Westisle Family of Schools District Advisory Council
June 1st, 2022 - Microsoft Teams Meeting
Guests: Bethany MacLeod, Deputy Minister – Department of Education and Lifelong Learning; John Cummings, Executive Director of Educational Services – Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
Discussion
The Westisle DAC had met a total of four times leading up to their final meeting on June 1st, 2022, in which they brought forward recommendations to representatives from the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning. The council also submitted a written document to the DELL to support the discussion.
Psychoeducational Assessments
-
The DAC expressed concern about the timely access of psychoeducational assessments. The group understands that wait times have varied over the past number of years due to staffing, and the pandemic, among other reasons.
-
The group would like to see wait times for assessments reduced across the island, as this is not only an issue in the Westisle FOS.
-
The DAC would like to see the province continue to aggressively pursue professionals to increase the availability of this service for island students.
-
The council feels the Westisle FOS is in crisis as there have been a number of tragedies over recent years. Students and staff are struggling.
-
The DAC shared that children continue to miss the opportunity to be properly assessed before the issues can be addressed promptly, and access to timely assessments would hopefully reduce the requirement for later resources for these children and give the school system the tools/ information to accurately allocate the resources the child needs to be successful.
Response:
The Junior Policy Analyst reached out to the Student Services Division at the Public Schools Branch, and they had indicated that at the beginning of August 2022, all permanent school psychology positions had been successfully filled, with only one temporary leave unfilled. With this, the newest hire is assigned to schools in the western end of the island. They made clear that reducing the wait time for psychoeducational assessment continues to be a priority for the school psychology team and the PSB. Finally, both parties continue to provide consultation regarding student programming, accommodation and intervention before, pending, and post assessment referral.
Funding Models
Transportation
-
The DAC shared how transportation funding has an impact on students' well-being and their ability to enjoy extracurricular activities (opportunities for afterschool busing), in addition to field trips that students can learn from, such as a trip to the College of Piping Theatre of the Arts or maple-tree tapping and syrup making.
-
The need for extra transportation funding is important as it can be used as a tool in children's overall learning and teaching. The council feels that with the current funding formula, the rural schools do not receive equal opportunities for bussing for various functions compared to those in more urban jurisdictions.
-
The group shared that a number of years ago, there was an afterschool bussing program, and this has since been cut. The group was not certain of further specifics of the program, but it was popular for a number of schools in the Westisle FOS.
Response:
- The Junior Policy Analyst reached out to the Director of Transportation and Risk Management at the Public School Branch to share the Westisle DAC's concerns and comments. He included that there have been various iterations of the afterschool busing programs in the Western end of the Island to support student and afterschool activities over the years, but these programs were ended due to low participation. The PSB will continue to transport children to and from school and be available for field trips and afterschool sports and activities as requested.
Programs
- The DAC sees pilot programs as a key instrument in improving the school system's and students' overall well-being. There have been a number of great successes, such as the Student Well-Being Teams and the Island School Food program. Covid has impacted progress with pilot programs, and the council is passionate about seeing further strides towards adopting additional pilot programs in the future.
Response:
- The DELL plans to continue to work towards implementing new programs and offerings to support island students, staff and families. Numerous staff had been redeployed due to the pandemic, and the department looks forward to their return to various files and projects.
Infrastructure
- The DAC sees a need for an increase in funding for both new and old infrastructure, with playgrounds being one of them. During the pandemic and when schools were using the cohort system, only a number of students were allowed to use select equipment, and this emphasized the need to update and replace in select schools.
Responses:
-
The Community Revitalization Program – Rural Growth Initiative can be used to support the revitalization of rural communities through strategic investments in infrastructure that is important for rural culture, society, and economic development.
-
The DELL has committed to spending $500,000 on the Playground Equipment Fund over the next five years to support financing for playground equipment for Island Schools.
-
The PEI Government committed $105.8M towards school construction and renovations and $7.5M in ventilation upgrades in capital projects for 2021-2022.
Staffing Levels for Bus Drivers and Substitute Bus Drivers
- The DAC received an update on the school bus driver inventory in February 2022 from the Director of Transportation and Risk Assessment at the Public Schools Branch. The council would like to develop an understanding of where this is heading into the school year in the fall of 2022.
Response:
- The Junior Policy Analyst contacted the PSB for an update on staffing levels for bus drivers and substitute drivers. It was shared that the Westisle FOS currently has approximately 50 permanent bus drivers and approximately 15 bus drivers in the substitute pool serving western PEI. It was also shared that on June 18th, 2022, the PSB hosted their School Bus Driver's fair, which resulted in additional interest and sparked further enrolment in training programs. It is felt that the numbers in West Prince are trending in the right direction and the PSB feels well equipped for the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.
Parent Representation/ Engagement
-
The DAC feels that something needs to be done to increase parent engagement in the Westisle FOS. The group is curious if other regions are experiencing similar issues?
-
Many factors come into play, with a major one being how Covid has affected parents' ability to enter the schools. The council recommends that schools look to other jurisdictions for ideas on how to re-engage parents.
-
The group recommended that there should be mechanisms in the newly elected school board structure to engage with both parents and students.
Responses:
-
Covid has impacted how teachers, administrators and parents have been involved in students' learning and lives.
-
The DELL is currently working to develop a policy to encourage student engagement at the board level. This policy is planned to be in place when the new board takes office in the winter of 2023.
April 19th, 2022 - Microsoft Teams Meeting
Discussion
The Westisle DAC discussed various topics that have been presented in previous meetings and worked to frame recommendations that they would like to bring forward to the Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning. Further development on these topics is taking place in the collaborative document that the DAC was granted access to following the meeting. The Westisle DAC plans to discuss and advocate for the following topics in their year-end meeting.
Psychoeducational Assessments
-
The DAC discussed points from Loretta Hawley-McAleer's presentation on February 22nd, 2022. Loretta, a School Psychologist with the Public Schools Branch, shared the current state of the assessments and any progress they have been making. Through these discussions, the DAC feels that there is still room for improvement in this area.
-
Early intervention was a key piece Loretta shared, and the council believes this is essential. If programs and education can help children early on, this benefits the children and the program's resources as well.
-
It was echoed that equitable access to resources like the psychoeducational assessments and the Student Well-Being Teams remains very important.
-
The DAC understands children have very complex needs but also would like to see consistent measurements of progress. With this, if the program has identified gaps or struggles, what can the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning do to support this important program?
Parent Representation and Engagement
-
Over the last number of years, parent engagement has suffered largely due to the pandemic, but the DAC also wonders if there are other factors to consider. While several parents are still involved in councils and other initiatives around the school, this has dropped off. The Westisle DAC is very hopeful that Fall 2022 will look different for parents, teachers, and students.
-
The DAC echoed the importance of parent and student engagement regarding the newly elected school board if the legislation is passed. An equal voice across PEI should be a priority when proposing educational priorities.
-
As mentioned in previous meetings, the DAC would like to ensure that the work of this year and past year's DACs is revisited to analyze progress on the various recommendations that have been made.
Bus Drivers and Substitute Bus Drivers
-
The DAC discussed pieces of the response the Director of Transportation and Risk Assessment at the Public Schools Branch provided to the council regarding Bus Drivers and Substitute Bus Drivers in the Western end of PEI.
-
The council would like to see continued efforts take place to build up resources in these positions. It is understood that many permanent school bus drivers are eligible to retire in the coming years, so strong recruitment will be crucial to ensure that bus routes are covered daily.
February 22nd, 2022 - Microsoft Teams Meeting
Guest: Loretta Hawley-McAleer (School Psychologist) – Public School Branch (Student Services)
Discussion
Psychoeducational Assessment Presentation
-
Loretta Hawley-McAleer, a School Psychologist from the Public Schools Branch in the Student Services Division, spoke to the Westisle DAC about School Psychology Services and answered questions from the DAC.
-
Loretta shared that a psychoeducational consultation is a collaborative process of planning and generating solutions to provide comprehensive and effective supports and interventions.
-
There are currently 9.5 School Psychologists to serve the students of the Public Schools Branch in PEI. They apply their expertise in mental health, learning, and behaviour to help support students' academic, social, and emotional growth.
-
Loretta shared the tiered framework that the PSB uses to ensure that all students focus on improving outcomes and creating safe, supporting learning environments.
-
The DAC discussed the referral process for the three primary school psychology services accessed through a formal referral process: consultation, assessment, and reevaluation. It was also stressed how important the pre-referral step is as that allows the PSB to understand the child and what type of accommodations could be implemented before the child continues through the process.
-
School teams can request a pre-referral consultation or brief service consultation at any time, a psychoeducational consultation from grades K-2 or for older students presenting with exceptional circumstances, a psychoeducational assessment referral from grades 3-10, and a psychoeducational reevaluation from grades 3-12. The group further discussed eligibility for the assessments, and it was noted that students require a formal hearing and vision assessment as a prerequisite. Any concerns in either of these areas must be identified and addressed before further recommendations can be made.
-
Loretta shared that parental consent and collaboration are a large part of the process.
-
Waitlists were a topic of discussion, which has been something that the PSB and their staff have been working hard to reduce. In recent years, they have added personnel and lost a couple of professionals to leave or other positions, resulting in fluctuating wait times over the years. Covid-19 has also significantly impacted this work.
-
The team of School Psychologists meets once a month to discuss any barriers, waitlists, and target outcomes.
-
The DAC asked why there is a limit to the total number of referrals for a psychoeducational consultation and assessment referrals. The answer was to ensure there is equity across schools and populations. There is no limit on referrals for reevaluations or pre-referral consultation.
-
The DAC would like to advocate for more staff in these types of professions. Loretta included that there is a shortage, but there are training and programs where new professionals can transition into permanent roles.
-
The DAC is interested in learning more about the number of assessments completed in a year and if there is a further breakdown available. With this, they would like to advocate for more resources to help move along the waitlists and support existing staff.
-
Resource teachers would be a profession the DAC would like to see more of in the schools. Many are currently stretched across the system and do not have the time to focus on their students.
-
The group discussed the constantly changing needs of students and society as a whole. This presents many challenges as delivering services has become more complex, but staff are well equipped and trained to adapt.
-
The DAC thanked Loretta for taking the time to meet with the group.
Updates and Follow-Ups
Elected School Board
-
The group discussed how the DACs would be affected if the proposed legislation is passed, which includes an elected school board for the Public Schools Branch.
-
The DAC shared that if these proposed changes are passed, they are hopeful that the new board will review both this year's work and the work of past DACs. A lot of work has gone into the DACs over the years, and they would like to see this work live on.
-
There will be an information session open to all DAC members to learn more about the proposed legislation re: an elected school board.
Parent Representation
-
Parent involvement continues to be relatively low in the region, but members shared that their respective Home and School groups are actively communicating various initiatives. Teacher appreciation day and work regarding playgrounds would be examples of work being done.
-
The group echoes the great work being done by student councils and staff in the schools and hopes that parents can increase their engagement for the remainder of the year and for the years to come. It is important to support children learning as parents!
Fundraising and Access to Funding
-
Access to playground equipment remains to be a struggle with the cohort system, limiting who can use what equipment at what times. The DAC is hopeful that as the Covid-19 situation progresses and that children will be able to cross cohorts and not only use all of the same equipment but interact with other children. Communicating fair use of the equipment at the school level with administrators, teachers, and other staff will continue to be important.
-
The group expressed the difficulty of fundraising at the school level as you ask the same people repeatedly, but in saying this, crowdfunding also presents its own challenges.
-
Field trips have been something that has taken a backseat during the pandemic, and this has impacted students at all grade levels. The group would like to see continued efforts made by the schools to plan field trips, even if it is on the western end of the island.
Bus Drivers and Substitute Bus Drivers
-
Dave Gillis, the Director of Transportation and Risk Assessment at the Public School Branch, provided the DAC with an email update on the PSB's progress in recruiting bus drivers and substitute bus drivers. Key points of this response have been provided below.
-
In 2019, 174 of the 256 permanent school bus drivers would be eligible for retirement within the next five years.
-
An ongoing challenge has been maintaining a good substitute pool while replenishing any vacated permanent driver positions.
-
The PSB now offers a driver training program that compliments the work of JVI.
-
In terms of recruitment, the PSB has and continues to advertise through newspaper and written publications, social media advertisements, internet platforms, job posting sites, radio programs, and via word of mouth.
-
Specific to the WCHS Family of Schools, there are approximately 50 permanent drivers in the Westisle Family.
-
In 2020, there were five substitute bus drivers, and now that number is 14, with two more approaching completion of their training program.
-
-
The DAC appreciated the information provided and is hopeful this success can continue.
November 17th, 2021 - Microsoft Teams Meeting
Guest: John Cummings, Executive Director of Educational Services
Discussion
Group Guidelines
-
The Junior Policy Analyst will prepare and send along the meeting agenda before each meeting.
-
The group will contribute to the agenda by adding action items, progress on past work, and any new priorities they would like to discuss.
-
The group would like to continue using Doodle Polls to decide when the best suited times are to meet.
-
It is understood that the meetings can take place virtually or in person, and if the meeting occurs in person, proper vaccination protocols must be conducted. The group is considering a mix of both in-person and virtual.
-
The group discussed having a meeting chair to ensure the agenda items are discussed and that everyone has a chance to share. The Junior Policy Analyst will assume this role for the meetings.
-
The group is welcome to meet on their own outside of regular meeting times without the Junior Policy Analyst and bring this information forward with the larger group in the next meeting.
-
An individual who would like to serve more than the two terms as a parent representative must confirm with the school that there is no interest for someone to take over; if not, the parent can continue.
-
If there is a presentation/ speaker during a meeting, the group would like time to discuss the content outside of the presentation time. Presentations took up a large part of the group's time in past years. The proposed solution was to have at least three meetings for discussion outside of any presentations.
District Advisory Council Overview
Tyler Gallant, the Junior Policy Analyst for the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, gave a presentation that offered information regarding the DACs and their role in the PEI education system.
-
The mandate of the DACs is to help shape an education system that is focused on and meets the need of learners.
-
The role of the DACs is to advise the Minister of Education on priorities for the district, to engage school communities in discussions, and foster collaboration among school councils, home and school associations, and the community.
-
Responsibilities of the membership include reporting concerns to your local home and school to the DAC, providing leadership in identifying priorities to focus on, working collaboratively with members and reporting back to your local home and school the discussions and outcomes of the DAC meetings.
Topics of Discussion
Elected School Board
-
Discussion about the Elected School Board consultations. Currently in review, and the group will revisit this topic at a later date when more information is available. It is expected to see change effective for the next school year.
Parent Representation
-
Parent involvement has been low in the region over the past years due to several factors such as COVID-19, tragedies or lack of interest. What can be done to increase this engagement and have more parents involved in committees and community groups?
Reduced Wait-Times for Psychoeducational Assessments
-
The group would like an update from the PSB on this topic and where it currently stands? A common theme seems to be that there has been progress on this, but this progress is not so prevalent in our region…. What has been done?
-
For the next meeting, the group would like to invite members of the Student Services team at the PSB to share any new information or updates in this area.
-
The assessment is only the beginning when it comes to what services need to be lined up. Getting the assessment done and then receiving results only is the start, as a plan must be put forward to act upon any results. This process has taken years for some, and access to certain health care professionals has not helped move the process along either.
Lunch Program and Healthy Eating
-
The program has improved dramatically over the past year and has overcome many challenges, including food's freshness and timely service.
-
Vendors like Harbourview and Mill River have come on board to provide the school's food.
-
The number of registrations has been increasing with these improvements, and the feedback has been very positive from students and parents.
Mental Health
-
The past three years have been very hard on students due to not only Covid-19 but many tragedies, and it has greatly affected the entire western population.
-
School morale has been low, and this extends outside of the classroom. The overall culture and atmosphere have been challenging areas to navigate in these times.
-
The H&S group is having a tough time coming up with answers and solutions in this area.
-
Parents are struggling at home with various behaviours of children, whether it be eating habits, anxiety, inappropriate behaviours, etc.
-
Parents are frustrated that they cannot go into the schools to help out school staff and volunteer due to the Covid-19 restrictions as they did in the past.
Fundraising and Access to Funding
-
At St. Louis Elementary, the cohort system affects who has access to the new playground equipment and picnic tables that both had been fundraised for under the impression they would be accessible to all students. Further fundraising efforts to support multiple cohorts would be very draining for parents and committees.
-
The rural schools have a much harder time when it comes to funding field trips due to the price of gas and the distance to many destinations. These trips played an important role in the school community, and so many relationships are built in these times. COVID-19 has really impacted our kids, and we would like to improve the culture and community aspect on this end of the island.
Bus Drivers and Substitute Bus Drivers
- Schools across the region are seeing a significant portion of their bus drivers retiring in the coming years. What is the PSB doing in order to recruit and fill these vacancies, and what has been the result of previous initiatives? The PSB will be contacted and information provided at future meetings.
Previous School Years