The supervision of the Center de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM) is extended by six months, the Ministry of Education announced Thursday.
If this is the case, it is because time is still needed to “straighten out governance” and “put in place efficient practices in terms of administration”, we read in the government press release. The mandate of Jean-François Lachance as administrator of the CSSDM is thus extended.
The government recalls in the press release the recent history of the largest school service center in Quebec.
In January 2021, the press release said, “on the basis of allegations of serious ethical and deontological breaches within the board of directors of the CSSDM”, the Ministry of Education initiated an audit of the administration, the organization and functioning of this school body ”.
“This audit made it possible to identify significant gaps in governance, in particular with regard to the understanding of the roles and responsibilities of directors, a dysfunctional climate between the administration and the Board of Directors and shortcomings in the administrative practices of this department. school service center. “
The ministry ordered a first “support” in February 2021, then again in April, “accompanied by monitoring measures”.
The “dead end” in which the CSSDM found itself, according to the Ministry of Education, confirmed “the need for a third party intervention”. The CSSDM was therefore placed under supervision on June 16, 2021.
A new director general was nevertheless appointed on Wednesday, Isabelle Gélinas, whom the CSSDM describes as a teacher by training who has been in school management for twenty years. She succeeds Robert Gendron who retired in February.