Press Release |
MPP: Allow Trustees To Do Their Job March 23, 2011
Question Period March 23, 2011
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Question Period April 7, 2011 |
Also read Frankly Speaking
Who's in Charge at the School Board ?
Media: parentcentral.ca
York trustees advised not to meet with parents on school issues Article by Kristin Rushowy
March 23, 2011 details
Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees cleared the way today for school board trustees to do the job they were elected to do.
In response to a question from Klees during the legislature's Question Period, the Minister of Education confirmed that there is nothing in legislation that prevents a trustee from meeting in private with parents to discuss school board issues.
The question to the minister was prompted by reports that York Region District School Board trustees were told it was inappropriate for them to meet in private with parents. According to Klees, this has frustrated parents and has been confusing for some trustees – especially newly-elected trustees who thought meeting with parents would be part of their job.
"Parents and the Trustees who were elected to represent them, want to know whether this directive comes from the Minister," said Klees, "and if so, how does the Minister justify this blatant undermining of the role of elected trustees?"
Klees called the directive, which reportedly came directly from the Director of Education, "offensive" and asked the Minister to take the necessary steps to "reign” in any Director of Education who would show such disrespect for trustees who were elected to oversee the administration of education.
"Trustees are accountable to the public, and according to legislation, the Director of Education is accountable to Trustees, not the other way around," said Klees. "That order of accountability seems to have become very confused".
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For Media Inquiries Contact:
Darryl Wolk
Executive Assistant to Frank Klees, MPP
(416) 325-7316
darryl.wolk@pc.ola.org
Hansard record of Minister’s response:
Hon. Leona Dombrowsky: I very much appreciate the question. It is an important one. Certainly, trustees are accountable to the people who have elected them. They are not accountable to the school board administration when it comes to dealing with the people who elected them. I would say that trustees do have a responsibility to the people who elected them; that there is nothing in the Education Act that would say that a trustee should not meet with their constituents. That is very clear. Nothing has changed with this government. In fact, we believe that locally-elected boards are accountable to their communities and the best way to do that is meet with the people who elected them.