Board
From your Board of Directors
April 2009
Hello TESL Ontario professionals!
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to wish you a belated Happy New Year and Happy Spring. The Board's responsibility is to represent the members. We need to get information from you, give information to you and build relationships. This newsletter is a means of communicating with you to let you know the work of the Board. The E-Bulletin and Executive Director report will inform you of TESL Ontario activities. Various sections on the website will keep you up-to-date on the work of Committees. The Board hopes you value these activities and see them as a real benefit.
We have met three times since the November AGM and are experiencing a steep learning curve with regards to the Policy Model of Governance. Catherine Raso continues to offer us advice and guidance. The January meeting was devoted to orientation. In future years, we expect to provide orientation outside of the scheduled meeting dates.
The format of our meetings is much different than in previous years, primarily because of the change from operational to governance. A portion of each meeting is devoted to Board Education - to inform of internal activities and operations and external topics that have an influence on our profession. An informed Board can make better decisions for the association. The other component that should take up most of our time is Membership Linkage. Board members need to provide evidence of connecting with the membership. This component will guide the Board in directing the priorities of the association. We need to find a multitude of avenues to "talk to the members".
The other components of our meetings deal with the Policies of our organization. These were developed to provide a structure by which our association operates at the Board level and for the Executive Director. Simply put, we review certain policies every meeting to determine if they are effective and provide the proper direction. The Executive Director highlights certain activities to provide evidence of compliance with the Policies that relate to operations. The Board compares its performance with certain policies to determine effectiveness.
The February meeting focused a great deal on reviewing and approving our Policies. Catherine's advice to us - KNOW THY POLICIES. One type of Policy is titled Targets. It explains what the association is supposed to achieve - what good, for whom, at what cost. This policy details the strategic priorities for the work of our association. These Targets are posted on our website.
Our education piece dealt with TESL Canada. A Board committee was struck to investigate our relationship with TESL Canada. We will be consulting the membership soon. Renate, as Executive Director, reported on various association activities and received direction on certain actions/directions to take place over the next year. We are very fortunate to have such a capable ED at the helm of TESL Ontario. As I mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter, you will get details of the various activities (Conference, Certification, PR initiatives, etc...) in ED reports and E-Bulletins.
We met again in early April. Again we followed an agenda of education (Governance and TESL Ontario Operation Budget), reviewing the Affiliates' Report (a channel for Membership Linkage), and conducting some policy development and monitoring. We devoted a portion of the April meeting to planning the joint meeting of Affiliate Representatives and Directors to take place September 26th. This meeting will provide an opportunity for both groups to connect - share information and build relationships.
The Nominations Committee (a Board committee) is putting the final touches to plans for 2009-2010 elections. All Directors on the Board serve a three-year term and the terms are staggered. Three Directors are completing their term this fall. They may consider serving another three-year term or stepping down. Check the website soon for an announcement of available Director seats. Expressions of Interest will be welcomed from the membership who meets the expertise needed to compliment the existing Board.
Again, on behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish you a successful school year. I invite you to contact me at boardchair@teslontario.org, as we value your input and suggestions as to how TESL Ontario can best serve your needs.
Sheila Carson,
TESL Ontario Vice-Chair
PS I encourage you to remain connected to your colleagues via the TESL ONTARIO FORUM.