Final letter

January 3, 2023

Dear Minister Lecce

It has been my pleasure to serve as Supervisor of the Peel District School Board (PDSB) over the last two and a half years and I thank you for the opportunity to lead the board on the path toward effective and accountable governance and leadership. It has been a challenging but equally rewarding experience and I am pleased to leave the PDSB knowing that it is a more capable, focused and responsive board that can better serve the needs of its students and communities.

I am confident that the changes I have made to the senior administration team will help to ensure that the necessary leadership, policies, and practices are in place to allow the board to better serve students and families. These changes will also ensure that staff at all levels of the board have work environments that are respectful, fair, inclusive, and better represent the communities served by the PDSB.

The Board of Trustees (Board) is also better equipped to govern the PDSB in a manner that is accountable, transparent, respectful, and responsive to the issues and concerns of the communities it serves. With the election of 6 new trustees, the Board is working together to establish productive and collaborative working relationships at the board table, and with the support of Director Swarup, the Board will be focused on the ongoing work required to realize the transformational organizational and cultural change set out in your binding directions.

Parents and community leaders will no longer tolerate dysfunction at the Board and will be watching closely how the Board interacts with each other and with the senior leadership team. While the newly elected board has begun its term of office in a productive and positive way, it is appropriate for regular updates to be sent to you to confirm that relationships are professional, respectful, and collaborative among the trustees and between the Board and the senior leadership team. You may also wish to similarly request confirmation and evidence that the Board is responding to community concerns in a respectful, timely and meaningful manner.

Recognizing that substantive, sustainable, transformative change takes focused effort and time, I am confident that with the positive collaboration between trustees, senior team, staff, parents and community, students become the beneficiaries and succeed academically and develop a positive sense of self that contributes to their overall well-being.

Thank you again for the opportunity to work with PDSB students, parents, community leaders, staff and trustees and I leave the board in the capable hands of Director Swarup who, with the newly elected board, will build on the foundation that has been established during supervision.

Sincerely

Bruce Rodrigues