EMSB trusteeship renewal was heavy-handed

Quebec has failed to justify a move that is all the more problematic amid pandemic, Joseph Lalla says.

On Nov. 6, 2019, under very questionable circumstances, the provincial government placed the English Montreal School Board under partial trusteeship for a period of six months. At the time, the EMSB was a vocal opponent of Bill 21 and Bill 40, both of which are being legally challenged. The EMSB also launched a challenge over the government’s seizure of two EMSB schools for use by the French school board. Many suggested at the time that trusteeship was in fact a legal means to silence the EMSB.

Marlene Jennings was appointed as administrator of the EMSB for the duration of this period. She assumed all the functions and powers of the EMSB’S Council of Commissioners, apart from its power to institute and manage legal proceedings. Jennings was also tasked with presenting a plan to restructure the EMSB’S administration. The firm of Deloitte was hired to advise her in this mandate.

Trusteeship is a tool of last resort, used by the government to seize control of another organization when that body cannot effectively function and carry out its mission. This was never the case with the EMSB.

The day-to-day operations of our elementary schools, high schools and adult centres were functioning extremely well. Allocations of budgets to the schools, approval of a multitude of programs and initiatives, school maintenance and physical improvements were all occurring in a timely and responsible fashion. More than 90 per cent of the resolutions discussed at council meetings by the commissioners were passed unanimously.

Reaching consensus among 15 commissioners is a difficult task under any circumstances. Public meetings of the council were often spirited, even animated at times. Occasionally, the debates and discussions went on for lengthy periods. The results of these heated debates were twofold: first, an increase in public awareness and interest, and second, an increase in media coverage, both of which are desirable. Debate that results in good long-term decision-making, as well as heightened public interest in the governance of our school board, is important and fundamental to democracy, even if it is messy at times.

The EMSB’S student success rate of 92.4 per cent was the highest among the 69 English and French school boards in Quebec for the third consecutive year.

There have been many references to dysfunction at the EMSB. Unfortunately, the leadership crisis was a contributing factor to this. The majority of commissioners recognized that they had to address this problem. To that end at the Sept. 26, 2018 meeting of the council, the vice chair was voted out of office by 10 of the 15 commissioners.

Subsequently, at the Feb. 19, 2019 meeting, by a twothirds majority, the commissioners expressed their lack of confidence in the chair and called on her to resign. The Education Act unfortunately prevented the council from voting the chair out of office and replacing her.

Had the chair resigned, trusteeship would never have occurred.

The six-month trusteeship period has now ended, but the government has unilaterally extended it for another six months. This move is unnecessarily heavy-handed, as it unilaterally penalizes the majority of elected commissioners and their constituents.

This Council of Commissioners has been effectively muzzled forever. Its mandate ends on Nov. 1, when school board elections are scheduled to take place. This is another blow for democracy in Quebec.

No justifiable reason has been given by the government regarding this additional six months of trusteeship. Oversight by elected representatives especially during these terrible times is very important and should not be stifled.

School commissioners have strong ties to their communities and are often contacted by parents seeking information on various topics. They could be of assistance during this COVID -19 crisis. Rather than include them in “allhands-on-deck” to help out, the government has decided to exclude them and deprive communities of an important element of support.

Joseph Lalla is the EMSB school commissioner for N.D.G. and Montreal West and a retired school principal.