· Virtual Learning Series, April & May 2023
· Facilitated Sessions
· Resources of Interest
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.
Please find the event flyer for saving and sharing.
We welcome your involvement and invite your feedback about what other opportunities would be beneficial.
Note: First Nations in BC vary in terms of their school governance structures. Some First Nation schools are under the direct authority of Chief and Council. In other cases, communities have decided to establish a formal school board, or a more informal education or school committee or board. Membership on these committees or boards may include elected members or volunteers, sometimes involving only parents / caregivers, or sometimes involving a combination of parents / caregivers, community members and Elders.
In this pamphlet, the term “School Governing Authority” is used to capture all of these models, recognizing that the choice of how to structure the school’s leadership body should be based on what works best given the circumstances of each community and school setting.
Contact
Theo Sika, Administrative Assistant
executiveservicesadmin@fnesc.ca
Registration
A series of information workshops designed specifically for First Nation schools will be hosted in April and May, 2023. Interested School Governing Authority members are welcome to register for one or more of the following Zoom sessions. School principals are also welcome to join with their Governing Authority representatives, if appropriate.
| Facilitated Sessions for Individual School Governing Authorities | On request | Contact |
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
Contact: Theo Sika, Administrative Assistant, FNESC, executiveservicesadmin@fnesc.ca
Resources
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.
Toolkit for Raising the Attendance Rates of First Nations Students In British Columbia.
This Toolkit is intended to help First Nations and First Nations schools consider issues related to student attendance at school, including why attendance is an important issue, reasons why students might not be in school, and what can be done to help encourage students to arrive at school regularly and on-time.
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.