The past year has been a roller coaster ride for everyone, but the education sector had to make some very significant and sudden changes.
Hastings Prince Edward District School Board Director of Education Sean Monteith says the pandemic forced them to make changes that would have taken ten years if it weren’t for COVID-19.
“Education is one of those businesses and sectors that is, in some ways, very resistant to change and so often what happens is when change is suggested in education, it becomes a matter of debate, and I’m not sure sometimes why there is even a debate, it should just be done. Especially when you know certain things are good for kids and the pandemic took the opportunity to debate a lot of things out and said you’ve got to get it done.”
He said the pandemic allowed the school board to become a leader, and staff including Education Assistants, teachers, custodians and Early Childhood Educators have emerged as champions.
He feels the school board has emerged as a leader in the area as the education sector tried to navigate the pandemic while being measured, calm and having a pair of steady hands at the wheel.
Overall, he said there were still some highlights for the school board in the past year, despite the last nine months being dominated by COVID-19.
The latter half of the year saw the board putting a lot of long hours into creating a new vision and five year strategic plan for the school board which would take them through to 2025.
“With a new vision statement, a new mission and new goals, and all those goals lofty but very achievable and all good for kids and the organization. So, number one, brand new strategic plan and we need to be proud of that because it isn’t just a document, it is real and what it represents is a real agenda.”
The board also approved a rebranding to be rolled out in early 2021. The new visual identity, known as the Achievement concept, represents new beginnings, growth, feeling alive and part of nature/the world around us. A swoop and the sun are prominent elements, illustrating movement and striving for success. The new colours are plum, gold and teal.
The creation of a new visual identity reinforces what the school board stands for and takes HPEDSB from 1998 to 2020 and beyond.
This year also saw the board get released from their five-year financial recovery plan from the Ministry of Education as well as find a way to breathe new life into the former Quinte Secondary School as it transitions to a French immersion public elementary school slated to be opened in 2022.
He says there was an effort to reframe and refocus the organization on core priorities that included improvement and reevaluating the board.
