Message from Louise Sirisko
It is my sincere pleasure and privilege to serve York Region District School Board as the Director of Education. I am proud to be part of a board with such a strong commitment to excellence.
When I joined YRDSB, I did so with a variety of teaching and leading experiences. A large focus of my career has been on supporting students with special education needs that required extra care. I think this was because I was a student who benefitted from the care and nurturing of compassionate adults.
My priorities as Director of Education will remain the same with a heightened focus on supporting students who are underserved and underperforming. In the coming years, our actions as a Board will be guided by the concept of Universal Design, which is the understanding that if we create learning opportunities that are necessary for some students, all students will benefit.
YRDSB leads the province in achievement data, but that does not mean that every student is reaching their potential. In fact, despite our historic efforts to close gaps, too many students still do not graduate, too many do not achieve provincial expectations and too many struggle with their mental health.
In order for us to achieve our goals, student success must remain at the centre of all we do and in order for us to be successful, we must do so as a collective.
This is a truly exciting time for our Board and I am honoured to work alongside our families, trustees, staff and senior leaders to help every one of our students soar! I look forward to learning more about our diverse communities and to building relationships with all of you.
Please be sure to check back to this site often, as I will be sharing the successes of our students and information about our strategic plans and ongoing initiatives.
Sincerely,
Louise Sirisko
Director of Education
About Louise Sirisko
Louise Sirisko joined York Region District School Board (YRDSB) as Director of Education in January 2018. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role, including direct experience with another large school board in the province and with the Ministry of Education. Ms. Sirisko demonstrates a strong commitment to equity, inclusion and human rights. She has a proven track record of building positive relationships with students, families, staff and community members to advance student achievement and well-being.
Previous to her appointment as Director of Education for YRDSB, Ms. Sirisko spent 27 years in education, including as Director of the Special Education/Success for All Branch at the Ontario Ministry of Education. Ms. Sirisko began her education career with Peel District School Board in 1990 as an elementary school teacher and has held other positions, including Vice-Principal, Principal, Superintendent of Education and Superintendent of Special Education.
