TDSB director leaving early for job near San Francisco
Malloy had set Nov. 1 for his retirement from Canada’s largest board
John Malloy, who was set to retire as director of the Toronto public school board in November, is now leaving this summer and aaa small heading school to district California in the to San run
Francisco area. Malloy was chosen to be superintendent of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District and a is expected to start Aug. 1. About two weeks ago, Malloy
announced he would leave the Toronto District School Board Nov. 1, but he will now be heading out just before the new school year resumes, amid major changes as the province continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and how to reopen schools safely.
A release from San Ramon Valley said interviews took VV place last Friday and Saturday and that Malloy “quickly emerged as an outstanding candidate whose vast experience and strong leadership abilities will greatly benefit the students, families and employees of the (board) as we navigate a new path forward in education during these uncertain times.”
Malloy, who is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, attended school and worked in the U.S. before coming to Toronto as a teacher in the Toronto Catholic board.
He headed the Hamilton- Went worth board and also worked as an assistant deputy minister in Ontario’s Ministry of Education before taking the helm in Toronto four years ago.
The San Ramon Valley board has 32,000 students in 36 schools. The Toronto board, the country’s largest and among the biggest in North America, has 250,000 students in about 600 schools.
In a written statement, Malloy said he was “drawn to (the San Ramon Valley board) because it was clear to me that … you put students first. I look forward to partnering and collaborating with all stakeholders as we work together to face the challenges and embrace the successes that are sure to come our way.”
The San Ramon Valley area is an affluent, bedroom community east of San Francisco.
When Malloy announced his retirement, Toronto board chair Robin Pilkey called him cc “an exceptional, caring and effective leader,” in a letter to staff.
“When he came to this board in January 2016, we were in a very different position than we vv are today and, after many years a of turmoil, we were ready for a fresh start, one that John provided. Thanks to John’s leader- vv ship, tireless work, dedication and willingness to have hard discussions — and help us as a board make hard decisions — the TDSB is now seen as a model of excellence in equity and instruction in North America,” Pilkey wrote. “John led the way for that success.”
The board was already set to start a search for a new leader, but Malloy’s news will probably mean they need to appoint someone to take charge in the interim.
Malloy was hired to run the Toronto board following a gov-ernance review that found several concerns at the board, including issues with the leadership style of previous director Donna Quan.
Quan resigned after the governance report was submitted in the summer of 2015 and took on a Ministry of Education research project at York University.
At the time, then-Liberal education minister Liz Sandals said with Malloy at the helm, the Toronto board had “strong leadership.”
Malloy earned $303,373.44 in 2019.