News Release
4/10/2017
“Very pleased,” says Minister Mitzie Hunter
Aurora, ON – Ontario Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter said today she is “very pleased” with efforts York Region District School Board (YRDSB) Trustees have made in dealing with complaints related to bias and misspending at the School Board.
Speaking to reporters after releasing a review into challenges facing YRDSB, Minister Hunter said: “I am very pleased to see that [trustees] are moving forward and want to take action in a positive direction.”
“They understand,” she added, “the need to restore confidence in the York Region School Board.”
The Minister’s comments came after all YRDSB Trustees issued a statement saying that they had received the Minister’s message, “loud and clear.”
YRDSB Board Chair Loralea Carruthers, speaking on behalf of the Trustees, said the Board had already started to implement some of the report’s key recommendations. Said Carruthers: “We want parents and students to be assured this report will not be ignored in any way, shape or form. Our primary mission has been, and continues to be, the education and well-being of our students.”
Minister Hunter told the media that she will be closely monitoring YRDSB’s progress closely in the days ahead.
Carruthers, speaking on behalf of all Trustees, said that she and her colleagues have already taken positive steps to improve education at the Board, and firmly commit to taking further action in the days ahead. These actions are as follows:
- We have established committees to immediately deal with racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and Islamophobia.
- We are ceasing international and “jurisdictional travel” immediately for senior staff and Trustees.
- We have met with respected equity experts to commence action to develop and implement a full equity plan.
- We have taken action on a comprehensive equity audit.
- We are hiring an integrity commissioner.
- We have agreed to a tough arm’s-length Trustee assessment process.
We have committed to a comprehensive equity training strategy.
York Region District School Board is the third largest school district in Ontario with over 123,000 students in 176 elementary schools and 32 secondary schools. York Region students consistently perform above average in provincial testing and the Board is one of the top achievers in Ontario. For more information about the York Region District School Board, please visit the Board website and follow @YRDSB on Twitter.
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