Equity and educational leadership came at a personal cost for jeewan chanicka
Who says you can’t be different and innovative while still being effective?
jeewan chanicka has spent his career challenging that assumption, sometimes loudly through policy and practice, and sometimes quietly, even in the decision to style his name in lowercase, inspired by late American educator and social activist bell hooks.
Rooted in early German-language and Mennonite settlement in the 1800s, Waterloo has evolved into a globally recognized technology and innovation hub, anchored by two main universities and shaped by people from increasingly diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.
While this growth has enriched the region, rapid social and demographic change has not been embraced by everyone. For some, it has fuelled discomfort, resistance and, at times, incidents of hate and discrimination, revealing ongoing struggles around inclusion and belonging.
It was within this context that chanicka served for nearly three-and-a-half years as Director of Education at the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), where his equity-focused approach positioned him as a leading voice on innovation and systems change.
As a Muslim and gay leader, he represented a departure from the traditional profile of senior education leadership in Ontario. His presence and unapologetic focus on equity, identity and human rights resonated deeply with many families and educators, while unsettling others.
That tension reflected a broader challenge facing public education systems across Canada, where leading boldly on equity and human rights often requires navigating resistance, fear and competing expectations within diverse communities.
In December 2024, during a period marked by rising concerns about hate, discrimination and community polarization across Southwestern Ontario, chanicka and the WRDSB parted ways, placing renewed scrutiny on public institutions and their willingness to support transformative leadership.
His exit surprised many, particularly since neither he nor the Board has disclosed the reasons behind the decision.
“What is important to know is that the Board wished me well and I wish them the same,” is all chanicka would say at this time. “I would have liked to say goodbye personally to the students, staff and families differently. It was my greatest honour and privilege to serve them.”
The 2017 Mary Samuels Leadership in Education award recipient said he remained in education for as long as he did because he genuinely believed in the possibility of transforming public education for the better.
“From the beginning, however, I was clear that this work had to be rooted in innovation,” chanicka noted.
That belief was affirmed in 2024, when he received an international award for large-scale public-sector innovation, an honour not specific to education.
Although the work was carried out on behalf of the district, chanicka was deliberate in ensuring there was no perception of misusing public funds, personally covering his travel and other costs to accept the honour in Barcelona, Spain.
This commitment to innovation was also reflected in the Board’s strategic planning process.
Unlike traditional approaches, it engaged more than 10,000 voices, including over 5,000 students from kindergarten through Grade 12.
“We intentionally reached out to both communities that historically responded and those that had not, asking a simple but critical question, ‘What is your vision’?” he said. “The feedback we received was candid. Many shared that, while they were regularly asked for input, they rarely knew how their feedback was used. In response, we launched an annual Community Report Card to clearly communicate our actions and demonstrate how community voices were shaping our work.
“Based on ongoing feedback from students, families and the broader community, we also created a new role in the Director’s office that brought together two key portfolios and ensured that Family and Community Engagement and Student Voice were embedded in decision-making at the highest level.”
During chanicka’s tenure, the WRDSB advanced a system-wide focus on student achievement, equity and well-being.
It also implemented an Improvement and Equity Plan, strengthening structured literacy and math strategies, expanding data-informed decision-making and deepening attention to historically underserved learners.
While many factors shape student outcomes, the period was marked by clearer achievement priorities, targeted interventions and an increased emphasis on measuring progress through established provincial and board-level indicators.
What ultimately set this work apart, chanicka pointed out, was that he and his team didn’t stop at listening.
“We used both existing and newly collected data to drive meaningful change,” the 2015 Pan Am Games torchbearer said. “Insights from the community directly informed decisions, led to structural changes and resulted in tangible actions that closed the loop between community voice and district leadership.
“For example, both Grade 9 and Grade 10 were de-streamed. We held ongoing community roundtables with students, families and staff. I personally visited all 122 schools within the first six months to meet directly with school communities. As if often say, ‘I cannot represent you well if I have not been to your home’. I also sent annual video reports to students to keep them informed.”
Importantly, these efforts coincided with measurable outcomes.
The WRDSB five-year graduation rate increased from 85.2 percent to 86.9 percent during much of chanicka’s reign, and its North Star, a guiding directive ensuring that a student’s identity or social location no longer predicts educational outcomes, remains a central and unifying focus for decision-making and strategic planning.
“I am grateful to see the Board continue upholding this vision as I transition to serving education in new ways,” he said.
While this work was deeply rewarding, it was not without challenges.
The benefits of change can be meaningful, but setbacks and opposition often take a personal toll.
“Racism and hate became louder from a small but vocal group, some of whom were connected to the school community,” said chanicka. “Rather than engaging with the work, they made harmful assumptions and accusations. Despite online rumours, neither I nor the WRDSB ever attempted to cancel Halloween or Christmas celebrations. Guidance around celebrations was intended solely to ensure inclusivity and safety, not to suppress traditions. Claims that my work focused exclusively on Black students or on one group are also false. My commitment to equity and inclusion was to support all marginalized students and improve outcomes for everyone.”
That work included placing Professional Developments days on Eid and Diwali so that significant numbers of students and staff could celebrate with their families.
Senior leaders were expected to engage directly with students and families before making decisions, and those engagement efforts were discussed regularly in leadership meetings.
The board also partnered with the City of Kitchener, sharing space at its head office to support ‘A Better Tent City’. That initiative has since become a model being studied and replicated across the country to support people who are unhoused.
“This work was never about identity in the way critics misrepresented it,” chanicka said. “It was about ensuring identity was not a barrier so every student had the opportunity to succeed. During this time, school renaming processes were carried out in accordance with guidance from the Indigenous Advisory Council. Human Rights was also re-envisioned, not as the responsibility of a single department, but as a shared way of working across the entire district to build a stronger organization that better served students, families, communities and staff.”
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