Please join us January 25 at 3:10 pm PST for the fourth Analytics Engagement and Information Sharing Session of the 2023/24 school year for an overview of the Student Learning Survey (SLS) Power BI report. See this poster for more information and the registration link. Please contact EDUC.ReportingUnit@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
Friday January 19, 2024
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
Hi everyone,
It was good to see many of you this morning on the short all-supes call. In addition to the updates we discussed, you will find below information and reminders on the Dual Credit grant applications and for your input, a discussion draft on potential policy shifts for the program. This bulletin also includes updated First Nation Student Rates, a reminder regarding applications for the New Spaces Fund, and nominations for the BC Teachers’ Council. This is an opportunity for superintendents and all certificate holders to have a voice and impact on the regulation of the teaching profession. While this notice pertains to nominations, please watch your inbox when the election period opens on March 6.
Have a great weekend,
Christina Zacharuk
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
For Action
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Dual Credit Program Expansion Grant Applications due April 12
Annual grants are available to help school districts and post-secondary partners develop and deliver dual credit opportunities for a diverse group of students in an array of in-demand occupations. Applications, including proposed budgets, are due April 12, 2024. Visit the Dual Credit web page to access the application package including instructions and the application form. Email dualcredit@gov.bc.ca if you have questions or if you’d like to register for an optional information session on Thursday, February 15 at 3:30 pm PST.
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Destination Canada: Virtual Career Fair for Recruiting French Educators
Staff from SD 93 Le Conseil scolaire francophone and school districts offering French Immersion programs are invited to participate in Destination Canada Education, a free, virtual recruiting forum specific to K-12 education, on March 1-2, 2024. Registration for this event is open until February 4.
For those who are interested, the ministry and provincial immigration staff will host a separate information session the week of February 19 to walk participants through what to expect (e.g., insights from past Destination Canada experiences, supporting applicants in navigating the certification and immigration processes). Please contact Mimi.Lin@gov.bc.ca if you would like to register for this additional, optional event.
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BCTC Elections – Call for Nominations
Elections for membership on the BC Teachers’ Council (BCTC) will be held in March 2024 and a call for nominations for certificate holders to run in the elections has been made. This call applies to all five electoral zones. More information about eligibility to be nominated and related materials is available on the BCTC’s Elections web page. Certificate holders who want to run as a candidate must email their completed nomination materials to BCTC.Elections@gov.bc.ca by Friday, February 2, 2024, 4:30 pm PST.
For Information
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2023-24 First Nation Student Rates
The 2023-24 First Nation Student Rates have been posted. Please contact SDFR@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
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Dual Credit Policy Review
The Ministry is exploring updates to the policy guiding dual credit programming in B.C. Changes being contemplated, informed by consultations with sector partners over the past year, include: permitting exploratory courses rather than requiring students to declare a future occupation; allowing for September and February funding access rather than September only; and, permitting eligibility for students in grades 10–12 rather than grades 11–12 only. As part of the next phase of this policy review, a discussion draft has been made available. You are invited to review the draft and email dualcredit@gov.bc.ca with questions or feedback by April 29, 2024.
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2023-24 New Spaces Fund Intake Closing Soon
The current ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund will be closing its current intake on February 9, 2024. In the coming weeks, the New Spaces Fund will introduce a new application process and new guidelines for the next intake scheduled to open in April 2024. Updated application and guideline materials will be available before the next intake begins. These materials will be added to the web page and shared in a future edition of the Deputy Minister’s Bulletin.
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Call for Response Closed: Child Care Resource and Referral Services in B.C.
The official Call for Responses (CFR) posted on BC Bid on Nov 16, 2023, for organizations interested in providing Child Care and Referral (CCRR) services throughout the province, has now closed. The evaluation process has begun. Once evaluation is complete, all applicants will be notified with successful candidates moving forward with contract negotiations. If any current or potential service providers have questions on the CFR process, they can contact Procurement@gov.bc.ca at the Ministry of Citizens’ Services.
