The Dehcho Divisional Education Council in the N.W.T. is under new leadership, following a period of turmoil last year and an investigation that resulted in a list of recommendations.

Terry Jaffray has been appointed interim superintendent, alongside Jane Arychuk as interim associate superintendent.

Jaffray began in the role in mid-January and is working full-time, focusing on day-to-day operations, staffing and financial processes, while Arychuk, who is part-time, is working closely with principals through regular meetings, site visits and training. They’ll be in their roles until mid-July.

The N.W.T. government launched a series of investigations last year into the Dehcho Divisional Education Council (DDEC), as well as all District Education Authorities (DEAs) in the Dehcho region, citing a broad range of concerns from community members, from governance to finances to workplace culture and beyond.

In October, the education department shared some initial findings and recommendations from the independent investigator, focused on elections of DEA members.

In a written statement to CBC News on Friday, Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland said she received the final investigation report in December. She said it included 25 recommendations and that her department and the DDEC are “carefully reviewing each recommendation and developing a coordinated response.”

She called the appointment of Jaffray and Arychuk “an important step in stabilizing leadership during this transition period.” She described them as highly experienced and knowledgeable about Dehcho communities.

“These interim measures are intended to provide continuity, rebuild trust, and strengthen system-level support while the DDEC continues its recruitment process for permanent positions,” the statement reads.

Getting finances in order

Jaffray said regular meetings with principals have now resumed at the DDEC, and recruitment is underway for a permanent superintendent and senior financial roles.

“The immediate concern was making sure that we got the finances in order,” Jaffray said. “With the sudden departure of both the comptroller and the superintendent … people were unsure about what they could spend on.”

She said the broader goal is to restore stability in the region’s education system, including bringing local education leaders back on the same page through recent governance training sessions with district education authorities and principals.

“That’s one of the most important relationships that we have in our education district,” she said. “So getting them on the same page with respect to their roles and responsibilities, and how they can work together.”

Jaffray said rebuilding trust with families is also a priority.

“They want to be heard. They want to know that what they think about their child’s education is important,” she said. “And they want to know that someone is listening to them.”

The Dehcho Divisional Education Council oversees schools in Fort Liard, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Kakisa, Nahanni Butte, Sambaa K’e, and Wrigley.

Mary Masazumi was one of several parents who previously raised concerns about leadership, communication and a lack of transparency within the district.

She said that despite raising concerns, her family did not feel their concerns were being heard. They eventually moved their children out of Fort Simpson before the new appointments and now live in Norman Wells.

“For ourselves, I find that our mental health was at a standstill when we were in Fort Simpson,” she said. “We weren’t able to get the results that we were wanting, or any kind of results for that matter.”

Masazumi said accountability at the DDEC level will be key to rebuilding trust.

“That is one big thing that we need,” she said. “So we’re able to build trust within putting our children back into learning environments that are supposed to be helping them.”

Jaffray said she feels hopeful about the direction the district is taking, and the interim appointments are expected to run until mid-July as the DDEC works to put longer-term leadership in place.