Vancouver’s top education administrator has resigned from his position, as the fallout from a pair of damning reports around morale and partisan politics continues to permeate eight months after the provincial government fired the previous school board.
Dianne Turner, the district’s government-appointed trustee, announced Superintendent Scott Robinson’s departure at a Monday morning press conference.
Robinson was not in attendance but comments attributed to him were included in a press release issued by the VSB.
He indirectly alluded to a pair of independent reports released in March that pointed to bullying, harassment and “toxicity” between senior staff and some of the previous trustees.
“My passion as an educator has always been to collaborate with and empower my colleagues, staff and parents to work together to do what is right for our students,” Robinson was quoted as saying.
“Increasingly over the past year, it became more challenging to retain focus on this. I leave the VSB with the opportunity to recruit a new superintendent and have a fresh start in rebuilding relationships and leading Vancouver into the future.”
He also noted he had developed an "excellent" working relationship with Turner.
Retired North Vancouver superintendent John Lewis will act as interim superintendent until the district hires Robinson’s permanent replacement. Lewis served as acting superintendent from October 2016 until Robinson returned to work in January of this year.
Robinson leaves his position on June 9.
Turner has the power and mandate to hire the new superintendent although no timeline was given as to when that decision will be made.
She said the district is in the process of revising its policies around harassment and bullying to specifically include the conduct of trustees. Those plans will be unveiled at the June 26 board meeting.
“I have worked hard to change the tenor and tone of our workplace and reduced some of the burdens on staff,” she said. “I’ve worked hard to improve the morale within the school district and instill a culture of respect.”
Robinson was first named as an assistant superintendent in 2012 and became superintendent in March 2015. He was one of six senior staff members to take an indefinite leave of absence last September. Within days of the mass departure, B.C. School Superintendents Association president Sherry Elwood sent a letter to the education ministry alleging that senior managers were subjected to bullying and harassment.
Two investigations were initiated, and by mid-October all nine trustees were fired by the province and replaced by Turner.
The two separate reports were then issued in March: one by Vancouver attorney Roslyn Goldner and the other by WorkSafe B.C.
Goldner’s 79-page report suggested the former nine-person board was highly partisan and undermined the work of senior staff for an extended 18-month period. It goes on to say trustees continually attempted to “micromanage” staff and would ask them to change their work to better align with party lines.
The WorkSafe B.C. report concluded that former board members harassed and bullied senior staff.
Given the power shift that will play out in Victoria in the coming months, three plausible scenarios could play out as it relates to the trustees in question: a byelection, reinstatement of the ousted trustees, or maintaining the status quo until the October 2018 municipal election.
Education Minister Mike Bernier has said Turner will remain as the official trustee until at least the end of this year, if not beyond. The Greens and NDP have floated the ideas of a full reinstatement of the previous board, as well as the possibility of calling a byelection.
Turner said she has not had talks with anyone in Victoria around next steps.
“My hope is that a democratic process happens and brings in a board who is absolutely excited to work with staff to make the Vancouver school board as vibrant as they possibly can,” she said.
Vision Vancouver has consistently called for a byelection to return a democratically elected board. Former NPA trustee Penny Noble has all but ruled out returning as a trustee, while Christopher Richardson is unsure if he would do so. Green Party trustee Janet Fraser is also on the fence.
That ex-trustees might seek re-election is a source of serious concern for some at the VSB. Their attendance at subsequent meetings after being fired was deemed as “inappropriate and intimidating,” in the Goldner report.
“Many of us have heard repeatedly from parents, teachers and staff that they value the safe and respectful system that has been created since the departure of the previous board,” Turner said. “And we can’t go back.”
@JohnKurucz
