Firing of Director Peter Joshua brings hope to embattled board

BY PAUL JUNOR

On Tuesday, June 23^rd, 2020, Minister of  Education, Stephen Leeece announced that effectively immediately, Peel  District  School Board (PDSB) director, Peter Joshua had been removed from his position. The move came after he appointed former Deputy Minister of Education, Bruce Rodrigues as the board’s new supervisor on Monday, June 22^nd, 2020.

Minister Leece stated, “The appointment of a supervisor will allow the PDSB to get back on track and undertake the necessary actions to eliminate the practices and policies underpinning discrimination and inequities.” On June 25^th, 2020, the PDSB announced that the supervisor had appointed Jaspal Gill as the temporary Interim Director. He had been with the board since 1999, and has served in several leadership capacities. He has been Associate Director of Operational Support since 2013, and will report to the supervisor until a new Director is found.

The firing of Peter Joshua has been exacerbated by the pandemic crisis when there are so many challenges. There is no doubt that PDSB has been under the microscope for the past months since the Ministry of Education launched its review in November 2019. The subsequent release of the review and 27 Ministerial-binding directions on March 13^th, 2020 was meant to push positive change. Minister Leece felt it necessary to appoint Arleen Huggins, a lawyer and human rights advocate on April 27^th, 2020, to investigate the PDSB’s compliance or potential non-compliance of these directives.

It was in the results of her investigations that were released on May 15^th, 2020, that unearthed the extent of the dysfunction at PDSB. Among the seven specific findings that she revealed, two of them pertained to the Director. She notes, “I have seen little evidence of the Director’s stated appreciation of the urgent need for bold, decisive leadership to bring about the transformational change that the directions require,” and that “He has not demonstrated the necessary capacity to lead the implementation of the binding directions. There is no evidence of urgent and decisive leadership to assess the findings in the Report and take the actions.”

 In a statement on June 8^th, 2020, the Minister Leece stated “It is clear that we must continue our work to confront racism – specifically anti-black racism within our schools across the province. Our government will continue to drive change, demand improvement and stand-up for students who face hate and racism.”

It is obvious that Minister Leece has been aware of the dysfunction at the PDSB, and the black community’s role in advocacy in support of their children who have been: marginalized, harassed, suspended, expelled and ostracised. The PDSB announced on June 15^th, 2020 that Dr Avis Glaze would serve as Special Consultant to the then Director Peter Joshua, to address: anti-black racism, and to improve community relations with a focus on strategic directions on equity and accountability.

On Monday, June 22^nd, 2020, Minister Leece tweeted, “I have asked the new supervisor to have the PDSB immediately withdraw from litigation against community members to begin the process of driving change and meaningful engagement with those affected. We cannot silence community. In fact, we need more community in these moments.”

 This is a good sign that the Minister is committed to ensuring that PDSB becomes truly: fair, engaging, inclusive, equitable and responsive to the needs of black community.