Pubdate: Wed, 17 Jun 2015
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2015 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Andrea Woo
Page: S3

VANCOUVER SCHOOL BOARD HEAD MUM ON RESIGNATION

The Non-Partisan Association's Christopher Richardson is remaining mum
on his sudden resignation as head of the Vancouver School Board, but
fellow trustees say it had much to do with the way he chaired.

Mr. Richardson, a chartered accountant elected to the school board
last November, announced his resignation on Monday - first to trustees
in private and later at a public meeting.

He declined to explain why, but said it was for "deeply personal" and
private reasons. He ruled out health and family issues and said it had
nothing to do with the recent audit commissioned by the provincial
government recommending the closing of at least 19 schools for
financial reasons.

Mr. Richardson will remain a trustee, and Green trustee and vice-chair
Janet Fraser will assume the role of interim chair. The board will
elect a new chair at a public meeting on June 24.

Ms. Fraser, who holds the balance of power among four Vision Vancouver
and four NPA trustees, said there had been discussions about the way
Mr. Richardson chaired the board.

"There had been some concerns about his role as the chair - some in
public and some in private meetings," she said on Tuesday. "But [the
resignation] came as a surprise on Monday."

One such concern involved the handling of a presentation before city
council last week. Several trustees and councillors took issue with
the fact that Mr. Richardson's presentation - which called for
increasing the distance between schools and marijuana businesses,
among other things - had come through a committee and was not passed
by the school board.

"Good grief," Vision trustee and former chair Patti Bacchus tweeted
that day. "Decisions need to be made by board at actual board
meetings. We have at least [two per] month."

Mr. Richardson conceded the presentation had not been approved by the
board but said it had been discussed at two committee meetings with
seven trustees present - "a healthy representation," he said.

"I was taken a little aback at the insinuation that I was not speaking
on behalf of the board," he said. He added that the presentation was
distributed to trustees - albeit only hours before - and that anyone
who took issue with it could have spoken up.

Both Ms. Fraser and Ms. Bacchus said there were other incidents, but
neither would elaborate.

Mr. Richardson acknowledged that there is a fine line between
providing a personal comment and speaking on behalf of the board as
chair.

"I tried to navigate that as best as I could - trying, I guess, to
reduce any animosity and make the tone as co-operative and
collaborative as possible," he said.

Ms. Bacchus, when asked if she would consider returning to the
position of chair - which she held from 2008 until last year - said
she would discuss the matter with her Vision colleagues in the coming
days.

"Being the chair is going to be a very tough job for whomever takes it
on, and I'm not sure anyone would really 'want' to be in that role,"
she said in an e-mail on Tuesday. "But someone will need to do it."

Ms. Fraser said she is mulling it over as well.

"[When] I became a trustee, I felt I clearly wasn't ready to be
chair," she said.

"But now I've been in the position for six months, I've seen how the
role works and I understand a lot better now how the board - the
district - works. So it's something I'm considering."
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MAP posted-by: Matt