The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has named its new top educator.
Clayton La Touche has been appointed director of education and will officially move into the role as of Feb. 10.
“Throughout his career, La Touche has built a reputation as an inclusive, collaborative leader with a deep commitment to equitable achievement and well-being outcomes for all students,” the TDSB said in a statement. “He is dedicated to the advancement of public education.”
La Touche started his career as a teacher at the TDSB in 1994, before moving to the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) in 2000 as an elementary school vice-principal. He held multiple senior roles in his time at the YRDSB, eventually serving as associate director of education, schools and operations.
Since Sept. 2021, he has been on secondment to the Ministry of Education to serve as assistant deputy minister, student support and field services division.
La Touche takes over the TDSB’s top job from Colleen Russell-Rawlins, who retired back in November. His appointment follows a four-month recruitment process overseen by a search committee.
“I am excited to be returning to the TDSB family and looking forward to working with trustees, staff, students and families, communities and partners to achieve the best outcomes for students,” La Touche said in a statement.
TDSB Chair Neethan Shan welcomed La Touche’s appointment in a statement Wednesday.
“Clayton brings a wealth of experience and passion for public education to the Toronto District School Board,” Shan said. “We look forward to his arrival next month so that we can continue building on the progress we’ve made in making the TDSB a great place to learn and work.”
Stacey Zucker, who has served as interim director of education since Russell-Rawlins’s retirement, will remain in the role until La Touche starts.
La Touche takes on the role at a time when the school board faces a number of challenges.
A recent report by Ontario’s auditor general found that while the TDSB’s rate of violent incidents is lower than the provincial average, it is nonetheless at the highest level ever recorded, with violent incidents increasing 67 per cent from 244 to 407 between the 2017/18 school year and the 2022/23 school year. The report found that the TDSB needs to do more to implement its own safety policy.
The auditor also found that the TDSB is not fully tracking bullying problems, is lagging in mental health staff, is not periodically checking the criminal history of staff, and that sick days are creeping up, costing the board tens of millions of dollars.
Financial and capital resources are not consistently allocated in the most cost-effective or efficient way either, the auditor found.
The board accepted the recommendations, but has not commented on the report.