We, the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association, are determined to:

• Develop unity amongst the province’s student trustees;
• Work towards fostering an education system in Ontario, which is world class in its support and success for students;
• Ensure that Student Trustees receive the support, orientation and advocacy that they need to be successful;
• Carry with pride the fact that we are students representing students; offering relevant, responsible and timely representation;
• Make the government aware of the needs, concerns and aspirations of students;
• Empower and advocate for the students of Ontario;

And have resolved to accomplish these aims by:

• Representing, speaking, and advocating for the students of Ontario;
• Continuing to be a strong voice within the education community as we continually identify and speak to issues that are important and relevant to the students;
• Representing the interests of every student in the province in both divisions of publicly funded education;
• Eliciting and listening to the voices of students in every school board through their elected Student Trustee;
• Ensuring our ability to speak without the burden of a fiscal or a political agenda;
• Making certain that governments of all levels are aware of the needs and concerns within the education system in order to maintain and improve the quality of education in Ontario;

In achieving our aims we will work to form an education system in Ontario which:

• Guarantees students supportive and stimulating continual growth, development and learning, both inside and outside the classroom;
• Provides a system of safety and equity;
• Creates a culture that values the worth and importance of the student voice;
• Maintains qualified, knowledgeable and engaging teachers;
• Prepares students for civic understanding, with no student being the victim of political ends;
• Embraces bilingualism and multiculturalism; and
• Is world class for student success, providing relevant measures to address student needs and foster student ownership in education.

And all in the hopes of achieving, ‘a student vision, a united voice.’

Our members are committed volunteers who act from goodwill and their love for our fellow students and education, giving shape and hope to our future.

Article 1. Name

1.1 The name of this organization shall be the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association – l’Association des élèves conseillers et conseillères de l’Ontario, herein referred to as OSTA-AECO.

Article 2. Mission Statement

2.1 OSTA-AECO promotes the unity without conformity of all affiliated student trustees in Ontario in order to exercise student consultation and representation.

Article 3. Affiliations

3.1 OSTA-AECO is affiliated with the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Article 4. Language

4.1 The operating languages of OSTA-AECO shall be English and French.

4.2 All functions of OSTA-AECO shall strive for bilingualism, which will ensure that members of OSTA-AECO fluent in only one (1) of the official languages have access to appropriate media for communication.

Article 5. Officers

5.1 The officers of the organization shall consist of:

• Chief Executive Officer;
• Chief Financial Officer;
• Chairperson;
• Vice-Chairperson;
• Treasurer; and
• Secretary.

Article 6. Precedence

6.1 With respect to matters of law, this document nor any other governing documents of OSTA-AECO shall hold precedence over any legislation or statutes in Canada or the Province of Ontario.

6.2 With respect to matters of governance, this Constitution shall hold the highest authority, followed by the By-laws of this Corporation, followed then by any Corporate Policies or Procedures, followed finally by Robert’s Rules of Order.

Article 7. Amendments to this Constitution

7.1 Successful amendments to this Constitution require a vote of a four-fifths (4/5) majority of all present members at an Annual Meeting.

7.2 Through consultation with the Membership, if four-fifths (4/5) of the Members vote to open a constitutional amendment period during an Annual Meeting, a one-hour period shall be allotted for discussion and voting of all motions. Following the one-hour period, the Members must resolve to extend the meeting, else all remaining motions shall be tabled until the next constitutional amendment period is opened.

7.3 The board of directors shall appoint a Member of the organization to chair any amendment sessions.

7.4 All proposed amendments to this Constitution shall be provided to the Membership prior to the start of a constitutional amendment session.

Adopted May 25th, 2018. 

References

A Student Trustee refers to every duly elected or appointed Student Trustee of each recognized District School Board. “Student trustee” shall have the same meaning as “pupil representative,” as described in section 55 of the Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2, and as amended in Regulation 461/97 “Pupil Representation on Boards” enacted under that Act.