By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Palliser board begins work on 21 recommendations

Nov 24, 2016 | 1:13 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Palliser Regional Schools’ Board of Trustees has started moving forward on the 21 recommendations from its recently completed organizational review.
 
Robert Strauss, Board Chair, noted at Thursday’s (Nov. 24) regular meeting that a legal review of the 220-page document is now complete, and the board has since made a motion to accept all of the recommendations in principle.
 
Dr. Kelly Williams-Whitt and Dr. Terence Weninger, chosen by the school division to carry out the organizational review, read out an executive summary on November 3, after concluding the review on October 31.
 
It was requested by the chief superintendent at the time, Kevin Gietz, after allegations of bullying and unwelcomed physical contact toward female employees were made against him online almost a year ago. Gietz has remained on paid leave without assigned duties since August 24.
 
Review and discussion has already begun on some of the recommendations, including how to format meeting agendas around the issue and involving more public consultation. That will continue over the next 11 months.
 
Board members are also in the process of identifying the more complex  recommendations that they’ll need an outside facilitator to help them go through. Strauss said some discussion still needs to take place before deciding when the facilitator will join the review.
 
He hopes to have most of the work done by next October’s election.
 
“If we’re not able to complete all 21, certainly we will like to have them addressed and well on their way. It’s clearly our intent to leave the next board with a very solid foundation on which to build on.”
 
A tracking tool is also being established on the Palliser website that will identify all of the recommendations, the board’s progress month-to-month and provide a place for any public input.
 
“We plan to move forward in a very positive manner… We will do this as a team. The organization will move forward with involvement from the public, from parents, from staff, as well as the board,” Strauss said.
 
When asked, Strauss wasn’t able to give any specific updates in regard to Gietz, stating that it’s a personnel matter. However, he did say the board is now working on a process to address the current situation of having two superintendents.
 
In accordance with privacy regulations, an edited version of the 220-page document that does not identify specific people was released to the public Thursday (Nov. 24) on the Palliser website.