Toronto, April 5, 2006- The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) congratulates Sandra Pupatello on her appointment as Minister of Education and is ready to work with her on solidifying the many positive education initiatives undertaken by the Liberal government.
“We are pleased that by naming senior cabinet member Sandra Pupatello to the education portfolio, Premier Dalton McGuinty continues to honour his promise to make public education the centerpiece of his government?s mandate,” said Rick Johnson, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.
We look forward to working with Minister Pupatello and the government to further strengthen a system that can give Ontario’s children an education that is the envy of the world. Together, we will focus on developing a strong publicly funded education system, open to all and governed by democratically elected local school boards.
OPSBA thanks Gerard Kennedy for his outstanding leadership and commitment to public education. As Minister of Education, Mr. Kennedy worked successfully with school boards to identify and establish programs and initiatives that work for the twenty-first century and to develop solutions that are centered on the needs of children and youth. Over the years, his goal has remained unchanged: to contribute to the creation of a first-class public education system.
In the complex environment of educational policy development, finance and instruction, each educational partner plays a unique and crucial role. Achieving optimum learning situations for our students means that each partner must respect the expertise of the other. We look forward to developing a true partnership with Minister Pupatello in an era of renewed cooperation, collaboration and respect.
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association advocates on behalf of the best interests and needs of the public school system in Ontario. OPSBA believes that the role of public education is to provide universally accessible education opportunities for all students regardless of their ethnic, racial or cultural backgrounds, social or economic status, individual exceptionality, or religious preference.
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For more information, please contact:
Jeff Sprang
Communications
(416) 340-2540
