This literature review examines the existing research on how school boards influence the organizational culture of the school system. This paper specifically addresses the areas how the Ontario Leadership Framework influences both policy and practice to influence the educational culture of Ontario's school system. The cornerstone of seminal work…

This article reviews Canadian administrative law regarding homophobic bullying and school board decision making. Depending on the provincial legislation, school boards either have a mandatory or a discretionary duty to provide queer students with a safe learning environment. However, Canadian case law has arguably limited that discretion. Recent…

This study uses an adapted public history methodology of a local case study to analyze interviews conducted with a former Ontario teacher and principal. It draws on literature and historical documents regarding teaching between the 1950s-1980s to examine the typical experience of public school professionals in that time and discuss structural…

Collaborative inquiry (CI) has emerged as a dominant structure for educators' professional learning in the 21st century. The purpose of this paper is to analyze publicly available documents and policies related to CI in Ontario in order to better understand the documentary scope and spread of this professional learning model in the province. We…

A clear, well defined policy can help empower school personnel to make informed decisions on how to handle cases of suspected child abuse. This article presents an analysis of (N = 64) school board child abuse reporting policies and procedures in Ontario and explored what training, resources, and support school boards state they will provide to…

A telephone survey of school superintendents in Newfoundland (Labrador) found that 13 of 14 school districts had adopted sexual harassment policies. However, none of the policies contained all elements required to constitute a comprehensive policy; few procedures existed for informing new or current personnel of sexual harassment policies; and…

In this article, I examine the adequacy of a Catholic school district's written documents dealing with the inclusion of non-Catholic students. I first describe, in communitarian terms, the nature of a Catholic school community; then I use a contractarian analysis of the school district's written inclusionary policy to better understand its…

In January 1991 the Federal Minister of Employment and Immigration announced the establishment of the Canadian Labour Force Development Board (CLFDB) as Canada's national training board. Training boards at the provincial and local levels are still in the developmental stage. The lack of a national coordinating mechanism for all aspects of training…

In light of the trend towards lawsuits against professions, especially teachers and schools, the article describes events which commonly give rise to litigation against schools and teachers, describes the duty that Canadian law imposes on teachers, explains the concept of "supra parental" duty, and details several significant lawsuits.…

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)

Evaluates extent and significance of decisions by British Columbia's judicial system on school systems. Gathers, organises, and evaluates scattered information. Concludes that judicial decisions do play a significant role in British Columbia public school operations, and that greater interest, knowledge, and involvement on the part of educators is…

Thirty-one educational interest groups which influence government policies in Ontario, Canada, are identified, along with the scope of their concerns and the nature of their resources. The activities and roles of teacher organizations and other professional groups, such as those for school trustees and administrators, are assessed. (PP)

Twinning, or clustering, is the sharing of resources to promote school improvement. A preferred alternative to school consolidation, twinning makes small schools economically viable. Describes the range of cooperative ventures, ways that schools can collaborate, and the advantages and disadvantages of clustering. Presents a list of principles…

Representatives of Saskatchewan school boards have formed the Small Schools Network, which met three times in 1995 to share ideas regarding small schools. This first report from the Small Schools Network articulates significant concerns and questions related to education in small schools. Unclear definitions of the small school present a barrier…

The study reported in this paper looked at the manner in which education in Canada is being financially supported and the potential consequences this support will have for the future. For the most part, Canadian provinces have in-place funding mechanisms that put them in sole control of finances; local fiscal autonomy has all but disappeared.…