OACS governance model offers broad democratic base: director
Friday, December 8, 2006 -- Michelle Strutzenberger
The governance model for the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools is an exemplary one, according to John Vanasselt, director of communications for the alliance. Its top strengths include the democratic base it provides and the parental influence it facilitates, he says.

OACS schools are each owned by a society, members of which are parents and other community-members. This is different than the ownership model for many independent schools, some of which have private owners, while others are owned and operated by a church.

The society elects board members to represent it. As the governing element, the board sets the vision, accountability and policy standards for the school.

Besides the democratic base it provides, this type of governance allows for the direct influence of parents on the education of their children, says Vanasselt, and “that is as it should be.”

“Parents should be the ones to direct the education of their kids,” he says. “This is not a church or state responsibility.”
In an article Vanasselt authored, called “School Credit was Good Benefit,” originally published in the Kitchener Waterloo Record, November 12, 2003, Vanasselt pointed to a survey by the Ontario College of Teachers which shows that many agree with his view about the importance of parental influence. In this survey, 98 per cent of teachers said that "parental involvement is essential to students' educational success." Vanasselt also referred to an Ipsos-Reid poll of 1000 randomly selected Ontarians. Eighty-six per cent agreed that parents are the most important factor in "the development in children of proper social values such as tolerance, respect, discipline, and work ethic."

Parental influence can happen with this particular governance model like nowhere else. That influence takes place not only in the home while working on homework assignments, and in the classroom while volunteering, but also behind boardroom doors. Parents themselves ultimately oversee the course of each school.

While OACS schools have a localized form of government, they do not operate completely in isolation. As members of OACS, they are supported in meeting their purpose of Christian education. The OACS board, elected by the membership at an annual meeting, provides professional leadership and educational solutions to the schools.

Founded in 1952, OACS is the oldest independent school organization in Canada. It is also the largest, with its representation of seventy-nine schools and 14,000 students. The OACS is a member of Christian Schools Canada as well as the Federation of Independent Schools in Canada.