Parent Advisory Committee. Terms of Reference. September 29, 2014

Transcription

1 TREATY 8 FIRST NATIONS OF ALBERTA SUB OFFICE: c/o AVENUE, SANTA FE PLAZA EDMONTON, ALBERTA T5S 1S7 TELEPHONE: (780) FAX: (780) Terms of Reference September 29, 2014 Draft for consideration by the Executive Board of Chiefs T8FNA

2 1. Establishment The is established pursuant to the sanction of the twenty four (24) Treaty #8 [Alberta] Chiefs who sanctioned the proposed education governance model and instructed it be rolled out to the communities for the input of First Nation Members. 2. Mandate a. To understand the responsibilities of T8FNA Education as assigned by the Chiefs, the Executive Board of Chiefs, and the Education Commission, and work together to help T8FNA reach its education goals and objectives. b. To listen to parents record the issues, concerns and interests they raise, and to present them to the in session. c. To receive requests from the T8FNA Director of Education for advice on topics the Department of Education may be working on. d. To work together to build consensus among the Advisory Committee Members in session on the educational issues, interests, concerns of parents and advise and recommend action on them to the T8FNA Education Commission. 3. Scope The Treaty 8 First Nations Parent Advisory Council is not intended to be a political body, but is meant to ensure that the interests, concerns and issues carried by Parents is brought to bear in the decision making required by the ongoing operations of T8FNA Education. 4. Authority Each member is appointed by their respective First Nation Chief and Council to represent parents of Treaty #8 [Alberta] students on the T8FNA Parent Advisory Committee. The operates under the authority of the Executive Board of Chiefs, Treaty #8 First Nations [Alberta] 2

3 5. Accountability As individuals, each Advisory Committee Member is accountable to their community and will fulfill their accountability responsibilities to them by providing their Chief and Council with reports on the decisions and recommendation made by formal vote at the Advisory Committee meetings by, at a minimum supplying them with the minutes of each Advisory Committee meeting, but also reporting to Chief and Council as may be required by them. As the T8FNA in session, members receive and deal respectfully and honestly with the education issues raised by its members to achieve consensus on the advice and recommendations that the Committee reports to the T8FNA Education Commission. The Advisory Committee minutes are provided within two week of each meeting adjournment to the Education Commission via the Director of Education. 6. Objectives 1) Each member is knowledgeable of the current status of a) The educational issues, concerns and interests of the Parent with children in school. b) The goals and objectives of Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta as expressed in the T8FNA bylaws. c) The proposed education governance model; the relationships and responsibilities inherent in it. d) The goals and objectives of the T8FNA Education Commission. 7. Membership The T8FNA means those parents appointed to the Committee by their First Nation Chief and Council a) Structure There will be 24 community representatives on the Committee, one from each of the Treaty #8 First Nations [Alberta]. b) Criteria for Selection i. The selected Parent is a recognized natural leader among parents in the community. 3

4 ii. Chief and Council are asked to seek recommendations from the Parents for names of individuals from among whom they will appoint their community s Parent to the T8FNA. iii. Appointed Parent is respected in the community. iv. Appointed Parent is able and willing to speak to the issues, concerns, and interests of the parents in the community during Advisory Committee proceedings. v. Appointed Parent accepts that this is voluntary work without honoraria as per T8FNA policy. vi. Appointed Parent is willing to participate fully for the priceless value of the learning experiences and benefit to their community by involvement in this work. c) Term of Position i. For continuity and consistent progress from meeting to meeting, T8FNA is interested in having community representatives on this committee remain as long as possible. ii. By mutual agreement of T8FNA and the respective First Nation, a member may be dismissed from the Committee for misconduct should four attempts to correct the misconduct fail. iii. The Member may resign from the Committee by advising their Chief and the T8FNA Director of Education. d) Vacancy In the event that clauses c) ii, iii, occurs, or another unfortunate event may cause a Parent to be no longer able to function as a member of the Committee, the Chief and Council of the community that the Parent is from will appoint a replacement according to the Criteria for Selection outlined above. 8. Meetings The twenty four (24) Members will take part in meetings organized by T8FNA. As these meetings are to bring forward advice only, the consensus on advice and recommendations to T8FNA is moved forward from those members present and reaching consensus among themselves. These are not governance meetings, so the issue of quorum to reach consensus is a mute point. 4

5 Observer Status at Meetings All meetings are open to all members, however only Advisory Committee members duly appointed to the Committee by their First Nation have voting privileges. On occasion the following people within T8FNA may require input from the Committee on topics of concern to the organization. In those instances, they may attend and present their topics and request recommendations from the Committee on the topics. Ø Chief Operations Officer Treaty 8 (Alberta) Ø Directors and Ø Managers 9. Operations A. Each member is appointed by their respective First Nation B. An orientation package on the knowledge required for each member to reach the objectives is provided them by T8FNA. C. Members are required to read, question, discuss the information with their peers from their communities to prepare for their meetings with other members of the Advisory Committee. D. Attend Advisory Committee meetings as determined by the Director of Education. E. At their first meeting, the Advisory Committee Members will identify their official Spokesperson and a Secretary from amongst themselves. The official spokesperson, when requested to do so by the COO or a Director, will attend functions and activities on behalf of the Advisory Committee. i. In the event the official spokesperson is unable to attend a particular function the official spokesperson will appoint another Advisory Committee Member to attend. 5

6 F. Meeting mandate requirements: i. The Spokesperson will chair the meetings ii. The Secretary will record the proceedings in minute format. iii. The Secretary will provide Members with copy of the minutes for their consideration, amendments if needed, approval and Spokesperson signature as the last item for each meeting of the Committee. iv. The Secretary will make copy of the signed minutes available to the Director of Education within a week of the meeting adjourning. v. The Secretary will make copy of the signed minutes available to each Member of the Committee within a week of the meeting adjourning. vi. Committee Members will make copy of the minutes of meetings available to their Chief and Council. G. Travel Expenses i. All travel, accommodation and meal expenses to attend required meetings by members of the Advisory Committee will be covered by Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta Education as per policy. ii. Should a member incur expense but not attend a meeting their First Nation will be billed for the expense. iii. All travel expenses to attend required functions and activities by the official spokesman or appointed alternative, of the Advisory Committee will be covered by Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta Education as per policy. iv. After being advised of a meeting by the Education Executive Assistant, the Member will make the necessary travel arrangements with the T8FNA Education Finance Officer. i) In the event a Member is not able to attend a scheduled meeting, the Member will inform their contact with their First Nation office as well as the Education Executive Assistant and Finance Officer. ii) When advising the Education Executive Assistant and Finance Officer of non-attendance, the Member is expected to also give them the name and number of their First Nation contact for follow-up in the event the First Nation decides to send an alternate. 6

7 H. The focus of Advisory Committee meetings is to provide the T8FNA Education Commission with advice on the proposed T8FNA Education Governance Model. i. Issues, concerns and interests relating to the governance model may be put on the Advisory Committee agenda for their considerations and recommendations by: i) The Education Commission ii) The Director of Education iii) Other Advisory Committees iv) The First Nation Chief and Council or Membership at large. ii. Possible issues, concerns and interests relating to the governance model on the Advisory Committee agenda may call for advice on i) How the views of Parent can be canvassed and conveyed to the Education Commission ii) Parent involvement in the planning and development of the Education governance model, services and programs. iii) Related T8FNA Policy and strategic development. iv) Parent needs relating to education, personal growth and development, self-esteem, language fluency, health issues, housing, recreation, well equipped facilities. v) Parent needs relating to protocol in relationships with Elders, leaders, peer groups, family in community and Treaty #8 territory. vi) Parent needs relating to role modeling, school attendance, antibullying, I. T8FNA Policy Compliance While traveling, being accommodated and working as a Parent Advisor, Members will comply with the T8FNA Policy and Procedures that apply to them. i. Parents will be provided orientation to the applicable policies and procedures. J. T8FNA will provide the Advisory Committee with technical support. i. This will include support for travel to and from meetings, recording and distribution of minutes via the T8FNA FNIYES Officer. 7

8 10. Funding Funding for the is provided for in the T8FNA Education Structural Readiness Program. 11. Amendments Terms of Reference Amendments Should the recognize that changes may need to occur to their Terms of Reference, they will draft their recommended changes and submit them to the Director of Education with request that an amended TOR be prepared and submitted to the Executive Board of Chiefs for ratification. The Executive Board Chiefs may require changes to these Terms of Reference. a) In such an event the Executive Board will consult and accommodate the recommendations of the Parents and the Chiefs. b) Term changes may be required as experience with the implementation of governance decisions moves forward. c) Term changes may affect goals and objectives, membership or other function in the terms as the people move forward in their governance vision and pursuits. The Chief Operations Officer and the Director of Education may also initiate process to change these TOR to better meet T8FNA goals and objectives. 8