The leadership provided by School Governing Authorities is crucial for effective schools, and the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) and First Nations Schools Association (FNSA) are committed to supporting First Nations School Governing Authorities so that they can continue to effectively lead their schools with the goal of increasing student achievement.
We are now pleased to announce the following supports for First Nation School Governing Authorities, including a new professional development Learning Series, an opportunity to request a virtual facilitated session for your Governing Authority, and a list of resources on topics of interest to school leaders.
We welcome your involvement and invite your feedback about what other opportunities would be beneficial.
First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) and First Nations Schools Association (FNSA) are hosting a series of information workshops designed specifically for First Nation schools in May and June, 2024. Interested School Governing Authority members are welcome to register for one or more Zoom sessions. School principals are also welcome to join their Governing Authority representatives, if appropriate.
Session |
Date |
Time |
Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| What School Governing Authorities Should Know About Planning a Special Education Program | May 6, 2024 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm | Register |
| Overview of the Handbook for First Nation School Governing Authorities | May 15, 2024 | 4:00 – 5:30 pm | Register |
| Student Attendance: What Schools Can Do | May 21, 2024 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm | Register |
| School Improvement Planning: What School Governing Authorities Should Know | May 23, 2024 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm | Register |
| Family Involvement: What Schools Can Do | May 28, 2024 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm | Register |
| What School Governing Authorities Should Know About Funding for First Nation Schools | May 30, 2024 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm | Register |
| What School Governing Authorities Might Want to Know About the Graduation Program | June 3, 2024 | 4:00 – 5:00 pm | Register |
| Facilitated Sessions for Individual School Governing Authorities | On Request | Contact Us |
What School Governing Authorities Should Know About Planning a Special Education Program
This workshop will provide an overview of the FNESC and FNSA Special Education Program (SEP) for First Nation schools and how School Governing Authorities can be involved in related planning and monitoring. The topics to be reviewed include what SEP funding and services are available, how schools can effectively plan SEP support for students, and what schools should know about student assessments and tips for working with specialists. This workshop was offered in spring 2023. It is being presented again for people who were unable to attend previously. People who attended this workshop before are welcome to join this Zoom session, understanding that the information included is largely unchanged.
May 6, 2024 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Overview of the Handbook for First Nation School Governing Authorities
This workshop will review the FNESC and FNSA Handbook for First Nation School Governing Authorities. That Handbook reviews information related to the importance of school governance, as well as the role of School Governing Authorities in setting the school’s mission and vision, and in budgeting, program planning, and policy development. This workshop was offered several times in 2022 and 2023. It is being presented again for people who were unable to attend previously. People who attended this workshop before are welcome to join this Zoom session, understanding that the information included is largely unchanged.
May 15, 2024 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Student Attendance: What Schools Can Do
The evidence is clear: student attendance is critical for student and school success. Data also shows that this issue is a serious challenge for First Nation schools in BC – and attendance difficulties were heightened by the COVID pandemic. This workshop will provide an overview of what research shows about the importance of student attendance, and what schools can do to help encourage students to attend school more regularly. This workshop was offered in spring 2023. It is being presented again for people who were unable to attend previously. People who attended this workshop before are welcome to join this Zoom session, understanding that the information included is largely unchanged.
May 21, 2024 4:00 – 5:00 pm
School Improvement Planning: What School Governing Authorities Should Know
This workshop will provide an overview of the First Nations Schools Assessment and Certification Process, with a specific focus on the role of School Governing Authorities. The workshop will include a discussion of how Governing Authorities can help their schools prepare for the five year process of school review and school improvement, how they can be involved in implementing the school’s self-assessment component, and how to help plan for school growth. This workshop was offered in spring 2023. It is being presented again for people who were unable to attend previously. People who attended this workshop before are welcome to join this Zoom session, understanding that the information included is largely unchanged.
May 23, 2024 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Family Involvement: What Schools Can Do
Parental and family involvement in education is fundamental to the success of students and schools, and it is a key priority for First Nation education. This workshop will present research findings about the importance of family support for their children’s learning in school and at home, and it will include a discussion of what schools can do to promote greater family engagement. This workshop was offered in spring 2023. It is being presented again for people who were unable to attend previously. People who attended this workshop before are welcome to join this Zoom session, understanding that the information included is largely unchanged.
May 28, 2024 4:00 – 5:00 pm
What School Governing Authorities Should Know About Funding for First Nation Schools
This session will provide a detailed overview of the British Columbia Tripartite Education Agreement (BCTEA) funding for First Nation schools, as well as tips for creating and monitoring the school budget. The workshop will also explore what additional supports would be helpful. This workshop was offered in spring 2023. It is being presented again for people who were unable to attend previously. People who attended this workshop before are welcome to join this Zoom session, understanding that the information included is largely unchanged.
May 30, 2024 4:00 – 5:00 pm
What School Governing Authorities Might Want to Know About the Graduation Program
There are a number of important considerations for First Nation schools that offer grades 10, 11 and 12 to help students and families make the best decisions about what courses to take and plan for post-secondary education or future careers. This workshop will review issues related to the graduation program, to help school leaders monitor and support graduation planning. It will also provide an overview of the supports available to First Nation schools related to the graduation program. This workshop is new and is being offered for the first time in 2024.
June 3, 2024 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Facilitated Sessions for Individual School Governing Authorities
Is your School Governing Authority interested in joining a Zoom meeting together, to participate in a facilitated discussion of your Governing Authority’s operations and priorities?
FNESC staff are available to join School Governing Authorities in individual virtual sessions to review issues included in the Handbook for First Nation School Governing Authorities, with opportunities for the meeting participants to discuss issues in the context of their own circumstances. Interested School Governing Authorities will be asked to complete the self-evaluation tool included in the Handbook for School Governing Authorities prior to the facilitated session in order to inform the discussions that take place. Each virtual session is expected to last approximately 3 hours.
Offered on request – depending on time availability. Sessions will be scheduled on a first-come-first-served basis.
Cathy Zhang, Executive Assistant
executiveservicesadmin@fnesc.ca
Handbook for First Nation School Governing Authorities
This Handbook provides information related to a range of responsibilities of First Nations School Governing Authorities. The topics reviewed in the Handbook include: setting the school’s vision, purpose, and strategic direction, hiring and monitoring the performance of the school principal, advocating for the school community, approving the school’s policies and budget, and more.
Attendance Counts: An Information Guide for First Nation School Governing Authority Members (currently being revised)
This Guide was written to share information with First Nation School Governing Authority members about the very important topic of student attendance. The Guide provides an overview of relevant research, as well as what First Nation schools in BC are doing to encourage students to come to school regularly and on time. This resource can be found on the Special Education Portal.
Toolkit for First Nations Parents
Parents play a key role in the education of their children and parental rights are the foundation of First Nations control of First Nations education. Parents and families are central to promoting children’s access to relevant educational opportunities and to supporting children’s healthy growth and development. Being involved in the education process can be very rewarding for families, but it can also be challenging. That is why the Parents Toolkit was created. It includes a series of short, reproducible papers that can be adapted and shared with parents to provide information about topics in three general areas: appreciating the importance of parental involvement in education; understanding the structure of the school system, how to build positive relationships with school staff for the benefit of students, and what to do if difficulties arise; and thinking about how to create healthy and supportive learning environments at home.
Policy and Procedures Guide for First Nation Schools
Policies are key for effective school operations. They are written directions that define expectations for the school and boundaries for administrative and staff action, thereby guiding the decisions of the principal in undertaking the daily management of staff and the school. Accordingly, School Governing Authorities should be central in the discussion and approval of all school policies and in any required policy review and/or changes. This guide was created to support that work, and it includes discussion papers and sample policies for consideration and adaptations as needed. This resource can be found on the Special Education Portal.
Guiding Your Education Journey: A Handbook for First Nations Families
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This is a serious question for students who are in secondary school. Finding the right path through secondary education, onto higher education, and then to employment can be challenging but also very exciting. And early planning makes it much easier. To support families in exploring these issues, Guiding Your Education Journey is available to provide information to help families make the best decisions possible about what courses to take and plan for post-secondary education and future careers.
Guiding Your Education Journey: A Handbook for First Nations Adult Students
A specific version of Guiding Your Education Journey has been written to support adult students in planning their education journeys and think about what courses to take in order to meet their post-secondary education, training, or career goals. This resource can be found on the Special Education Portal.