The Education Quality and Accountability Office Announces the Retirement of Its Chief Executive Officer, Marguerite Jackson

TORONTO, Oct. 11, 2012 /CNW/ - On behalf of the Board of Directors, the Chair of the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), Dr. Brian L. Desbiens, announced today that Marguerite Jackson, the agency's Chief Executive Officer, will be retiring on June 30, 2013.

"We wish to extend our sincere thanks to Marguerite for her outstanding guidance, dedication and commitment to this agency over these past 10 years," said Dr. Desbiens. "EQAO is a respected, relevant and independent agency of the government that serves a vital role in public education, and Marguerite's efforts have greatly contributed to the strength of EQAO's reputation. While we are sorry to see Marguerite leave us, we wish her all the very best as she starts this next, well-deserved stage of her life."

Marguerite Jackson has been EQAO's CEO for over a decade, and during this time she has provided the agency with exceptional leadership. Under her guidance, EQAO has earned distinction, both within Ontario and beyond, as a source of credible evidence that improves accountability and influences teaching and learning. Parents, students, teachers and policy makers rely on the results of EQAO's curriculum-based assessments to support their efforts to help every child in a publicly funded Ontario school achieve his or her highest potential.

Marguerite has had a distinguished career in education. Prior to assuming the leadership of EQAO, she served as Director of Education in both the North York Board of Education and the Toronto District School Board. In all of her many roles in public education, she has been able to keep the student-teacher learning relationship at the centre of all discussions and decision making.

The EQAO Board of Directors has selected Caldwell Partners to assist in the recruitment of the agency's next CEO.

About EQAO's Board of Directors: The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) is governed by a board of directors appointed by the Government of Ontario. The board of directors sets the goals, objectives, policies and strategic directions of the agency according to its mandate as defined in the EQAO Act and reports to the people of Ontario the achievement results for students in public schools.

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SOURCE: Education Quality and Accountability Office

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