Highlights from the October 12 UCDSB Board of Trustees Meeting

Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) met on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. Some of the items discussed in the public session are as follows.

Director’s Work Plan Update Three

Executive Superintendent Eric Hardie presented to the Board the progress on the graduation rate, student success and Real-World Learning (RWL) goals from the Director’s Work Plan. As a build-on from the first update back in September, Hardie also provided additional information about the use of new technology in UCDSB schools, plus updated student success data.

In regard to the RWL initiatives, Hardie explained that professional development is ongoing with six sessions running for almost 60 system staff with more to come for the entire system, an initial meeting has taken place and a draft has been created for the development of a Grade 7-12 continuum for tech and trades throughout the district, the prioritization of technology course offerings has taken place with tech sections protected in school timetables, and the purchasing, deployment, and setup/training of updated technology is well underway.

Hardie also outlined a recent visit by Education Minister Stephen Lecce, which focused, in part, on the UCDSB’s success in Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programming. The UCDSB is one of the few districts that have met the province’s goal of seeing 25 per cent of students graduate with an SHSM red seal diploma. Ministry-reported numbers show that the UCDSB sat at 26 per cent while the provincial average was 16 per cent. Hardie noted that the UCDSB also received the highest SHSM enhancement funding in the entire province of $550,000 to add 24 new skilled trades class sections.

Shifting to graduation rates and student success initiatives, Hardie explained to Trustees that data from 2021-2022 shows significant improvements in students earning their credits through early interventions and proactive strategies. The enhancement of course offerings to Indigenous students to support graduation and post-secondary pathways continue.

Concluding his report, Hardie shared that the graduate rate rose from 85.8 to 86.9 when compared to the 2019-2020 school year and the number of five-year secondary students has declined this school year from 230 down to 129 when compared to 2020-2021.

Operations Update

Negotiations

Superintendent of Human Resources Chad Brownless provided an update regarding negotiations with the district’s six union partners. Brownlee noted that collective bargaining takes place both provincially and locally and continues. Provincially, the conciliator for CUPE issued a no-board report on Oct. 7. Brownlee noted that a notice report for any strike action is anticipated in the coming days, which puts the union in a legal strike position 17 days from that date. Brownlee stressed that this does not necessarily mean that a strike or job action will occur. Locally, two more meeting dates have been scheduled for November with CUPE. For OSSTF, negotiations continue both provincially and locally.

Transportation

Superintendent Deanna Perry reported to Trustees that the bus driver shortage remains relatively the same as the last update. Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario (STEO) has noted that 27 routes remain without a permanent driver. Those routes continue to be staffed by spare drivers, office and mechanical staff or route doubling and running routes late. Perry noted that 26 new drivers have received their licenses and have been brought to permanent employment, 12 drivers are still waiting for their licenses, while 29 others are currently training.

Full details on presentations, reports, and discussions can be found in the agenda or reviewed in the recorded broadcast online at the UCDSB website.