Committee of the Whole: January 17, 2023

The Committee of the Whole Meeting for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board took place on January 17, 2023. Staff brought forward two reports with two recommendations and one Trustee brought forward a notice of motion for discussion.

I voted in favour of the recommendation in the report for the Study Consultation Plan and Timeline for the New Riverside South Secondary School. This is the first step in creating new boundary maps which determine the schools that students attend based on where they live in the city. This first step is focused on consultation and not the approval of new boundaries for students. The results of the consultation will be reported back to the School Board of Trustees.

I voted in favour of the recommendation in the report for the Purchase of New Portable Classrooms to purchase ten new modular portable classrooms. During the discussion of the recommendation, I asked the staff the following (timestamp 1:14:00):

• When we are purchasing new portables, are we doing any studies or looking into the air quality in these portables?

  • The answer from the staff was that all portables are following the building codes and there are mechanical units that serve a similar function in normal classrooms.

• When placing portables at schools if they are in direct view of neighbours, are we ensuring we are consulting with them at first?

  • The answer from the staff is that when every school in constructed, part of the site plans includes possible locations for portables. Anyone who lives beside a school site can consult the site plan through the City of Ottawa website.

When a school is constructed, it is designed for an estimated median population years in advance. When a sudden influx of students is seen in a cohort, portables are needed to accommodate the population. Portables are reviewed cyclically for lifecycle needs. The recommendation was passed at the meeting. If you have any questions about having classes in portables or the consultation process for placing portables, please feel free to contact me.

I voted in favour of the motion for the hiring of a Jewish Equity Coach. During the discussion of the motion, I asked the staff the following (timestamp 2:10:00):

• Will this position be sitting within the Equity and Inclusion unit within OCDSB and working with all the other equity coaches and graduate coaches throughout the district?

  • The answer from the staff was that would be the expectation.

• Will this position help combat anti-hate throughout the district with a focus on antisemitism?

  • The answer from the staff was that there was a need to help build capacity in the district to combat hate would be shared and right now there is a close connection between antisemitism and hate. This position will help combat that hate.

The level of hate that we are seeing against Jewish Students in the District is unacceptable. This position is a great first step in combatting antisemitism and is a great step in our continued fight against anti-hate in the district. The motion was passed at the Committee of the Whole Meeting and will now be brought to the Board Meeting on January 31, 2023 for the final vote.

The evening wrapped up with a presentation of the environmental scan that will help inform the Strategic Planning Process for the school board. The school board is in the process of developing a new strategic plan for 2023 to 2027. The goal is to create a plan that is meaningful to OCDSB students, families, staff, and community members. There are multiple ways to share your priorities with both me and the school board for what you want to see in your strategic plan. More information can be found on the webpage here.

Please note, that the opinions expressed here are entirely my own and do not reflect an official position of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board or the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board of Trustees. Please note answers from staff are paraphrased, if you would like to hear the full answers from staff please watch the recording of the meeting here. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me using my contact form here.

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Key links

• Video for the Committee of the Whole Meeting on January 17, 2023

• Agenda for the Committee of the Whole Meeting on January 17, 2023.

  • Recommendation for the study and consultation plan and time for the new Riverside South Secondary School.

  • Recommendation for the purchase of new portable classrooms.

  • Motion as originally written for the hiring of a Jewish Equity Coach.

  • Environmental Scan for the 2023 to 2027 OCDSB Strategic Plan.

• Website for the 2023 to 2027 Strategic Plan Planning Process

  • News release on the consultation opportunities for input into the Strategic Plan.