Ring in the New Year – and the deadlines for Provincial Council and AGM motions

'Tis the season to be ... yes, thinking ahead to motions for 2010. To help you and your board, branch or committee plan for the New Year, here are key dates for the upcoming Provincial Council and AGM, and the motions deadlines for each.

1. Provincial Council, February 20, Victoria: deadline for BCSTA to receive PC motions is January 22  (Note: per new bylaw 7(m), all PC motions must now be of an "emergent" nature, i.e., cannot wait until the annual general meeting)
2. Annual general meeting, April 22-25, Victoria: deadline for extraordinary motions (to change BCSTA bylaws) is February 11. Deadline for substantive motions is February 19. 
   

Watch for more detailed instructions, as well as motion templates, to be distributed in early 2010. If you have any questions about the preparation or submission of motions for Provincial Council or AGM, please feel welcome to contact Executive Director Stephen Hansen directly.

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Latest update on BCSTA's continuing advocacy in area of student assessment

As reported in a December 15 Advocacy News, BCSTA has continued to advocate on student assessment – a timely issue, since the next round of Foundation Skill Assessment tests approaches in February 2010. In response to two AGM 2009 resolutions, your Association has participated in meetings with the Education Advisory Council (EAC), with representatives from education partner groups, business and the Ministry of Education. The BC School Superintendents Association developed a background paper to guide these discussions.

More recently, the BCSTA Board of Directors met with the Executive members of the BC Teachers' Federation to discuss FSAs. Both parties agreed to work towards establishing a task force to continue the dialogue begun at EAC. We will keep you up to date as all student-assessment discussions proceed.

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Reminder to file financial disclosures

Reminder to trustees: you must complete and file a Financial Disclosure Act form, declaring your assets, income and liabilities, with your school district secretary treasurer between January 1 and January 15, 2010. For more information, check out this financial disclosure fact sheet.

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BCSTA requests HST rebates

As detailed in a December 15 Advocacy News, BCSTA has written to Finance Minister Colin Hansen, requesting that boards of education across British Columbia be granted a rebate for the Harmonized Sales Tax. This advocacy work comes in response to Resolution 5.5 (e) passed at the October 2009 Provincial Council. BCSTA's letter supports the review undertaken by the BC Association of School Business Officials (BCASBO), which predicts the HST will result in a 4.3 per cent, or $24 million increase in operating costs for boards.

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We wish you the merriest!

From all of us at BCSTA, season's greetings, and best wishes for a wonderful New Year.

e-Digest is off for some figgy pudding, but will return January 7, 2010.

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