Submissions received after the due date.
- Marty Carr – Zone 6
- Nicholas Lapierre – Zone 5
- Amanda Purdy – Zone 3
- Christine Boothby – Zone 2
- Rose LaBrèche – Zone 9
Marty Carr – Zone 6:
I support the current board of trustees selecting a new Director. It is well within their mandate and they have the knowledge and experience to do so. Any new trustees elected in October will have learning curves and being faced with such a critical decision as this early on in their term would not be wise.
Nicholas Lapierre – Zone 5:
Let the process begin. Beginning the process now is within the purview of the trustees currently sitting. That said I would encourage them to stage the process so that the roster of leading candidates be prepared for the soon to be sitting board to make a final decision. I have full confidence that while the leading candidate may vary, the core competency would remain relatively consistent.
Amanda Purdy – Zone 3:
My answer is NO to the question. Here is my reasoning:
I support the boards decision to retain the executive search services of Boyden. The Board sent letters to 200 key stakeholders and received 325 completed surveys, I trust this information will be used in the selection process.
Christine Boothby – Zone 2:
I am not in favour of delaying the selection of the Director of Education.
The decision to go forward with the Director selection by the current Board of Trustees was not taken lightly and we are fully committed to a process with public input and transparency. The current Board is in place, mandated and responsible to ensure the OCDSB continues to fully operate in the best interests of all of our students through 30 November 2018. The Board has a responsibility to continue to fulfill all of its obligations until the end of its 30 November mandate. The appointment of a new Director, in this case of retirement, and ensuring the OCDSB continues to have very strong leadership, are crucial aspects of our mandate.
There is much change happening in the Province in the Education portfolio. The OCDSB is the largest school board in Eastern Ontario and we must continue to have strong leadership in place for this school year for our students and families. We could not expect the Associate Director to take on the responsibilities of both roles until a Director could be appointed by the new Board, quite likely for September 2019. Both The Director and Associate Director have vital roles in ensuring we are fulfilling the commitments made in our Strategic Plan and Exit Outcomes. The newly elected Board of Trustees will have many opportunities to steer the direction of the OCDSB through a new Strategic Plan, as the current Strategic Plan expires in 2019, as well as the annual Board Work Plans. As a current Trustee, I intend to fulfill all the obligations of a Trustee through the end of the term, 30 November.
Rose LaBrèche – Zone 9:
Trustees elected on October 22, 2018 should be the driving force behind the hiring of a new Director of Education as the role is critical to ensuring the success of students within our city. Appointing a Director prior to the induction of a new Board could greatly affect the relationship between the two parties if they are not on the same page from the get-go. In turn, this could affect the quality of education received by all students. An interim Director (likely the OCDSB Associate Director) would offer a solid solution until the end of the school year in 2018-2019, and will give the newly elected board the opportunity to conduct a fulsome search for the right and best-fit candidate.