Sorry— not sorry? School board motion to apologize to rural leaders dies behind closed doors
“By any stretch what happened, under the municipal act, was illegal, poor governance, no accountability,” Deputy Mayor of Thames Centre Kelly Elliott says about a decision earlier this week by the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB).
On Tuesday during a closed-door in-camera meeting, TVDSB Trustees discussed a motion to formally apologize to rural leaders who participated in the Rural Education Task Force (RETF).
It was ‘out of order’ by Chair Lori-Ann Pizzolato in public session but the board has offered no further explanation.
“It’s unfortunate how it all played out because there really was a chance to mend the bridges,” says Elliott.
In March, members of the Rural Education Task Force placed their draft report on the agendas of several rural municipal councils in Oxford County, Elgin County, and Middlesex County so the public would see the results of two years' worth of work.
The RETF claimed they were being silenced by TVDSB despite being appointed to dig into key issues in rural education since the summer of 2019.
The school board responded at the time with a tersely worded letter to the Oxford County CAO stating the decision to post the draft report was an 'egregious breach' and directed them to ‘remove the draft report from the agenda.'
It stated a failure to do so would constitute a betrayal of the statutory and jurisdictional authority and mandate of the (school) board.
The letter further angered many rural politicians, including Elliott.
Tuesday’s motion appeared to be an attempt to mend fences before it was ruled to be ‘out of order’ by TVDSB trustees.
The motion read:
- Whereas: recognizing that board governance can be seen in the level of public trust in a Board; and,
- Whereas: good governance holds leaders responsible;
- Therefore be it resolved that: a retraction of statements made by the TVDSB and the TVDSB Chair of the Board in regard to: Rural Education Task Force (RETF) Chair and Trustee members of the RETF; the CAO’s and Wardens of Oxford and Middlesex County and; the County Councillor members of the RETF.
- And, that an apology for the statements is granted in a public manner
Meanwhile, Elliott says next steps for the RETF remain uncertain.
“Where the Rural Education Task Force stands right now is unknown,” explains Elliott. “They have sent it back to committees with no deadline, no due date, nothing.”
She adds that the dispute has never been about seeking a public apology.
“I will extend an olive branch and continue the work,” Elliot said. “Our communities are more important than this. They are more important than an apology.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.