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| August 23, 2010 | | | QESBA Schedule for the Week of August 23, 2010 Monday, August 23, 2010: - Montreal – Tuesday, August 24, 2010: - Montreal – Wednesday, August 25, 2010: - Montreal - Thursday, August 26, 2010: - Montreal - Friday, August 27, 2010: - Montreal – Basic School Regulation Responding to strong opposition from QESBA and other education network partners, the new Minister announced last Friday that there will be a postponement to the implementation of the Basic School Regulation until July 2011 to offer more training time for teachers. To QESBA’s disappointment, only minor changes to the content have been made, however. The changes will result in a single “bulletin nationale” and a substantial downgrading in the importance accorded to competencies. A clear timetable of deadlines and priorities has now been published on the MELS website. QESBA is still seeking assurances that MELS will withdraw a regressive proposal that would require many integrated students with special needs to get a Ministerial derogation in order to receive a report card tailored to their specific potential. Without the derogation, they would be forced to receive the same bulletin nationale. QESBA is still waiting for a clear answer. We will communicate it to you as soon as one is forthcoming. New Education Minister As you are all aware, Line Beauchamp, most recently Minister responsible for Sustainable Development, is the newly-appointed Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports. QESBA promptly issued a news release commenting on the day of the Cabinet shuffle. The office of Beauchamp, who succeeds Michelle Courchesne, has already contacted QESBA to indicate that it recognizes us as an important partner and will seek to set up a meeting in short order. QESBA President Debbie Horrocks has already written to the new Minister, outlining some key QESBA priorities, and to the former one, offering our thanks for three-and-a-half years of collaboration. School Taxes Sir Wilfrid-Laurier School Board has been particularly active in raising publicly the inherent unfairness in a number of English school boards being faced with no choice under current regulations but to charge a higher mill rate than some francophone boards on the same territory. QESBA has committed to raising the issue with the new Minister. A survey of our member boards so far indicates that at least three others are facing similar problems. The situation results in many parents incorrectly believing that they are being over-charged by the English boards. Rencontre Nationale The planned Education summit, announced in the last provincial budget, was confirmed by Premier Charest in his declaration of the new Cabinet. Dates have not yet been confirmed but the “rencontre nationale” is now expected to cover three days in early November. QESBA has learned that a planned day on addressing the global issues and approaches to special needs students has been put off indefinitely. Bill 103 Hearings on Bill 103 are set to begin in Quebec City on September 8, 2010. QESBA has submitted a brief and we are confident that we will receive an invitation to present our brief to the parliamentary commission. Both EMSB and LBPSB have submitted briefs to the Commission as well. The QESBA brief has been shared with the network. Should you wish to obtain a copy, please contact the office. QESBA Budget The Board of Directors approved the proposed QESBA budget for 2010-2011 in June. The budget has been sent out to all nine Boards for consultation and we will present the resolutions they adopt to the September 10th QESBA Board of Directors meeting. Based on the results of that consultation, the QESBA Board will then submit a final budget to the AGM for approval in October. Audited statements Fuller Landau, the accounting firm that is responsible for auditing QESBA’s financials, are now completing their work for the 2009-2010 fiscal year-end in July. As we do annually, QESBA will hold a Finance Committee, Executive Committee and Board of Directors Meeting on September 10, 2010 with senior partner Gilles Marleau present to discuss the audited statements before sending them out to the general membership for consultation. | | |
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