Cowichan Valley #79

School District
#79
Cowichan Valley
  Oct 20, 2018
Decision Makers Implementation Motion* Classroom Motion**
Trustee Croft, Elizabeth No learning resource vote ?
Trustee
and Vice-chair
de Groot, Barbara No learning resource vote ?
Trustee Doman, Randy No learning resource vote ?
Trustee Hutchins, Rob No learning resource vote ?
Kemmler, Johanne ?
McDonald, John ?
Trustee Schmidt, Cathy No learning resource vote Not running
for example Candidate Name Remove
SOGI 123 from classrooms
Trustee
and Chair
Spilsbury, Candace No learning resource vote ?
Trustee Thorne, Joe No learning resource vote ?
Superintendent Rod Allen
MLA Cowichan Valley Sonia Furstenau May 9, 2017 to October 16, 2021
Former Minister Mike Bernier July 30, 2015 to May 9, 2017
Minister of Education Rob Fleming July 18, 2017

* Implementation Motion, from Board meeting minutes
While the Board has not yet considered any motion that references the learning resource known as SOGI 123, it does have a related policy in the Board Policy Handbook, as shown below.
Policy 16 – Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression

Excerpt: The Board recognizes its responsibility to provide a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for all students and their families, employees and volunteers, including those who identify as or are perceived to be LGBTQ.

The complete one-page policy can be seen here.

Timeline

2016 July 25 – THE BC Human Rights Code is modified with the addition of “gender identity or expression”.

2017 July 1 – Ministry of Education policy delegates approval of Learning Resources to local Boards of Education.
Quoting from the Ministry’s policy on learning resources,
“The Ministry of Education no longer conducts evaluation processes to recommend learning resources. This responsibility now rests with boards. Board policies and procedures should include a process for ensuring the list of recommended learning resources is up to date and aligned with changes in curriculum. This would include adding and removing resources from the list.”

2018 September – The Cowichan Valley Board of Education includes policy 16 Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and GEnder Expression in its Board Policy Handbook.

2018 – Since there has been no formal vote taken at the Board level with regard to SOGI 123 as a Learning Resource, it appears the SOGI 123 Learning Resource has been neither approved nor disapproved for use in the Cowichan Valley school district.

** Classroom Motion
THAT the Cowichan Valley Board of Education directs the Superintendent to continue to promote a respectful educational environment for all students, by removing the SOGI 123 learning resource from classroom instructional time.