Are you an inspiring leader who is ready to implement a newly developed Strategic Plan which emphasizes adaptability, relationships, innovation, communication, accountability and engagement?
Do you believe that school systems should champion supportive and inclusive practices to ensure equitable access to positive opportunities and outcomes for all? Are you committed to strengthening safe and caring environments that promote well-being? Are you prepared to enhance learning conditions to elevate student achievement? Are you determined to take system action to contribute to a sustainable world? Is promoting knowledge and understanding of Indigenous perspectives and realities important to you? If so, the Director of Education role for the Halton DSB may be the right leadership opportunity for you.
The Halton District School Board is situated in one of the fastest growing and most welcoming communities in Canada and is proud of its diversity. HDSB serves more than 65,000 students learning and growing in 88 elementary and 15 secondary schools in communities in the City of Burlington, Town of Halton Hills, Town of Milton and Town of Oakville. With a population of almost 600,000 residents, Halton's four cities and towns are all included in the 'Top 50 Places to Live in Canada.'
Defined by a varied and dramatic topography and intersected by the majestic Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World's Biosphere Reserve, Halton Region is bound on the south by 25 kilometres of frontage on beautiful Lake Ontario. Perfectly situated just 30 minutes from Toronto and 45 minutes from Niagara, Halton is accessible via three airports, a well maintained road and highway system, public transit and Go service.
The current Board of eleven elected Trustees is well respected, committed to high expectations and has a focus on student achievement and well-being. There is a deeply embedded culture of collaboration which is evidenced across the system and in the Boardroom where good governance practices prevail.
Supported by a cohesive, energetic Senior Team, the new Director of Education will build on an established leadership practice of including all voices and recognizing staff and student success while striving for continuous improvement. As Director, you will build staff capacity through providing opportunities for growth and strong mentorship, winning the respect of students and staff through empathetic, consistent leadership, and employing inclusive decision-making strategies as you anticipate issues and engage senior leadership in resolving problems.
An outstanding communicator, you will be highly visible and approachable and focussed on the needs of both corporate and academic staff as they work collaboratively to achieve the goals of the newly developed Multi Year Strategic Plan. Having worked successfully engaging parents and stakeholders in diverse communities to enhance student success and well-being, you have a track record of disrupting intersectional inequity and oppression. You will be open to the insights and perspectives of all communities and committed to dismantling barriers that result in disproportionate outcomes and opportunities for students and staff.
You are a servant leader, confident, clear, open, responsive and empowering, recognized for your invitational leadership, high emotional intelligence and, most importantly, your capacity to listen and engage with those inside and outside the Board, including municipal and provincial governments. In particular, you will have a network of provincial colleagues and will be respected by the Ministry of Education allowing you to work with the Ministry to expedite approvals for urgently needed new schools in HDSB.
This pivotal mandate calls for an authentic leader who is passionate about public education, community engagement, student success, and cutting-edge instructional practice. You will be committed to the continuous improvement of teaching and learning with a K-12 focus on global competencies.
As the new Director of Education, you welcome the challenge and opportunity of putting in place innovative curricular and program strategies. You will take into account the lessons of COVID to meet the evolving needs of an increasingly diverse student body, at a time when increased levels of migration and immigration into the region are dramatically reshaping the school populations served by the HDSB. You will be a keen advocate for innovation in education, including effective and proactive use of new and emerging technologies.
Your political acumen will be demonstrated in your championing and support for good governance and underpinned by your in-depth experience working in a transparent and accountable manner with elected or appointed officials who have governance responsibilities.
With a history of success leading in a large complex organization, you will have three years plus of Executive leadership experience. You will hold Supervisory Officer papers preferably. Candidates with comparable leadership experience within a public sector setting which provides them with a compelling vision of and an alignment with K to 12 public education will also be considered.
You are adept at holding yourself and others accountable for actions and deliverables, as well as building a vision and executing a strategic plan for an organization. Your demonstrated prowess in financial stewardship while dealing with complex issues will also prove invaluable in this role.
Informed by Fullan's
Coherence Framework and similar thinking in leadership research, you will focus direction, create collaborative cultures, deepen learning and secure accountability.
To be considered for this senior mandate with system-wide impact and responsibility, please send your resume, in confidence, specifying the Halton District School Board Director of Education in the subject line of your email, by
April 21, 2021, to:
Joan M. Green & Associates/LBCG c/o
joanmgreenassociates@gmail.com
Search & Selection Process Timeline
Joan M. Green & Associates and LBCG are leading the Executive Search process which will culminate in the hiring of the next Director of Education for the HDSB. This document describes the process we are using to assist the Board in finding its new Director of Education.
Search & Selection Process Timeline
The process commenced on February 23, 2021
Phase One - Week One
Planning for the Search process:
- Agreement on timeline for the search
- Confidentiality agreements,
- Establishment of communication processes
- Identification of respondents in the consultation
Phase Two - Weeks 2 and 3
Upfront Consultation and Selection Committee Document Approvals
- Consultations with trustees, employees, parents and community members and partners, students and other stakeholders, both through interviews and by survey
- Identification of qualifications, experience and candidate leadership profile
- Development and approval of Position Profile and Advertisement
- Posting of the Advertisement on relevant Ontario, Canadian and international websites.
Phase Three - Weeks 4, 5, 6 and 7
Outreach and Screening of Candidates
- In depth consultant interviews with applicants
- Candidates for the Long List complete a Self-Assessment
- Finalization of long list candidates for consideration for the shortlist
Phase Four - Week 8
Presentation of Long List
- Long list preparation and presentation
- Development of the overview document about candidates for the use of the Selection Committee
- Meeting with the Selection Committee to review the longlist and select shortlisted candidates
- Selection of candidates to be interviewed
- Design of format and content of interview
- Guidance of candidates through the interview preparation and process
Phase Five - Week 9
Selection Committee Interviews with Short Listed Candidates
- Anti-bias training for the Selection Committee
- Structured behaviourally based interview
- Second interview if necessary
- Selection Committee evaluation and selection of successful candidate
Phase Six - Week 10
Transition and Onboarding Support
- Communicating with all candidates including feedback to all unsuccessful candidates
- Reference Checks on Selected Candidate
- Negotiation of Contract and Transition
- Public Announcement of Successful Candidate
- Onboarding support
Halton District School Board Equity Statement
We believe that every person has a right to equitable treatment and freedom from discrimination.
The Halton District School Board recognizes the intents contained in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Ontario Human Rights Code.
"Halton as we know it today is rich in history and modern traditions of many First Nations and the Métis. From the Anishinabe to the Attawandaron, the Haudenosaunee, and the Métis - these lands surrounding the Great Lakes are steeped in Indigenous history. As we gather today on these treaty lands we have the responsibility to honour and respect the four directions, land, waters, plants, animals, ancestors that walked before us, and all the wonderful elements of creation that exist. We would like to acknowledge and thank the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation for sharing their traditional territory with us."
Upon request, we will make reasonable interview and employment accommodations during the selection process, based on any of the human rights protected grounds.
Joan M. Green & Associates/LBCG Accommodation Statement:
Joan M. Green & Associates/LBCG is mindful of the importance of championing diversity and inclusion amongst candidates. The project team is fluent in current diversity, inclusion, and anti-oppression practices. We are committed to ensuring a fair and inclusive recruitment process.
Joan M. Green & Associates/LBCG fosters a culture of inclusion. We will make any appropriate accommodation based on any of the protected grounds in the Human Rights Code to support candidate participation in the recruitment and selection process. All candidates will be provided with an understanding of the expectations and requirements of the process, in order to ensure full participation of all qualified candidates.
Download a Printable PDF