Toronto District School Board director to retire this fall

The head of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) announced Tuesday she will be stepping down in the fall.

Colleen Russell-Rawlins, who is the director of education at Canada's largest school board at the TDSB, made the announcement during a special meeting on Tuesday.

"It has truly been a privilege of a lifetime to serve our vibrant and dynamic communities and to witness the remarkable brilliance, achievements and impact of students, staff and educators," Russell-Rawlins said in a statement.

"I am filled with gratitude for the support, collaboration and dedication that I have benefited from and witnessed daily through each season of my career — as a teacher up to and including the director of education."

In a news release Tuesday, the school board said Russell-Rawlins' career spans more than three decades, including senior leadership positions with the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, Peel District School Board and Toronto District School Board.

Russell-Rawlins said she looks forward to continuing to contribute "through new avenues, to a better world which includes all of us."

According to the news release, during her tenure with the TDSB Russell-Rawlins oversaw the expansion of access to French immersion programs, as well as improved access to child care and literacy supports. She also helped outcomes for "many underserved students," the statement reads.

The TDSB said it will soon begin a formal search for a new director of education.

Russell-Rawlins is set to retire in November.