Ontario education minister to allow school board trustees to be sworn in
Education Minister Paul Calandra wants to ensure that trustees are in keeping with a code of conduct after finding out that some were planning on having meetings after being elected this past Monday.
Ontario's Education Minister Paul Calandra has announced that school board trustees will be allowed to be sworn in, despite concerns that some were planning to conduct unofficial meetings with families shortly after their election. The ministers' decision comes after the Ford government placed eight school boards under supervision, including the Toronto District and Toronto Catholic boards, thereby removing trustees' governing power.
Initially, Calandra had decided not to allow the re-elected and newly elected trustees to be sworn in, which would have left them without official status. However, after hearing suggestions of community gatherings in libraries or community centres, and even live streaming them, Calandra reversed his stance.
Calandra explained that if any trustees choose to disregard the code of conduct and act outside their official role, the details would be reported to the integrity commissioner for investigation. He stated that the trustees will be subject to the code of conduct, and the supervisors will continue to manage the affairs of the boards until the responsibility is returned to them.
TDSB trustee Alexis Dawson emphasized that despite the limitations, the trustees remain elected by their communities and can represent them through various channels, such as participating in rallies and community events. The new trustees are expected to be sworn in by November 15, which will delay the first board meetings.
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