Follow-up Q&A Session to the Webinar on Bill 40: The Future of English Language Education in Quebec
Date & time
Friday, February 19, 2021 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Registration is closed
Speaker(s)
Dan Lamoreux, President of Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), Sylvain Racette, Director of General Riverside School Board, and Walter Duszara, Retired Educator and Quebec Civil Servant
In 2020, Bill 40 eliminated school boards and replaced them with service centres. The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) has challenged the constitutionality of this legislation with respect to minority language education.
On November 22, 2020, three guest speakers, Walter Duszara, Dan Lamoureux, and Sylvain Racette, offered their insights on Bill 40 and its implications on the English Language Education in Quebec from three perspectives: governance and citizen participation, administration and management, community and culture.
Dan Lamoureux, President Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA)
Dan's roots come from the Maritimes, specifically Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. During his twenty-six-year career as a firefighter in the City of Westmount, he engaged in National, Provincial and Local Firefighting Associations. He also became very active in many local community organizations. Dan returned to University and completed his BA in Community, Public Affairs and Policy Studies at Concordia. He was Chairperson of the Centennial Regional High School Governing Board for 3 years, followed by 12 years as Commissioner for Riverside School Board, and for the past 6 years as Chairperson of RSB. He was recently acclaimed for another 4-year term as Chairperson for RSB. He volunteered 5 years at the Quebec Community Groups Network and was President for 4 years. currently, he is serving as the President of the Quebec English School Board Association.
Sylvain Racette, Director General Riverside School Board
Sylvain Racette has been the Director General of Riverside School Board since May 2010. Prior to his appointment at Riverside School Board, Mr. Racette was a Ministry representative on the Management Negotiating Committee for English Language School Boards (CPNCA) where he acted as Chief Negotiator at the Provincial Teachers' Negotiation Table for the English school boards from March 2009 to May 2011. He remains, to this day, a member of the Board of Directors of CPNCA. Since 2018, Mr. Racette has been the President of the "Association of Directors General of English School Boards of Quebec" (ADGESBQ). He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the "Association des Directions generales des Centres de Services et Commissions Scolaires" (ADIGECS). As such, he sits on multiple strategic advisory groups of the Ministére de l'Éducation and to the Minister himself.
Walter Duszara, Retired Educator Quebec Civil Servant
In his forty plus years in education, Walter Duszara taught at the high school and CEGEP levels, and was principal of adult education centres and Director General of a school board. He also worked for the Ministry of Education for over twenty years. He has been to almost every corner of Quebec and worked with English-speaking, French-speaking, first nations and Inuit educators. He is a former Adjunct Professor in the McGill Faculty of Education, a past member of the Advisory Board on English Education, and served on the Board and Executive Committee of the CEDEC. For six years he was a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Quebec Community Groups Network. He was President/Executive Director of the Thomas More Institute. He is an executive member of the Christian Jewish Dialogue of Montreal, and is the Vice-president of Seniors Action Quebec.
Organized by Dr. Ghada Sfeir (Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Concordia University)
Funded by the Dean's Funding of Special Projects and Events (Faculty of Arts and Science, Concordia University)