New Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Director Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini aiming to regain community trust
November 14, 2022
Turning 24 and with aspirations of becoming a famous actor, Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini moved to Toronto -- considered one of the best places to live and work in the film industry -- from the Prairies in the summer of 1993.
It did not take long to figure out what was her true calling.
Robinson Petrazzini had taught in Winnipeg for three years before making the transition to Canada’s largest city.
“I had done some acting classes, but I soon realized I had the teaching bug,” she said.
Last August, the experienced educator became the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) first female Director of Education.
Dawn Danko, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, said Robinson Petrazzini is the right fit for the Board at this time.
“Sheryl is an authentic relationship builder with a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience that centres student voices and promotes achievement, well-being and human rights,” she added. “We look forward to her leadership as she engages all communities in HWDSB in a positive way and in service to our students, families and staff.”
After Manny Figueiredo tendered his resignation in November 2021, Robinson Petrazzini was approached to consider applying for the role.
“As I began to do my research, I realized there are things that people are doing really well and there are areas for improvement, not only in the HWDSB, but all school boards,” she said. “I was also attracted by the Board’s medium size.”
Established in 1998 after amalgamation, the HWDSB comprises 15 secondary and 88 elementary schools.
As a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Executive Superintendent prior to joining the HWDSB, she was responsible for nearly 136 schools.
“The school and the work that goes on in schools is one of my central areas of focus,” she said. “When I saw they were comparable to what I had already been doing in TDSB, that definitely did interest me. I also knew they were doing work to attract Black and racialized staff and on the verge of releasing their first student census. Coming from TDSB which has so much data and just to be able to take some of my experience of working in that type of system and moving to one on its way to collecting this data and using it was appealing.”
The voluntary ‘We All Count’ survey focused on student identities, particularly race and gender, to address systemic barriers.
Aware she has joined a Board with some troubling issues, Robinson Petrazzini promised to confront them head-on to effect positive change.
In the last decade, the HWDSB has faced reports and surveys that outline bullying, racism and a toxic work environment.
A former student trustee allegations of ‘racial gaslighting’ and ‘silencing’ prompted a third party investigation.
“We can’t shy away from the issues and we have to do better,” Robinson Petrazzini said. “Acknowledging people’s experiences is the first thing that has to be done. Something else that attracted me to this Board is the similarities in terms of where I started in Winnipeg. I grew up very much as a minority in that community. While I am Director for all students in this district, I am focused on those students who are experiencing racism and those families that are saying the system is not serving them.
“Having done my homework, I know there are some concerns. But I believe I bring commitment, dedication and skills to address those issues through education. You have to win back the community’s trust and there is a lot of work involved. It is layered and cannot be done overnight. It is important to show the direction we are moving in. We want our educators to want to make a difference and if that means addressing practices that are not inclusive, colonial or racist in nature, we are going to have to step up and do that. As I do my rounds visiting schools and meeting staff, community members and trustees, I am making it clear what I stand for. I want students to be successful and we have to recognize those who are not well served by our system and be prepared to stake steps to address that.”
Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini speaking at a community meeting in Toronto (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
In early October, HWDSB Trustees unanimously approved a board-wide Human Rights Policy after months of engagement and consultation sessions with the public.
A few days after approval, Robinson Petrazzini met with the Board’s Principal and Vice-Principals and celebrated the milestone moment.
“However, just having the policy on paper is not the real celebration,” she said. “That will happen when we lift that off the paper. Yohana Otite, who is the Human Rights & Equity Officer, and her team did tremendous work to get us to this place and the Board voted for this policy. We want our schools and offices to be places where students and staff can bring their full authentic selves every day. This policy articulates the Board’s commitment to fulfil its positive human rights obligations and will help ensure that HWDSB will be proactive both in fostering a culture of human rights and in creating accessible, respectful and inclusive learning and working environments free of discrimination and harassment.”
The Anti-Black Racism Policy was also approved at the same meeting.
‘My identity as a Black woman is very important to me and talking about that policy is something I do very proudly,” Robinson Petrazzini said. “But again, there is work to be done because just having the policy is not the be all and end all.”
Having a mother who worked hard to support five children inspired her passion for higher education.
“She was single and didn’t necessarily have the opportunity to have an extensive education,” said Robinson Petrazzini. “I have so much respect for the way my mom worked to provide for us so that we could have an education. She believed that was the ticket to a better future for us and that meant a lot to me.”
Shortly after birth, her mom came to Canada to seek better opportunities to support herself and family back home.
Her maternal grandmother, who had 16 children, raised her for seven years until she was reunified with her mother in Winnipeg.
Assimilating in a new country was not easy for Robinson Petrazzini who enjoys walking, reading and dancing.
Besides adjusting to the cold Prairie winters, she was the only Black student in her classes through elementary and high school.
“It was not until my second year in university did I see someone that looked like me in the same space,” said Robinson Petrazzini who completed a double major in English and French at the University of Winnipeg. “Along with feeling lonely sometimes, I never saw myself reflected in the curriculum or in school unless it was to talk about slavery once a year. ‘Roots’ (the American television miniseries) aired when I was in elementary school and I remembered being teased and called the ‘n’ word. Also, I had a crush on one my teachers who brought his kid to school one day. I remember the child asking, ‘How come she is burnt’? I was so devastated as the teacher did not correct his child.”
Those negative experiences and non-exposure to Indigenous education in her early schooling in Winnipeg that has the largest urban Indigenous population in Canada motivated her to become an educator.
“I had some good teachers earlier on that used humor and connected with me on a personal level,” she said. “For the longest time, I said I only wanted to teach because I loved it. However, I ended up wanting to become a Principal because I wanted to have wider influence.”
Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini (second from left) and educators Lynn Strangway (l) and Shirley Chan with 43 Division Toronto Police officers Leanna Gill (c) and Julie Rowe at an International Women’s Day event in Scarborough in 2020 (Photo contributed)
Fluent in French and Spanish with extensive experience working in diverse communities, Robinson Petrazzini was a TDSB Principal for 10 years.
Former Superintendent of Education Bernice Blackman promoted her to the position.
“She was among just two Black Superintendents at the time and I was so excited,” Robinson Petrazzini recalled. “She hired really talented people and I remember thinking, ‘I don’t want to let her down because she has such an incredible presence’. I have so much respect for her and I learnt a lot about leadership from her.”
Also a TDSB Central Co-ordinating Principal and Centrally Assigned Principal for School Improvement and Principal Coaching, she worked over four years to implement Full-Day Kindergarten and childcare across the TDSB.
Robinson Petrazzini and her husband of 26 years –Rodolfo Petrazzini is an electronics technician -- have two children.
Inez, 22, is in the University of Ottawa International Development and Globalization program while Ariana is a second-year student at McMaster University pursuing an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences.
