Invitation to all School Trustees in BC to Join the Trustee Action Group Network
April 24, 2009

This invitation to join the Trustee Action Group (TAG) is for all school trustees in the province. A similar invitation was sent to the BCSTA president with a request to forward it to all trustees in BC.

The Trustee Action Group (TAG) was established at the BC School Trustees Association (BCSTA) Academy in December 2008 The goal of TAG is to strengthen the BCSTA, promote advocacy for public education, and to provide support to individual trustees. Since its inception TAG has been promoting trustee networking and the sharing of information that may of interest to school trustees. Through sharing, networking, advocacy, and leadership, TAG members are committed to a strong public education system for British Columbia.

All school trustees in BC are invited to join TAG. By joining TAG, school trustees will be placed on the TAG e-list. TAG members will receive TAG updates via email. As of April 2009, more than 150 school trustees have joined TAG. School trustees can join the TAG network by sending an email as noted below. The TAG website URL is: http://www.bctag.ca/ The web site was created and is maintained by a trustee volunteer.

Meetings of TAG members are usually organized to coincide with BCSTA meetings (ie BCSTA Academy, Provincial Council, Annual General Meeting).

At the December meeting the following trustees volunteered to serve on the TAG Steering Committee. Trina Ayling(SD 05), Chris Johns (SD05), Mike Lombardi (SD39), Victor Tracy(SD85). Sharon Welch(SD68), David Murchie(SD 68), Tony Caccia(SD41), Carol McNamee(SD68), Catherine Alpha(SD61), and Pat Casey(SD 05).

Since its inception, TAG members have shared information re:

• The importance of participating in the BCSTA and attending association meetings (Branch meetings, Provincial Council, Academies, AGM)
• Education funding, 2009-10 operating budgets, and needs budgets
• Ideas for making Education a vote-determining issue in the provincial election
• Research information from partner groups, organizations, and agencies.
• The importance of Boards of Education to meet with MLAs to discuss education issues
• Key emerging education issues (ie: special education, aboriginal education, assessment, transportation, leadership, etc.)
• Communications with newly elected trustees and offering to support them through mentoring
• Links to key organizations that support of public education  

For further information or to join TAG, please send an email to Mike Lombardi.  

Mike Lombardi
TAG Contact
Trustee, Vancouver Board of Education (SD 39)
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it