Retired Toronto District School Board Director John Malloy leaves a legacy

BY PAUL JUNOR

It was a shock to many at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) when its director Dr. John Malloy announced his retirement in a press release on May 4^th, 2020.

The Board of Trustees met at a special Board meeting Monday, May 4^th, 2020 in which they accepted his retirement. It was supposed to be effective November 1^st, 2020 but it will occur during the summer.

Dr. John Malloy has been the Director of Education since January 2016. His appointment came after the resignation of the previous Director Donna Quan. Her resignation came after a governance report was submitted in the summer of 2105, which identified specific concerns with respect to her leadership style. She left TDSB to take over a Ministry of Education research project at York University. Prior to her appointment, Chris Spence was at the helm from 2009 to 2013.

In many ways, his brief tenure at the TDSB will be characterized by many outstanding accomplishments. He will be remembered for spearheading the Enhancing Equity Task Force in 2017, which led to the implementation of the Multi-Year Strategic Action Plan(MYSAP).

There was much collaboration between parents, students, community members, educators and TDSB personnel that identified significant gaps with respect to the education of black students and other racialized students. The systematic nature of barriers to access, engagement, resources, programs and supports in TDSB based on data was the basis of the Action Plan. It highlighted the existence of systemic racism, especially anti-black racism.

This equity agenda is what drives the TDSB, and Dr. John Malloy was dubbed the, “social justice warrior” by a Toronto newspaper. He stated that, “We need to start going back into the community every six months with data on our progress, good or bad to re-engage our stakeholders.” (Anthony Jackson in Gettingsmart.com/2020/04 getting-clearer-dismantling-systemic-oppression-in-public-education).

The first ever Centre for Excellence for Black Students Achievement was announced on June 17^th, 2020. This Centre will focus on initiatives to help black students thrive and flourish in TDSB. In its press release, the Chair of the TDSB, Robin Pilkey acknowledged the contributions of the Director. He stated,

 “John has been an exceptional, caring and effective leader. When he came to this Board, we were in a very different position than we are today, and after many years of turmoil we were ready for a fresh start, one that John provided. Thanks to John’s leadership, timeless work, dedication, and willingness to have hard discussions, the TDSB is now seen as a model of excellence in equity and instruction in North America. John led the way for success. John will be deeply missed and I know my trustee colleagues and all staff  sincerely wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement from the TDSB.”

 In his acknowledgement John Malloy stated, “I am grateful for the privilege of serving students, staff, parents and our community at TDSB over the last several years. I have been so impressed with the courage of this Board and staff to focus and act on issues of equity. As I reflect on the progress we have made together to help every student succeed, I know that the foundation has been set for this important work to continue because of the amazing leadership happening at every level of the system.”

There are many changes that await the TDSB as the search is on for a permanent director. There will be tremendous fiscal challenges ahead. The board will face a shortfall of $250 million for the 2020-2021 school year. In addition, a new Chair of the Board of Trustees will need to be named as Robin Pilkey stepped down on Wednesday, July 22^nd, 2020.

Whoever is selected as the Director will be propelled by the five system goals of the MYSAP which has been in effect since 2018. These goals which connect equity and excellence is invented to foster high-quality learning and teaching to ensure that all students are able to achieve their maximum potential.