Peel public, York Catholic school boards under provincial supervision
· Toronto Sun
OTTAWA — Two more Ontario school boards are now under provincial supervision.
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On Thursday, Education Minister Paul Calandra announced that the Peel District School Board (PDSB) and York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) will now be overseen by an appointed supervisor. Calandra said the move was prompted by “serious concerns about infighting and long-term financial unsustainability” that he said risked disrupting learning and undermining student achievement.
“After careful review, it is clear that both Peel and York Catholic are facing serious challenges that they cannot resolve on their own,” Calandra said in a statement.
“I have appointed supervisors to restore sound management, strengthen oversight and ensure every decision is focused on protecting student learning and success.”
Why were the boards taken over?
The minister’s office noted the move is part of the government’s plan to restore fiscal prudence to the province’s school boards and address claims of mismanagement.
The province announced in January that both the PDSB and YCDSB will be placed under provincial supervision.
In the case of the Peel board, the province said the move was made to halt the board’s plan to lay off 60 classroom teachers, which they said would have disrupted the learning of 1,400 students in the middle of the school year.
The province also noted that the Peel board — Ontario’s second-largest behind the Toronto District School Board — has put its financial future in jeopardy by running deficits over the past five years.
The Peel board will be overseen by management consultant Heather Watt, while the York Catholic board will be managed by Carrie Kormos.
Both have experience in public and private sector management.
Last year, Queen’s Park took over control of a number of Ontario school boards , suspending trustees and appointing supervisors to address what the province alleges are epidemics of mismanagement.
What does the opposition say?
A total of eight school boards are now under direct provincial control.
These include the Near North District School Board in Parry Sound/Muskoka, Thames Valley District School Board in London, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and Toronto’s public and Catholic school boards.
In response to the move, Ontario NDP Education Critic Chandra Pasma said it’s another example of the Doug Ford PC government putting politics ahead of students, and said they don’t see how the move will help students.
“Instead of bringing in experienced educators who understand classrooms and student needs, Minister Calandra has handed control to former Conservative government staffers, one of whom is a casino executive and a (Mike) Harris-era chief of staff,” she said.
“Students, parents, and educators should be at the centre of decisions about our schools. Instead, Minister Calandra is blatantly ignoring the voices that should matter most and handing control to political insiders.”