Minister Calandra; Who’s running your shop at the YCDSB?

Joe Volpe November 5, 2026

TORONTO – Corriere Canadese has consistently and continuously followed the “developments” at the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) for the simple reason that it has the largest number of ratepayers who self-identify as being of Italian origin. They are behind two especially important educational “initiatives”: (1) international languages day program (Italian primarily) thanks to ItaliaLinguaCultura’s triage with institutional and business partnership and, (2) skills training program of all types with labour and tech partners. Trustees have been providing and continue to provide leadership in this area.

Not everyone is happy, apparently. Some prefer a different use for the tax levy on Catholic ratepayers and entrepreneurs in York region. Some activists at the teachers’ union (OECTA) were in the habit of calling the police to influence – by their presence – acquiescence by parent groups to policies in which they might have scant interest. The most recent ex-Director came from a background where skills training institutions he Chaired went “belly up” and the debt had to be liquidated by local ratepayers, to the tune of $160,000.

The latter individual, Mr. John DeFaveri was “at the helm”, i.e., Director of the YCDSB a few weeks before the Ministry placed the Board under supervision, initially for failure to stay the course financially. He initially “left office” (informally because the current interim Director Jennifer Sarna, took his place), in mid-February (?), but formally resigned effective June 30, 2026. All the while, he was special advisor to J. Sarna and Supervisor Carrie Kormos, and remains in that capacity.

Neither of them recused themselves from consideration of the alleged infractions of conduct by the trustee who emerged as Chair from the caucus elections in November 2025 – Chair M. Iafrate.

Within two months of that election to replace Elizabeth Crowe as outgoing Chair, madame Crowe herself launched a Code of Conduct complaint against Chair Iafrate. Her complaint was followed almost immediately by Trustee McNichol’s. Both complaints were dismissed as being without substance. Two other Trustees were referenced whose testimony was also deemed without foundation, in the Report.

Two of the three complainants – De Faveri and Crowe – were no longer with the Board when the Report was completed: De Faveri had “officially” retired, June 30, and Crowe had announced the end to her career at the beginning of summer. A few weeks later, Chair Iafrate was declared acclaimed (August 21). What was the purpose of continuing with the Report? Or, indeed with publishing it on the Board website other than vindictive malice?

The third complainant, Theresa McNichol, had pursued a spurious lawsuit alleging [feeling intimidation] by trustees of Italian background. It went nowhere. The people supporting her case allegedly were part of an activist teachers’ union group – who did not return calls by the Corriere when the allegations were made. According to former Chair Crowe, the futile exercise cost the Board at least $275,000.

According to the Star article that “broke the story” maligning the current Chair, Ms. Iafrate had no prior complaints filed against her since her first election in 2018.

Whom is Minister Calandra “protecting”, and why?

Here below are a screenshot from the School Board’s website and an excerpt from the Integrity Commissioner’s report

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