The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), currently under provincial supervision, has posted a job opening for a senior strategic adviser to assist the director of education. The salary range for this position is between $149,562 and $176,121 per year, as outlined in a job posting dated May 1.
Role Description and Responsibilities
The position is described as a critical strategic partner and trusted adviser to Stacey Kay, who was appointed director of education last November. Kay took the role about five months after the province appointed a supervisor to oversee the board due to financial mismanagement and depleted reserves. The 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. The role also involves building operational excellence through alignment and coherence across the system.
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.
Timing Draws Criticism
The job posting appeared just four days before the board eliminated 97 non-teacher positions. After accounting for existing vacancies, 69 unionized workers will be laid off as of August 31. Additionally, the OCDSB is cutting 83 teacher positions in response to declining enrolment projections for the next year.
NDP education critic Chandra Pasma called the job posting absolutely outrageous. She stated, 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. Pasma argued that the money should go to frontline supports, not more bureaucracy.
Background on Provincial Oversight
In November, Education Minister Paul Calandra noted that supervisors appointed by the province to oversee school boards are eligible to earn $2,000 per day, up to a maximum of $350,000 per year. These supervisors are tasked with overseeing and managing board administration, including financial management, policy implementation, and operational oversight, and must provide regular updates to the ministry.
Bob Plamondon, the experienced auditor appointed as OCDSB supervisor, announced in February that he would introduce a student-focused resource optimization project during the budget process. He stated, This initiative moves well beyond simple budget trimming with an overarching goal of ensuring that every dollar and service directly supports the classroom. 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, the OCDSB was seeking to cut between $15 million and $20 million from its budget.
