Mother silenced AGAIN at public school council meeting

Mother Catherine Kronas returned to Ancaster High School’s parent council Tuesday night after a suspension that sparked a legal dispute earlier this year.

Mother Catherine Kronas returned to Ancaster High School’s parent council Tuesday night after a suspension that sparked a legal dispute earlier this year. Despite being reinstated, Kronas once again faced censorship when she tried to raise objections and bring forward an urgent student issue.

The evening began with seating community members separately and a warning from principal Jason Monteith. “We do not provide consent to be recorded,” he said. Under Ontario’s Education Act, school council meetings are public and open to community members.

Kronas challenged the agenda, pointing out that past minutes recording Kronas’ objection to reciting land acknowledgements had never been approved and had even been altered before being posted online. “We need to follow proper protocol,” she told the room, reminding the council that “it is parents—not the board—who are supposed to control the process.”

Source: @CatherineKronas (April 16, 2025)

Monteith cut her off. “I’m going to pause you. And just right now, we’re going to move forward. I’m going to ensure that this continues to be a safe space.”

Later, when Kronas tried to add an urgent item about student achievement, she was again refused by the newly appointed chair of the council. “It’s an urgent matter, I think, as it affects students happening right now,” she said. The chair deferred the issue to November without allowing the other parents to hear more.

“I’m just asking, would you listen to my concern and then make a decision whether or not to add it to the agenda?” she pressed. “You’re not even allowing me to suggest it as an item.”

Speaking to True North, Kronas explained that one grade 12 English class was being taught without grades. “When one class is graded and another is not, that’s not fair,” she said. “They’re not answering my questions.”

Growing Success, Ontario’s policy on how student learning is assessed and graded, states that assessment, evaluation, and reporting practices must be “fair, transparent, and equitable for all students.”

Despite the principal’s opening reminder that “the purpose of school councils… are a parent-directed advisory bodies that represent the school community. Their role is to provide input to the school principal with the focus on improving student learning and fostering parent and community engagement.”

“School councils are not subordinate to the board,” Kronas said in her speech for election to secretary. “It’s essential we operate transparently and within our own authority.”

Tamara Gottlieb, co-founder of Jewish Educators and Families Association attended the meeting in support of Kronas. “The lack of understanding of what a parent council is and how it’s to operate was evident from the beginning,” she said.

Gotleib decided to speak to the group. She said she wanted parents in the room to understand their rights after watching discussions dominated by school staff.

“That parent council meeting ran like a promo session for the principal more than a typical parent council meeting,” she explained. “After hearing the principal reference hot dogs five times, and no discussion from parents about their kids’ education, it became clear that parents didn’t understand that parent councils are provided for in the Education Act, are for parents to be run by parents, and are there to support students and what students are at school to do, which is to learn.”

As the meeting ended, one council member was heard saying “I’m not staying around for your trash” in reference to the presence of a Jewish advocacy group.

Two more community members who do not have children at the school attended. Linda Chenoweth, a community participant and former teacher at the board, said she felt the principal and the chair engaged in “outward bullying” toward Kronas. “It was clear that no matter what Catherine said, that she was going to be denied.”

A participant who wishes to remain anonymous said “what I saw tonight is emblematic of everything that’s broken with education.” He said he attended out of curiosity and expressed dismay that the procedure has not been followed. He said the principal “politely found a way to steamroll Catherine. It doesn’t feel like there's any semblance of respecting the parent voice.”

True North reached out to principal Jason Monteith for comment, asking whether actions in the meeting were consistent with the Education Act and his statement that school councils are “parent-directed advisory bodies.” He did not respond by publication time.

True North also attempted to speak with the newly elected council chair following the meeting, but was told “no comment.”