British Columbia's Education Minister, Mike Bernier, has fired all nine trustees from the Vancouver School Board. The move was announced yesterday, and comes after the trustees failed to submit a balanced budget by the requested deadline. While mostly unheard of, the dismissal was imminent after the VSB rejected a budget proposal from the provincial government, just this past June. The School Board, however, was finally set to pass a budget last night, but Bernier claimed it "impossible to have any confidence [of] a potential last-minute change of position".
Along with this failure, the VSB find themselves in more hot water, facing several allegations of bullying. These claims cite that multiple trustees have harassed fellow staff members. The validity behind these accusations, are currently being investigated. School Board chair, Mike Lombardi, has stated that he hasn't received any complaints from employers.
Speaking to press, Bernier said, "What we have witnessed from the Vancouver School Board is a misplaced focus on political tactics rather than responsible stewardship". Meanwhile, the relieved trustees are calling the entire situation outrageous. Vancouver Mayor, Gregor Robertson, says that he is "extremely disappointed." Robertson continued to be dumbfounded. "It makes no sense when they were about to pass the budget. I believe [the elected trustees] can do the best job for our kids, and were fighting to keep our schools open".
While the allegations of bullying continue to be investigated, the school board was appointed a temporary trustee. Chief Educator, Dianne Turner, will fulfill duties for an estimated term of one year. Her previous experience includes her role as superintendent of the Delta School District. Turner will report to the Deputy Minister of Education, while she operates in the VSB. Speaking on Turner's new role, Bernier said that it will be her duty to put the board back on the right track. "After restoring order in district operations, it will be her job to work with her district team and develop a plan that puts Vancouver back on a firm financial footing while further accelerating seismic upgrades and preserving education services for students".
