DM Bulletin – May 1, 2026 – Deputy Minister's Bulletin

Friday May 1, 2026

**Kaye Krishna**
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care

Happy Friday!

May is Child Care Month, a time to celebrate the essential work that child care professionals do to support children, families and communities. As we expand access to child care on school grounds, I want to recognize the role that you, your early learning child care leads, and staff play in supporting earliest learners through pre-teens in ensuring care-giving environments are safe, stable and enriching places for children to grow, explore and thrive. Please note the upcoming ChildCareBC Town Hall for early learning and child care professionals mentioned below.

You’ll also find in this week’s bulletin, an updated policy that responds to feedback we’ve heard from you around the length of letters of permission; an extension on the 2025-26 Student Learning Survey deadline; new professional learning opportunities for Métis teachers; information on Canadian Mental Health Week and more.

Enjoy your weekend.

Kaye

For Action

Virtual ChildCareBC Town Hall with Minister Beare
For Action

Published Friday May 01 2026

Virtual ChildCareBC Town Hall with Minister Beare

Early learning and child care professionals are invited to attend a virtual ChildCareBC town hall hosted by Minister of Education and Child Care, Lisa Beare on May 20, 2026, from 6:00–7:00 pm.

The Minister and ministry executive will speak to recent child care progress in B.C. and highlight upcoming engagement opportunities, including how early learning and child care professionals can help inform the next steps and future direction of ChildCareBC. Participants will have an opportunity to share feedback during the event.

Please register using the link below, which will also be available on the ChildCareBC Engagement web page:
- Registration link: Virtual ChildCareBC Town Hall with Minister Beare
After registering, participants will receive details on how to join the virtual session. A recording will be posted online for those unable to attend.

Please note: this town hall is intended to support broad-level engagement with the Minister and is not designed to address detailed operational or technical questions.

We encourage you to share the registration link within your networks of early learning and child care professionals.
Early Learning and Child Care Leads|Principals & Vice Principals
Professional Learning Opportunities to Support the Development and Retention of Métis Teachers
For Action

Published Friday May 01 2026

Professional Learning Opportunities to Support the Development and Retention of Métis Teachers

Please share this information with Métis teachers in your district.

Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) is implementing initiatives to support the development and retention of Métis teachers in K-12 schools including:
- Mentorship Program: Pairs new and experienced Métis teachers for culturally grounded guidance and support
- Community of Practice: Weekly sessions for collaboration, connection, and shared learning on topics of interest
Métis teachers interested in participating in either initiative can contact metiseducation@mnbc.ca.These initiatives are part of a broader Métis Teacher Recruitment and Retention plan designed to strengthen Métis pathways into teaching, support professional growth, and promote long-term retention.
Directors of Human Resources|Indigenous Education Leads|Principals & Vice Principals
June 2026 Graduation Assessment Registrations Due May 28
Th June 2026 Graduation Assessment session (June 8–19) includes:
- Grade 10 numeracy and literacy assessments (NME10, NMF10, LTE10 and LTP10)
- Grade 12 Literacy Assessment (LTE12)
- Évaluation de littératie de la 12e année – Français langue première (LTP12), and
- Évaluation de littératie de la 12e année – Français langue seconde-immersion (LTF12)
Schools should submit registrations for this session by uploading their graduation files (DEM, CRS, XAM) to the Graduation module on the Education Data Exchange (EDX). Thereafter, registrations can be managed in EDX; see the EDX Graduation Assessments Registration Management guide for details.

For more information, please visit Graduation Assessments: Information for Administrators.
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School Counsellors
Revised Letter of Permission Policy Now Available

For Action

Published Friday May 01 2026

Revised Letter of Permission Policy Now Available

A Letter of Permission (LOP) is an authorization that allows an uncertified person to teach in a particular school district or independent school authority or for a First Nations school. With a revised new policy, the Director of Certification may issue an LOP for one school year or for up to three school years. The updated LOP policy is now available. If you are preparing to request an LOP for the upcoming school year, please use the updated Request for a Letter of Permission – Employer Form.

Directors of Human Resources|Principals & Vice Principals
2025-26 Student Learning Survey Extension

For Action

Published Friday May 01 2026

2025-26 Student Learning Survey Extension

The 2025-26 Student Learning Survey deadline has been extended to May 15, 2026. To help monitor survey participation, districts can view their SLS participation rates (updated weekly) through the SLS Participation Dashboard within the BC K-12 Education Data Portal. If your school would like to request assistance in determining who hasn’t completed the survey yet as well as for technical and administrative support, kindly contact AWIS at 1-866-558-5339 or at support@awinfosys.com. For any questions related to the survey content and dashboards, contact Educ.ReportingUnit@gov.bc.ca.

Principals & Vice Principals

For Information

2026-27 National School Food Program and Feeding Futures Funding

For Information

Published Friday May 01 2026

2026-27 National School Food Program and Feeding Futures Funding

Information regarding district allocations is now available for the 2026-27 National School Food Program and Feeding Futures funding. Spending criteria and a question and answer document are also available to guide funding use. Please email ECC.schoolfood@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.

Secretary-Treasurers
Emergency Management Resource Package and Key Contacts 2026
For Information

Published Friday May 01 2026

Emergency Management Resource Package and Key Contacts 2026

Emergency Preparedness Week is May 3-9, 2026. To support emergency preparedness and planning across the education and child care sectors, the Ministry of Education and Child Care is sharing an updated emergency management resource package. These resources support preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery planning.
- The K-12 Education and Child Care: Emergency Management Key Contacts lists current contacts at the ministry and other educational partners to support emergency response coordination and information sharing
- The K-12 Education and Child Care: Emergency Management Resource Package includes key resources to help schools and child care facilities plan for, respond to, and recover from incidents/emergencies such as wildfires, heat events, floods, and other risks
Districts are encouraged to review and share this information to help strengthen emergency readiness across their school communities.

Questions may be directed to the ministry’s Expect Respect and a Safe Education (erase) team at erase@gov.bc.ca.
Mental Health Leads|Principals & Vice Principals|Safe School Coordinators
Central Okanagan Compassionate Systems Forum – June 29–30

For Information

Published Friday May 01 2026

Central Okanagan Compassionate Systems Forum – June 29–30

Districts are invited to enrol staff in a two‑day, in‑person forum focused on Compassionate Systems and systems thinking for well‑being in education. The forum will take place on June 29 and 30, 2026, in Kelowna.

Hosted by Compassionate Systems BC in partnership with the University of British Columbia’s Human Early Learning Partnership, the forum will feature Peter Senge and BC Compassionate Systems practitioners. Participants will engage in experiential learning that supports personal and collective well‑being, strengthens relationships, and builds capacity to address complex challenges in education settings.

Event details, registration and costs are included in this information flyer.

Directors of Human Resources|Mental Health Leads|Online Learning Principals and Vice-Principals|Principals & Vice Principals
Canadian Mental Health Week is May 4-10

For Information

Published Friday May 01 2026

Canadian Mental Health Week is May 4-10

Canadian Mental Health Week is from May 4 to 10, 2026. This year’s theme, Come Together, invites Canadians to strengthen mental health through small, everyday actions of connection. Feeling connected and supported at work, at school and in our communities, helps reduce isolation and fosters well-being for everyone. The Canadian Mental Health Association offers free, practical resources to support this work, including toolkits with quick activities, conversation starters, posters and virtual resources that can be used in-person, remote or in hybrid settings.

The ministry continues to support student and adult mental health and well-being throughout B.C. schools, with resources available through the erase (Expect Respect and a Safe Education) Mental Health and Substance Use web page.

Directors of Human Resources|Mental Health Leads|Online Learning Leads|Principals & Vice Principals
Certificate Rescission

For Information

Published Friday May 01 2026

Certificate Rescission

Under section 31 of the Teachers Act, boards of education have been notified that Nico Jan’s Certificate of Qualification was rescinded on April 22, 2026.

Principals & Vice Principals
Discipline Outcomes

For Information

Published Friday May 01 2026

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, outcomes were posted regarding Jana Ronne whose teaching certificate was suspended for one day and Steven Lynn Reeder whose teaching certificate was suspended for three weeks.

Principals & Vice Principals

All school district reporting requirements are available in the online reporting calendar. The following reporting requirements are due to the ministry in the next few weeks:

May 15, 2026
Annual Facility Grant Expenditure Plans

May 15, 2026
Student Data Collection (1701) – May

May 15, 2026
Annual Practice Fee Remittance

May 28, 2026
June Graduation Assessment Registrations – Closing Date

June 5, 2026
FSA Special Format Assessment Form

Friday May 1, 2026

For Action

Virtual ChildCareBC Town Hall with Minister Beare

Virtual ChildCareBC Town Hall with Minister Beare

Professional Learning Opportunities to Support the Development and Retention of Métis Teachers

Professional Learning Opportunities to Support the Development and Retention of Métis Teachers

June 2026 Graduation Assessment Registrations Due May 28

Revised Letter of Permission Policy Now Available

Revised Letter of Permission Policy Now Available

2025-26 Student Learning Survey Extension

2025-26 Student Learning Survey Extension

For Information

2026-27 National School Food Program and Feeding Futures Funding

2026-27 National School Food Program and Feeding Futures Funding

Emergency Management Resource Package and Key Contacts 2026

Emergency Management Resource Package and Key Contacts 2026

Central Okanagan Compassionate Systems Forum – June 29–30

Central Okanagan Compassionate Systems Forum – June 29–30

Canadian Mental Health Week is May 4-10

Canadian Mental Health Week is May 4-10

Certificate Rescission

Certificate Rescission

Discipline Outcomes

Discipline Outcomes

School District Reporting Requirements

News Releases

Additional Resources

Contact Us