Ontario Student Trustees' Association

The student trustee position

In the early 1990s, the Royal Commission of Learning, created during the leadership of then-Premier Bob Rae, published a report titled "For the Love of Learning" which recommended "that all [school] boards have at least one student member, entitled to vote on all board matters, subject to the usual conflict-of-interest and legal requirements” and that this student member would be elected by students.^[4]

In 1997, the Progressive Conservative government under Premier Mike Harris introduced “The Education Quality Improvement Act” as Bill 160. The Bill enshrined the position of a “pupil representative” to provide the student perspective on school board governance. By 1998, every school board was mandated to have at least one “pupil representative”.^[5] In 2006, the position was formally named “student trustee” under the Liberal government of Premier Dalton McGuinty and the leadership of Education Minister Gerard Kennedy.^[6]

Early advocacy (2001-2010)

In 2001, a year after its inception, OSTA-AECO released a comprehensive report entitled “Ontario’s Students, Ontario’s Future” articulating the importance of student voice within the provincial government. Consequently, the organization met with Minister of Education Janet Ecker on January 11, 2001 and was granted Stakeholder status by the Ministry of Education.^[7]

In 2002, OSTA-AECO released its first major publication. Entitled “A Roadmap for Success: Testing in Our Schools,” the piece outlined suggestions to the format of standardized testing conducted by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO).^[8]

In 2003, OSTA-AECO conducted a survey to identify pressing issues with education system from a student perspective. The results were released in the form of a report entitled “Struggling to Hold On: Ontario’s Education Deficit.”^[9]

In 2005, OSTA-AECO released a report entitled “The Student Trustee: Today and Tomorrow” with recommendations to strengthen the Student Trustee position, including the right to suggest motions, access board resources, and attend meetings closed to the public.^[10] Many of the recommendations were successfully implemented under Premier Dalton McGuinty: most notably, the Education Act was amended to change “pupil representative” to “student trustee.”^[11]

In 2006, OSTA-AECO released four publications. “Loss of Learning: Education versus Evaluation” challenged aspects of the academic evaluation process.^[12] “Equal Opportunity: Ensuring Engagement” provided a student perspective on the Ministry of Education’s efforts to promote equal opportunity for all students.^[13] “Culture and Community: Bilingualism in Ontario’s Schools” outlined solutions for improving French education in Ontario.^[14] The Catholic Board Council of OSTA-AECO also released a report entitled “Social Responsibility: Living Out Our Catholic Values” which outlined recommendations for policies Catholic school boards should implement to stand united on faith-based social issues (i.e. implementing fair labour policies).^[15]

In 2007, OSTA-AECO partnered with Student Vote, a national non-profit initiative to engage Canada’s youth in the democratic process through election simulations.^[16] The Catholic Board Council of OSTA-AECO released a publication entitled “Nurturing the Scholar: Inspiring and Challenging Excellence in Religious Education,” which guided Catholic school boards to better integrate Catholicism in various aspects of curriculum delivery and course design.^[17]

In 2008, OSTA-AECO released “The Papercut: The Student Voice,” a magazine which featured 9 student-written opinion pieces on topics including Africentric schools, student engagement, and refugee education.^[18] The association also awarded the Honourable Gerard Kennedy the inaugural Student Trustees’ Award of Distinction for his support of student voice at their Fall General Meeting.^[19]

In 2009, OSTA-AECO released a discussion paper entitled “Equitable Education?: The Cost of Extracurriculars in Ontario’s Schools” which emphasized the importance of extracurricular activities to a student’s development and advocated for equality of opportunity through the reduction and standardization of student fees within each school board.^[20] OSTA-AECO also released “Inspiring Citizenship: Ontario’s Careers/Civics Curriculum” which offered recommendations to improve the CHV201 and GLC201 courses.^[21] The association also advocated for the removal of the “School Information Finder” website, arguing that it created an inequitable education system.^[22] The OSTA-AECO Policy Committee also released position papers outlining the organization’s stances on “The Student Trustee Vote” and “Safe Schools and Cyber-Bullying Prevention.”^[23]

In 2010, OSTA-AECO released two issues of the “Our Voice” magazine. These publications featured a series of student-written pieces on topics including school uniforms, technology in classrooms, and experiential learning through field trips.^[24][25] The organization also released a position paper articulating the student perspective on “Fundraising, Corporate Partnerships and Student Fees.”^[26] OSTA-AECO also introduced a publication entitled “ECHO,” which updated member boards and partners on the association's work. The organization also released the inaugural “Ontario Student Survey” in partnership with Student Vote and Scholarships Canada.^[27]

Advocacy in the early 2010s (2011-2015)

In 2011, OSTA-AECO released the “Student Trustee Handbook,” which provided a comprehensive overview of the student trustee position within a school board and OSTA-AECO.^[28] The organization also released the “Ontario Student and Parent Survey,” introducing the parent perspective and including People for Education as a partner.^[29] The Catholic Board Council of OSTA-AECO released a publication entitled “Social Justice: Inspiring Active Citizenship in Catholic Education,” which provided recommendations for integrating the principles of Catholic education in all aspects of the Catholic education system.^[30]

In 2012, OSTA-AECO presented at Queen's Park in response to the teacher’s strike and organized a student petition to return voluntary activities, which received over 10,000 student signatures. The organization also released its “Ontario Student, Parent and Educator Survey,” introducing the educator perspective. The results yielded comprehensive insights on topics such as safe learning environments, single-gender education and school environmental practices.^[31] The organization also unveiled its Partnership Program, which allowed registered students to receive monthly updates from the organization, access to student voice forums, and information about changes in the education system. OSTA-ACEO also launched a series of student-developed scholarships called the Ontario Student Voice Awards. These scholarships recognized exemplary involvement in a variety of fields including Arts, Sports Leadership and Community Involvement.

In 2013, the OSTA-AECO Policy Committee released a collection of position papers including stances on the “Utilization of Student Representation” and “Fair Labour Practices.”^[32]

In 2014, the OSTA-AECO Policy Committee released a collection of position papers including stances on the “Technology and Multimedia in Classrooms” and “Healthy Schools.”^[33] The Catholic Board Council of OSTA-AECO introduced an annual province-wide mass to be shared by students on Ontario Catholic Student Youth Day. This event, as a demonstration of Catholic student voice, received acknowledgement from the Pope. The Public Board Council of OSTA-AECO released a position paper requesting that all new collective agreements include language that directly addresses and supports student needs.^[34]

In 2015, OSTA-AECO released a position paper entitled “Proposed Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline (PARG) Changes in Ontario” expressing the association's disagreement with the exclusion of student voice in the proposed changes to the PARG. The organization took a public stance on the effects of strike action on the students of Ontario, asking for all involved parties to consider the impact that their decision will have on students across the province. OSTA-AECO collaborated with the Ministry of Education and OSSTF to develop a strike action fact sheet which could answer students’ frequently asked questions about the collective bargaining situation.^[35][36][37]

Recent advocacy work (2016-present)

In 2016, the Public Board Council of OSTA-AECO organized a release of the “By Any Measure” video, which featured the Accessibility Minister Tracey MacCharles. Shortly after the release, the Premier committed to creating an action plan for accessible schools.^[38] OSTA-AECO also released a video featuring Seattle Seahawks' Luke Wilson’s reflection on his time as a student trustee and member of OSTA-AECO.^[39] The Public Board Council of OSTA-AECO hosted a mental health conference in Ottawa, which provided students across the province a platform to discuss prominent issues and concerns with mental health services. The Catholic Board Council of OSTA-AECO coordinated Ontario Catholic Student Youth Day, held during Catholic Education Week. The council created a video showcasing highlights of Catholic education throughout Ontario.^[40]

In 2017, OSTA-AECO met with Premier Kathleen Wynne and released a letter with recommendations that students trustees receive a recorded and binding vote as well as the right to independently move and second motions during board meetings.^[41] OSTA-AECO was featured on “The Agenda” with Steve Paikin for a feature on the state of student voice in Ontario. The interview covered topics including the role of a student trustee within a school board and OSTA-AECO’s continued work to improve the provincial education system.^[42] The organization also responded to the Ministry of Education’s announcement of a K-12 curriculum refresh, supporting the initiative and emphasizing the importance of student consultation throughout the process. The Catholic Board Council released a video showcasing student reflections on their Catholic faith and Catholic education.^[43] The Ontario Student Voice Awards Committee also introduced three new scholarships for Cultural Involvement, Entrepreneurial Initiative and Commitment to Justice.^[44] The association also released the results of the 2016 Ontario Student, Parent, and Educator Survey which provided insights to the insufficiency of mental health supports, financial literacy education and student voice supports in schools throughout the province.^[45]

In 2018, OSTA-AECO represented students at all major Ministry of Education consultations on topics including report card learning skills, transportation funding, school board governance, and curriculum updates. The organization successfully advocated for legislative changes which mandate student inclusion on Pupil Accommodation Review Committees, require District School Boards to have 2-3 student trustees, and allow student trustees to serve for two year terms. OSTA-AECO also received commitments from the Ministry of Education to create a working group to discuss increases to student trustee honoraria and to ensure that the student trustee professional development budget includes sufficient funds to attend OSTA-AECO conferences.

On January 10, 2018, OSTA-AECO unveiled The Student Platform at a Queen’s Park press release.^[46] Titled A Turning Point for Education, the Platform reflects three fundamental pillars of a student’s educational experience: Student Wellbeing, 21st Century Learning and Equitable Access to Opportunities.^[47] The pillars were developed in accordance to the results of OSTA-AECO’s Student Survey, which received responses from 8,230 students representing 62 school boards in Ontario. The Student Platform features 16 policy recommendations for the political parties to implement in their education platforms for the 2018 provincial election. The release garnered widespread provincial and national media attention from outlets including TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin,^[48] CTV’s Your Morning, Radio-Canada, The Toronto Star, and Metro Morning. All three political parties referenced and discussed the Platform during Question Period at Queen’s Park and made unprecedented commitments to increase funding for mental health supports in schools. In line with OSTA-AECO’s recommendations under 21st Century Learning, the Ministry of Education announced funding to close the disparity between the student-to-guidance counselor ratio for elementary and secondary students as well as funding for teachers to help grade 7 and 8 students with career and pathway planning.

On May 8, 2018, the Catholic Board Council of OSTA-AECO hosted the first annual Catholic Student Youth Day in partnership with WE Charity and OCSTA. The event marked the culmination of a province-wide effort to raise money for WE Walk for Water projects. Catholic students gathered in Toronto for a mass with His Excellency Bishop Gerard Bergie and a celebration featuring Craig Kielburger, Spencer West and Fr. Renatus Karamuna, C.S.Sp.

On May 22, 2018, The Public Board Council of OSTA-AECO hosted the first annual Public Student Empowerment Day in partnership with WE Charity. The event took place at the WE Global Learning Centre and hosted 100 students from across the Greater Golden Horseshoe region to participate in leadership, community service, and professional development activities. Presentations included a keynote by Spencer West, student panel on the topic of passion for social issues, and greetings from Laurie French and Cathy Abraham on behalf of OPSBA.

In 2018, the organization unveiled OSTA Supports as a solution to the unpredictability of the association’s funding model, and as a way to ensure equity of opportunity all Student Trustees in Ontario. The report addressed two overarching issues and presented corresponding recommendations for their resolution. First, to address provincial discrepancies in Student Trustee professional development, OSTA-AECO recommended that Ontario school boards give Student Trustees adequate line of sight into their own professional development budgets and allow Student Trustees to have input into how their budgets are spent. Second, to address the massive disparity in Student Trustee professional development funding, OSTA-AECO called on the Ministry of Education to increase the funding allocated to Student Trustees’ by taking into account the costs associated with Student Trustee attendance at OSTA-AECO, OPSBA and OCSTA conferences, as well as the cost of an OSTA-AECO membership. Following meetings with OPSBA, OCSTA, the Ministry School Board Governance Branch, and the Minister’s policy team, the final draft of the report was released in February 2018. On March 2017, a delegation from OSTA-AECO met with the minister to discuss the OSTA Supports. Minister Naidoo-Harris committed to assisting OSTA-AECO in empowering Ontario’s Student Trustees to have input into their budget.

Throughout Education Week 2018 OSTA-AECO released a collection of position papers which addressed climate in classrooms, breakfast programs, and student wellbeing. The organization also launched the OSTA Blog, which features articles written by student trustees on a variety of educational issues.