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Catholic board re-elects Kennedy as chair

Provincially appointed supervisor remains in charge as conflict-of-interest allegations continue at theTCDSB

Kate Hammer

Toronto — From Thursday's Globe and Mail Published on Wednesday, Dec. 09, 2009 11:59PM EST Last updated on Friday, Dec. 11, 2009 12:16AM EST


The Toronto Catholic District School Board re-elected Angela Kennedy as their chair last night.

Although a provincially appointed supervisor remains in charge of the board and Ms. Kennedy's role will be limited, boards across the province will be watching closely.

She and her 12 fellow trustees have been cast as canaries in a coal mine on the muddy subject of trustees and conflicts of interest. Earlier this year, former TCDSB chair Oliver Carroll was found guilty of 10 conflict-of-interest offences for voting on a budget that affected teacher layoffs despite his daughter being a teacher.

Last month, Ms. Kennedy and long-time trustee Barbara Poplawski became the subjects of new conflict-of-interest allegations pertaining to the same vote that contributed to the downfall of Mr. Carroll.

Mr. Carroll's case has left many Ontario trustees marooned in legally murky territory. Like Mr. Carroll and Ms. Kennedy, many trustees have family members who work for the boards they help run. If the interpretation stands up to further court scrutiny it means dozens of trustees across the province, some of them chairs and vice-chairs, would be breaking the law whenever they discuss or vote on school budgets.

“Some trustees…are really questioning whether they'll run to be trustees again and if they don't, we'll lose some really valuable individuals that have served the public very well,” said Colleen Schenk, president of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association.

At the Toronto District School Board, four trustees recently bowed out of voting on part of the 2009-2010 budget because of family members who worked as teachers or substitute teachers for the board. At the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, minutes show that four trustees, including the chair and vice chair, left the room during part of the 2009-2010 budget vote because of conflicts of interest.

Peter Jaffe, a professor at the University of Western Ontario's faculty of education, has been a trustee with the Thames Valley District School Board for 25 years. He said that a lot has changed in that time, but the conflict-of-interest issue is the first to make him consider abandoning a bid for re-election.

Mr. Jaffe's wife is a school psychologist with the TVDSB and he used to excuse himself from budget discussions that pertained to her staffing category.

“I certainly support the concept that it's important to declare conflicts of interest. I think what's gotten confusing is how far conflicts go,” Mr. Jaffe said. “…What's new with the court case coming out of [Toronto's] Catholic board is the judge's ruling is being interpreted by many boards that if you have a conflict anywhere then you have a conflict on the whole budget.”

TCDSB trustee Rob Davis has been pushing for regulations that would bar trustees with conflicts of interest from becoming the chair or vice-chair of their board.

“A dedicated trustee who is elected chairman will be too tempted to break the law in carrying out their duties,” he said. “And if they don't break the law, it's really stupid that the political leader and the bureaucratic leader of the Toronto Catholic school board can't talk about a $700-million line item; employee wages. Wages are 80 per cent of our annual budget.”


Embattled school chief re-elected

December 10, 2009

Kristin Rushowy

EDUCATION REPORTER

Angela Kennedy has been re-elected chair of Toronto's Catholic board despite facing a court challenge over conflict-of-interest allegations.

Before the secret ballot – which she won over challenger Catherine LeBlanc-Miller 7 to 4 – one ratepayer had urged trustees to "choose wisely and correctly" and not further harm the board's reputation. Michael Baillargeon made no direct reference to Kennedy, although it was clear he was referring to the conflict case that goes to court in February.
 

 "No one has the right to put this board into public disrepute," said Baillargeon, who won his conflict-of-interest case against former chair and trustee Oliver Carroll for taking part in discussions and voting on budgetary matters that could have affected his daughter, a newly hired teacher. Carroll was ousted from the board earlier this year.

"As trustees, it is your responsibility to act in the board's best interest and for some of you that may mean putting personal feelings and interests aside or require you to disappoint a friend and colleague," Baillargeon said.

However, Kennedy said after the vote the conflict case "has nothing to do with governance of the board or leadership" and that "in our democracy, we are innocent until proven guilty. It's not going to interfere with what I have to do as chair of the board."

She also said the Catholic board must move from under provincial supervision to a "co-management" situation, and that she'll work hard to achieve that.

Kennedy's position has little power as provincial supervisor Richard Alway has final say on all matters. Some speculate it's unlikely trustees will be back in power before next fall's municipal election.

Parent Clint Harder, who attended the meeting to thank the board for saving a special education program, said he wondered, with even the perception of conflict of interest, "how can someone even stand for a vote?"


Murielle Boudreau of the Greater Toronto Catholic Parent Network said she was "disgusted" by the vote. "Is she thinking about the great good of Catholic education?"

But Kennedy noted that just last week, she was voted in as vice-chair of the special education advisory committee and nominated by a parent. "All kinds of parents out there are very supportive of me."

Baillargeon, who said he spoke on behalf of a number of Catholic parents and community members, said the vote had the potential to be "a significant turning point" for the board, which has been embroiled in controversy for the past 18 months.

Just last month, a parent launched a court case against Kennedy and longtime trustee Barbara Poplawski, accusing them of taking part in discussions and voting on budgetary matters at a May 2008 meeting that could have affected staffing. At the time, Kennedy's son was a contract teacher with the board and Poplawski's daughter an education assistant.

The Greater Toronto Catholic Parent Network had urged Kennedy to step down as chair until the court case concluded. She refused.

Alway had said there was nothing preventing her from staying on or running again.

Trustee Ann Andrachuk nominated Kennedy. Andrachuk was later elected the board's vice-chair.

Kennedy told trustees before the vote that despite "turbulent times" student success has been "stellar." She said with one year to go before the next municipal election, it was time to show the education ministry that trustees are ready to once again take the reins at the board.

Parent Sylvia Menezes said she just hopes the board can move forward and get out from under provincial supervision so parents can play a part in the decision-making process, especially given upcoming school closings.

The board has been under provincial supervision since June 2008, after trustees failed to balance the budget and voted themselves unauthorized benefits. Some were caught charging taxpayers for outrageous expenses like hotel mini-bars, lingerie and a sun lamp. One even expensed her honeymoon.
416-320-4300| Fax 416-466-6987 | info@gtcpn.com
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Parents Talking to Parents and Catholic Electors