Ron Ferguson

This document outlines a work plan with key goals for 2025-2026. The strategic pillars focus on ensuring student success in reading, writing, and mathematics, providing comprehensive student and family supports, strengthening staff resources and well-being, and maintaining responsible spending practices. The plan aims to ensure students graduate on time with necessary skills, promote student well-being through mental health literacy and social-emotional learning, enhance staff development and workplace culture, and ensure financial resources are effectively allocated for student and family impact.

This Director's Work Plan for 2025-26 is centered on ensuring student success in reading, writing, and mathematics, with a target of maintaining a 90 percent graduation rate. Key initiatives include providing comprehensive student and family supports such as mental health literacy, social-emotional learning, and culturally responsive education for Indigenous learners. The plan also focuses on strengthening staff through improved workplace culture, professional development, and enhanced recruitment and succession processes, while upholding responsible financial management, balanced budgets, and transparency in spending to optimize resources for student and family benefit.

The Upper Canada District School Board's Director's Work Plan for 2024-2025 outlines key strategic goals focusing on five pillars. The plan aims to improve student abilities and confidence in reading, writing, and math; enhance student success and achieve a 90% graduation rate; foster positive student culture by prioritizing mental and physical health and sense of belonging; engage students, staff, and community in Real-World Learning and enhanced pathways; and ensure staff are supported with resources and a positive work environment.

This document outlines the Upper Canada District School Board's vision for integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into student learning and teaching, aligning with its mission to prepare students for a successful life and develop essential future-ready skills, particularly digital literacy. It emphasizes a student-centered approach to AI, guided by principles of Digital Literacy (safety, cybersecurity, online privacy), Ethics and Equity (personalization, equitable access, avoiding bias), Transparency and Academic Integrity (proper use and attribution), and Enhancing Teaching and Learning (AI as a tool for support and transformation, not replacement for human interaction). The goal is to explore how AI can support learning and future success.

The meeting commenced with acknowledgments regarding the traditional lands of indigenous peoples. Key discussions included the approval of consent agenda items (602 to 603) and a report on decisions from a private session held on March 6, 2024, concerning negotiations with employees. A significant portion of the session was dedicated to a preliminary budget outlook presentation for 2024-2025, detailing current expenses, which are predominantly allocated to salaries and benefits (75.5%), special education (14%), and transportation (9%). The outlook highlighted anticipated financial tightening due to the tapering off of COVID-related funding and the projected cost implications of the Bill 124 remedy, suggesting a need for fiscal conservatism. Additionally, the board received showcases from two schools: Arland Community Public School and Pine View Public School, detailing their respective programs, community involvement, and student activities.