendent) reported that the school district has toapply for funding to assist with the cost of purchasing these portables. Purchasing the portables is less

expensive than building an addition to the school. The school is using all available spaces, including thelibrary, for classroom space.

Responding to another trustee question, Ms. Hall reported that there is room at the James Smithschool for the portables.

Mrs. Callan (Principal) responded to trustee questions about which classes will be placed in theportable classrooms. She discussed the possibility of moving all the grade six classes to the portablesonce they are moved to the school. She said that the priority of the school was to make sure students

could learn in the best possible environment.

The board then requested to hear from the delegations on this topic:

Mr. Trent (Parent) expressed his concerns about students being outside of the actual school buildingand not having washroom facilities. He urged trustees to consider building a pod on to the schoolwith connecting hallways to the school building.

Ms. Campbell (Public) raised her concern about spending money on stand-alone portables, when itmay not solve the issue: the school‘s population is growing. She discussed the need to look ahead to

the future and make decisions about spending money on classroom space that will benefit the wholeschool and the community. She talked about how the community is using many rooms in the schoolafter hours for community programs. She urged the school board to look at building an addition to

the school instead of bringing in stand-alone portables.

Mr. Stanford (Parent) cautioned the school board about spending too much money on building a pod

or addition to the school when the two stand-alone portables will meet the needs of the studentsright now. He expressed his concerns about the need to spend more money on fixing things thatneeded to be repaired in the existing school building.



The school board trustees need to make a decision and vote on the motion.They need to decide how space should be provided for students in this school.What should they do?



Email provides a way to communicate with other people quickly and easily. It lets

people consider their responses to you before writing back. You can conduct an

interview with email. However, it is important that you plan your questions first.

Use the form below to write your interview questions. Talk to your teacher about what youplan to write and check the content with your teacher before you send your email. Thenemail them to a trustee to find out as much as you can about local issues and challenges.

To:

From (email address):

Subject:

Cc:

Bcc:

Attachments:

Introduce yourself:

Tell what you are interested in finding out and why you would like this information:

Tell the person you are sending the email to how you wish them to respond to your questions:

Plan the questions:

Thank the person in advance:


Email interviews



What do I do next?Overview

Participating in decision making in AlbertaStudents examine a process for looking at issues and challenges faced by school boards anddevelop guidelines for participating in school board decision making.• Teacher Backgrounder: The Alberta School Boards Association• Student Sourcebook: Activity #11 Local concerns

Activity #12 Guidebook for participating in local governmentSchool Board Trustees: Community and school board meetings and local issues;student presentations of research




NeedsGovernment• how people organize themselves at the local level to meet needs not met by the

governments; e.g., form a wheelchair basketball club, build a church, print a localnewspaper, form a hockey club, build a cultural centre

Local government• how individuals can contribute to and participate in local government by voting, attending

meetings, initiating or supporting petitionsLobby groups• lobby groups can exert power on elected officials and influence decisions;

e.g., petition, write letters, meetings• some of the difficulties faced by political representatives in trying to provide

appropriate levels of service; e.g., making unpopular decisions, taking a stand oncontroversial issues

guidelines for participating inschool board decision making


Skills:

• distinguish between fact and opinion• acquire information from a variety of sources: newspapers, news broadcasts,

magazines and pamphlets recognizing the difference in purpose and coverage• analyze examples of how lobby groups influence government decisions• analyze how government action can affect the people, both positively and negatively

(e.g., saves public money, reduces service to some people)• analyze examples of how well local government is meeting needs• draw conclusions about rights and responsibilities• summarize information from a variety of sources• use prepared notes in presenting an oral report (e.g., responsible citizenship),

recognizing the use of main idea and sequencing• demonstrate respect for the rights and opinions of others• plan, carry out and evaluate an action that would demonstrate responsible citizenship

Attitudes:

Respect for the democratic process as a means to meet needsResponsibility for one’s own actionsSatisfaction in exercising one’s role as a citizen


Participating in decision making in Alberta• Students examine a process for looking at issues and challenges faced by school boards

and develop guidelines for participating in school board decision making.

Attending a school board meetingArrange for students to attend a school board meeting or inquire about

obtaining a video or audiotape of any available segments of such a meeting.

Check with your local cable channel if you cannot arrange to have students

attend in person.

After students attend or view the meeting, invite a school board trustee

into the class to discuss the meeting with them. Use questions such as the

following to help students compare the meeting to what they have learned

about the roles and responsibilities of school boards and their function as a

form of local government.

• What was the purpose of this meeting? Are these types of meetings held

on a regular basis?

• Did this meeting deal with a specific concern or issue? What was this

i s sue?

• Who was present at this meeting? What were their roles?

• How were decisions made at this meeting?

Ask the school board trustee to take part in the discussion, both answering

and asking questions. After the meeting, have students write letters to the

school board office, expressing their thanks and talking about what they

have learned about school boards as a form of local government. As each

jurisdiction has a unique protocol for contacting trustees, teachers are

encouraged to discuss plans to involve trustees with their principals, who

can give the teacher direction about how to approach the school board or

individual trustees.

Teacher Backgrounder: The Alberta School Boards Association, pages 108-109.

What do I do next?

invite a school board trustee


Group ResearchOrganize students into small groups and have each group select an issue,

or have each group work on one issue related to school board governance.

Ask students to collect information and identify sources of information

such as the following:

• newspaper articles

• textbooks that provide background information on the topics connected

to the issue

• personal interviews with school board trustees, employees, teachers,

principals, parents, other students and community members

Possible issues that students might be encouraged to research include:

• the purchase and use of computers in schools

• advertising in schools

• having district-wide programs such as reading programs

• transportation issues; for example, how long students should be on buses

to get to and from school

• working toward safe and caring schools

• the types of resources used in the classroom

• the wearing of school uniforms

• rules for student conduct and behaviour, including consequences

Have students investigate whether any lobby (special interest) groups

are concerned about the issue. Talk to students about the concept of

“stakeholders” in education. Examples include:

• Alberta School Boards Association

• Alberta Home and School Councils Association

• College of Alberta School Superintendents

• Alberta Chamber of Commerce

If appropriate, help students contact people who are part of a lobby or

special interest group on a particular issue and use a telephone interview to

obtain information.

stakeholders


Discuss with students how controversy is often part of dealing with an issue.

Provide students with Student Sourcebook Activity 11 to help them organ-

ize their research. Have students organize their research into four sections:

• what the issue is all about

• what the media says

• what citizens and lobby or special interest groups say

• what our group thinks

Student Sourcebook Activity 11: Local concerns, pages 110-111.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this research activity with the Group Research Activity on page 92 and askstudents to compare local community issues with school-related issues.

CarouselHave students prepare a display of the research they have done on different

issues and challenges facing schools. Have groups rotate through the dis-

plays so that they can examine what each group has created. Place a feed-

back sheet beside each table display for each group to add their comments.

Use a question such as the following to generate reactions to each group’s

display:

• What is your reaction to the different points of view on this issue?

Give this group some positive feedback on their display.

Presentation to School Board TrusteesInvite school board trustees to take part in this carousel and view and

respond to students’ projects. Students may be asked to prepare a brief

presentation with a school board trustee, or they may be asked to write a

letter describing their projects and their group’s research. Ask students to

evaluate the effectiveness of their actions. As each jurisdiction has a unique

protocol for contacting trustees, teachers are encouraged to discuss plans to

involve trustees with their principals, who can give the teacher direction

about how to approach the school board or individual trustees.

pointsof view


Class GuidebookHave the class create a guidebook for decision making and local action. Ask

students to brainstorm ways in which citizens can take part in local govern-

ment through their school boards and influence decision making for school

jurisdictions and schools. Have each student use Student Sourcebook

Activity 12 to complete a guidebook page that includes the following

information:

• one way to participate in school board governance (This may include

holding a school election when there is a local election to find out how to

vote, responding to the school board’s requests for opinions on issues;

taking part in a school council; attending school board meetings; sending

letters to trustees; starting a student advisory group, etc.)

• a fact sheet on how to carry out this type of participation

• an example (written or visual)

Put the pages together into a class guidebook and, if appropriate, provide

copies to each student or keep the guidebook in the classroom.

Student Sourcebook Activity 12: Guidebook for participating in local government, page 112.

Connection: Teaching About Local Government in AlbertaIntegrate this activity with the Class Guidebook Activity on page 94 and ask students todiscuss the relationship between decision making and action in the local context.

Assessment

Use questions such as the following to assess how well students understand

the democratic process:

• What was the local issue we researched?

• Which arguments were the most persuasive? What made them so convincing?

• What values were shown in some of the arguments?

• Why did people hold different opinions about the issue?

• Why is it important to listen to all sides of an issue?

• Did most people agree with the final decision? Why or why not?

• How did we deal with controversy?

• What qualities does a leader need when faced with difficult decisions?

Have students hand in their reports for evaluation. Reports can be evalu-

ated using the following scale:

/4 Provides an accurate description of the role of school boards in local

government

/4 Provides information about needs and the way needs are met through

school boards as a form of local government

/4 Assesses the effectiveness of school boards as a form of local government

and provides supporting reasons

/3 Is well written and neatly presented

bothsidesof anissue


Reflection




• What have I learned about how needs are met through school boards?

• How does it feel to take action on an issue?

• What are some of the things I can do to be a responsible citizen of my

school and my community?

takingaction



SEGMENT 5 SOURCES


Founded in 1907, the Alberta School Boards Association has been serving

school boards for more than 90 years. Every school board in the province

is eligible to be a member of the Alberta School Boards Association. A not-

for-profit organization, funded primarily through membership fees,

the Alberta School Boards Association provides services, professional

development and advocacy to member boards. Through cooperative

ventures, the Alberta School Boards Association also provides insurance

and employee benefits to member boards.

ServicesBoards may hire association staff to provide legal counsel, negotiations

support and other management services.

Professional developmentProfessional development is offered through two annual meetings, special

issues forums and a series of regional meetings throughout the year.

AdvocacyRepresenting all Alberta’s school boards, the Alberta School Boards

Association is in a unique position to speak to government on their behalf.

Cooperative venturesThrough partnerships, the Alberta School Boards Association makes

insurance and employee benefits programs available to school boards

who are members of the association.

The Alberta School Boards AssociationTEACHER BACKGROUNDER


The Alberta School Boards Association’s mandate is defined in the

Alberta School Boards Association Act:

a) to consider and deal with matters relating to education and school ad-

ministration in the province with a view to the betterment thereof;

b) to provide a medium of expression of the views and suggestions of

school trustees of the province on matters pertaining to education;

c) to render advice and assistance to its members on matters affecting them;

d) to cooperate with other similar associations in Canada in matters of

national educational interest;

e) to promote the interest of school districts and school divisions throughout

the Province;

f) to bring about:

• the economical and efficient administration of the affairs of school

districts and school divisions, and

• the economical and efficient performance of all duties undertaken by

or imposed on school districts or school divisions;

i) to cooperate for the promotion, guidance and improvement of legislation

on educational school questions;

j) generally to do all acts and things that appear to the association conducive

to the good and welfare of:

• education in the province, or

• any one or more school districts or school divisions, and to do and

perform all acts and things,

• incidental to and necessary for the purpose of effecting any of the

objects set out in this section.



Local concernsSchool boards have to make many decisions about the way in which education is

delivered to students in a jurisdiction. Sometimes this means dealing with change

and growth. Some people get concerned and others get excited about some of these

changes. When this happens a controversy is born! People have to decide what is

more important to them. Sometimes changes involve making a choice between the

different things that are part of a school: the building, the education programs that

are provided to students, the resources in the school, the number of teachers, and

the policies that students and teachers have to follow. Some of these choices mean

that other things have to be given up. Many times, opposing groups try to reach a

compromise in order to deal with the choices that have to be made. They give up

some of their demands so they can come to an agreement with the other side.

How would you define “controversy“?

How would you define “compromise“?

What do you think happens when a compromise cannot be reached?


What is the issue that

you are researching?

Is this issue controversial

in your community?

What do we think?

What do citizens in

your community and/

or lobby groups say

about the issue?

What does the media

say about this issue?

1

2

3

4

Organize your research by recording ideas, facts, opinions and informationin the following boxes.



One way to participate in our local government:


Guidebook for participating in local government

A fact sheet on how to carry out

this type of participation:

An example (written or visual):


notes


notes


Resources and references

The best sources of information for a unit on school board governance

are resources in your school, school board office and community. Contact

your school board office for names of individuals and community-based

resources that may be helpful in involving your students in local issues

and concerns.

The Alberta School Boards Association has a web site with links to many

individual school boards and communities in Alberta. The web site

address is www.asba.ab.ca


back cover

Teaching About Local Government: School Boards

Documents

learning segment

segment objectives

teaching aboutlocal

school boardsoverview

school boardsteaching

form of local government

albertalocal government

importance of teaching