School board facing a $3.5-million budget shortfall
The Waterloo Region District School Board faces a $3.5-million budget shortfall after the provincial government announced its budget last month.
Catherine Fife, chair of the board of trustees, said most of the impact would fall on technology and transportation budgets. Read Article
By Paige Desmond
In The Cambridge Times, April 19, 2012
Give parents a chance to speak
Give parents a chance to speak
I would like to share my opinions as well as constituents concerns about “recommendations for changes to procedures” for delegations from the Waterloo Region District School Board policy bylaw committee. Read article
By Cindy Watson
In the Cambridge Times, April 19, 2012
When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty
The following is a delegation that Ashley Ross brought to the Board on Monday, April 16, 2012. Take a few minutes to read her well-crafted thoughts on the matter of the delegation process. As always, with Ashley her point of view is always ‘spot on’.
School boards face accomodation reviews
School boards face accomodation reviews
The Waterloo Region District School Board is also struggling to find new ways to maximize its school spaces in southeast Galt, address outdated buildings, as well as reorganize JK-Grade 5 and JK-Grade 6 schools in favour of JK-Grade 8 schools.
Schools involved in the review include Blair Road, Dickson, Highland, St. Andrew’s and Tait Street schools. Read Article
By Lisa Rutledge
Cambridge Times, April 19, 2012
Public board trustees want to boost democracy
In September 2011, I brought forward a request for the policy and bylaw committee to review the delegation procedures of the Waterloo Region District School Board. At that time, the request did not raise any concerns at the board table. Last month, the committee finally did discuss the current procedures and the resulting minutes of the meeting, which did not include any recommendations to change the procedures, were presented to the board of trustees. Read article
By Ted Martin
In The Record, April 17, 2012
Parents must fight for right to speak
Parents must fight for right to speak
The recent uproar over the board of education to modify the procedural bylaw, to make it more difficult for parents and members of the public to participate and make presentations to the board, is not surprising to me.
As a former trustee from 1990 to 1996, I experienced firsthand the utter disregard for democratic principles of open and accountable government, from not seconding motions presented to the board by sitting members, illegally held closed meetings and sanctions imposed by the board on those who defied the majority. Read Article
By Uwe Kretschmann (former Trustee)
In the Cambridge Times, April 12, 2012
Public school board plans new ways to ignore parents
Public school board plans new ways to ignore parents
Trustees at the Waterloo Region District School Board are now hatching plans to make it much more difficult for parents to speak their minds at board meetings. Presumably this will cut down on bothersome outbreaks of public opinion. And ensure embarrassing policy reversals such as the extended day debate never occur again. Read article
By Peter Shawn Taylor
in The Record, April 7, 2012
The silent treatment
The silent treatment: Changes proposed to public board’s delegate process
Delegations hoping to have their voices heard by Waterloo Region District School Board trustees may be facing new restrictions.
Among those restrictions — a limit on how often delegates can speak, a requirement for presentations to be submitted in full prior to the meeting and putting an end to unregistered delegates’ ability to speak, even if the majority of trustees vote to allow it. Read Article
Article by Paige Desmond
in the Waterloo Chronicle, April 4, 2012
Policy could hurt democratic rights: parent
Policy could hurt democratic rights: parent
Local parents are raising a red flag after learning potential changes to the public school board’s delegation policies could quash opportunities to address trustees.
Minutes from a recent Waterloo Region District School Board policy and bylaw committee meeting detail a consideration to modify delegation procedures that would make it more difficult to speak to the board. Read Article
Article by Lisa Rutledge
in the Cambridge Times, March 30, 2012
Changes Coming to the Delegation Process
Changes are coming to the delegation process at the WRDSB. It appear that must think we had too many opportunities to express our concerns. And, in the future, they want to know several days ahead of time exactly what they are going to hear from us as concerned parents and stakeholders.
I attended the board meeting last evening and was surprized to see minutes from the Policy and Bylaw Standing Committee that indicate that they will be changing the delegation procedures. You can read the minutes of this Committee’s meeting from January 30, 2012 and read about the proposed changes.