Below is a list of policies arising from resolutions that have been approved since 1999 and remain active resolutions of the Federation.
1. Affiliations/Supports/Endorsements
1.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the Canadian Federation of Students’ campaign: to progressively reduce tuition fees; increase provincial and federal funding for post-secondary education; create a system of up-front, needs-based grants for students. (2007)
2. Safety
2.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the mandatory use of safety restraints on school buses. (1999)
2.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the adoption provincially of programs for schools to teach all members of the school community about the reality of bullying and to assist students in the development of self-help skills. (2001)
2.3 School Bus Safety Standards
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils commends the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for the implementation of the CSA D250-07 School Bus Safety Standards that provide for a maximum age of school buses in operation. (2014)
2.4 Student Transportation Emergency Preparedness
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils commends the Department of Education on following through on providing first aid, epinephrine administration training, and other training so that school bus drivers have safety, first aid and EpiPen training before they drive a board owned school bus. (2014)
2.5 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports school bus monitors on buses that transport students. (2008)
2.6 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports standardized training for bus drivers at the beginning of each school year. (2008)
2.7 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports government funded installation of video surveillance cameras in schools with identified problems of vandalism or bullying. (2008)
2.8 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the exploration and investigation of fire refuge policies/regulations for schools and facilitate meetings with other stakeholders for this purpose regarding emergency evacuation procedures for disabled students. (2014)
3. Special Needs
3.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the provision of adequate services for students with special needs and is willing to work with the appropriate organizations in order to improve education for special needs students in this province. (1999)
3.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the provision of additional teacher allocations for all students who need remedial assistance but do not qualify for Special Education. (1999)
3.3 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the introduction of teacher allocations specifically for remedial reading. (2000)
3.4 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the provision of resources to schools to address the issue of disruptive students. (2004)
3.5 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the provision of an essential student assistant agreement to be implemented in time of withdrawal of services. (2004)
4. Professional Development
4.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils urges the Department of Education to provide adequate professional development for teachers on curriculum delivery and classroom management, ensuring that instructional time is maximized by providing sufficient substitute days. NLFSC urges the Department of Education to offer optional evening, weekend and summer training and to negotiate with teachers to add a block of professional development time before the start of school each year. (1999)
4.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils urges the Department of Education to allocate the number of substitute teacher days for professional development separately and independently from the number of substitute teacher days for non-discretionary leave. (2001)
5. School Councils
5.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the development of a provincial funding policy for School Councils by the Department of Education, including a basic operational grant for all School Councils. (1999)
5.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the provision of additional Government funding to reflect operating expenses of each school council in Newfoundland and Labrador. (2000)
5.3 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the protection of school council members by the Government-funded provision of school council travel accident insurance. (2000)
5.4 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils support the development of a policy by the Department of Education to allocate through the school boards, sufficient funds, earmarked to operate school councils. (2002)
5.5 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the provision of workshops for parents, teachers, administrators, community members, and students involved in School Councils and home and school associations. (2014)
5.6 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports a provincial comprehensive review of the effectiveness of school councils with a view towards further empowerment of school councils as a legislated entity immediately and on a 5-year recurring basis. (2004)
5.7 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports a request to government to provide operational grants to each school council in addition to the school instructional budget. (2004)
5.8 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports a request to government to provide an operational grant of at least $2,000 annually to each school council to cover operational expenses such as mail-outs, surveys, postage, fees, etc. and costs associated with attendance at meetings relevant to the business of the school council. (2006)
5.9 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils endorses the reimbursement of travelling expenses to school council members attending meetings outside their home community which involves travel of more than 25 km. (2007)
5.10 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports a request for government to designate a yearly budget to each school council at a base amount not to exceed $500. (2007)
5.11 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports a request that government provide .25 cents per pupil per year to each School Council for their operating expenses for each school year; no School Council will receive less than $200 per school year; the funding so provided be allocated to the Newfoundland Federation of School Councils as a separate line item in their grant from the Provincial Government; the Newfoundland Federation of School Councils distribute the funds to the respective School Councils. (2008)
5.12 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the re-establishment of area associations of school councils within each district and will facilitate the initial meeting of these area associations for the purpose of assisting school councils with the development of policy and ideas necessary to support students and staff in their respective schools. (2009)
6. Technology Resources, Funding and Maintenance
6.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the provision of adequate technology technicians to schools. This allocation should be in the range of one technician for every school or combination of schools with 100 networked computers. (1999)
6.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the provision of technology education to Department Heads, as is currently the allocation policy and practice of the Department of Education for other curriculum specific Department Heads in our school system. (1999)
6.3 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the provision of funding for technical support at a rate of 1 technician for every 65 computers in the schools of our province. (2000)
6.4 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils requests the Minister of Education make a provision in the budgeting process for our schools to have the necessary additional budget allocation to properly maintain the current technology devices, services, and subscriptions to ensure our children are able to take advantage of these learning devices now and in the future. (2014)
7. Extracurricular Issues
7.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils requests the various organizations involved in school tournaments, festivals and fairs to coordinate a schedule so that there will be no conflicts. (2000)
7.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports financial support for extra bussing for students who travel long distances to attend school. (2008)
7.3 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils lobby the English School District to allow parents/volunteers with a vulnerable sector check to be permitted to supervise extracurricular activities at all schools in the absence of a teacher/supervisor. (2015)
8. School Construction and Maintenance
8.1 School Infrastructure Spending & Consultation
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils commends the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for its commitment to school maintenance and infrastructure spending. (2014)
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils recommends the Department of Education and School Districts work closely with School Councils in the concept, design, and development of all new school construction and renovation projects to ensure adequate feedback is sought from the school community. (2014)
8.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils recommends regular air quality testing in all the province’s schools, that the recommendations be followed up, and that air quality reports be forwarded to the respective school councils. (2001)
8.3 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils insists that all school furniture conforms to ergonomic standards that are in practice throughout government institutions. (2005)
8.4 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports discontinuing the use of non-essential pesticides on school property. (2006)
8.5 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils encourages government and schools boards to support an anti-idling policy for school buses in front of school buildings. (2006)
9. Funding for Students and Schools
9.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils urges the Department of Education to increase the per pupil grant to school districts to provide adequate funding for all approved school programs. (2001)
9.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils commend the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for the elimination of school fees for students in grades K-12 and for providing textbooks for students in grades K-12. (2014)
9.3 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils requests that the Minister of Education disassociate School Councils from any responsibility connected with local level funding. (2001)
9.4 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils urges government to ensure that funding for the creation of effective outdoor space is included in budgets for new or renovating schools. (2005)
10. Substitute Teachers
10.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils urges the Department of Education to not recover the costs of over-runs in substitute teacher days for non-discretionary leave from school boards. (2001)
11. Food and Nutrition
11.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils encourages School Councils to work in a co-operative manner with their respective School Boards to move forward the development of Food and Nutrition policies for schools to improve access to nutritious food for students in schools throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. (2002)
11.2 Healthy Living Programming
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils renew its commitment to healthy living by working with School Districts, the Department of Education, and community organizations to support healthy living in schools. (2014)
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils work with partner organizations to provide resources and supports for School Councils and parents to assist families in living healthy lifestyles. (2014)
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils commends the School Boards and Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for its work on Healthy Living and reiterate the importance of resolutions 13.1, and 13.2. (2014)
11.3 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils stresses the importance that schools whose student populations travel long distances to attend be encouraged to provide access to a lunch program for its students. (2008)
11.4 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils urge School Boards and the NL English School District to develop a Healthy Eating Policy, similar to the 4 former regional school districts’ Nutrition/Healthy Eating/Living Policy, that specifically requires school sporting event canteens to be junk food-free and serve and/or sell healthy food and beverage choices. (2016)
12. Teacher Allocations
12.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils urges the Department of Education to not reduce any teacher allocations for the next three years. (2002)
12.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils makes teacher allocations its number one priority issue in all dealings with government. (2005)
12.3 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils recognizes the importance of teachers taking lunch breaks and that persons with proper training oversee the student lunch break time. (2006)
12.4 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the need for the allocation of human supports for small schools to be used for supervision of CDLI students. (2008)
12.5 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports deploying the allocation of Learning Resource Teachers strictly towards library services such that all students in the province benefit from the professional assistance of qualified learning resource specialists, (2008)
12.6 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports adequate training for Learning Resource Teachers such that all students in the province benefit from the professional assistance of qualified learning resource specialists. (2008)
12.7 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils lobby government to reinstate the 77.5 teaching units removed from schools in the 2015 Provincial Budget. (2015)
12.8 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils urges the Department of Education to implement a change in the allocation formula for Guidance Counsellors to one per 333 students for Kindergarten to Level III as per Recommendation #20 from the final report of the 2007 Teacher Allocation Commission. (2014)
13. Physical Activity
13.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils recognizes that lack of exercise during the school day poses a serious health risk to our children. (2004)
13.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils endorses and promotes regular physical activity for all children during recess and lunch breaks. (2004)
13.3 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils believes that children should be given the opportunity for outdoor exercise except in the most inclement weather conditions, that outdoor play should be encouraged and supported, and that failing to provide this opportunity (in the face of the current crisis) to our children is a travesty. (2004)
14. Curriculum
14.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils believes that the mathematics outcomes in K-5 level should be age appropriate and ensure that the child has the time to learn basic skills. (2006)
14.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils recommends government provide more Safe & Caring Schools Teaching and Learning Resources. (2014)
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils commits to assisting the Department of Education and the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District in the development of more teaching and learning resources to assist in educating children about social justice, anti-bullying, respecting each other, and the importance of acceptance of each and everyone. (2014)
15. Health Issues
15.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports the hiring of an LPN for each district office. (2007)
15.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports more sexual health education being provided to our youth. (2007)
16. Property Issues
16.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils supports a lobby of Government and School Board’s to develop a process to effectively resolve land use disputes as they arise between former religious Denominational Schools and the applicable Denominational Authority. (2007)
17. Drug Awareness & Anti-Bullying Programs
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils campaign government and the RCMP to have financial resources to the RCMP reinstated so valuable programs such as Drug Awareness and anti-bullying programs could be reinstated. (2014)
18. Educational Resources
18.1 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils continue to lobby Government to ensure cuts to administrative allocations be reconsidered and reinstated.
18.2 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils continue to lobby Government to Increase the amount of teaching units provided for the Needs Based Resource Allocations – such as Regular Teachers, IRT’s, Student Assistants, etc. – as requested by the district, for individual schools needs. (2014)
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils lobby Government to reinstate teaching units that were cut in Budget 2013. (2014)
18.3 The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils urge the Department of Education to increase the supportive resources such as educational psychologists, counsellors, and other support staff necessary to augment the intervention and assistance necessary to address the needs of students from Kindergarten to Level II. (2014)
19. School Board Governance
19.1 School Board Governance Model
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils recommends that school district governance should be derived from already elected School Councils in place of the existing appointed Board of Trustees. (2014)
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils urges the Department of Education that a change in legislation occur to this effect before any further school closure consultations or major policy decisions occur where the spirit of Schools Act, 1997, indicates accountability for parents and school communities in education. (2014)
20. School District Policy
21.1 Assessment & Evaluation Policy
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils petition the Minister of Education to gather qualitative and quantitative evidence to determine whether the implementation of the Assessment and Evaluation Policy is having a measurable positive effect on student aptitude (e.g., work habits, citizenship, and preparation for post- secondary study) and student achievement. (2014)