DM Bulletin – June 28, 2024 – Deputy Minister's Bulletin

Friday June 28, 2024

**Christina Zacharuk**
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care

Hi, everyone.

Happy end of the 2023/24 School Year! I know it’s not the end of the work for you but thank you and congratulations on another year nonetheless! I’ve seen so many posts and articles with happy smiling faces as students move from one grade to the next and look forward to the break.

A special shout-out to retiring Superintendent Chris van der Mark and School District 27 (SD27) for so ably and calmly supporting all the students, staff, families and chaperones after the bus crash last Friday. Words cannot capture the effort of the team that jumped to action and managed the logistics. What could have been a terrible tragedy was not and we look forward to understanding any lessons learned that SD27 may have to share with us.

In other news, it is with excitement and sadness for our ministry that I say congratulations and good luck to Associate Deputy Minister Melanie Stewart as she takes on a new role as Vice President of External Relations at UBC this fall. Melanie will stay with us at the Ministry of Education and Child Care until the end of the summer. You can read the announcement on the UBC website.

Please find year-end articles and information below. Specifically, there are links to the Local Education Agreement (LEAs) and Schools of Choice (SoC) policies as per Bill 40. Thank you in advance, including your Indigenous Education Leads and Secretary-Treasurers, for joining us on our Tuesday call to walk through the update on Indigenous Education Councils.

Have a great long Canada Day weekend,

Christina Zacharuk
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care

For Action

Reminder: Cell Phone Use – Amendment to the Provincial Standards for Codes of Conduct

For Action

Published Friday June 28 2024

Reminder: Cell Phone Use – Amendment to the Provincial Standards for Codes of Conduct

A reminder that district Codes of Conduct must be updated to align with the amended Provincial Standards for Codes of Conduct Order by July 1. Please submit updated Codes of Conduct to ecc.strategicpriorities@gov.bc.ca by August 15. Please see the Personal Digital Device (Cell Phone) Restrictions in Schools policy page for the Provincial Standards for Codes of Conduct Order Amendment and the Support Guide.

The ministry would like to thank all 30 school districts that have submitted their updated Codes of Conduct to date to include statement(s) on restricting the use of digital devices in schools.
Reminder: Solicitation for Francophone Child Care Resource and Referral Services Closes Soon

For Action

Published Friday June 28 2024

Reminder: Solicitation for Francophone Child Care Resource and Referral Services Closes Soon

An official Call for Responses (CFR) was posted on BC Bid on May 31, 2024, for organizations interested in providing provincewide Francophone support services as part of the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) program. CCRR centres make it easier for families to access child care by providing information, support, resources and referral services to parents and child care providers across the province.

The CFR will be accepting applications from prospective providers until July 4, 2024. The successful service provider will provide direct support to Francophone child care providers and families throughout B.C. The provider will also assist all CCRR centres in delivering Francophone-specific services as required. If any potential service providers have questions on the Notice to Vendors or CFR process and how to participate, they can visit the BC Bid website, or contact CC.PCS@gov.bc.ca.

Early Learning and Child Care Leads|Principals & Vice Principals
Accessible BC Act: Opportunity to Provide Input on Accessibility Standards

For Action

Published Friday June 28 2024

Accessible BC Act: Opportunity to Provide Input on Accessibility Standards

Representatives of the education sector are invited to register for a virtual workshop hosted by the Accessibility Directorate at the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction on July 10, 2024, from 2 pm to 4 pm PT to provide input on B.C.’s draft accessibility standards. These standards will remove and prevent barriers that restrict people with disabilities from participating equally in the workforce and accessing services in the community.

The workshop agenda, presentation materials, and discussion questions will be shared in advance. You can find the draft standards and other resources on the Accessible BC Act Standards engagement website. If you cannot attend the virtual workshop but wish to provide feedback, please complete the online survey, join a Regional Town Hall (public), or submit written feedback to accessiblebc@urbansystems.ca.

For workshop inquiries, email accessiblebc@urbansystems.ca. For questions about the development of the draft accessibility standards or to request accommodations to participate in the public engagement, email EngageAccessibility@gov.bc.ca. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access RealTime Translation (CART) services will be available for the virtual sessions.

Directors of Human Resources|Directors of Instruction|Inclusive Education Leads|Principals & Vice Principals

For Information

Final 2023/24 Operating Grants

For Information

Published Friday June 28 2024

Final 2023/24 Operating Grants

The final Operating Grant tables for the 2023/24 school year following the May 2024 enrolment count are now available. Funding will be disbursed by June 30. Please contact the Funding and Financial Accountability Branch at EDUC.FundingandAllocationUnit@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.

Secretary-Treasurers
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) and Salary Increases for Administrators in Leadership Roles

Funding for COLA and salary increases for administrators in leadership roles has been confirmed for the 2024/25 school year. An overview of the labour settlement funding allocation methodology is also posted on the 2024/25 Estimated Operating Grants web page. Please contact the Funding and Allocation Unit at EDUC.FundingandAllocationUnit@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
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Secretary-Treasurers
Indigenous Education Council Order, Local Education Agreement and Schools of Choice Policies

For Information

Published Friday June 28 2024

Indigenous Education Council Order, Local Education Agreement and Schools of Choice Policies

A call regarding a new Ministerial Order to support effective implementation of Indigenous Education Councils (IECs) is scheduled for Tuesday, July 2, for Superintendents, Secretary Treasurers and District Leads of Indigenous Education. The Local Education Agreement (LEA) and the Schools of Choice (SoC) policies have also been posted to provide more information on these two initiatives. The ministry anticipates releasing the IEC policy before the BCSSA Summer Learning Series meeting on August 16, 2024.

Directors of Instruction|Indigenous Education Leads|Principals & Vice Principals
B.C. Inclusive Child Care Strategy and Report Now Available
For Information

Published Friday June 28 2024

B.C. Inclusive Child Care Strategy and Report Now Available

All children benefit from quality, inclusive, culturally safe child care settings that are welcoming and celebrate the diverse identities of children, families, and staff. B.C. is building a future where access to quality, inclusive child care as a core service is a reality and has just released Where All Children Belong: B.C. Inclusive Child Care Strategy and Equity, Inclusion and Child Care in B.C.: Engagement Report. The engagement report describes the results of the engagements that informed the strategy, while the Inclusive Child Care Strategy describes the foundation for a future state where every child has access to child care. This foundation includes:
- Embedding equity and inclusion in all aspects of child care
- Supporting child care providers and professionals in gaining the knowledge and skills to provide inclusive, culturally safe child care
- Meeting the specific needs of children who are neurodiverse, have a disability, have complex needs, or have other support needs
More information on the B.C. Inclusive Child Care Strategy and Engagement Report can be found in this key messages document.
Early Learning and Child Care Leads|Inclusive Education Leads
Inclusive Education: Language Modernization of Ministerial Orders and Policies – Effective July 1, 2024

For Information

Published Friday June 28 2024

Inclusive Education: Language Modernization of Ministerial Orders and Policies – Effective July 1, 2024

As of July 1, 2024, Ministerial Orders, policies, and other documents pertaining to supports and services for students with disabilities or diverse abilities will be amended to include more current and respectful terminology. These changes align with the Province’s Better Regulations for British Columbians initiative, which aims to make sure B.C. policies are modern and inclusive.

As part of this language modernization project, relevant government documents that reference “special education”, “special needs funding” and “student(s) with special needs” will be updated to replace these terms with “inclusive education”, “inclusive education funding” and “student(s) with disabilities or diverse abilities”, respectively. Outdated website links and policy/document names will also be corrected in these documents as part of the update process.

Please note that these language modernization changes will not alter the policy intent of any Ministerial Orders, policies, and guidance documents, or the interpretation or application of K-12 collective agreements and contracts.

Inclusive Education Leads|Principals & Vice Principals|Secretary-Treasurers
Regional Engagements on Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Now Concluded

For Information

Published Friday June 28 2024

Regional Engagements on Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Now Concluded

In partnership with the Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC, BC Aboriginal Child Care Society, BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, First Nations Health Authority, and Métis Nation BC, the ministry has successfully concluded a series of engagements focused on Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care in B.C. From January 2024 to June 2024, eight in-person sessions took place across the province. Two other virtual sessions were held online for those unable to join in person. A full list of engagement locations is available on the Indigenous engagement web page, and a summary of the engagements will be shared in the future. Indigenous child care providers, managers and leaders were invited to multi-day event sessions dedicated to learning and relationship-building. Topics discussed included affordability programs, creating child care spaces, the recruitment and retention of Early Childhood Educators, and more. The feedback gathered in these sessions will help inform policy direction, investments, and the longer-term goal of moving toward Indigenous self-determination and jurisdiction over early learning and child care.

Early Learning and Child Care Leads|Indigenous Education Leads|Principals & Vice Principals
Reminder: 2025/26 School District Child Care Capital Project Requests

For Information

Published Friday June 28 2024

Reminder: 2025/26 School District Child Care Capital Project Requests

A reminder that school districts can submit their 2025/26 child care capital project requests using the Capital Asset Planning System (MyCAPS). Major capital child care project requests must be submitted by June 30, and minor capital child care project requests must be submitted by September 29. These deadlines are unique to school district project submissions. Any dates referred to in relation to the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund project intake no longer apply to school districts. For more information on the project submission process, please refer to the Capital Plan Instructions or contact the Regional Director and Planning Officer team responsible for child care.

Early Learning and Child Care Leads|Facility Leads|Principals & Vice Principals|Secretary-Treasurers
International Online Learning (iOL) Update

For Information

Published Friday June 28 2024

International Online Learning (iOL) Update

International students who accessed B.C. curriculum courses with SD73 Business Company (Global Education) in the 2023/24 school year may continue to do so, if necessary, over the next two years (July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026). No new registrations for international students registered with in-person programs in B.C. will be permitted with Global Education after June 30, 2024. For all other circumstances, please refer to the Online Learning Policy and the Interim Procedures Guide (Ordinarily Resident Students, International Students), and send questions to educ.onlinelearning@gov.bc.ca.

International Education Leads|Principals & Vice Principals
New Dual Credit Course Codes

For Information

Published Friday June 28 2024

New Dual Credit Course Codes

New course codes for dual credit introduce four additional areas of study: business; humanities and arts; science and health; and technology and engineering. There will be no changes to the trades training dual credit course codes. Both new and existing codes will be accepted in 2024/25. Further information will be provided in the upcoming days through the MyEd bulletin and L1 staff calls with FUJITSU. Please contact dualcredit@gov.bc.ca with questions.

Career Education Leads|Inclusive Education Leads|Indigenous Education Leads|Principals & Vice Principals
Compassionate Systems Leadership Training

For Information

Published Friday June 28 2024

Compassionate Systems Leadership Training

The Ministry of Education and Child Care continues to partner with the Human Early Learning Partnership at UBC in building capacity for Compassionate Systems Leadership in B.C. schools. Training sessions, tailored to your district’s needs and interests, can be arranged by contacting Joanne Schroeder, Director, BC Compassionate Systems Leadership Network, at joanne.schroeder@ubc.ca. Read the BC Compassionate Systems Leadership Network Update for more information.

Early Learning and Child Care Leads|Mental Health Leads|Principals & Vice Principals

Friday June 28, 2024

For Action

Reminder: Cell Phone Use – Amendment to the Provincial Standards for Codes of Conduct

Reminder: Cell Phone Use – Amendment to the Provincial Standards for Codes of Conduct

Reminder: Solicitation for Francophone Child Care Resource and Referral Services Closes Soon

Reminder: Solicitation for Francophone Child Care Resource and Referral Services Closes Soon

Accessible BC Act: Opportunity to Provide Input on Accessibility Standards

Accessible BC Act: Opportunity to Provide Input on Accessibility Standards

For Information

Final 2023/24 Operating Grants

Final 2023/24 Operating Grants

Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) and Salary Increases for Administrators in Leadership Roles

Indigenous Education Council Order, Local Education Agreement and Schools of Choice Policies

Indigenous Education Council Order, Local Education Agreement and Schools of Choice Policies

B.C. Inclusive Child Care Strategy and Report Now Available

B.C. Inclusive Child Care Strategy and Report Now Available

Inclusive Education: Language Modernization of Ministerial Orders and Policies – Effective July 1, 2024

Inclusive Education: Language Modernization of Ministerial Orders and Policies – Effective July 1, 2024

Regional Engagements on Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Now Concluded

Regional Engagements on Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Now Concluded

Reminder: 2025/26 School District Child Care Capital Project Requests

Reminder: 2025/26 School District Child Care Capital Project Requests

International Online Learning (iOL) Update

International Online Learning (iOL) Update

New Dual Credit Course Codes

New Dual Credit Course Codes

Compassionate Systems Leadership Training

Compassionate Systems Leadership Training

District Reporting Requirements

News Releases

Additional Resources

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