When school community councils first came on the scene about 10 years ago, many public education officials feared they would simply be viewed as glorified parent-teacher associations with a narrowed view of their role.
Fortunately, most SCCs have grown to embrace their much wider and vital mandates and our provincial schools are much better off for having them involved at this elevated level.
When school boundaries were stretched and amalgamation of dozens of small school divisions occurred, there was a real fear among trustees and division administrators that the individual schools were going to be minimized and lost in the overall magnitude of these emerging governance structures. Schools that once were big fish in small ponds, suddenly became small fish in big ponds of 7,000 to 20,000 students and over 1,000 teachers and 1,000 support staffers all seeking recognition and clear identification.
Administrators realized soon enough that each and every school within these large systems needed strong advocates, representatives who wouldn't be afraid to step up and step out on behalf of their school and its staff and students.
They needed people who were willing to look beyond the old PTA bake sales and raffles and school fundraisers to become educated and vocal advocates for their respective schools. Principals, superintendents, directors and hard-pressed trustees who were being asked to represent several schools, were going to have to rely on these community councils to deliver the goods in a business-like manner while maintaining that school-community ambiance.
It took awhile for the SCCs to embrace the fact their mandate was larger and more vital than they perhaps anticipated when they first allowed their names to be submitted as possible representatives. But we are willing to speculate that most of them have now arrived and have accepted this new world order in terms of provincial organizational needs.
Countless times we have heard around the trustee and administrative tables, voices raised to suggest that a certain item or action plan be delayed "until we have heard what their SCC has to say." This is done because these trustees and administrators are trusting that the SCC members have taken the pulse of the school they represent and are willing to speak up on its behalf in a reasoned manner. If they continue to do that, they will continue to be heard.
Not every school can have what they want or get what they clearly need, but when they have clear-headed and clean-thinking advocates on their SCCs, they can definitely make their case and be heard because it can be verified that their thoughts and activities are appreciated at the next levels of governance.
As long as school community councils remain pro-active, supportive, reasonable and thoughtful, their voices will be heard because those who are tending to the big picture know they can't arrive at any crossroads or conclusions until they've received an in-focus picture from those charged with the duties of taking the smaller pictures, the snapshots, if you will. They know that dismissing what the SCCs have to say, would be a big mistake and that only by listening to them, can they craft their decisions for the larger masses.
It's been a tricky path at times, but the process is evolving positively so far.
