For over 30 years, Barrie Sketchley has been the guiding force at Rosedale Heights, an art-focused high school in Toronto. Now, at more than 80 years old, his future hangs in the balance as the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) prepares to vote on principal assignments. The decision, set for Monday, could see Sketchley removed from the school he has helped shape into a beloved institution.

Parents and students are expressing their outrage and concern over the potential transfer. Many believe that Sketchley’s departure would be a significant loss for the school community. Zara Kheiriddin, a 15-year-old Grade 10 student, quickly organized a petition to keep him, gathering nearly 300 signatures from fellow students and teachers before Sketchley himself intervened to halt it. "It’s like, resounding, that most of students and parents and the staff, too, want him to stay," Zara said. "It’s the school where I’ve felt the safest personally from, like, bullying and typical other — the kind of stuff you get in other schools."

Zara’s mother, Tasha Kheiriddin, a columnist, has also voiced her concerns. She wrote to Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra, urging him to reconsider the decision. "The community is asking for fairness, respect for a principal who has given everything to public education, and the right to maintain leadership that reflects the school’s unique mission and values," she stated. Calandra’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Critics of the potential transfer argue that it would effectively force Sketchley into retirement. Weidong Pei, a trustee for Willowdale, expressed his concerns in a letter to TDSB’s director of education, Clayton La Touche. "Transferring Mr. Sketchley at this stage of his career — which would in effect amount to a forced retirement — would not only be undignified, it would also deprive RHSA and the TDSB of one of our most valued and effective school leaders," Pei wrote. He hopes the decision can be reversed, allowing Sketchley to retire on his own terms.

The TDSB has received numerous emails from parents and students protesting the transfer. "This is not the right thing to do," Pei remarked. Deborah Williams, the trustee representing the area, declined to comment on the specifics of Sketchley’s situation. Meanwhile, Katrina Matheson, chair of the parents’ council at Rosedale, expressed shock at the potential decision, calling it disrespectful after decades of service.

Sketchley has dedicated over 40 years to the TDSB as a teacher and principal. However, his tenure has not been without controversy. Recently, Rosedale Heights has faced scrutiny over its student selection lottery, which reserves 20 percent of seats for students from visible minority communities. Previously, the school managed its own admissions, but this responsibility has shifted to the TDSB, leading to tensions. Some parents and staff allege that Sketchley opposed this change, which may have contributed to his current predicament.

Zara noted the mixed feelings among students about the school’s focus on the arts, saying, "There’s people who skip classes and talk about how annoying it is to go to an art school and that they’re only there because their friends are there, or their parents make them go there."

The TDSB has refrained from commenting on Sketchley’s case, stating it cannot discuss decisions that have not yet been approved by the Board. A spokesperson indicated that principal assignments will be addressed in upcoming Board meetings in June.