Ex-principals join top ranks amid Thames Valley school board upheaval

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Three former principals are joining the top ranks of the troubled Thames Valley District school board after two senior officials took leaves of absence and another exited following a travel scandal that sparked a provincial audit.

The three-day August retreat by 18 senior staff members of the cash-strapped school board, Ontario’s fourth-biggest, included first-class train travel to and from Toronto and a stay at the hotel inside the Rogers Centre, the Toronto Blue Jays stadium. The Jays were playing at home on all three dates.

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The trip cost more than $38,000 as the board was dealing with a $7.6-million deficit.

The Queen’s Park audit may also examine the double-digit pay increases given to 17 of the school board’s top administrators last year, ranging from 12 to 33 per cent. Bill Tucker, the interim education director, said this week the $38,000 is being recouped from the expense accounts of the senior officials who attended the Toronto retreat.

The newly appointed Thames Valley superintendents are:

• Jeff Beynon, principal of Montcalm secondary school
• Tammy Vacante, a system principal for literacy, the arts and French as a second Language
• Kimberley Crawford, a system principal with the Avon Maitland District school board

Tucker said the three new superintendents rose “head and shoulders about all the candidates” in his search.

“It’s a life-changing promotion, because the responsibilities are enhanced in terms of working with principals, parents and trustees,” he said. “You have potential to impact families on a much wider scale, in a positive way.”

There has been major upheaval at the board’s top ranks in the last two months, and even before that.

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Superintendent of human resources Katie Osborne left the board in September.

Another superintendent, Tracy Langelaan, left for a similar position with the London District Catholic school board earlier this year. And another as yet unnamed superintendent is also likely to retire soon.

Education director Mark Fisher went on a paid leave days into the school year, and was followed by associate director Linda Nichols taking a leave of absence as well. Tucker came out of retirement to take the helm.

Communications director Cheryl Weedmark also exited last month.

Andrew Canham also stepped down from his role of associate director at the board amid the post-retreat upheaval. He is temporarily replaced by longtime superintendent Karen Wilkinson, who has deferred taking her pension to continue working at the board.

Several months ago, one of two associate directors, Riley Culhane, also left for a new role as superintendent at the Seaforth-based Avon Maitland District school board.

With an annual budget of roughly $1.2 billion, Thames Valley has about 160 schools spread across the London region.

hrivers@postmedia.com
@HeatheratLFP

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