The director of education for the Peterborough-area Catholic district school will be retiring from the position and from education at the end of August.
Joan Carragher has held the role with the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board since December 2020. During Tuesday’s board of trustees meeting, chairperson Kevin MacKenzie announced Carragher’s retirement, which will be on Aug. 31.
“Joan’s steadfast leadership was instrumental in leading the board through some of the most challenging periods of the pandemic and into recovery,” MacKenzie stated.
“Joan also led the development of the board’s current multi-year strategic plan, which will continue to guide the board’s direction for years to come. We thank Joan for her leadership, her mentoring, her calm demeanour in the face of many challenges and her unwavering commitment to our students, staff, families and school communities.”
Her 33-year career in Catholic education began in 1990 with the Toronto Catholic District School Board. She joined the PVNC board as a teacher in 1999, and since then has also served as a vice-principal, principal and as a superintendent of schools/special education and a superintendent of learning/leadership and human resources.
“This has truly been an inspiring role,” she said. “Every day I am amazed by the abilities and passions of our dedicated staff in schools and at the board office, and I have had the pleasure of working on behalf of our students who give me so much optimism for the future. I sincerely thank the board of trustees who entrusted me with this important work. I did not take this privilege lightly and I am grateful to have had the opportunity.”
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Carragher says one of her key achievements is the renewal of the board’s multi-year strategic plan which focuses on the school board’s priorities through to 2025. Carragher also said she’s proud of the major strides in fostering equity, diversity and inclusion, supported by data collected from student and staff censuses.
The school board, headquartered in Peterborough, has 36 schools throughout Peterborough, Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Durham Region.
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“The work we have been engaging in to ensure all our students and staff feel valued and feel a sense of belonging in our vibrant Catholic schools is among the most rewarding of my 33 years in education,” she said.
Carragher intends to retire to her native Prince Edward Island with her husband Michael. Their two daughters, Charlotte and Emma, were PVNC Catholic graduates.
The board says a hiring process is underway to fill the director’s role with a job posting soon to be made public.
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