Secrecy, Firings, and Silence: Parents Excluded as Conservatives Tighten Control of School Boards

OTTAWA — Following the firing of the TDSB’s Director of Education, NDP Shadow Minister for Education MPP Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West — Nepean) released this statement:

"Yet again, we see an incredibly consequential decision being made by Conservative-appointed supervisors behind closed doors. Parents have not been consulted and had no opportunity to participate in this important decision.

"We have been hearing from people in the board that the departure of the Director of Education comes after speaking up about the impact of Ministry decisions on the financial state of the board, and sends a clear message to board staff: if you speak the truth, you will be fired.

"Parents deserve to know how much this decision will cost them. How much money is now going to pay severance and the salary for a new Director of Education while the supervisor also collects his hefty $350,000 paycheque. Taxpayers deserve transparency. That's the opposite of what they're getting from this government and this supervisor."