Mark Fisher resigns as public school board education director after months on paid leave

Kate Dubinski · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 11:21 AM EST | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Mark Fisher, the nationalist schoolhouse committee manager of acquisition who has been connected paid permission since September aft coming nether occurrence for a Toronto retreat for elder leaders, has resigned his presumption with the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB). 

Also, arsenic of Thursday, subordinate manager Linda Nicholls is besides "no longer employed by TVDSB," officials said connected the schoolhouse committee website. 

"I stay focused connected the wellness and wellbeing and the acquisition of each the students successful the system," interim manager Bill Tucker told CBC News. He came retired of status successful September aft Fisher went connected permission erstwhile the Toronto travel came to light. 

The high-profile departures are the latest successful a flurry of exits that started arsenic the schoolhouse twelvemonth got nether mode and continued this week. 

As of Monday, schoolhouse committee lawyer Ali Chahbar went connected a paid leave, arsenic did Andrew Canham, a superintendent who'd antecedently served arsenic an subordinate manager of education. 

Combined, Chahbar, Canham, Fisher and Nicholls person yearly salaries equalling conscionable implicit $1 million. 

Canham took implicit for subordinate manager Riley Culhane erstwhile Culhane near for a antithetic occupation successful August. In October, Canahm moved backmost to his erstwhile presumption of superintendent of education. 

Fisher and Nicholls' departures come months aft a London Free Press report astir a elder enactment retreat to Toronto, during which executives stayed successful the edifice overlooking the tract wherever the Blue Jay's play.

Soon after, provincial acquisition ministry is overseeing an audit of the board, which is facing an $16-million deficit. 

"School boards indispensable prioritize getting that backing into classrooms to assistance students and amended equip teachers," the acquisition curate said astatine the time.

"That means showing parents, teachers, and assemblage members that they are liable stewards of payer dollars. This is conscionable communal sense."

The Toronto travel came aft members of the communications squad held a team-building outing successful May 2024 that included a angiosperm arranging workshop and day solemnisation for manager Cheryl Weedmark, who near the schoolhouse committee soon aft a CBC News communicative revealing the retreat. 

Weedmark and quality resources superintendent Katie Osborne near the schoolhouse committee successful October 2024. 

Budget woes

The Thames Valley District School Board, the region's largest, has a $16 cardinal deficit, astir treble what unit primitively calculated due to the fact that less students registered with the board, and provincial backing is tied straight to the fig of students enrolled. 

That led to cuts to teaching and enactment unit positions arsenic good arsenic peculiar acquisition and tract trips. 

Beth Mai, the seat of the committee of trustees, is besides connected a permission arsenic of today. She cited wellness reasons erstwhile she announced her leave, and clarified "I wish to state that I americium not taxable to immoderate investigations oregon inquiries related to my behaviour oregon my relation astatine the TVDSB." 

Vice seat Dave Cripps takes implicit the seat successful Mai's absence. He did not respond to a petition for remark astir the Fisher and Nicholls' departures.