School board seeks change after reaching ‘crossroads’

New trustees, new staff and a few controversies spur reset

Hamilton public school board officials have embarked on a plan to improve the organization after failing to make the grade on several issues.

“We were at a bit of a crossroads,” says Todd White, chair of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board of the board’s state two years ago. The board had lost its education director, had only three of its 11 trustees re-elected, and was experiencing much controversy and unrest, he said.

“We decided to understand who we were and what people were feeling … we asked everyone for feedback. They were tough conversations, to tell you quite honestly,” White told a meeting of The Hamilton Spectator editorial board this week.

The bottom line was that the board had to do a better job.

It had to conquer internal conflict and become a better employer. It had to improve on student achievement. And, after hearing it wasn’t great at communicating, either internally among staff, or externally, with parents and the community, it had to pull up its socks on communication.

And when it came to school accommodation studies that led to school closures, they had to be handled way better, White said.

Lastly, the board had to partner with other organizations such as city hall, the community foundation, health care and so many more to achieve better outcomes for its students.

So the board — after hearing and learning from staff, parents and students — started school this year with a renewed vision that includes a five-year improvement plan.

The board has five new priorities:

create a positive culture and well-being among staff and students alike; better student learning and achievement; effective communication; school renewal (restoring facilities); forming partnerships with other organizations.

White said students were asked to finish the process by coming up with tag line for the plan. It’s ‘Curiosity. Creativity. Possibility.’

“We have the ability (now) to move forward and have student(s) and staff move forward with us on the journey,” White said.

Education director Manny Figueiredo called the student-created slogan a great tag line that the board then asked itself what it can do to put it into action.

For one thing, the board is partnering with the city to try to reach the city’s goal of having Hamilton be the best place to raise a child, he said.

As for better communication with staff and parents, the board is looking at how it can effectively communicate first internally, with its 7,000 employees, and then externally by for one thing, launching a parent portal “where they can get into the classroom” to see what their child learned that day.

“That’s going to create some work for people to open up their classroom door,” he acknowledged on the last point, but said communication has to be important.

White said Figueiredo has been tasked to strategize on how to achieve the new priorities.

On school closures, White said the board is taking a different approach by putting forth strong business plans rather than closing schools on a piecemeal approach.

He also pointed out the kindergarten to Grade 8 schools offer more flexibility in keeping schools full, healthy and with optimal amenities.

The board is not however, planning to close all of its middle schools because some are full.

White also said the board needs to work more closely with the city on its vacant properties and it needs to hold on to some of its properties for future needs.

We decided to understand who we were and what people were feeling …

TODD WHITE

CHAIR OF THE BOARD