Superintendent Mark Pearmain takes the helm of Surrey Schools

The first day back from spring break is always an exciting one for our students, but no one was more excited than Mark Pearmain, Surrey Schools’ new superintendent, on his first official day of school with the district.

After nearly six years as superintendent of the North Vancouver School District, Pearmain has taken the reins of Surrey Schools following the retirement of Dr. Jordan Tinney, someone who Pearmain worked with as superintendents of their respective Lower Mainland districts, as well as during a stint together at the Vancouver School Board.

“I got to work with Dr. Tinney in Vancouver when he was deputy superintendent at VSB,” said Pearmain, who was enlisted as district principal of field services after serving as principal and vice-principal at several Vancouver secondary schools. “It really pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me my first taste of working in a district office versus a school-based position, with tons of opportunity and responsibility.

“I think it’s quite circuitous that I just landed here in Surrey and get to take that experience and passion for district work and bring it here after him.”

Now 27 years into his education career, Pearmain said he was drawn to the opportunities that Surrey Schools presented to be innovative on a larger scale and share his leadership style. And though he’s still settling into his new office, he said the transition has been relatively seamless as he gets used to overseeing a new senior team.

“The similarities between districts were quite apparent – supportive boards, a DNA to be progressive and think through things differently and a vision to create a system that meets the needs of all of our kids to allow them to succeed,” he said. “Working with the senior staff and folks who are here, I already get that presence and sense that this is where we’re going.

Pearmain’s approach to education has an emphasis on creating learning experiences outside of the classroom, part of a broader vision to encourage students to find and pursue their passions in life through exploring opportunities they might not otherwise encounter.

“It’s important to learn outside of the context of a school and consider how we can get kids out to experiential learning in terms of working with each other, the community, rightsholders, in our local community or on international trips through sports, music, drama, debate, robotics,” he said. “Those experiences really ground kids in knowing they are part of a much bigger system and community.”

He also outlined a number of goals he wishes to accomplish in his new role, including a continued focus on Indigenous education and truth and reconciliation, increasing graduation rates, completing ongoing capital projects and creating opportunities for the rapidly growing student population. He highlighted the district’s Racial Equity Environmental Assessment by Racing to Equity as an important, long-term process in addressing issues of racism and inequality, upholding a commitment to educational justice.

“There’s significant work that we’re engaging in here when it comes to racial equity and creating experiences for our kids that are equal and engaging for all,” he said. “My hope is we will start a process which becomes the norm in terms of understanding and seeing our own biases and addressing them while creating safe spaces for voices that haven’t been heard or had the opportunity to be heard, to be able to rightfully say what they need to say, and to change our system for the better.”

While there is much work to do, Pearmain said he’s up to the task of leading Surrey Schools in pursuing each of these goals, noting that staff across the district have done and continue to do exceptional work for the benefit of all Surrey students.

“I am incredibly impressed with the leadership team here at the district office and the teams at schools and the teachers and support staff – it’s really my honour and privilege to be in this role where I get to represent the amazing work of staff, and that is not something I take lightly,” he said. “I’m really reflective of the collective work, and for me, it’s a little bit awe-inspiring and honouring.

“Most importantly I’m excited to reflect back what the staff do here on a daily basis but also share their amazing stories of what they do to support our kids.”