Public school board replaces both its Chair and vice chair - Grebenc and Ehl Harris to lead in what will be a difficult year.

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Parr

December 6th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

The old order changeth – a new Chair and vice chair of the Halton District School Board were elected this evening.

Miller in a huddle with Grebenc

Chair Andrea Grebenc talking over a concern with Director of Education Stuart Miller during a board meeting.

Andrea Grebenc, a Burlington trustees replaces Kelly Amos who has served the board for … and Tracey Ehl Harrison, an Oakville trustee, replaces Kim Graves, a Milton trustee as the vice chair.

Tracey Ehl Harrison

Vice chair Tracey Ehl Harrison, an Oakville trustee.

Ehl Harrison is a registered professional planner, a certified professional facilitator and a PhD candidate whose career has focused on environmental planning and education, communication and community engagement.

Grebenc is a lecturer and instructor at McMaster University, and an e-learning consultant and programmer.

She is a graduate of Lester B. Pearson high school which she voted to close in June of 2018.

Amos has served as a trustee for more than ten years

The all female Board of Education has gone through a very tough year. On a number of occasions it was evident that Chair Amos was having difficulty with the agenda.

The Board decision to accept the staff recommendation to close two of Burlington’s seven high schools was taken to the Ministry where a request was made for an Administrative Review of the process used by the Board.

The Administrative Review facilitator, Margaret Wilson is expected to have her report in the hands of the Ministry before the end of the year.

The Ministry will release the report at a later date.

The Ministry can direct the Board of Education to hold a second PAR – Program Administrative Review which would mean creating another PARC – Program Accommodation Review Committee. A PARC is made up of two parent representatives from each high school – one selected by the school board the other by the Parent Council of the school.

The Central high school parent council decision to have ward 2 city city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward represent the parents was a controversial choice. One wonders if the parents would make that choice again.

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3 comments to Public school board replaces both its Chair and vice chair – Grebenc and Ehl Harris to lead in what will be a difficult year.

  • William

    Shifting people around feels like window dressing. I don’t sense that Grebenc is a strong trustee, but I suppose we need to give her a chance to prove herself.

    What is obvious observing the trustee meetings is they need much more training on parliamentary procedures. The meeting where the school closures were decided was like watching a train wreck, with a trustee cutting off the chair; several inappropriate challenges; contradictory motions on the floor at the same time, and a lot of time wasted because of the overall confusion.

  • Jennifer Beleck

    Too little too late. The trust in “TRUSTee” is gone!

  • Lynn

    You might mention, instead of just saying that the Board “replaced its Chair and Vice Chair”, that Kelly Amos chose not to run for Chair, and she explained her reasons, that Grebenc and Graves were the only two that opted to run, and Grebenc was elected, and that Ehl Harrison was acclaimed, as she was the only one who declared an intention to run for Vice Chair.