Troubled York school board brings in temporary director

Kathi Wallace takes helm after recently retiring as director of education for Simcoe County board

York school board trustees have hired a temporary director three weeks after firing the previous one.

Kathi Wallace, who recently retired as director of education of the Simcoe County board, starts the job next Wednesday.

Education Minister Mitzie Hunter, while congratulatory, continued to push the troubled board to make changes in light of a blistering report looking into incidents of racism and Islamophobia, as well as a broader culture of fear and distrust among staff — much of it fostered by the former leader.

“My hope is that the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) will continue to take the appropriate actions to address the 22 directives I have outlined to begin the process of rebuilding the confidence of students, parents and staff,” Hunter said of the orders she issued to the board after the report.

“Through the trustees’ appointment of Kathi Wallace as interim director, my expectation is that the YRDSB will continue to work together to address the concerns surrounding governance, transparency and equity . . . the former director of the Simcoe County District School Board brings considerable knowledge and experience in governance and school board leadership to the YRDSB as it continues to address the directives I have outlined.”

The board had hoped to hire a director within a week of J. Phillip Parappally’s exit, and Chair Loralea Carruthers noted “this has been a longer process than we anticipated” and said the next step is to create a policy for hiring a permanent director, likely by this fall.

“We are certain that Ms. Wallace will help guide us to ensure the most positive learning environment for our students,” Carruthers said in a statement. “We look forward to having Ms. Wallace join the board and work with us as we collaborate with families across York Region.”

After Parappally was let go, associate director Leslie Johnstone took over his duties until an interim replacement could be found.

“My priority is student achievement and well-being,” Kathi Wallace says. She began teaching in 1977.