School Trustees

A key responsibility for trustees is to stay in touch with community stakeholders so that they understand, and reflect in their decision-making, what all citizens value and want from their local public schools. It is important to note that trustees do not represent any one school, neighbourhood or community. Rather, they make decisions based on the needs of the entire jurisdiction. As elected officials, they have several roles to play:

Communicators: Trustees ensure that the community has a say in what children learn by communicating effectively with stakeholders and ensuring that their concerns and wishes are heard.

Planners: Trustees develop plans to deal with student needs and to actively participate in the economic and social strength of local communities.

Advocates: Trustees address and seek resolution of public education issues of importance to students, parents and the community at large.

Educators: Trustees play a key role in developing tomorrow’s citizens because they have the ability to make independent decisions that impact the direction and quality of public education.

Adjudicators: Trustees hear and make judgements concerning local education decisions, procedures or policies that individuals, groups or the public feel are unfair or improper.

Lobbyists: Trustees communicate with the municipal and provincial levels of government to ensure those who influence funding and other resources hear the voice of the local community.

Legislators: Trustees can make decisions that have the status and impact of law. For instance, decisions governing and enforcing the conduct of students and staff.

Politicians: Trustees are elected every four years to govern the local public education system on behalf of the community. The democratic process ensures the public remains part of public education.

Catholic schools are managed by Catholic school boards whose trustees are locally elected. Trustees act as an essential link between the school, the church, the community and the government. They also play a key monitoring role in the school division or district. By answering the call, Catholic school trustees become responsible for Catholic schools. This mission is a call from the Church and the community so that faith and political life work hand in hand to implement to main mission of the Church, which is to transmit our Catholic faith to our children.

Being a Catholic trustee is a double challenge: on one hand, trustee must make sure that students receive a regular education and, on the other hand, they must make sure that Catholic principles and values are present throughout the policies and practices of the school board. Their work truly contributes to the implementation of an education system rooted in the Catholic faith. This is also made possible by the fact that trustees are accountable to the provincial government and to the canon law (the law of the Church).

After passing laws, the government delegates a substantial part of its authority to locally elected school boards when it comes to school governance. Catholic school boards must also answer to the bishop of their diocese.

• Catholic trustees are responsible for the Catholic education, as they understand it better and they are more firmly committed to it.
• Catholic trustees must make sure that the mission of the Catholic education, as a partnership between home, school and diocese, is recognized and respected in the political sphere.
• Catholic trustees support the teachers and the school staff by offering them learning opportunities related to their faith.
• Catholic trustees make sure that leaders in the world of education have the necessary tools to think about the privileged role that they can play to implement a lifestyle centered on faith in their schools.
• Catholic trustees make sure that students are treated as individuals who have the chance to study in a learning environment focused on the values of the Gospels and sacramental life.
• Catholic trustees act as evangelists to propagate the Good News of Jesus Christ in all aspects of their life.
• Catholic trustees are responsible for the Catholic faith. They must take care of their faith in their own life and make sure that faith is present in the life of all of those around them.