THE BIG PICTURE – PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN BC The Role of the BC Provincial Government Ministry of Education The Ministry of Education is responsible for setting the overall funding and general policy directions for education in British Columbia for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12). The Ministry establishes curriculum for the K-12 education system, and provides IRPs that define the expected learning outcomes for each subject or course. The Ministry is accountable to the people of British Columbia for the content and quality of education in our province. It is ultimately responsible for keeping parents and the public informed about what BC children are learning and how resources are being used. You can contact the Ministry of Education by calling 1-888-879-1166 or by accessing their website at www.bced.gov.bc.ca  How Parents Can Have an Influence at the Provincial Level The British Columbia Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC) is the provincial organization that acts on behalf of parents. Some of its more important roles include: • Advocating for excellence and equal opportunity in public school education. • Advocating for children and parents regarding provincial education issues. BCCPAC’s advocacy service gives advice to parents about the best way to resolve disputes about schooling. • Consulting with and advising the Ministry of Education on policies and programs. • Supporting school and school district Parent Advisory Councils. Teachers, non-teaching staff (CUPE), Principals and Vice Principals, Superintendents, Secretary-Treasurers, and Trustees also all have provincial organizations. (Note: these are all mentioned in the Acronym section.) The Role of the BC College of Teachers Complaints regarding the conduct of a College member can be made in writing to the College. Parents are, however, encouraged to use the various processes available at the local level to resolve their concerns. Speaking to the educator directly, then to his or her supervisor and then going through each of the administrative levels often leads to a faster and more satisfactory resolution of the concern. Once a complaint is filed with the College, the College is responsible for the appropriate disposition of the case, as it relates to the educator's teaching certificate. The College does not have the jurisdiction to mediate nor can it compensate the complainant. A potential discipline proceeding could seriously affect the member's livelihood and the only parties to such a proceeding are the College and the member. The complainant will be advised of the status of the complaint and may be asked to cooperate in the process as a witness and provide further information as needed. Details regarding the process and the complaint form are available at www.bcct.ca. Questions can be addressed to the Intake Officer at intake@bcct.ca or by calling 604-731-8170. The Role of the Provincial Ombudsman The role of the provincial Ombudsman is to promote fairness in the administration of public services, including schools. The Ombudsman will first investigate a claim of unfair treatment involving a student by exploring informal means of resolving conflict and supporting students and parents to address issues at a school and district level. When these appeal process have been exhausted, the Ombudsman may conduct an investigation. If the claim is found to be valid, he will then recommend that a school or district take action to remedy the problem. The Ombudsman can arbitrate whether a fair district policy was in place and whether it was properly used, but he cannot overturn a decision if the process was fair and followed correctly. He may also report publicly on a matter if he considers it to be in the public interest to do so. www.ombud.gov.bc.ca The Importance of Public Education Public schools are the one place where people of all cultures, genders and social levels meet and learn to live and work together with common purpose to build our country. Public education is not something any of us can take for granted. Having a role in shaping provincial education and society is a great privilege. Appreciating the broader public interest rather than just our own concerns makes us better citizens and better role models for our children. CONCLUSION Our district is not a fixed structure, but a partnership, a dynamic co-creation of many different groups and individuals, including you. Belonging to a partnership asks each of us to step out and ask questions, seek help, offer support, and build relationships with others – a child’s classroom teacher, the school secretary, a trustee, a parent whose child attends the same school, and so on. It also asks for our participation, whether it’s helping a child with her homework, attending a lunch day at school, hosting a “dry after grad,” serving on a district committee, going to a Board meeting, attending an information session, watching a school play, helping with fund-raising, or serving on the School Planning Council or the executive of the Parent Advisory Council. We are proud of the high level of parent involvement in our district and we are glad that you have joined us.