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PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1998.
Dir. of Ed. recounts joys, accomplishments
By Janice Becker
Citizen staff
It is the beginning of a new era for a man
who has spent his entire adult career involved
in the education of Huron County children.
With more than three decades dedicated to
education and community involvement, Paul
Carroll says it is time for a rest. "I have done
enough."
Announcing his retirement last week,
Carroll steps down as the director of educa-
tion for the Avon Maitland District School
Board, a post he held with the former Huron
County Board of Education (HCBE) since
1993.
Carroll's career in education began in the
late 1960's when, along with his wife, Mary,
he made the decision to leave the Ministry of
Health and pursue teaching credentials.
His decision to make the move was, based
on his belief that the education system should
be changed and he could only do that by
being part of it.
He began teaching at Victoria Public
School, Goderich, in 1967.
Of those years in the classroom, Carroll
says his most vivid memory is working with
the children in what he called combination
studies.
"I let them use their head and their hands
together," he says. "When we worked on Inca
history, we made models; integrated the lan-
guage and arts into the study of history."
"With one Grade 6 class we brought cattails
to the classroom and built an Inca boat. Then
one Saturday we took it down to the river and
used it. It was something (I believe) the chil-
dren will never forget."
He laughs remembering the look on the
custodian's face. "We had to bar
him from the room while we
had the cattails there."
He moved into the position of
vice-principal at Seaforth Public
School six years later, then
principal in 1977. Carroll says it
was in this capacity he was able
to make the most change.
"Principals can have a direet
impact. Along with the staff, we
could get things done."
During his tenure at Seaforth
Public School, Carroll was
instrumental in introducing the
peer mentoring and peer tutor-
ing programs.
"We were 10 years ahead.
Everyone has the programs
now," he says.
In 1984, he took his expertise
to the education centre to fill the
role of superintendent of educa-
tion. Through the following
nine years, he held the portfo-
lios of special education and
business and operations.
Working in board administra-
tion took a different type of
planning, he says. He had to
learn how to get others to do
things. •
Of his many accomplishments
in the past 14 years, Carroll
notes the provisions for technol-
ogy tools in the former HCBE,
both school-based and the inter-
communication links to support staff in edu-
cation and administration.
"The HCBE was one of the most sophisti-
cated and advanced technologically. The tools
have given our kids a headstart. There has
been a significant pay-off," he says.
As superintendent of business and opera-
tions and since, Carroll saw schools rebuilt
and renovated, thereby improving "the houses
we live in".
"We have transformed some from dumps
yet preserved the heritage of the buildings."
There have also been upgrades to science
labs, improved technology studies and special
education provisions, proper kindergarten
facilities created and a change in office space
to allow conference areas for principals and
parents.
Focusing on long-term plans has been a
cornerstone of Carroll's administration,
always looking years in advance, not just
weeks or months.
More than a year prior to the official
announcement from the province that the for-
mer Huron and Perth boards would be amal-
gamated, the HCBE staff already had a transi-
tion team formed and meeting to discuss the
future.
In speaking of the changes which have
occurred during his tenure, Carroll says he
has "been a catalyst to cause things to happen.
The board is responsible for planning for the
future."
And that future, Carroll leaves to a new
director.
With the transitional stub year coming to a
close this summer, he says now is a good time
to leave and his decision to retire is threefold.
First, he says, was the 85-factor introduced
by the province. It allows both he and Mary
to retire this year to spend more time on hob-
bies long neglected.
After 31 years in education, it is time to
have family time, Carroll says. Time that is
private.
Even with his retirement, he considered the
impact on the board.
"If I were to stay, it would only be for
another two or three years. Why would I stay
and help build the new Avon Maitland
District School Board then leave it to some-
one else? It is better they come in at the,
beginning and build it their way."
Noting the considerable controversy which
has arisen since the amalgamation of the two
boards, Carroll also says this may be a time
for someone from the outside, with no prior
connections, to fill the role.
"No matter how hard someone tries to be
neutral, they are always seen as from the other
side. Leadership needs to be seen as neutral
and objective. Though this is a very difficult
move for me, the ongoing conflict and contro-
versy is wearing on everyone. My leaving
will give a new leader a fresh start. It is an
ideal time."
Though he says there is much more to be
done, he is proud of what has been accom-
plished as the lowest spending board, but "our
kids deserve more."
Carroll referred to his continuing displea-
sure with the government's education finance
reform which has done nothing for rural
schools.
"The frugal boards which kept spending
down, are now penalized. Education is funded
to the degree of irresponsibility in Ontario."
Not wanting to identify the culprit, Carroll
says there is one school board in
Southwestern Ontario which has a chef in the
board office cafeteria.
"How many other boards have cut costs by
closing their head offices and moving into
extra space in a school like the HCBE did?"
he asks.
"We cannot survive on the current funding.
In both (Perth and Huron), all reasonable cuts
have been made. I don't care what Helen
Johns says. It is not an improvement."
"Building renovation dollars are down one
to two million and transportation is down a
quarter of a million. The reduction in class
sizes is good; but there is no new money for
it. It is transferred from other areas."
He also says that with the funding model
now more dependent on enrolment, the Avon
Maitland board faces more difficulty.
"If there are three or four children less in
each school, or a total of 200 students, board
revenue drops $1 million. We can't make cuts
to adjust on a school level. "
Carroll will remember his time as being
"great", he says. "I got a lot done and I had a
reasonable impact. That was my goal in 1966.
I didn't want to be on the outside belly-aching
about education."
He and Mary will be spending their restful
retirement at a secluded family cottage which
will become their full-time residence.
Aside from gardening and painting, Carroll
says they plan to spend more time in their
adopted Cuba, for which they have done con-
siderable humanitarian work, as well as sail-
ing south for a year.
Ready to relax
Director of Education Paul Carroll plans for a
private life after 31 years in education.
Lack of accurate water-quality info frustrates councillors
Huron County councillors, at
their June 4 meeting, expressed
frustration at figures being bandied
about that indicate decreasing local
water quality when the figures they
have received show no such thing.
Robin Dunbar, reeve of Grey
Twp. raised the issued qubting
from a Toronto Star article that said
a large percentage of rural wells
There won't be many trees dying
to print the revised Huron County
Official Plan, presented to Huron
County council June 4. The docu-
ment contains just 14 pages plus
maps and tables.
Wayne Caldwell, senior county
planner, told councillors the object
of the plan was to be concise and
written in plain language so that
people can understand. This plan
simply sets overall objectives for
the county. The local municipal
plans provide most of the develop-
ment rules.
While there has been general
agreement on most of the report,
throughout consultations with the
public and municipalities, two
municipalities have disagreed with
some aspects. Morris Twp. feels
there are some areas of prime class
1-3 farmland (about 12-13 in his
township, estimated Reeve Bert
Elliott) which are suitable for non-
were contaminated. Yet informa-
tion his township had received
from the Maitland Valley Conser-
vation Authority showed water
quality in the river better than it
had been in a long time. Dunbar
wondered if the county was going
to bring all the relevant information
together so that some sort of bench-
mark could be created to know if
farm development. These are areas,
Elliott explained, where large farm
equipment is difficult to operate
such as along woodlots or in diffi-
cult corners.
While Morris's proposal won
support of people like Brian
McBurney, reeve of Turnberry,
Gary Davidson, director of plan-
ning and development, said it
wouldn't be possible to pass a
bylaw that would allow some class
1-3 land to be used without allow-
Continued from page 1
county from the Canada company
and early settlement to modern
times. The gallery will include dis-
plays on past wardens of the county
and an honour roll of citizens of the
county and natives who went on to
fame elsewhere.
Another $25,000 will go toward
water quality was improving or get-
ting worse.
Carol Mitchell, reeve of Clinton,
supported the idea of pulling all the
information together.
Brian McBumey, reeve of Turn-
berry, suggested some of the dis-
crepancy came from incomplete
research. Researchers in an area of
his township reported 100 per cent
ing people to build in the middle of
large fields too. That, he said,
would definitely run afoul of the
provincial legislation protecting
prime farmland from development.
The new plan also will not allow
farmers to retain a small residential
lot for their retirement when they
sell their farms. This reflects the
township plans of all but Hay Twp.,
which is also moving to forbid sev-
erances for retirement lots. Howev-
Continued on page 11
creating an art bank for the county
which would put the work of local
artists on view in public buildings
around the county. Under the pro-
posal a juried art show would be
held each year with three pieces
chosen as winners and the artists
offered prizes of up to $1,000 to
sell their work to the county.
of wells were contaminated, he
said, yet .they had tested only five
shallow wells. When they were
pushed by the township to test all
60 local wells, they found the origi-
nal five were the only ones contam-
inated.
Mason Bailey, reeve of Blyth,
'agreed saying his experience with
real estate transactions was that the
vast majority of rural wells tested
pure.
Goderich Twp. Reeve Laurie
Cox, who works at the Goderich.
water treatment plant, said that
records kept at his facility show
that water quality (taken from an
intake 1,600 feet off shore) is
improving year after year.
Norm Fairies, reeve of Howick,
said that experience in his township
where there are three villages with
wells and septic tank systems, is
that all wells except those where
surface water can get in, are per-
fectly fine. County presents new plan
$25,000 goes to county art bank