The rift is widening between the region’s largest school board and some rural politicians.
Marcus Ryan, mayor of Zorra Township is calling on the province’s minister of education to launch an investigation into the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), but the trustee who chairs the public school board accuses Ryan of having political motives.
Mayor Ryan has drafted a letter to Education Minister Stephen Lecce seeking a provincial investigation into the recent actions of TVDSB leadership, and for a provincial appointee to temporarily take on an oversight role with the board.
“We need better school board governance to deliver for our communities,” Ryan told CTV News. “I’m asking that they send in an investigator and a supervisor to run the school board. It’s clearly demonstrated that it can’t govern itself.”
TVDSB Chair Lori-Ann Pizzolato fired back at Ryan’s motives.
“These are people who are selfishly, and very intentionally trying to generate media attention and trying to satisfy their own narrative and political agenda,” Pizzolato said.
Ryan’s letter comes one day after appearing at a TVDSB meeting to present his concerns about governance.
“The board of trustees passes resolutions, but then senior administration seems to do whatever they want,” Ryan told trustees at the meeting, referring to confusion about the board’s approval of a mask requirement that administration deemed unenforceable.
Trustee Corrine Rahman took exception, insisting on a more respectful tone towards administration and trustees.
“We just want [comments] to be more respectful,” Pizzolato instructed Ryan. “Everything needs to be positive, we are trying to teach students positivity.”
After a tense back and forth about the tone of Ryan’s criticism of board leadership and governance, he was notified the five minutes allotted to his delegation had expired.
“This is nothing but a charade and a sham,” he told the board after banging his clipboard on the podium. “Good luck to you all ever having any level of effective governance if you are not willing to accept any level of criticism.”
On Wednesday morning, Ryan was in council chambers drafting his letter to the education minister, and said, “In the end, the trustees made my case for bad governance better than I could have delivered by my delegation.”
“I have provided nothing new last night,” Pizzolato said. “We were very disappointed with the conversation. That had nothing to do with governance and everything to do with respect at an assembly.”
TVDSB represents public schools in Oxford, Elgin and Middlesex Counties, as well as the City of London.
Major Ryan believes it’s time to split the board in two.
“Not that it’s rural [is] good and london [is] bad — but there are different needs, and that is part of what the school board is struggling with and it should be divided,” Ryan said.
He’s seeking support for his letter from other municipal and provincial politicians who represent local communities served by TVDSB.
Mayor Ryan, Thames Center Deputy Mayor Kelly Elliott and Zorra Councillor Katie Grigg are hosting a public meeting on May 4 at the Dorchester Auditorium to discuss how residents can make a difference in public education during the upcoming provincial election.