There’s an old saying about dogs: one dog is a dog, two is half a dog, and three is no dog at all. The same principle applies to purpose. A diluted, unfocused mission ultimately achieves nothing. This is strikingly apparent when examining the current state of education.
Education, in its truest form, is a lifelong journey fueled by both necessity and curiosity, with boundless possibilities. But “schooling” – the structured system we’ve built – is a different beast entirely. It’s about equipping young people with the practical skills, knowledge, and discipline needed to navigate their lives.
Words carry immense weight, and Ontario’s Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, clearly understands this. His recently introduced legislation, thePutting Students Achievement First Act, isn’t just a title; it’s a deliberate statement of priorities.
The act underscores a fundamental truth often lost in educational debates: the ultimate measure of success isn’t local control or union comfort, but the demonstrable achievements of students. And currently, those achievements aren’t where they need to be.
Navigating the complexities of public education – steeped in history and constitutional rights – requires a delicate touch. Calandra has wisely avoided protracted legal battles by preserving the role of school trustees, albeit with significantly reduced administrative power. While eliminating trustees altogether and bolstering parent councils would be ideal, this is a substantial improvement over the existing system.
More importantly, Calandra has decisively resolved a long-standing debate: should the head of a school board be a lead educator or a business leader? The Toronto District School Board, with its staggering $3.7 billion budget, demands someone with serious financial and operational expertise.
Calandra’s solution is both innovative and pragmatic. He’s replacing the Director of Education with a Chief Executive Officer, focused on the business of running a complex organization, and introducing a Chief Education Officer dedicated to pedagogical leadership. This respects constitutional boundaries while acknowledging the realities of effective management.
Furthermore, Calandra has removed school trustees from the process of negotiating labor contracts. Instead, the Council of Ontario Directors of Education will handle bargaining. Predictably, this move has drawn criticism from teacher unions, a sure sign that Calandra is on the right track.
The president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Union labeled this a “corporatization of public education,” decrying the introduction of CEOs and a business model. But this isn’t a volunteer organization; it’s a massive public service demanding professional leadership.
Ultimately, a business is defined as an organization designed to achieve a specific outcome. Calandra is actively dismantling inefficiencies and building a more professional structure, all with a clear objective: to elevate student achievement across Ontario.
Perhaps, in time, even those initially opposed will recognize that Calandra isn’t just reforming schooling – he’s reaffirming the very purpose of education itself.
