Cindy Heitman is officially the new Superintendent of School District 57.
Heitman held the role on an interim basis since January of 2021 after Anita Richardson went on medical leave.
In an interview with MyPGNow.com, Heitman stated one of her main goals is to follow up on the special advisor’s report regarding educational outcomes for Indigenous students as well as the board’s relationships with First Nations communities.
“In order for us to move to reconciliation, we need to have open dialogue, we need to be transparent, and we need to include the first nations in the work we are doing. This is important work we need to do as we look to improve outcomes for Indigenous learners and close that achievement gap. I think relationships with our first nations need to be a priority of School District 57.”
“As we continue to learn about the tragedies it hits home for a lot of us. School District 57 is on the journey towards reconciliation and we are still learning the truth of Canada’s true history.”
In a September 2021 interview, Heitman noted there are anywhere between 3,600 to 3,800 Indigenous students within the school district.
However, there is a 27% to 28% gap when it comes to graduation rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in School District 57 according to Heitman.
In addition, Heitman believes she’ll bring some stability to the positions, which has seen five different superintendents since 2015.
“I have deep roots within the community and I know the system well. I have been in a senior position for many years now and I think that having been the acting (superintendent) for a year now, there is an opportunity for me to carry on that work.”
She added the district is continuing to bridge the gap when it comes to the teacher shortage.
“We continue to hire, we continue to recruit, and we continue to try and build up our teacher replacement staff. Are we seeing a shortage? Absolutely, but we have been able to cover and ensure there is a classroom teacher in front of our kids.”
Heitman noted there have been no “functional closures” of schools within SD 57 due to the Omicron variant.