Registration is now open for the All Superintendents Meeting on May 10, 2024. The meeting will be held at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel in Vancouver. Room reservations will be prioritized on a first come, first served basis and need to be reserved by Monday, April 15. This is a meeting for Superintendents and the Deputy Minister. If you need to arrange for an alternate, please reach out to Jennifer McCrea. Please confirm registration for the meeting by Friday, April 19. The agenda will be provided in the coming weeks.
Friday March 22, 2024
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
Hi everyone,
I’ll keep it brief as I hope everyone is getting a bit of a break, but we do have several information items and flags this week. Please remember to register for the All Superintendents’ Meeting on May 10. If for some reason you’re unable to make it, please reach out to me. Registration for the May 9 JCAM is also open. This bulletin also includes a request for information on hiring practices for Indigenous teachers to support recruitment and retention, and we’re pleased to share information on the Royal BC Museum’s Digital Field Trips and Outreach Kits for Educators.
Have a great weekend,
Christina Zacharuk
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
For Action
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Registration Open for JCAM
Due April 15, 2024: Registration is now open for Superintendents and Indigenous Education Council Chairs for the fifth Jointly Convened Annual Meeting (JCAM). JCAM will be held on May 9 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel in Vancouver. This will be an opportunity to discuss the new School Act amendments and their implications. Please see this joint invitation for further details.
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Survey on Hiring Practices for Indigenous Teachers
As part of a commitment under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) Action Plan, the ministry has partnered with the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) on a project to explore ways to better attract, recruit, and retain First Nations teachers. In the context of this project, school districts are asked to complete a survey to provide information about hiring practices specific to Indigenous teachers to help identify current state and best practices.
The online survey is open until April 19, 2024.
In addition to the survey, the project will include engagement with human resources staff and First Nations teachers in a number of districts to gather additional insights. A summary of findings will be shared with school districts once the project is complete. For any questions about this project, please contact Meghan.Patrucco@gov.bc.ca.
For Information
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Student and Family Affordability Fund
The ministry has announced that the Student and Family Affordability Fundis being replenishedand will continue to be provided as a special grant in the 2023/24 school year. School districts have been made aware of their funding allocations and tables will be posted online in the spring. Instructions to School Districts regarding the use of the funding is now available together with updated Question and Answers. Please share this information with staff as appropriate and email ECC.schoolfood@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
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2024/25 Feeding Futures School Food Programs Fund
Information regarding district allocations for the 2024/25 school year is in the Summary of Grants to Date table, information on the spending criteria is now available, and a question and answer document is also available to support engagement with key partner groups. Please email ECC.schoolfood@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
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January 2024 Graduation Assessment Results
The January 2024 Assessment Session Results are now available for the Grade 12 Literacy Assessment (LTE12), Évaluation de littératie de la 12e année – Français langue première (LTP12), Évaluation de littératie de la 12ᵉ année – Français langue seconde – immersion (LTF12), and Grade 10 numeracy and literacy assessments (NME10, NMF10, LTE10, and LTP10).
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Important Timelines – 2024/25 Child Care Operating Funding Renewal
As of February 21, Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF) Agreements for 2024/25 are available for providers to review. 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.
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Child Care Operating Funding during Emergency Closures
To support child care providers during emergencies, as of April 1, 2024, Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF) base funding may be paid when a facility is temporarily closed due to an emergency. Eligible circumstances include unplanned closures due to states of emergency, evacuation orders, or similar restrictions issued by a First Nation, provincial, federal, or municipal government or health authority; natural disasters; and other external circumstances outside the provider’s control, at the ministry’s discretion. Emergencies that were preventable or originated within the facility and permanent closures are not eligible.
To ensure consistent fee reductions for parents, closures outside of the provider’s control may also be eligible for Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative funding. Early Childhood Educator wage enhancement funding is also available during periods of unplanned temporary closure if the provider continues to pay staff wages. To report an emergency closure and request funding, please email CCOF@gov.bc.ca. Include the facility name, facility ID (Ex: F/G-XXXXX- XXXXX), closure date, (expected) reopen date, reasons for closure, and the type of funding being requested. The ministry will review and advise of next steps.
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Changes to Child Care Resource and Referral Centres in B.C.
Located throughout the province, Child Care Resource and Referral Centres (CCRRs) provide important support to families, child care providers, and the child care workforce. In November 2023, the ministry issued a request for applications to current and prospective CCRR service providers on BC Bid. All applicants, including existing service providers and prospective service providers, were provided the opportunity to bid on service contracts.
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Additional erase Family Sessions – Establishing Safe, Caring and Respectful Digital Communities
Safer Schools Together has added three new dates for erase Family Sessions. These online sessions focus on social media awareness and online safety and take place in the evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 pm on March 26, April 10, and April 16. All parents, caregivers, and students (ages 10 and up) are welcome to attend. Please share this information with your school communities as soon as possible, as sessions are coming up quickly. The March 26 session may occur during spring break in some districts, and it can be a great opportunity for families to watch together. Trainings can be found at erase Family Sessions.
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Free Educator Toolkit on Anxiety for Grades K–7
Anxiety Canada has developed a free Educator Toolkit, created by psychologists and educators, to support students in grades K–7 with understanding and managing anxiety. This toolkit aligns with the B.C. curriculum and is available in English and French.
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Royal BC Museum Digital Field Trips & Outreach Kits for Educators
The Royal BC Museum’s learning department offers learning opportunities for children across the province including live, two-way, interactive digital field trips and outreach kits. Learn about the B.C. Gold Rush, mammoths, spindle whorls, and more by booking a live, interactive virtual learning experience through the Royal BC Museum’s digital field trip program. These 30-minute programs are designed to extend students’ learning of B.C.’s Natural and Human History, while also connecting to the B.C. Curriculum. Outreach kits bring stories and objects from the museum to the classroom. These free to borrow kits include inquiry based hands-on activities and resources from a wide range of themes including bats, Chinese Canadian historical wrongs, and species at risk. For more information, contact outreach@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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Discipline Outcomes
Discipline outcomes are posted to enhance the transparency of the processes and decisions made with respect to complaints and reports about educators. Recently, an outcome was posted regarding Graham Christopher Bowering whose certificate was previously cancelled and who agreed to a lifetime ban on reapplying or being issued any authorization to teach in the K–12 education system.
