www.BarbaraFreeston.com

10 Years Experience

First and foremost, my commitment is to the citizens of Dorval. I have worked to ensure

• that building improvements for our schools be approved in a timely manner
• that our schools have excellent principals and professionals
• that our students have every opportunity to showcase their talents in the Board and further abroad
• that our parents are steered to the correct person in administration to attend to their problem, and are received with an attentive ear

Major School Change 2006

• I refused to accept arbitrary closing of some schools - with their students dispersed and their traditions lost - and insisted on merging communities throughout the board to create vital and strong new schools
• In Dorval, I ensured rezoning so that North Dorval students, as well as those in the South, could attend elementary school in our hometown at Dorval Elementary

Chairperson of the Adult and Vocational Standing Committee of Council from 2003-07
Adult general education (Secondary School graduation) and Professional Training (for trades) had always been thought of - when they were thought of at all - as the poor cousins of elementary and high schools, by staff and parents alike. In every way possible, my goal has been to place adult and vocational education (Sector 5) firmly in the mainstream.

• By ensuring that professional resources are available to encourage our students to enter local, regional and provincial competitions, and to support them in the application and interview process, we have seen the number of entries and of awards soar in the last 2 years
• Vocational students are working together with secondary students at charity events, as well as hosting their own centre-wide charity events
• The Interactive Community Partnerships Program now includes Sector 5
• Adult students now have there own sports leagues with other adult centres
• I ensured that all policies, as they are developed and reviewed in subcommittee, engage the adult and vocational sectors also. These include the Evaluation, Food, Video Surveillance and Internet Usage Policies and the highly bureaucratic sounding “Policy Development Policy” which nonetheless has proven to be extremely valuable in streamlining and clarifying the process by which policies are written, consulted upon, and applied

Member of the Board of Directors of the Pearson Educational Foundation 2001-2003

• Developed the annual Manson Learning Award, in memory of the late Margaret Manson, educator and commissioner, to recognize graduates in each of our secondary schools and adult & voc centres who has overcome a special challenge to achieve graduation
• Codified and regimented the methodology for awarding grants to schools
• Oversaw the development of the logo and corporate image of the PEF

Member of the Board of Directors of the Pearson Educational Foundation 2006-2007

• Together with the President Suanne Day, revised and updated the bylaws of the Foundation
• Engaged in the on-going process of raising the professional profile of the Foundation, within the LBP and in the greater community

Delegate to the Quebec English School Board Association (QESBA) 2002-2006

• Through the professional development sub-committee, I helped transform the QESBA from an organization where delegates met formally for 2 hours a month and had no other contact, into a true network of colleagues; the regular fall and winter professional development weekends, rotating through all the regions of Quebec and attended by a large majority of the English school board commissioners, have strengthened the effectiveness of each one of us.
• Through the constitution sub-committee, I helped develop criteria that transformed the commissioner “Award of Merit” from a warm and fuzzy feel-good note into a true award for exceptional service to school board and society.

Chairperson of the Education Standing Committee of Council: 2002-2003

• Although this assignment was a long time ago, in the first mandate, it was under my chairmanship that the Policy and Administrative Practices for Students with Special Needs was developed by a large multi-lateral subcommittee, consulted upon by all our stakeholders, and adopted by Council. The practices will be evaluated and the policy will be up for review in the coming mandate.

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