ABOUT BCSTA MOTION DATABASE
Overview
Motions play a central role in the work of the Association. Motions, which are discussed and voted on by members of the Association at Provincial Council and Annual General Meetings, enable members to bring forward issues for collective discussion, decision-making and advocacy. In-depth instructions on how to properly complete a motion form can found in the BCSTA Motion Guide. Within the BCSTA Motion Guide you can also find the procedures around late motions, more information on emergent motions, and various other useful information for completing your motion accurately.
BCSTA motions are categorized as being extraordinary (AGM), substantive (AGM), or emergent (Provincial Council).
AGM
The intention of an extraordinary motion is to change or add to BCSTA’s Bylaws or Foundational Statements within BCSTA’s Policy Book.
A substantive motion may be an action motion or a policy motion. The intention of an action-related motion is to call on BCSTA to influence the public education system by collectively advocating for change. The intention of a policy-related motion is to define a long-term objective, position or belief of the association.
Provincial Council
Motions must be emergent in order to be considered at a Provincial Council meeting. Emergent motions are those which refer to business that if delayed until the Annual General Meeting would impact negatively on Boards’ ability to influence public policy or public education issues.
Table of Types of BCSTA Motions
| Category | Description | Example | Which BCSTA body can enact | Process to enact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bylaws | The rules which govern the organization. | The President, the Vice-President, the Directors and the immediate past President shall form the board of Directors. The chief Executive officer shall be a nonvoting member of the Board. (Bylaw 3) | BCSTA member boards at General meetings | Extraordinary motion: 2/3 ballot vote |
| Foundational Statements | The core beliefs and values of the Association. Intended to guide future policy and action motions. Meant to be long-term/long standing. | BCSTA believes that educational programs should address literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation, as well as aesthetic, cultural, numerical, scientific, and technological literacies. (5.1FS Educational Programs Objectives) | BCSTA member boards at General Meetings | Extraordinary motion: 2/3 ballot vote |
| Policy motions | Motions that support and expand Foundational Statements. Reflect context and guide the advocacy of the Association. | BCSTA adopts as policy the following principle: BCSTA supports the use of a variety of instructional strategies for addressing student differences, including... | BCSTA member boards at General Meetings Provincial Council (on interim basis) | Substantive (ordinary) motion: simple majority |
| *Action motions | Define an action that the Association will take, usually on a specific issue. (*Note: Action motions make up the majority of motions currently passed at AGM and Provincial Council.*) | That BCSTA urge the Ministry of Education to review the transportation funding formula... | BCSTA member boards at General Meetings Provincial Council | Substantive (ordinary) motion: simple majority |
Motion Submission Deadlines
Please refer to the BCSTA Portal for current motion submission deadlines.
For any further inquiries please contact BCSTA directly.