In a nutshell, the changes are intended to streamline and focus the education system on student success, and ensure provincial education policies and programs are delivered equitably and consistently for all students, regardless of where they live or go to school.

These changes will shift resources from administration and governance into classrooms, and create a solid foundation for other improvements; most significantly, increased support for all students through a new model for inclusive education. The independent report of the Commission on Inclusive Education will be presented to government before the end of March.

The legislation, known the Education Reform Act, will result in the following changes:

•  Your local school board offices and staff will remain, and be renamed Regional Education Centres. These centres will continue to make the same regional and local decisions (such as busing and snow days) that they do now.
•  Teaching support specialists, in math and literacy, will spend more time working directly with classroom teachers to support student learning.
•  More resources will move from current board offices into classrooms.
•  My title will change to Regional Executive Director of Education. My primary responsibility is to focus on student learning and achievement.
•  Elected school boards are being dissolved, as of March 31. You can call Regional Education Centres (formerly school board offices) with any questions you would have previously contacted your elected school board member about.
•  You will also have access to an ombudsperson at the Ombudsman’s Office to resolve concerns or complaints about education.
•  School Advisory Councils (SACs) will be supported to advance local priorities for their communities. We will be consulting SACs this spring on what supports are needed, funding, and how to ensure diversity in membership.

•  The quality of teaching is the most significant contributor to student achievement. Government will work with teachers and the Nova Scotia Teachers Union on teaching and leadership standards.
•  Government will work with parents, teachers and the Nova Scotia Teachers Union on ways to more effectively support extracurricular activities in schools and other strategies including French language education, rural education, educational needs of new immigrants, students living in poverty, and children in care.

More information on the work to improve the education system is available at www.novascotia.ca/educationsystem .

Thank you for your support. I will continue to share information with you as it becomes known. Information will also be shared on our website (www.hrsb.ca), Twitter (@HRSB_Official), and through the Alert message system much like this message.”