PRESIDENT'S JOURNAL

An Effective Practices Guideline for Terms and Conditions of Employment is released to Directors of Education

In the fall of 2008, the deputy minister announced the Ontario Leadership Strategy, a 3-year plan aimed at attracting the right people to leadership and helping principals and vice-principals become the best instructional leaders. The strategy outlined initiatives for each of the three years. In year one, a framework of effective practices on terms and conditions of employment was to be developed and shared across the province along with several other initiatives.

For the past several months, development of a framework for terms and conditions of employment has been a major focus of a tri-level leadership work group consisting of representatives from the principal and supervisory officer associations, directors of education and ministry personnel from the Leadership Branch. CPCO was well represented at all meetings.

The Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario has been seeking recognition and resolution of the many issues impacting the work of principals and vice-principals since the submission of the Role of the Principal Paper in 2004. In that paper CPCO called for:

“terms and conditions of employment that allow principals and vice-principals to undertake their responsibilities without fear of arbitrary discipline, demotion or termination. Bill 160 removed the right to retain seniority if they return to the classroom. This loss, coupled with declining enrolment in the province, puts prospective school leaders at risk when they cross the one-way bridge to school administration. It is important for the government to address employment conditions if it wants good teachers to consider school leadership.”

In the Excellence For All “Leading Education: New Supports for Principals and Vice-Principals in Ontario Publicly funded Schools” document published in December 2005, the Ministry proposed that:

“Standards for personal-service contracts be set in regulation; and a standard basis for performance appraisals be set for principals and vice-principals, reflecting common professional expectations. In addition, at a certain stage in the career of principals, a form of ‘earned security’ should be offered to those who have met performance appraisal requirements”.

On April 21st a memo was sent out to all directors along with the Effective Practices Guide for Principal/Vice-Principal terms and Conditions of Employment. The memo recognizes that there are many boards that have good processes in place and outlines that the purpose of the guide is to “propose effective practices”. The memo states that boards may “find the guide helpful in modifying their current documents to bring these more in line with common practice across most other boards”. The guide suggests that good faith discussions are an effective practice - “Recognizing that it is an effective practice for boards to negotiate with the local representatives of principals' associations in good faith, the guide herein is divided into two sections to support this practice.” The guiding principles of the paper reiterate the need for good faith discussions conducted in a collaborative, fair and respectful manner, and outlines effective practices around development and documentation of terms and conditions.

The Ministry’s recognition that an effective practice is to negotiate with principals and vice-principals in good faith is a very significant statement. The use of the words “negotiate” and “good faith” have often been avoided in regards to discussions around terms and conditions relating to principals and vice-principals as they are viewed as unionistic. In actual fact the word “negotiate” means nothing more than “to try to reach an agreement or arrangement by discussion”. Negotiation does not necessarily mean that we always get what we want, but rather that every effort is made to reach an agreement in good faith.

It is our hope that those associations in the midst of terms and conditions discussions will find the guide helpful in moving their negotiations forward. Moreover, the last sentence on page one of the memo also suggests that those local principal/vice-principal associations that have already settled on their terms and conditions may wish to ask for terms and conditions discussions to be re-opened for further consideration.

While the work group was not yet been successful in having terms and conditions set in regulation as proposed by the government in 2005, the guide is viewed by CPCO as a major first step in the right direction. If CPCO is to keep this issue alive and press for regulation, it is incumbent on all local associations to track and record anecdotally where good faith negotiations are breaking down, and share this documentation with CPCO in the future. This information was shared with all association presidents, Council of District Representatives (CDRs) and lead negotiators, last week. The Member Security Committee will be following up with each association in the early fall.

Documents
Memo to Boards
PPA Work group members
Terms and Conditions Guide

Upcoming Events

May 6 – Brant Haldimand Norfolk P/VP Association visit
May 7 – The Learning Partnership Tribute Dinner
May 8 – Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association Banquet
May 12 – Institute for Education Leadership
May 13 – Catholic Curriculum Corporation Banquet

If you would like to comment or provide feedback on the President’s Journal, please contact Joan Duckitt at president@cpco.on.ca.