Profile
Shaun Chen has dedicated his life to public service and the people of Scarborough as an education advocate and strong champion of children and youth.
As Chair of the Toronto District School Board, Shaun has worked to increase transparency and accountability in our public school system. He led the TDSB to a balanced $3 billion operating budget and supported establishing an integrity commissioner to ensure ethical conduct by Trustees.
A lifelong advocate for children and youth, Shaun was first elected as public school Trustee in 2006. As our Trustee, Shaun championed programs to support newcomers, launched an annual tree planting initiative in the Rouge Park, and initiated a popular leadership training program for parents.
Shaun has served as director of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and member of the City of Toronto Children’s Services Advisory Committee, where he worked to support a multi-year strategy to expand Toronto’s child care system.
Shaun has received a myriad of honours including the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Citizenship Award and a youth services citation from Scarborough Community Council. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013) and the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers (1999).
Named by Maclean’s as one of “100 young Canadians to watch,” Shaun grew up in Scarborough and graduated from Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute. He went on to the University of Toronto, where he received his BSc in Computer Science and Equity Studies and MA in Sociology in Education.
Committees and Agencies
Shaun has served on:
- Ontario Public School Boards' Association, Alternate Enrolment Vice-President and Director
- Planning and Priorities Committee, Chair
- Administration, Finance and Accountability Committee, Vice-Chair
- Operations and Facilities Management Committee, Vice-Chair
- Discipline Committee, Proceeding Chair
- Ad Hoc Budget Review Committee
- Administrative Council
- Administrative Space Work Group
- Audit Committee
- Budget Committee
- City of Toronto Children's Services Advisory Committee
- Code of Conduct and Ethics Committee
- Director Performance Appraisal Measures Workgroup
- Director's Council
- Environmental Sustainability Community Advisory Committee
- Focus on Youth Toronto Steering Committee
- Health Committee
- House Committee
- Human Resources and Professional Learning Committee
- Newsletter Award Selection Committee
- Permit Review Working Group
- Supervised Alternative Learning Committee