Ottawa School Board to Launch Family Support Offices by January

The Ontario Ministry of Education has mandated the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) to establish a new student and family support office, set to open in January 2024. This initiative aims to provide parents and guardians with a streamlined avenue to seek assistance regarding their children’s education, enabling faster resolution of issues.

According to the ministry’s statement released on Thursday, the offices will serve as a vital resource for families, addressing both general community concerns and more complex issues that may require escalation beyond initial discussions with schools. The offices are part of a broader effort to enhance accountability within school boards and to improve student success outcomes.

Education Minister Paul Calandra emphasized the importance of these offices, stating they will deliver timely solutions for families navigating educational challenges. “We’re going to continue overhauling an outdated school board governance model so that more resources go into classrooms,” Calandra remarked.

Under this new directive, the OCDSB and four other boards under provincial supervision will have their support offices operational by January 16, 2024. Other school boards in Ontario must submit plans by March 31, 2026, detailing how they intend to establish similar offices by September 1, 2026.

Critics have raised concerns regarding the implications of this move on the role of elected trustees. Currently, the responsibilities of elected trustees—who traditionally set policies and oversee budgets—have been suspended at the five boards under provincial control. Instead, decisions are now made by provincially appointed supervisors, a change that some view as a potential step towards eliminating trustee roles altogether.

In a previous statement, Calandra suggested that if removing trustees could lead to better outcomes for students, he would consider doing so. “If it looks like we can deliver the product better, provide better outcomes for students… then I’m going to do it,” he said during a conference in August.

The announcement has prompted mixed reactions. Lyra Evans, an elected trustee at the OCDSB, expressed concerns that the new offices might further centralize control and limit the independent role of trustees. “If they pick people who are members of the senior team, they will be in lockstep with the administration,” she argued.

Conversely, Kathleen Woodcock, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, welcomed any initiative aimed at improving communication between schools and families. “We share the government’s goal of strengthening communication with school communities,” she stated. Woodcock emphasized the importance of local trustees, who serve as direct accountability links for parents seeking answers about their children’s educational experiences.

The new support offices will be led by supervisory officers and will focus on reviewing family concerns that require attention after initial discussions with teachers and principals. The provincial government has stated that these offices will respond to inquiries within two business days and aim to resolve issues within five business days.

Despite the positive intentions, Chandra Pasma, the NDP education critic, criticized the initiative as an unnecessary expansion of bureaucracy. “Families want smaller class sizes and more support for our kids, not supervisors making $350,000 a year who can’t even answer a phone call,” she said, highlighting the disparity between the salaries of provincially appointed supervisors and elected trustees.

As the OCDSB prepares to implement this new office, the focus remains on ensuring that families receive the support they need. With the goal of enhancing the educational environment for students, the province is moving forward with plans that could significantly reshape school governance in Ontario.