Across Canada there have been numerous recent examples of incidents where the political and ideological interests of provincial governments have run counter to the mandates of school districts. In this pan-Canadian study, focus groups were conducted with school board trustees and school district superintendents to examine the relationships between…

Analyzes interviews with 31 school board chairpersons across Canada on the subject of effective school board operations. Summarizes and quotes responses to questions about leadership styles and roles, conflict resolution among board members, informal communication networks, policy development, organizational structure, school board size, and…

Changes to legislation dealing with elections for school boards in Alberta have created a situation where it is conceivable that the membership on separate school boards that were established by Catholic or Protestant minorities could be made up partly or totally of electors who are neither Catholic nor Protestant. (JHZ)

The Canadian population's belief in the values of effective leadership, proven competence, and responsive representation of society's interests have led to the development of an educational system in which (1) the central provincial government exercises greater power over education than do local boards, (2) local boards generally bow to the…

In Canada, acclamation occurs when there are not enough candidates nominated for particular seats to force election campaigns. The candidates are then automatically declared elected, and the election process is aborted. This paper identifies cohorts of newly elected trustees and tracks them through a series of elections to determine the…

After surveying recent constitutional trends and developments in charter jurisprudence and education, this paper examines the implications for Canadian schooling and education of an activist Supreme Court and discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of national policy making and judicial intervention in the educational arena. (Author/JAZ)

Suggests that authority in educational decision making in Canada is simultaneously moving to the provincial level and to the individual school, thus making the school board an increasingly anachronistic and powerless body. Discusses contextual changes affecting perceptions and values of educational leadership, representation, and competence. (SV)

The dynamics of change processes in a rural school jurisdiction over a 5-year period were examined in relation to four specific goals: (1) to document changes since a planning study was done in 1982; (2) to determine if school program changes that had been adopted had reached the classroom according to teacher perceptions; (3) to report how the…

Analyzes recent educational policy changes and resultant dilemmas for educational planners and administrators in Saskatchewan, Canada, within the context of this province's political history and unique features. Presents coping strategies for other planners faced with rapid and radical change. Includes five references. (MLH)

Over half of Canadian Native elementary and secondary students attend public schools. In Ontario, legislative restrictions and the mechanics of the electoral system work against meaningful Native representation on boards of education. Legislative precedents for the provision of group representation for Native peoples are discussed. (Author/SV)

Under a bill amending Ontario, Canada's Educational Accountability Act, teachers were expected to resume formerly "voluntary" extracurricular duties they resigned when ordered to teach an extra class. The government's strategy to recast these activities as "co-instructional" did not fly. However, the education minister is…

This case study examines the development and implementation of secondary education policy in Ontario as defined in "Ontario Schools: Intermediate and Senior Divisions (OSIS)--1984." Data were gathered for the period from 1980 when the Secondary Education Review Project (SERP) was initiated, to 1984 when the policy outlined in OSIS was to…

If the notion of public and private spheres seems somehow quaint or old-fashioned, the distinction between public and private corporations will be that much more obscure. Yet Channel One broadcasts in a public school classroom are indisputably the result of a contract between a private corporation (Alloy Media + Marketing) and a public corporation…

The 1982 school board elections in the geographical and political Ottawa-Carleton (Ontario) regions gave rise to a record number of new candidates for election to the two public and two separate school boards that comprise the region. This paper examines some of the reasons for the dramatic increase and develops a profile of their characteristics.…

Describes advantages and forms of cooperation between schools and the elderly community, including political support for schools, older adults as educational resources, change of attitude toward elderly, and school involvement in community education. (LFL)