ocdsb posts job opening for $150,000-plus 'strategic adviser'
4 minute read
the salary range is $149,562 to $176,121 a year for "a critical strategic partner and trusted adviser" to stacey kay, who was named ocdsb director of education last november.
tony caldwell
/
postmedia
ottawa’s largest school board, currently under provincial supervision, has posted a job for a “senior strategic adviser” to assist the director of education.
the salary range is $149,562 to $176,121 a year for “a critical strategic partner and trusted adviser” to stacey kay, who was named director last november, about five months after the province appointed a supervisor to take over the ottawa-carleton district school board, citing financial mismanagement and depleted reserves.
“serving as a senior-level leader within the district, this role is responsible for driving strategic initiatives, overseeing key departments related to communications, family and community engagement, and strategic data analytics, as well as building operational excellence through alignment and coherence, system-wide,” said the job posting dated may 1.
the adviser “acts as an extension of the director, managing the operational rhythm of the director’s office, triaging critical issues, and ensuring cross-departmental alignment.”
the posting appeared only four days before 97 non-teacher positions were eliminated. (after existing vacancies are taken into consideration, the reductions mean 69 unionized workers will be laid off as of aug. 31.)
the ocdsb is also cutting 83 teacher positions in response to declining enrolment projections next year.
ndp education critic chandra pasma called the job posting “absolutely outrageous.”
“to add insult to injury, the same week these cuts are announced, the director of education selected by the supervisor is looking to hire a $176,000-a-year adviser to help her do her job — a position that has never existed before,” said pasma, the mpp for ottawa west-nepean.
“that money should be going to frontline supports, not more bureaucracy.”
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in november, education minister paul calandra said the supervisors appointed by the province to oversee school boards were eligible to earn $2,000 a day for a maximum of $350,000 a year. they have been tasked with overseeing and managing the administration of the boards, including financial management, policy implementation and operational oversight and are to provide the ministry with regular updates.
bob plamondon, an experienced auditor appointed to be the ocdsb supervisor, said in february he would introduce a “student-focused resource optimization” project during the budget process.
“this initiative moves well beyond simple budget trimming with an overarching goal of ensuring that every dollar and service directly supports the classroom,” plamondon said in a message to parents.
“to build a budget that meets this goal, we are evaluating all of our resources and structures to gauge their impact on student achievement and well-being.”
as of march, he said ocdsb was looking to cut between $15 million and $20 million.
kate dudley logue, an ocdsb parent and the vice-president for community outreach with the ontario autism coalition, said she heard about the posting on may 4.
“this is exactly the kind of thing that erodes public trust in this school board,” dudley logue said.
“the dust hasn’t even settled on devastating cuts to teachers, special education classrooms and other crucial education workers that help keep our schools functioning day-to-day, and our ministry-appointed supervisor, who is making $350,000 a year, approves yet another high-paying administrative position. this is not fiscal responsibility, it’s a failure to prioritize students.”
the senior strategic adviser will serve as a senior-level leader responsible for “driving strategic initiatives, overseeing key departments related to communications, family and community engagement, and strategic data analytics, as well as building operational excellence through alignment and coherence, system-wide,” according to the posting.
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the successful candidate will have leadership qualities to coach, motivate and mentor others, and provide strategic direction and support of the ocdsb’s vision, the posting said. the school board is looking for candidates with a master’s degree in business administration, public administration, or education and eight years in a managerial role, including experience in strategic planning, project management, communications and public relations, data analytics and governance.
“as part of the student focused resource optimization project, executive and general manager positions are being reviewed and streamlined,” ocdsb spokesperson diane pernari said in an emailed response to the ottawa citizen. “as a result, several general manager functions have been consolidated into a new position: senior strategic adviser to the director.
“this is not a senior executive role and remains at the general manager level. the position includes responsibilities related to operational planning, communications, and strategic planning. overall, these changes will reduce the number of senior staff and general manager positions.”
pernari said the overall restructuring process was achieving significant savings and the ocdsb was reducing executive positions that would yield savings of close to $1 million, in addition to savings by reducing central management positions.
“eliminating certain roles while strategically consolidating others will help to restore financial sustainability to the board,” she said.
“while the board is reviewing the title for this role given the recent confusion, the position itself represents a commitment to streamlined operations and financial responsibility.”
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