Dossiers

Parenthése

Partners Committee Launch

Last June, the CSF (Franco-
ez] phone Education Authority)
board of administration ap-
proved the policy for the establishment
and operations of partners committees
in CSF schools. This policy is the result
of cooperation among the five main
partners in the field of francophone
education, i.e. the CSF, the FPFCB, the
Regroupement des direction d'écoles
francophones (RDF), the Canadian
Union of Public Employees (CUPE4227),
and the Syndicat des enseignantes et
enseignants du Programme franco-
phone (SEPF). Members were also con-
sulted regarding the policy.

The underlying intent of creating
these partners committees is to pro-
mote cooperation among the various
school community players, in an ef-
fort to ensure scholastic success and
to instil a sense of self in all students.
The partners committees will also en-
able the CSF to move forward with the
adaptation of ifs management and or-
ganization process in accordance with
the principles of decentralization and
accountability.

The partners committee is in some
way an enhanced version of the school
planning committees that are currently
in place in the schools. Indeed, this is
an_ interactive management model
that involves all of the school commun-
ity partners and its mandate is much
greater, i.e.:

w develop the educational
projects for the school;

@ establish, evaluate, and review
the educational project;

= promote the community-school-
home partnership;

m develop, approve, and review
the school’s code of conduct;

@ and prepare guidelines gov-
erning:

¢ sharing of school resources,

* the range of educational
services and programs
available at the school,

* and preparation of the aca-
demic calendar.

If is important to note that, pursu-
ant to article 8.3 of the Education Act,
which governs school planning com-
mittees, a plan for academic success
will be drawn from the school educa-
tional project and approved by the
partners committee before submission
to the CSF board.

Alfhough some partners commit-
tees may already be in place in the
schools, the official launch will take
place during the annual FPFCB con-
ference next November 22. Ai that
time, the model will be introduced,
along with the guide produced by the
Partners Committee working group,
a group made up of representatives
of the various partners listed at the
beginning of this article. Convention
delegates will have an opportunity to
learn about the framework governing
committee establishment and proce-
dures. They will have an opportunity to
ask questions and to comment. Their
feedback will help the working group
to better identify the training tools and
content that are needed.

The working group members are
aware that the success of the part-
ners committees relies in large part on
the availability of resources and sup-
port. For this reason, the working group

will continue in an effort to guide the
establishment of the partners com-
mittees. The CSF is committed to sup-
porting committee establishment and
operations. Among other things, the
CSF will be responsible for coordinating
the working group activities and mar-
shalling the funds needed to develop
tools and provide training.

In conclusion, rest assured that the
Federation actively cooperates in the
establishment of partners committees,
for example, by encouraging parents’
full participation.

More fo follow...