L.E.A.D.S.

420 – 22nd Street East one: (306) 659-7100

Saskatoon, SK S7K 1X3 Fax: (306) 683-2243

August 29, 2013

Liam ChooFoo; Herb Sutton, Directors Role a Like Group

Mike Walter, Supts of C & I Role a Like Group

Al Boutin, HR Role A Like Group

J.P. Claire, Supts of Schools Role A Like Group

Lori Meyer; Karen McKee, Supts of Support Services Role A Like Group

Dear Liam, Herb, Al, J.P., Mike, Lori and Karen,

I am writing on behalf of the LEADS executive to thank you for your service as a role a like group chair/facilitator and to update you on the executive’s follow up to the conference call with role a like chairs on May 2, 2013. At that time, you provided an update of role a like discussions and asked the LEADS executive to support your efforts. This letter is to inform you and your role a like membership of the follow up that the executive undertook.

The President and I met with the Deputy Minister’s Office in June and raised a number of the themes that your groups and the organization identified and indicated to the DMO that we have members who can support the work on the following items:

- a provincial policy approach for high school – post secondary dual credit courses and fully articulated programs

-better profiling of high school graduation persistence rates in accountability frameworks and government planning documents

-bringing increased clarity to the definitions of high school adapted and modified programming and the importance of introducing modified & alternative courses simultaneously with new curricula implementations.

- having provincial curricula meetings with a more interactive format, and if possible, to have north and south meetings

-ensuring the integration of any initiatives regarding improved engagement of FN & M youth into existing structures, such as the FN & M Achievement Fund.

The Ministry was supportive of these ideas and indicated they would be addressed as part of its planned Core Program Review. It also indicated that it will work to ensure more interactive curriculum meetings, although would not commit to a north-south structure at this time. We stressed that LEADS members are willing and able to provide support to enhance these and other sector initiatives. The executive will also stress these points again during a meeting with the DMO on September 20.

As well, the executive is acting on some internal organizational suggestions raised at the role a like discussion as follows:

-the executive will host a Duty to Accommodate Information Session for all LEADS members as part of the Fall Conference Plenary Session on October 17 at 1:30 pm. Thank you to Al Boutin for leading this important HR session.

-LEADS will continue discussions with SSBA and SASBO around any possibility of a common HR data base

-the executive will consider a LEADS leadership branding exercise as part of a future 3 year strategic plan.

I do hope that you continue to find your roles as role a like chairs/facilitators rewarding as you perform an important role in our organization. Thank you again for your leadership.

As well, on behalf of the executive, I wish you a great start to the 2013-14 school year!

Sincerely,

Don Hoium

Executive Director

Cc: LEADS Executive

SASKATCHEWAN LEAGUE OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATORS, DIRECTORS AND SUPERINTENDENTS

Leadership for Excellence in Education