March 2018 Update

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Great to see so many of you last month at our Executive and General meetings. If you were not able to make it, draft minutes are available on our website:  http://vancouverdpac.org/2017-2018-school-year/ and we hope you can join us soon. The recording of our workshop on the new curriculum presented by Jan Unwin and Suzanne Hoffman is now on our website.

DPAC has only one meeting this month, but it's packed with lots of interesting topics. The Executive Meeting on March 8th will include 5 reports/presentations by guests. A district update by Suzanne Hoffman and/or Lisa Dominato; a presentation on Capital Planning (i.e. seismic retrofits and new builds) by David Green; a VSB Budget Update by David Green and Lisa Landry; VSB Bike to School Week by Jel Kocmaruk; and an introduction of VSB's newest Associate Superintendent, Rob Schindel.

Note: all DPAC meetings are open to parents and guardians of VSB students. While only DPAC executives can vote at Executive meetings, and only official DPAC representatives (PACs to self determine) can vote at General meetings, all parents and guardians of VSB students can participate.

Important Dates

DPAC

PAC2PAC Fund

In conjunction with the VSB Finance office, DPAC is pleased to announce the creation of the PAC2PAC fund. This fund is a mechanism by which those Vancouver PACs who wish to anonymously support PACs (and the students within) of schools less fortunate may do so. More information is available here.

VSB Working Groups

DPAC is currently involved in two VSB working groups. While we have sufficient representatives in these groups, we want to ensure we are able to represent the diverse opinions of Vancouver parents and guardians.

  • French Immersion Program Review Working Group. FI Update/Mandate. Information was sent to all PACs last month, please connect with your PAC executive to review and provide input.

  • Catchment Review Working Group. Current scope is a review of schools in significant growth areas in the downtown core, UBC, Cambie corridor, and spillover areas impacted. Policy and Terms of Reference. Information will be sent to PACs inside these areas shortly.

Input for DPAC

  • DPAC By-laws. Think there is room for improvement in DPAC's by-laws? We do! We updated some of them last year, but are looking for suggestions on areas to change/update this year in time to present them at our AGM on June 21st. Current by-laws here. Send input to Shaun Kalley (vicechair@vancouverdpac.org).

  • 2018/19 General Meeting topics. Tell us what you want to learn about.

  • DPAC 2018/19. Succession. Our AGM is on June 21. Do you know someone, or are someone, who would make a great DPAC executive or DPAC table officer next year? Time to start thinking about it and getting your PAC to sign off the nomination form. More details to come.

Expand/Embrace Your Indigenous Knowledges

BC Budget 2018 - VSB Budget 2018/19

BC Budget 2018

  • Presented on February 20.

  • The Budget Highlights briefly mentions two points specifically on education on page 6: the continuation of funding for the Classroom Enhancement Fund and $2 billion over 3 years for capital projects.

  • There is also a new $5 million annual Playground Fund to help alleviate some PAC fundraising pressures.

VSB Budget 2018/19

  • In March districts will learn about their 2018/19 Operating Grants.

  • On March 8 during our DPAC Executive Meeting, VSB Secretary Treasurer, David Green, will give a VSB Budget update.

  • On April 12 following our DPAC General Meeting, David Green will lead a Workshop to inform and gather feedback from parents and guardians before presenting VSB's 2018/19 preliminary budget on April 17.

  • Public survey from April 18-May 9

  • Public consultation on April 24

  • In the new timeline, the trustees will not be voting on the budget until the June 25 board meeting.

  • draft timeline

VSB

New Curriculum series

Staffing

  • Teacher and Teacher Support Staffing Update. Report presented at February 21 Committee IV meeting

  • Impact of Teacher-on-Call Shortage on VSB Budget. As reported at February 21 Committee V meeting, there is a predicted savings of $1.1 million from unfilled TTOC positions for 2017/18. It was proposed to spend this plus another $0.1 million ($1.2 million) on school resource materials (report page 3 first and last bullets). NOTE: The saving going back to schools instead of to help balance the budget was something advocated for by parents, in particular the Tyee Education Advocacy Committee.