Message from the CESBA Board Chair and Executive Director

As we navigated opportunities and challenges alongside our network of dedicated school board educators this past year, we were energized by a common purpose: opening doors to life-long learning across Ontario.

We believe the strongest solutions emerge through collaboration—between educators and learners, school boards and community partners, and the sector and all levels of government.

In this spirit of partnership, we embarked on several initiatives that engaged members and community stakeholders throughout the province. Here are some of the highlights from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025:

Charting the Way Ahead

After a lengthy and thoughtful discussion, our Board of Directors and key staff developed a new Mission and Vision for CESBA, as well as identifying seven core values. These guiding statements became our north star as we planned our future goals.
While analyzing our organizational priorities, the team identified four Strategic Pillars: Optimize Member Services; Leverage Growth Opportunities; Enhance Partnerships; and Strengthen Operations. The staff have begun to use these pillars to plan current projects, and they will continue to use them over the next three years.

Redefining Partnerships

In support of the third Strategic Pillar—Enhance Partnerships—we led a member-wide conversation at our four fall regional meetings on partnerships. Several members shared their unique experiences that encouraged their regional colleagues to think broadly about ways to form partnerships within and between school boards and community partners.
We invited Dr. Jennifer Fane, lead research associate on the education and skills team at The Conference Board of Canada, to present her findings in a learning session on how neurodivergent individuals often face systemic barriers in both academic and employment settings due to unmet learning, communication and inclusion needs.
In collaboration with our Committee to Support Indigenous Adult Learners, we engaged our long-time community partners at Ontario Native Literacy Coalition (ONLC) to present their extensive curricular resources to their A&CE colleagues. The content they share on their site amplifies Indigenous voices and perspectives. We also held a moving learning session with January Rogers, a playwright published by Turtle’s Back Publishing, a division of ONLC.
We were proud to partner with our conference’s signature sponsor, Halton Industry Education Council (HIEC) to promote ApprenticeSearch.com, the organization’s online platform that connects workers with skills trade jobs. Skilled trades are an ideal fit for many of our adult learners looking to upgrade their employability and meet a gap in the labour market.

Championing Literacy and Language Skills for All

Federal cuts to the LINC program—serving permanent residents and convention refugees—combined with the unpredictable funding of provincially-supported ESL/FSL programs, have provoked damaging program cuts and left hundreds of motivated newcomers on waitlists. We continue to voice the concerns of our exceptional school board language educators and the tremendous impact of their language education on the lives of newcomers.
We hosted an expert-led series of three learning sessions on how to support ESL students in an LBS setting and how instructors in both programs can work together closely to support the influx of language learners.
In collaboration with Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) program leads from several school boards, we developed new curriculum to support competencies outlined by the Province in the Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework (OALCF). These included practical subjects like Digital Technology for Food and Nutrition, Study Skills and Test Preparation, and more.

Inspiring a New Generation of Health Care Workers

Our Personal Support Worker programs are answering the call to build a workforce of future long-term care (LTC), hospital and home support workers. This year marked a massive expansion in our efforts to promote these exemplary programs and scale them up, including wide distribution of promotion swag and online resources. To help win the hearts of future PSWs and encourage retention in LTC careers, we enlisted seven enthusiastic PSW Champions who are leaders in the field to present to current students, prospective high school students and PSWs already working in long-term care. CESBA’s relationship with the Ministry of Long-Term Care continues to strengthen, which will support the future growth of our school board PSW programs.

In an ongoing effort to build trust in our excellent PSW programs and students, we worked closely with the new Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority (HSCPOA) Competency Development Group to establish requirements for working as a PSW in Ontario. We advocated for equitable treatment of our graduates by employers, colleges and associations. We continue to ensure that each of our programs undergo a rigorous Quality Assurance process every three years.

While our members faced down some strong headwinds this year, they continually demonstrated one of our newly minted Values—we are indeed stronger when we come together. We could not be prouder of our diverse and deeply connected membership’s resilience, creativity and unwavering commitment to their learners.

We extend our sincere thanks to every educator, administrator, support staff member and partner who walked alongside us this year. By continuing on this shared path forward, we will ensure that every learner in Ontario has access to the education they need to contribute and thrive.

Sincerely,

Lisa Hickman
CESBA Board Chair

Paul Cox
CESBA Executive Director

2024-2025

A Year in Review

Government Relations and Advocacy

CESBA advocates for ongoing government investment in adult and continuing education programs offered by school boards. We engage regularly with provincial and federal representatives to bring them the perspectives of frontline educators working in communities across Ontario. We also open doors for direct dialogue by inviting government officials to address our members at regional meetings and professional development events.

This year, we worked closely with decision-makers in three key funding ministries to advance support for adult and continuing education. With the Ministry of Education (EDU), we advocated for continued investment in adult credit programs, including more support of the Mature PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) process, and an increase in support for PSW training, particularly toward promoting the program to prospective students. We also worked closely with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) to strengthen support for Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS), as well as ESL and FSL programs. At the federal level, we met with key representatives from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to reinforce the value of funding the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program. Finally, we partnered with representatives from the Ministry of Long-Term Care (MLTC) on PSW program promotion projects.

We will continue to voice the concerns of our exemplary school board language educators and the transformative work they do to improve the lives and outcomes of newcomers. This year, we saw federal cuts to the LINC program, which serves permanent residents and convention refugees. Provincially-funded ESL/FSL has also been underfunded over the past three years with growing wait lists reflecting hundreds of underserved newcomers who wish to increase their employability and community engagement in their new home.

In addition to the funding ministries mentioned above, CESBA connected with representatives from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research, Excellence and Security (MCURES) to advocate for school board Personal Support Worker (PSW) programs and greater support for their graduates. We also continued to keep government stakeholders informed about the PSW quality assurance process for school board programs.

CESBA’s PSW Lead, Anita Plunkett, continued to collaborate with key organizations such as AdvantAge Ontario and the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) to highlight the value of adult education in addressing workforce needs in the healthcare sector. She actively advocated for equitable employment. She also maintained engagement with the new Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority (HSCPOA) regarding the development of the new PSW registry. This year, thanks to consistent advocacy efforts, we were pleased to receive confirmation from the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association (OPSWA) of the removal of additional requirements for school board graduates to register with the association.

Mature PLAR is a process that awards eligible students high school equivalent credits for their work, education and life experience. CESBA, through our PLAR Lead, Andrea Murphy, and EDU continue to work closely on training and communicating Policy/Program Memorandum 132.

CESBA maintains regular engagement with MLITSD’s Employment and Training Division to discuss the Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) program and to communicate member concerns. These meetings also serve as a valuable opportunity to highlight the successes of our outstanding school board LBS programs. Additionally, CESBA actively participates in the Provincial Support Organizations for Literacy (PSOL), collaborating with other support organizations and MLITSD representatives to support the effective management of LBS programs across the province.

Sharing Knowledge

The Equity and Inclusion Committee, in collaboration with the Committee to Support Indigenous Adult Learners, hosted a four-part series of Equity and Indigenous Learning Events. These sessions collectively engaged nearly 140 participants and featured facilitators who offered valuable insights for administrators and educators committed to creating more equitable and supportive learning spaces.

Neurodiversity in Adult and Continuing Education

On May 28, Dr. Jennifer Fane, the lead research associate on the education and skills team at The Conference Board of Canada presented a very popular session on Neurodiversity in Adult and Continuing Education. Dr. Fane explained how individuals perceive, communicate, and engage with the world in diverse ways. While all learners bring unique strengths to their educational journeys, neurodivergent individuals often face systemic barriers in both academic and employment settings due to unmet learning, communication and inclusion needs.

Drawing on research conducted by the Conference Board of Canada, the session provided an overview of neuroinclusive policies and practices within workplaces and post-secondary institutions. It highlighted evidence-based strategies for fostering neuro-inclusive environments in adult education, emphasizing the importance of accessibility, flexibility, and individualized support.

Promising Practices in Equity and Inclusion

The second session in the series, held on May 22, featured Lynn Garrioch, Senior Manager of Equity Services at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, and Angela Parkin, Manager of LBS and Learner Intake at the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. Together, they shared effective strategies currently being implemented in adult education settings to build an equitable environment. Their presentation focused on strategies designed to support the whole learner, empowering individuals to reach their full potential. The conversation also emphasized the importance of authentic student engagement and voice as essential components in fostering equity, inclusivity, and a strong sense of community.

Blood Sport by January Rogers

In the third presentation on June 4, Six Nations’ playwright, January Rogers, led a moving discussion on her play, Blood Sport, which explores the themes of Indigenous identity and authenticity. January shared her inspiration for writing this play, along with her experiences with its production. She was generous with her time and facilitated a very engaging question and answer session, where she discussed cultural appropriation and the importance of Indigenous teachers to Indigenous students.

Blood Sport is available in book form through Ontario Native Literacy Coalition’s Turtle’s Back Publishing.

Sharing Ontario Native Literacy Coalition Resources

The fourth and final session in the series featured an informative presentation on the wide range of educational resources offered by the Ontario Native Literacy Coalition (ONLC) and Turtle’s Back Publishing. Michelle Davis, CEO of ONLC and an active member of the CESBA Committee to Support Adult Indigenous Learners, co-presented alongside Bonnie Jane Maracle, Co-Chief Governance Officer (Co-CGO) of ONLC. Their delivery, marked by both passion and humour, resonated strongly with attendees. Many participants expressed surprise and appreciation for the breadth of resources available—not only to support learners academically, but also to enhance their own cultural understanding and awareness.

Funding Registers Day

This annual, in-person full-day event presented by the Committee of Experienced Administrators welcomed 65 administrators, and provided valuable insights into adult registers, funding sources for various programs, as well as PLAR funding and reporting requirements. We extend our sincere thanks to Deborah Cook (York Region District School Board) and Namita Aggarwal (Toronto District School Board) for generously sharing their time and expertise on funding for Adult and Continuing Education (A&CE), the Ontario Student Information System (OnSIS), and ministry requirements related to funding registers.

Feedback from attendees underscored the importance of this annual gathering. One registrant remarked: “The collaboration and sense of community created by hosting passionate professionals was inspiring. Thank you to the team who worked hard to prepare for the two days”.

New Administrator Day

In conjunction with Funding Registers Day, the Committee of Experienced Administrators hosted this annual in-person, full-day event designed to support administrators with fewer than three years of experience in Adult and Continuing Education (A&CE). The session provided foundational knowledge on the role of A&CE administrators, including the needs of adult learners, programming options and resources, and introductions to PLAR, PSW, community partnerships, and funding sources.

As a result of recent changes to the PLAR process that impact both Adult and Continuing Education (A&CE) and day school programs, we welcomed participants again from day school programming. There was an overall attendance of 59 administrators.

Our thanks to first-time hosts, Alma Gordon (London District Catholic School Board) and Lisa Mackay (Waterloo Catholic District School Board), for facilitating the event. Thanks also to the Ministry of Education’s Daniel Denommé for attending the event and providing timely responses to key questions throughout the day.

Two-Day PLAR Workshop for New Assessors

Andrea Murphy, our PLAR lead, provided two interactive days of content in person at the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto for new assessors and others interested in the Mature PLAR process. The popular, wait-listed event offered foundational instruction, mentor support and many transcripts to use as case studies.

PLAR Spring Drop-in Session

An additional PLAR learning session was programmed in the spring this year to provide professional development and support to PLAR assessors, led by our PLAR Lead, Andrea Murphy.

Personal Support Worker (PSW) Spring Work Day

A full day of in-person content and expertise was provided by Anita Plunkett and hosted by our PSW committee representatives Jennifer Sheyan and Lisa Zandbergen from the Lambton-Kent District School Board Specialized High School Major (SHSM) PSW program in Sarnia on May 31, 2024. Several presentations were provided to participants, including the Research Institute for Aging, (RIA) on the Living Classroom Funding project, Tammy Cantin CESBA’s LC coordinator on CESBA’s development of a Living Classroom Curriculum Integration Toolkit and Lambton College’s Resident Care Training Cooperative on micro-credentials. Updates were provided by Ashley Gilbert of EDU. Participants were provided the opportunity to engage with speakers and other stakeholders, as well as hear about CESBA’s Career Navigator project that launched in September 2024. The second half of the day allowed participants to engage in “round robin” discussions for learning relevant program information, sharing resources and networking.

PSW Learning Sessions

Three PSW info sessions were programmed this year, led by our PSW Lead, Anita Plunkett, to inform and connect with PSW program instructors and administrators. These included a program check-in, program Q&A and updates with the Ministry of Education; new instructor support and Q&A; updates on the new PSW branding and CESBA’s PSW Career Navigator and Engagement Strategy projects; and a support session with information on a one-time additional funding initiative for existing programs.

LBS Forum

On June 3, 2024, CESBA’s Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) Committee successfully hosted its inaugural in-person LBS Forum, welcoming 45 LBS program leads and their principals for a full day of learning, dialogue, and networking. The event focused exclusively on LBS and featured a diverse range of topics designed to support and strengthen the sector. All committee members contributed to the day’s programming, delivering relevant and engaging content and facilitating meaningful table discussions.

The agenda included presentations from guest speakers representing school boards, post-secondary institutions, and two provincial ministries. CESBA extends its sincere appreciation to Allan Bingham (Thames Valley District School Board), René Bourget (Upper Canada District School Board), Dr. Lorraine Godden (Carleton University), and ministry representatives, Joanne Prior (Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development) and Pauline McNaughton (Ministry of Education), for attending the day and providing engaging content.

Series to Support ESL Learners in LBS

Recognizing the importance of collaboration and the exchange of promising practices between ESL and LBS programs, we hosted a series of three virtual learning sessions. This initiative was coordinated by Shirley Graham, retired ESL Coordinator.

Literacy and Basic Skills: A Pathway to Supporting ESL Learners in Rural Ontario

Led by Heather Robinet, Executive Director of the QUILL Learning Network, the session featured an in-depth review and discussion of the landmark report on the topic.

Navigating Change: Updates to LBS Guidelines and Impact on Intake Assessment Practices

This session addressed recent changes to the LBS Guidelines removing Canadian Language Benchmarks and their potential impact on intake assessment practices. The panel included three practitioners—Erin Paakkunainen (Avon Maitland District School Board), Susan Boyd, and Caroline Leroux (Upper Canada District School Board).

Strengthening LBS Partnerships: Enhancing Collaboration with ESL Service Providers

Shirley Graham presented findings from the survey distributed to LBS programs regarding their relationships with ESL programs and learners. This was followed by a panel discussion with Jaime Sobotka (Waterloo Catholic District School Board), Jill Slemon (London District Catholic School Board), Lori Wright (Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board), and Melissa Friske (Renfrew County District School Board).

Exploring CESBA’s Skills for Success Resources Website

We held two information sessions to showcase the recently developed Skills for Success (SfS) resources housed on the Moodle-based eLearning platform: sfs.cesba.com

Both sessions were led by Debra Flynn, SfS Project Coordinator, with presentations by SfS Resource Developers, Angela Williams and Susan Boyd.

Coming Together

Regional meetings

CESBA hosted eight regional meetings from April to March, providing two professional development and networking opportunities for the East, Central, West and North regions of Ontario in the year. Based on the need and opportunities available in the year, there was a mix of virtual and in-person meetings.

Fall meetings for East, Central and West were held in late-September and October to support a new school year and connect with new administrators in A&CE. The North Region seized the opportunity to gather in Toronto before the conference for the first time since 2020. Spring meetings were held in late April and May.

The goal of CESBA’s regional meetings is to provide a platform for members to connect over the shared challenges and opportunities that exist in their region, help foster collaboration and networking, and develop good practices through leadership and sharing as both a widely interested A&CE group and within sector-specific groups, covering Credit/PLAR/Guidance, ESL/FSL/LINC, LBS, IILE, PSW and Francophone sectors.

In 2024, sessions focused on a wide variety of themes, including:

exploring partnerships to make robust programs with increased reach
A&CE evaluation strategies, with area-expert Frank Hummel
sharing program learnings and challenges with other boards in their regions
the impacts of Bill 124 and strategies to manage the impacts
regional collaboration on night school
sector specific deep dives to collaborate on promising practices
resource sharing

CESBA Conference: Forward Together

December 4-5, 2024

CESBA’s 2024 Conference was an outstanding success! Held on December 4 and 5 at the Chelsea Hotel in Toronto, the conference featured a special 25th anniversary celebration honouring the many individuals, past and present, who have shaped CESBA over the last quarter century.

Sector Day included a record number of sector sessions, including PLAR/Guidance, LBS, PSW, ESL/FSL/LINC, IILE, Francophone, Summer School, and—for the first time—Indigenous Learners. Participants shared challenges and successes, exchanged resources, and strengthened connections across their sectors.

Workshop Day kicked off with an inspiring keynote from David Chalk, followed by 19 dynamic workshops. Topics included Technology in Education, A&CE Fundamentals, Employment Connections, and Diverse Perspectives and Pathways.

A heartfelt thank you to the sponsors, partners, and contributors who made the 2024 conference possible, including our Signature Sponsor, Apprenticesearch.com. Special thanks also to our volunteers, staff, sector day leaders, presenters from across the province, our event partners at BPL Events, hosts Julie Bodiam and Suzanne Schwenger, Elder Larry Frost, ministry representatives, and the talented student performers from the Centre d’Excellence Artistique de l’Ontario, Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario.

Conference Testimonial

I enjoyed the positivity of the staff and attendees, wide variety of topics covered, and opportunity to meet new people from a variety of educational backgrounds. The 25th anniversary celebration social was also great.
2024 Conference attendee

Sector Highlights

The extensive work to support the sectors and programs below was completed by CESBA staff and a network of dedicated committee members volunteering countless hours along with their professional expertise. We gratefully acknowledge our incomparable membership community.

Adult Credit/Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR)/Guidance

Continued to provided leadership and mentorship to new assessors, including both adult and mainstream secondary schools, which are eligible under the 2022 PPM 132 revisions.
Hosted a two-day PLAR event with an introduction for new assessors and advanced support on individual case scenarios for experienced assessors.
Held a lunchtime session in the spring on PLAR policy and frequently asked questions.
Offered support to several school boards on their student management systems: Aspen, PowerSchool, and Edsembli.
Offered several PLAR/Guidance workshops, both virtual and in person, for individual school boards.
Hosted the PLAR Sector Day at the conference with support from the PLAR Committee.
Provided assistance to school boards updating their policy and procedures around Mature PLAR.
Offered support to school boards on PLAR reporting for Ministry of Education funding.
Continued to update the vast library of PLAR resources and documents on the CESBA website.
Supplied information to outside agencies, such as the Government of Saskatchewan, Indigenous Institutes, the Wikwemikong First Nation Board of Education, and the University of Toronto, among others, on PLAR and Mature Student Assessments.

Personal Support Worker (PSW) program

Continued collaboration with the Research Institute for Aging, (RIA) on the Living Classroom (LC) funding project for existing LC programs with student retention supports. This includes nine school board programs.
Delivered the Quality Assurance Process to six school board PSW programs.
Continued collaboration with the Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority (HSCPOA) with their launch of the registry in December 2024.
Developed a new PSW video to highlight and promote school board programs, (video was added to our GetMyPSW.ca site).
Created a new PSW Digital and Marketing Tool kit, (hosted on CESBA’s website), to support programs with their promotion and marketing for recruitment.
Developed and delivered PSW Engagement Strategy project to engage with the high school sector to promote careers in health care, school board PSW programs and working in Long-Term Care (LTC). This project provided engagement kits that included banners, brochures and PSW swag to over 300 high schools across the province and delivered presentations to approximately 20 schools and SHSM certificate training to six schools.

Contracted seven PSW Champions who are regionally located to connect and present to school board PSW programs and high schools, as well as engage with LTC homes for the Career Navigator project, which promotes careers in the LTC sector, and the Engagement Strategy project, which promotes careers in health care and school board PSW programs to students.
Contracted Jackie Turay as our Support Quality Assurance Auditor.
Received confirmation from the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association (OPSWA) regarding removal of additional requirements of school board graduates to register with the association after advocating for several years.
Reached out to United Health Network, (UHN), regarding language in their employment application portal that excludes recognition of school board graduates.
Updated OntarioSchoolBoardPSW.ca, also known as GetMyPSW.ca, to include new program site(s) information and addition of new PSW video, as well as PSW resources on CESBA’s main website.
Hosted Spring PSW Workday at the Lambton-Kent District School Board to provide provincial updates, resources on promising practices and an opportunity for networking.
Hosted the PSW Sector Day with support from the PSW Committee.
Hosted three learning sessions, outlined above, on PSW provincial funding, training resources, networking and more.

Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS)

Hosted the inaugural LBS Forum, welcoming 45 program leads and their principals for a full day of learning, dialogue, and networking.
Created two editions of The Updater—a revival of our popular LBS magazine—highlighting school board programs, shared sector resources, an interactive map of the Literacy Networks, provincial LBS data and analysis, along with a retrospective photo spread.
Developed two Culminating Tasks and three Milestones with topics based on feedback from LBS Leads. The Culminating Tasks focus on Digital Technology for Food and Nutrition, and Study Skills and Test Preparation, both for learners with Secondary School as their goal path. The Milestones support various OALCF competencies and most goal paths.
Produced two instructional videos on the LBS Needs Assessment Tool and the Impact Report Template, developed last fiscal, to enhance usability.
Led the LBS Sector Day, highlighting promising practices for seamless client pathways from LBS to Credit, financial reporting strategies, the launch of the LBS Apprenticeship Toolkit, business planning insights and networking.
Hosted a series of three virtual learning sessions on partnerships between LBS and ESL.
Facilitated two information sessions on navigating the Skills for Success eLearning website with curriculum resources developed over the last two years.
Participated as an active member of the Provincial Support Organizations for Literacy (PSOL).
Met monthly with CESBA’s MLITSD Employment and Training Consultant.

English as a Second Language and French as a Second Language (ESL/FSL)

Served 66,199 provincially-funded school board ESL learners in the 2023–2024 (confirmed by MLITSD).
Served approximately 60,000 federally-funded (LINC) language learners.
Participated in several meetings between ESL/FSL/LINC Committee Co-Chairs and several key MLITSD staff to discuss CESBA’s role in providing a forum for Ontario school boards delivering ESL/FSL and LINC/CLIC on key topics such as: learner progression, attendance tracking, class size, waitlist management and coverage of employment content for all learner levels.
Organized the ESL Sector Day, facilitated by former member, Janet Heimpel (recently retired from WCDSB) and Co-Chairs Jennifer Jones (TVDSB) and Marianne Kayed (OCSB), with presentations from several organizations, updates from IRCC and MLITSD, and participant roundtables.
Surveyed ESL administrators regularly on professional development options.
Updated the School Board ESL Administrator Contact List, which was shared with school board members.
Advocated for ESL/FSL programs during the year, bringing forward several queries to MLITSD, IRCC, HARTs help desk, and IRCC portal help desk, then shared responses with ESL board contacts.
Organized and facilitated several online meetings for ESL/FSL administrators to discuss updates on program delivery, challenges faced, and prospective solutions.

International and Indigenous Languages Elementary (IILE)

Led the IILE Sector Day bringing together program leaders from across the province to discuss sector-wide priorities, challenges, and innovative practices, including a presentation from the International Language Educators’ Association (ILEA).
Continued collaboration with ILEA throughout the year to support advocacy and alignment across the sector.
Held ongoing discussions regarding staffing challenges, particularly the shortage of instructors for certain languages and in specific geographic regions.
Facilitated sector-wide dialogue included instructor compensation, comparing what boards pay unionized and non-unionized staff, and exploring ways to improve recruitment and retention.
Supported flexible delivery models, including remote and hybrid formats, to serve communities with lower enrollment or limited access to qualified instructors.
Supported boards who have transitioned fully back to in-person classes, discussions on staffing, space, and resource planning.
Continued efforts to support professional development for IILE instructors, despite no designated budget.
Shared guidance on how Ministry of Education funding for IILE is calculated and highlighted that funding calculations may provide support for low-enrolment classes and rural program delivery.
Promoted the sharing of curriculum, classroom resources, and instructional tools, including those for both elementary non-credit and secondary credit language programs.
Provided guidance and peer support to boards offering summer IILE programs, focusing on staffing, promotion, and culturally relevant content.
Supported boards in offering languages that reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of newcomers, and maintained a strong commitment to promoting Indigenous languages.

Reaching Out to Our Members

We shared sector updates, resources, activities and events with a growing mailing list of 4,103 adult and continuing education professionals, community partners and supporters—up 12% from last year. These updates were delivered through our monthly e-newsletter, the Executive Director’s weekly bulletin and targeted e-blasts for events and sector news.

Our bilingual website, cesba.com, continues to serve as a central hub for the A&CE community, offering information about professional development workshops, regional meetings and events. The site also hosts our resource library, containing over 400 items. This year, we focused on updating key resources—especially to support new PLAR assessors—and removing outdated content. Website traffic remained steady compared to last year, with 14,669 users, 26,607 sessions, and 64,071 pageviews. Active CESBA members remain the primary audience for the site.

Our PSW-specific site, ontarioschoolboardpsw.ca (also promoted as GetMyPSW.ca), features an interactive map of school board PSW programs across Ontario, program overviews, FAQs, and student success stories. This year, we launched a French version—DevenezPSSP.ca—to highlight Francophone PSW programs. With support from government project funding, we expanded promotion through branded giveaways, digital ads, and our PSW Champions, who promoted the site in classrooms around the province. As a result, traffic rose significantly to 39,888 users (+53%) and 51,766 sessions (+62%).

GetMyHighSchoolDiploma.ca, redesigned the previous year, promotes adult credit programs in Ontario and includes a regularly updated interactive map. The site continues to draw seasonal interest, particularly in the fall, and received 2,100 users and 2,502 sessions, consistent with last year’s performance.

By the numbers

4,103

CESBA email
subscribers

26,607

visits from 14,669 unique
users on cesba.com

51,766

visits from 39,888 unique users on GetMyPSW.ca

2,502

visits from 2,100
unique users on GetMyHighSchoolDiploma.ca

The CESBA Board of Directors 2024-2025

Lisa Hickman

Chair
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
lisa_hickman@kprdsb.ca
2021 – present

Mario divittorio

Director
Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board
divittoriom@hwcdsb.ca
2022 – present

Andrea Ellsworth

Director
Durham Catholic District School Board
andrea.ellsworth@dcdsb.ca
2022 – present

Marianne Kayed

Director
Ottawa Catholic School Board
marianne.kayed@ocsb.ca
2020 – present

Josée Picard St-Louis

Director
Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est ontarien
josee.picard.st-louis@csdceo.org
2024 – present

Christina Raso

Director
Sudbury Catholic District School Board
christina.raso@sudburycatholicschools.ca
2024 – present

Brad Shoreman

Director
Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board
bshoreman@smcdsb.on.ca
2024 – present

Gary Wimmer

Director
Thames Valley District School Board
g.wimmer@tvdsb.ca
2024 – present

Project Committees

Adult Credit/PLAR/Guidance Committee
Jennifer Ford (HPEDSB), Angela Jarrett (HWDSB), Emina Kovacevic (HWDSB), Maria Leonardo (WCDSB), Samantha Ngan (YRDSB), Samantha Peotto (Lakehead DSB), Natalie Poitras (CSCDGR), Kate Primeau (HPEDSB)

Committee of Experienced Administrators
Alma Gordon (LDCSB), Lisa Hickman (KPRDSB), Lisa Mackay (WCDSB), Brad Shoreman (SMCDSB)

Committee to Support Indigenous Learners
Susan Conklin (Nipissing First Nation), Michelle Davis (Ontario Native Literacy Coalition), David Isherwood (The Martin Family Initiative), Katie Maracle (Six Nations Polytechnic), Byron Millet (Ontario Native Literacy Coalition), Sherry Moreau (Bimose Tribal Council), John Playford (SCDSB), Brendan Smyth (Seven Generations Education Institute), Daniel Stargratt (SMCDSB), Maureen Wainwright (OCSB), Parastou Ziadlou (Eenchokay Birchstick School)

Conference Planning Committee
Bernadette Beaupre, Judith Hoffman (CAVLFO), Lisa Mackay (WCDSB), Angela Parkin (HWDSB), Gary Wimmer (TVDSB)

English and French Second Language (ESL/FSL) Committee
Erin Jones, (AMDSB), Jennifer Jones (TVDSB), Marianne Kayed (OCSB)

Equity and Inclusion Committee
Seema Bajpai (PDSB), Michele Breault (WCDSB), Gabrianna Jolie (TDSB), Angela Parkin (HWDSB), Anne-Marie Pinel (OCSB), Lori Sheppard (LKDSB)

Francophone Committee
Judith Hoffman, Chair (CAVLFO), Dany Dumont (CECCE), Geneviève Labrosse (CEPEO), Jeannine Pellerin (CSC Providence), Josée Picard-St. Louis (CSDCEO), Natalie Poitras (CSCDGR)

International and Indigenous Languages Elementary (IILE) Committee
Christine Mink-Hiles, Chair (SMCDSB), Susan El-Nagar (WCDSB), Azza Elzoghby (HWDSB), Marianne Kayed (OCSB), Ludmila Minkova (OCSB)

Literacy & Basic Skills (LBS) Committee
Melissa Friske, Chair (RCDSB), Lou-Ann Best (PDSB), Gabrianna Jolie (TDSB), Daphne Lane (UCDSB-retired), Sally MacDonald (Grand Erie District School Board), Lori Sheppard (LKDSB)

Personal Support Worker (PSW) Committee
Dawn-Marie Brunet (SCDSB), Jill Corkery (WCDSB), Denise Delle-Palme (OCDSB), Paula Dillon-Gerow (HWCDSB), Jennifer Sheyan (LKDSB), Akua Simmons (TDSB), Cheryl Stewart (GEDSB), Ashley Voisin (WCDSB), Lisa Zandenburg (LKDSB)

CESBA Members 2024-2025

CESBA is grateful to all of our members for their ongoing support and participation:

Algoma District School Board

Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board

Avon Maitland District School Board

Bluewater District School Board

Brant-Haldimand Catholic District School Board

Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board

Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario

Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est

Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario

Conseil scolaire catholique de district des Grandes-Rivières

Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario

Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord

Conseil scolaire catholique Providence

Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est ontarien

Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l’Ontario

Conseil scolaire Viamonde

District School Board of Niagara

District School Board Ontario North East

Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

Durham Catholic District School Board

Durham District School Board

Grand Erie District School Board

Greater Essex County District School Board

Halton Catholic District School Board

Halton District School Board

Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board

Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board

Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board

Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board

Keewatin Patricia District School

Lakehead District School Board

Lambton Kent District School Board

Limestone District School Board

London District Catholic School Board

Near North District School Board

Niagara Catholic District School Board

Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board

Northeastern Catholic District School Board

Ottawa Catholic School Board

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

Peel District School Board

Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board

Rainbow District School Board

Renfrew County District School Board

Simcoe County District School Board

Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board

Sudbury Catholic District School Board

Superior-Greenstone District School Board

Thames Valley District School Board

Toronto Catholic District School Board

Toronto District School Board

Trillium Lakelands District School Board

Upper Canada District School Board

Upper Grand District School Board

Waterloo Catholic District School Board

Waterloo Region District School Board

Wellington Catholic District School Board

Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board

York Catholic District School Board

York Region District School Board

Funders

CESBA graciously acknowledges funding support from the Ontario Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and Ministry of Long-Term Care.

Partners and Affiliates

CESBA would like to thank its partners and affiliates for their support and collaboration.

AlphaPlus

Advanced Gerontological Education (AGE)

AdvantAge Ontario

CANeLearn

Care Passport (Lambton College)

Caring Support

Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario (CEAO)

Centre for Social Innovation

CERIC

Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes (COFA)

Collège Boréal

College Sector Committee for Academic Upgrading (CSC)

Community Literacy of Ontario

Conference Board of Canada

Consortium d’apprentissage virtuel de langue française de l’Ontario (CAVLFO)

Contact North

DementiAbility

Diversity Institute, Toronto Metropolitan University

EduTravel

First Work

Future Skills Centre

Halton Industry Education Council

Health Force Ontario

Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority (HSCPOA)

Kenjgewin Teg Educational Institute

La Cité

Landscape Ontario

Laubach Literacy Ontario (LLO)

Learning Networks of Ontario

Learning Inter-Professional Healthcare Accelerator (LIPHA)

The Martin Family Initiative

The Mastercard Foundation EleV Program

NPower Canada

The Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care (CLRI)

Ontario College Application Service

Ontario Cooperative Education Association (OCEA)

Ontario Creates

Ontario Long-Term Care Association

Ontario Native Literacy Coalition (ONLC)

Ontario Nonprofit Network

Ontario Personal Support Workers Association (OPSWA)

Pikangikum Educational Authority

ParaMed Placement Pass

S5 Dynamic Learning Initiative (S5DLI)

Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA)

School Mental Health Ontario

Seven Generations Education Institute

Six Nations Polytechnic Institute

Skills Ontario

TESL Ontario

Turtle’s Back Publishing

TVO

CESBA Staff

PAUL COX
Executive Director

ERINN GRAHAM-BARTER
Innovations & Logistics Specialist

URSZULA MAZUR
Administrator

ANDREA MURPHY
PLAR Guidance Coordinator

CHARLOTTE PARLIAMENT
Program Manager/LBS Lead

ANITA PLUNKETT
PSW Lead and Quality Assurance Coordinator

ANANDA UMAR
Communications Specialist

Financial Statement

Full financial statement

Revenue

Total:	$2,182,375
Government grants:	$1,819,161
Conference fees:	$233,741
Membership fees:	$88,200
Administration fees:	$37,450
Other:	$3,828

Expenses

Total:	$2,145,283
Salaries and benefits:	$834,397
Contractors:	$589,700
Event:	$394,537
Communications and marketing:	$101,518
Travel:	$99,122
Professional fees:	$62,594
Administration:	$60,213
Insurance:	$3,202

2024-2025 Annual Report

Table of Contents

By strengthening adult and continuing education in school boards, CESBA helps to build a prosperous Ontario for all.

Mission

Vision

Values

CESBA believes: