A self-evaluation completed by the Pembina Hills board, which is publically available through the division’s website, sheds new light on the timeline that led to the termination of former superintendent Colleen Symyrozum-Watt.
The trustees passed a motion adopting the self-evaluation report as presented during their Sept. 13 meeting in Barrhead.
Board chair Jennifer Tuininga said they complete this self-evaluation each year, bringing in a consultant to aid them in this process.
It involves each trustee filling out a survey in June, followed by a meeting in early September where they compile a summary document.
Within the summary document, various challenges faced by the division throughout the 2016-2017 school year are listed. The most notable of these was the termination of the former superintendent.
As stated in the document, the process began with Tuininga receiving reports of harassment and bullying involving the former superintendent on Jan. 27, 2017.
Notably, the allegations came to her via the “whistleblower provisions” in the division’s own administrative procedure (AP) and the Public Interest Disclosure Act.
It had not been clear previously how the allegations around the former superintendent came to Tuininga.
The document then states the board convened a special meeting on Feb. 1 in Edmonton and appointed an ad hoc committee to investigate further.
A lawyer was retained through the Alberta School Boards Association and MNP LLP (Meyers Norris Penney) to conduct a thorough investigation and interview staff, as well as Symyrozum-Watt herself.
A final report on the investigation was submitted to the board on July 27, followed by the submission of a legal opinion on July 28. The board then met on July 31 to review and discuss the findings of the ad hoc committee.
Following its deliberations, the board terminated Symyrozum-Watt’s employment contract effective July 31, 2017. This coincided with the expiration of her contract.
“The board worked very hard to ensure the process was thorough, fair and impartial. This was a difficult situation and the board acted in the best interests of staff, students and the public,” the report states.
In August, it was reported by the Westlock News that Symyrozum-Watt is pursuing legal action for defamation against the division.
Other challenges from the past year included discussions around international field trips and terrorism, which led to the board restricting trips to Europe last fall, as well as the sudden elimination of school fees by the province that required extra work at the end of the 2016-2017 school year.
Pembina Hills also had to deal with a human rights complaint that forced the board to prohibit the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer at Busby, Dunstable and Pembina North Community School in May.
Finally, the list of challenges includes the controversy that erupted in March over the offering of a Women’s Studies course at Eleanor Hall School in Clyde.
Many on social media complained how the course put an emphasis on physical appearance and choosing hairstyles and clothing that accentuate appearance. The controversy was then reported on by national and international media.
However, the self-evaluation also lists successes from the past year, one of which was the successful hiring of David Garbutt as the new superintendent.
Other accomplishments included the building of leadership capacity in schools, the adoption of a statement acknowledging that Pembina Hills operates within Treaty 6 land, the clarification of policy around the roles of trustees, and the participation of local students in the Public School Boards Association of Alberta’s (PSBAA) spring and fall meetings.
As well, the board successfully developed a trustee handbook and video that will help inform new trustees who may be elected in October.
The self-evaluation also lists four “areas for emphasis” in the 2017-2018 year, such as developing knowledge around the division’s priorities of literacy, numeracy and diversity; participating in teacher-bargaining; monitoring declining enrolment; and participating in consultations around the School Act.
“There will most likely be policy changes needed in these areas as some of these areas are supposed to go forward in the fall session,” said Tuininga, referencing the changes to the School Act.
Tuininga acknowledged the difficulty in developing goals for a board that could theoretically feature all new trustees following the election in October. However, these areas for emphasis are all things the board will have to deal with, no matter who sits on it.
The report concludes by saying the board continued to develop a more complete understanding of its role and took action when situations warranted it.
“We are looking forward to working with the newly-organized administrative team and making decisions based on what is best for students,” it states.
