She’s in the middle of an exciting run of educational administration challenges and Janet Foord is enjoying the experience, if not all the required travel.
Foord has just recently completed a full term as president of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association, and is in the mid-term of the presidency of the Canadian School Boards Association. That term expires this summer and there is an expectation that Foord will seek one-more one-year term at that helm before stepping aside, if the CSBA electorate decide to keep her there.
Foord, who represents Estevan at the South East Cornerstone Public School Division table said she was very pleased to see some concrete results coming from the 28 school divisions at the provincial level before she stepped down. The agreement to focus on two major issues; reading skills and First Nations/Metis educational programming province-wide, was something to be celebrated.
“Before we had pockets of excellence but there were several programs going in different directions, and now we have two main topics to focus on and the Ministry of Education is onside. We challenged them and they accepted it as an opportunity to have us all pulling in one strategic direction,” said Foord in speaking with the Mercury during a year-end interview on Dec. 31.
These two items, however, do not preclude school systems pursuing levels of excellence on a whole host of other projects too, it’s just that they have all agreed to focus on these two across the province.
“The concept came from listening to all the boards and the staff were being asked to participate. There were so many positive initiatives happening out there it was difficult to narrow it down. But then, all 28 directors of education got together in the same room and started sorting it out and thanks to them, they came up with these two. Change is tough for school boards and directors and the ministry, so they get full credit. A lot of people had to let go of things to get these priorities established,” Foord added.
There is no finish line timetable set as yet since the individual school divisions are setting them at a pace that is practical for each one.
“The beautiful thing about this, is the fact this fits in with the Premier’s growth strategy regarding First Nations outcomes,” said Foord.
“I’m proud to have been a part of it and proud of the fact that all our provincial boards of education came together to ensure it happens.”
A second highlight of her time in office at the provincial level, was the launching of the Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program, first in some Saskatchewan schools and later across Canada. This program is now in the hands of a steering committee comprised of big and small businesses, private and public, as well as educators.
“It’s expanding this year and the SSBA executive put that one on the table, and between 15 and 20 school divisions in Saskatchewan have picked up on it.”
Foord said she may seek a second-year as the leader of the Canadian board, simply because there were some projects there she’d like to see move forward before she quits that portfolio.
“Although they are both presidencies,” she said, referring to the dual roles, “they are actually quite different, but with some similarities, at the Canadian board table, we get to see the emerging trends in education and we also deal with the broader advocacy roles we have to play in bringing issues to the table for all provinces to consider. Canada-wide, the needs are often similar to what the provincial needs are and it’s not always about money. It might be government contracts with education and that includes First Nations government, it’s about new learning skills being taught, student health and wellness and 21st century learning skills and equipment,” she said.
“On the Canadian front, the CSBA attempts to bring the trends and best practices and ideas from across the provinces to the local tables for consideration. We try to get the local boards to see things more globally and yet we always have to keep fixed on the fact that no matter what we see in the issues, it’s still about the kids, always will be.”
Foord said the Canadian board or sectors of it will meet via conference calls but they will have a few face-to-face sit down sessions. The next one will be in Toronto and this spring they’ll have another in Victoria. The CSBA head office is located in Montreal.
“The 2015 annual conference is scheduled for Saskatoon, and that’s just the luck of the draw and has nothing to do with me being president,” she said. It also marks the 100th anniversary of the SSBA.
“So I’ll get to bring greetings to the delegates who will be in our backyard.”
