TDSB head office

The previous chair from the Toronto District School Board granted a pay increase to the top-ranking staffer, disregarding an edict from Ontario’s Education Serve freeze the earnings of the training director.

Former TDSB chair Chris Bolton unilaterally discussed the compensation package for education director Donna Quan, who's inside a standoff with several trustees over her refusal to produce her employment contract and respond to questions on questionable obligations and close ties.

The TDSB has confirmed that Ms. Quan is compensated $289Thousand annually – $17Thousand greater than her predecessor, Chris Spence. The pay hike for Ms. Quan contravenes the province’s wage-freeze legislation for public sector employees who don't bargain with each other, based on instructions from Education Minister Liz Sandals to Mr. Bolton.

“The compensation of the new permanent Director is restricted towards the amount gained through the predecessor, within this situation Mr. Chris Spence, ” states the letter dated Jan. 10, 2014, a duplicate which was acquired through the Globe and Mail.

A speaker for Ms. Sandals stated the minister and Mr. Bolton have experienced no formal communication because the The month of january letter, and she isn't conscious of the particulars from the contract.

Mr. Bolton didn't react to an e-mail on Thursday. Ms. Quan has additionally declined to reply to questions in the Globe.

TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird stated Ms. Quan’s compensation was approved in a private board meeting attended by 18 of twenty-two trustees.

However, several school board sources stated trustees weren't area of the decision to pay for Ms. Quan greater than what her predecessor gained. Trustee Pamela Gough stated it's “very troubling” that Mr. Bolton overlooked Ms. Sandals’ letter.

“He shouldn't have granted the pay increase, because of the fact he'd direct orders in the minister to not, ” she stated within an interview.

Tensions between Ms. Quan and many trustees found a mind this month when Mari Rutka, chair from the TDSB, authored instructions to Ms. Sandals asking the federal government to intervene with Ms. Quan. Ms. Sandals intends to meet on November. 26 with Ms. Rutka, who had been not re-chosen recently and presides over her final meeting as TDSB chair within 24 hours.

Ms. Gough and trustee Irene Atkinson also have became a member of the phone call for presidency intervention. Ms. Atkinson stated inside a letter to Ms. Sandals that Ms. Quan ought to be needed to are accountable to a supervisor hired through the Secretary of state for Education. The trustees want solutions from Ms. Quan on several issues revealed through the Globe, together with a $200Thousand payment she approved to a catering service that provided no supporting documentation for that services it stated it provided.

The trustees would also like Ms. Quan’s employment contract to allow them to review her performance. Throughout her 4 decades like a trustee, Ms. Atkinson stated, she routinely were built with a copy from the director’s contract in her own office in the TDSB, but hasn't seen a duplicate of Ms. Quan’s contract.

The director’s contract is among the most significant documents for trustees and really should be immediately available, the sources stated. The whole administration of the school board by having an annual budget of $3-billion flows with the director, who's the only worker from the board of trustees. The sources stated trustees are worried about the possible lack of information flow between Ms. Quan and also the chair from the TDSB.

Ms. Quan was formally hired to the peak job in October, 2013. In a private meeting that month to go over her contract, one trustee who requested to not be named stated, there is a wish on Mr. Bolton’s part to “try and obtain Donna the greatest possible salary we're able to offer her.Inches

Trustees checked out just how much previous TDSB education company directors were compensated, including Gerry Connelly, who gained $289Thousand in '09, the sources stated. Trustees were unsure if the province’s wage freeze legislation put on the director, therefore it was made the decision Mr. Bolton should consult the training Minister.

However, several trustees stated Mr. Bolton didn't share the letter he caused by the minister together.

“None from the trustees signed off on [anything], so we have no idea what it appears as though, ” trustee Stephnie Payne stated.