Please see the Working Collectively Towards a K-12 Workforce Plan the ministry recently developed and shared with the BC Teachers’ Federation to distribute to their members. This document provides an update on the ministry and K-12 sector partners’ collaborative efforts to support a stable, qualified, and engaged workforce.
Friday April 19, 2024
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
Hi, everyone. Happy sunny Friday (which I know it is for most of you since you’re in Vancouver at the BCSTA AGM, where the sun is out!).
In today’s Bulletin, please find information on the Model Local Education Agreement (LEA). We will go over this in more detail on Monday morning at the all-supes call. You will also find a 2-page summary of the ministry’s and K-12 partners’ collaborative efforts on a Workforce Plan. I’m flagging this, in particular, as this has also been shared with the BC Teachers’ Federation to outline work-to-date for them to communicate with their members. Thank you to BCSSA for continuing to be an active member of this work.
I look forward to seeing many of you today at the BCSTA AGM.
Have a great weekend,
Christina Zacharuk
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
For Action
-
Basic Threat and Risk Assessment erase Training
erase training on Basic Risk and Threat Assessment will be available at Corpus Christi School in Vancouver on May 22 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm PT. In this session, trainers will provide techniques for identifying and assessing individuals who engage in behaviours consistent with a threat. Trainers will also provide School Safety/Threat Assessment teams with the tools to complete a thorough data collection, assessment, and management process. This training incorporates international best practices and evidence-based threat assessment knowledge and procedures. Registration information is available on the Safer Schools Together web page.
-
Analytics Engagement and Information Sharing Session
Please join us April 25 at 3:10 pm PT for the sixth Analytics Engagement and Information Sharing Session of the 2023/24 school year for an overview of the Transition to Post-Secondary Power BI report. See the poster for more information and the registration link. Please contact EDUC.ReportingUnit@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions. The recording for this session will be available on the BC K-12 Education Data Portal, under the Communications tab.
-
ECS Firewall Service Survey
Thank you to everyone who has completed the ECS Firewall Service Survey to date. Please remember to complete the survey by Friday, April 26. Input from school districts is invaluable in helping the ministry tailor Enhanced Cyber Security services to best meet the needs of schools and protect sensitive information.
-
Reminder to Remit Annual Practice Fees – due May 15
Under section 37 (Annual practice fee) of the Teachers Act, employers are required to remit to the ministry the $95 annual practice fee that is deducted from the wage of certificate holders employed with the board. Please ensure you remit the 2024/25 fee through the Employers’ Area on or before May 15. If you have any questions, please email the Teacher Regulation Branch at trb.employers@gov.bc.ca or call 236-455-1872.
For Information
-
Model Local Education Agreement and Updated Indigenous Education Targeted Funds Policy
Starting April 30, First Nations and Treaty First Nations have the option to apply a Model Local Education Agreement (LEA) for the 2024/25 school year with boards of education if a First Nation requests it, and no LEA is currently in place.
(more…) -
Revised Operating Grants for the 2023/24 School Year
Updated Operating Grant tables are available on the 2023/24 Interim Operating Grants web page based on actual enrolment data from February 2024. Please contact Tim.Jah@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
-
Framework for Enhancing Student Learning Report: Pre-populated Data Template
In response to sector feedback, the ministry will be providing a pre-populated data template for the 2024 Framework for Enhancing Student Learning Report. This will be populated with all the data required by the Enhancing Student Learning Reporting Order, and districts will be able to add in local data. More information will be provided soon. For questions, please email EDUC.Framework@gov.bc.ca.
-
New Safe School Coordinators Community of Practice
Safer Schools Together (SST) and the Ministry of Education and Child Care are pleased to offer to Safe School Coordinators a series of drop-in virtual community of practice sessions focused on recent school safety trends and new or emerging issues. The first Community of Practice session, Ensuring Your Digital Privacy, will take place on April 23. This session will focus on increased negative community responses to open-source digital activity of district and school employees. More information and a link to register has been shared with Safe School Coordinators via email.
-
Mental Health and Substance Use Language Guide
The ministry has partnered with the BC Children’s Hospital to develop a mental health and substance use language guide: Language Matters! An Introductory Guide for Understanding Mental Health and Substance Use: A Resource for Educators and School Communities. This guide will build further capacity in the system to understand common mental health and substance use concepts and terms. A webinar will be hosted on May 8 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm PT during Canadian Mental Health Week, to provide an overview of how schools may use the guide. Registration is required to attend this webinar.
-
Child Care Operating Funding Renewal and ECE Wage Enhancement
As of February, the 2024/25 Funding Agreement is available for eligible child care providers to review and agree to the terms. To ensure full approval, providers must agree to the terms and conditions of the 2024/25 Funding Agreement by completing the declaration section of their program confirmation form. Providers who pre-claimed for April 2024 started to receive program funding on April 1, 2024, the start of the 2024/25 funding term. Providers will have until April 30, 2024, to renew their funding and be eligible for April funding. Providers can check for the most up-to-date status of their Child Care Operating Funding renewal using My ChildCareBC Services. Those providers approved to participate in the Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement (ECE-WE) may submit monthly ECE enrolment reports using the ECE Reporting Tool starting May 1, for hours worked in April 2024. Payments are calculated based on the total number of hours worked each month, which is why the ECE-WE is reported and paid after the end of each month.
-
Digital Literacy and the Use of AI in Education
New resources are available for the education sector to support local considerations and decision-making regarding the use of AI tools in K–12 schools in B.C. A Digital literacy and the use of AI in education: supports for British Columbia schools web page has been launched to feature AI resources and includes the initial release of two resources: Considerations for Using AI Tools in K–12 Schools and AI Terms to Know. Further resources for parents and caregivers, teachers, and students will be added in the current school year.
