School boards: Pointing fingers to hide the real “culprits”
TORONTO – Transparency and accountability. These are key words in a democratic debate, especially when it involves the use or misuse of public money – ours. Therein resides the value inherent in elected officials. Their voices are like flashlights to illuminate the hidden values. Press and Media gravitate to those “flashlights”. The Stellantis story evolving out of Brampton is a case in point.
The Provincial Government’s initiative regarding Education (and Catholic Education rights, denominational rights) is another. The Premier caused several school boards to be placed under supervision because of apparent fiscal incompetence, misuse of public funds and irresponsible planning. For good measure, in one instance, York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB), the Minister, a political figure, added that the YCDSB is also an example of trustees unable to get along (oh my!).
Good gosh. The ministry of Education is responsible for the expenditure of more than $32 Billion annually. The Administrative Staff at every board plans the curriculum, hires the teachers, approves contracts for all non instructional acquisitions, manages the fiscal infrastructure of the organization and obtains the approval of the Ministry BEFORE it is authorized to spend a Dollar. Trustees debate what is presented to them by Staff prior to the final stage in the process.
Somehow during the process of suspension of boards (trustees in council) and the Supervision process, only one Director of Education was terminated, the others were kept on, assigned a new title and rewarded with a pay raise. The most egregious example was the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) where in the space of ten months, in 2024 the staff presented a budget with a surplus of $100 million at the beginning of the year and a deficit of $40 million at year end; by early 2025 the deficit was $48 million. A year after Supervisor Frank Benedetto took over, the deficit was $75 million. He cut the International Languages program ($7.5 million) but kept his salary of up to $350,000, and that of Brendan Browne, also $350,000, intact.
In YCDSB, where some trustees had been pushing back against what can only be described as Staff incompetence (director De Faveri), the Supervisor “took it out on” the Chair (Maria Iafrate) of the Board of trustees. The Director, in preparing the documents to be submitted to the Ministry for approval, was smitten with some mysterious “discomfort” – no one knows for sure – because two trustees (both female) initiated a code of conduct complaint against him.
Although the investigating Integrity Commissioner was unclear about the timing and the timeline, the retiring director launched his own allegation of code of conduct breach in response. Apparently, he could not provide appropriate answers in respect of his duties. A shoddily written Report failed to indicate the specifics on either side other than the Chair’s alleged use of “pedestrian vocabulary” hurled at the Director by the Chair… not in a public forum.
Two female witnesses, identity redacted to preserve their reputation and privacy, were consulted in his defense. They were/are subordinates of Mr. De Faveri. The Director of Communications, also a subordinate, vouched for him, as did the “interim” Director Jennifer Sarna. Oh, surprise of surprises, former Chair Elizabeth Crowe and Trustee Theresa McNicol, the architect of a slanderous, Stereotypical invective against trustees of Italian background were two other witnesses.
We published the Report, which was released by another female, Carrie Kormos the Supervisor, who as former/current member of the board of Ontario’s Gaming Commission, is not tainted with first-hand knowledge of School board matters. Her advisor on the entire matter??? None other than Mr De Faveri.
It turns out that he had not retired and was still on staff and as of June 30, special advisor to Carrie Kormos. Good luck to Catholic Education.
The Corriere, in advance of this article and other leading to this, called and emailed questions to the director of communications, Mr. De Faveri, Ms. Sarna, the integrity commissioner, Carrie Kormos and Chair Iafrate – the only one who responded.