Sask. school boards president named new VP of Canadian School Boards Association

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Saskatchewan School Boards Association president Jaimie Smith-Windsor says she’s humbled to be able to bring her advocacy to the national level as the new vice-president of the Canadian School Boards Association.

Smith-Windsor, also a trustee for the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division in Prince Albert, was acclaimed at the CSBA’s AGM in July while Alan Campbell from Manitoba was re-elected as CSBA president.

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“I think there’s a big opportunity for when you get involved at the national level to elevate some key priority areas for school boards in the provinces of Saskatchewan, but also in jurisdictions across Canada,” Smith-Windsor said.

In this new role, Smith-Windsor says she is excited to join the “really exciting work” already being done by the national organization, including a partnership with the University of Regina creating modules for trustees about anti-racism and equity in school-board governance.

“It was made with the involvement of trustees, for trustees and supported by the University of Regina, which I think is a really neat provincial connection,” she said.

“I think it’s becoming more important to take a look at the governance level and the decision-making tables and making sure that there is diversity and representation from across different equity groups at those tables.”

She also pointed to work being done at the national level around Indigenous education.

“This past July, at our National Congress, we had our first ever Governance Partnership Award, which is awarded to school boards who are partnering with First Nations in innovative ways … to focus and advance reconciliation,” Smith-Windsor said.

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“So (I am) excited about some of the promising practices that we are able to support through the national work.”

The CSBA is also working with external organizations around implementation and accountability related to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and has been advocating for for Indigenous language revitalization.

The CSBA has also championed programs related to comprehensive school health, such as the National School Food Program policy announced last spring, which was endorsed by the association.

“That was a real success for the Canadian School Boards Association, for all school boards in Saskatchewan and all jurisdictions and all of the partners and community organizations who have worked toward this,” said Smith-Windsor, adding that there is an opportunity for school boards to innovate in the program.

“Saskatchewan is a great example. There isn’t a lot of existing policy that is going to get in the way of true innovation around the delivery of school food programs. So we hope that as programs develop, they can be culturally relevant and very responsive to our communities.”

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In Saskatchewan, Smith-Windsor hopes these efforts could grow into long-lasting farm-to-school nutrition programs.

“There’s some really neat things that are starting and it’s nice to be part of that,” she said.

The CSBA has also partnered with Western University and a research team to look at trustee and school board concerns about the loss of involvement of the general public in school system decision-making across Canada.

“In some cases, that has meant the removal of boards of education as part of the decision-making structure and then in other parts of the country there’s a notable shift away from public involvement in school board decision making, and so that research is really important,” said Smith-Windsor.

The election of school boards is a hallmark of democracy in Canada, she added.

“Some provinces’ school boards predate the formation of the province itself, and it’s just such an important way for communities to have a voice in education and to ensure that education always belongs to community.”

Smith-Windsor said the research has provided strong recommendations for school boards on how to promote democratic participation at the school board level.

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“I’m excited to be part of that work,” she said, particularly as it relates to her own community of Prince Albert.

“Education is often thought of as a provincial jurisdiction, but increasingly there is more and more happening at the national level that is very relevant to our communities.”

And vice-versa, she said, adding that the new role is a “great opportunity to provide some Saskatchewan perspective at a national level.”

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

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