PRESIDENT'S JOURNAL
The Institute for Catholic Education
As president of CPCO, one of my duties is to sit on the board of directors for the Institute for Catholic Education (ICE). September 14th marked my first meeting with this board. ICE had its genesis in 1985/1986 following the passing of Bill 30 which extended full-funding to Roman Catholic separate high schools. Their mission “…brings together, works with, and assists organizations that share responsibility for English Catholic education in their efforts to promote and maintain publicly-funded Catholic schools animated by the Gospel and reflecting the tenets of the Catholic faith.” ICE was organized by the Ontario Bishops as a registered corporation and operates with a board of directors.
The opportunity for dialogue that ICE presents is invaluable for the health and well-being of Catholic education in Ontario. Partners at the table include:
| ACBO | Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario |
| CPCO | Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario |
| OECTA | Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association |
| OCSTA | Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association |
| OCSOA | Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers’ Association |
| OCSBOA | Ontario Catholic School Business Officials’ Association |
| OAPCE | Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education |
The current executive director of ICE is Sr. Joan Cronin.
You can learn more about ICE by visiting the website at www.occb.on.ca/ice
Good-Faith Bargaining
My recent CDR surveys and follow-up calls with the members of the Council of District Representatives have shed some light on the process used between local associations and their boards to arrive at the final terms and conditions of employment for principals and vice-principals. I am pleased to report that in many boards, District Representatives have indicated that good discussion and the tenets of solid, good-faith bargaining took place. In some boards however, terms and conditions continue to be imposed on principals and vice-principals. CPCO continues to support and promote the benefits of good-faith bargaining: a collaborative process whereby school leaders and the dignity of their work are valued and ultimately rewarded. To this end CPCO will continue to work with the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC) and Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO), to advance the idea of regulation with the Ministry to ensure that future terms and conditions be arrived at through a good-faith bargaining process in all boards.
Professional Staff Head to Australia
On September 22, 2009, Professional Learning Director Barbara McMorrow and Program Director Patty Orecchio embarked on a visit to Australia for the Australian Council of Educational Leaders (ACEL) conference. The conference entitled Tipping points: Courageous Actions, Powerful Stories is both a call to action and an opportunity to reflect on what we all know works in education in our ever-changing world. Barbara has been invited to participate as a breakout session leader at the conference. More specifically the professional learning staff will be high-lighting their work at CPCO and with our partners in Ontario. They will also pursue the possibility of the Australian Catholic University in Sydney recognizing CPCO’s Principal’s Qualification Programs as courses in their Master of Education program. We look forward to hearing about their experience on their return!
Upcoming Events
| September 29 | CDR consultations |
| September 30 | Principals’ Congress meeting |
| October 1 & 2 | Renfrew Principals’ Retreat |
| October 5 | Leading Student Achievement Symposium |
| October 6 | Student Information Finder Roundtable |
| October 6 | Labour Mobility Meeting |
| October 7 | Ministry de-briefing |
| October 7 | Retired members meeting |
If you would like to comment or provide feedback on the President’s Journal, please contact Paul Lacalamita at president@cpco.on.ca.