Academic career
In 2006,Kirby was appointed an assistant professor of post-secondary education studies in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He was promoted to the position of associate professor in 2011. Prior to joining Memorial University,he worked as a senior advisor on education policy in the Ontario Public Service. [2]
Kirby is a professor,researcher,and consultant on student access and participation in college and university and in the area of online learning. [3] In recognition of his contributions and advocacy,the Canadian Council on Learning named him a Minerva Scholar in 2007. [4] In 2011,he received the R. W. B. Jackson Award from the Canadian Educational Researchers Association as well the Best Research Paper Award at the 2011 European Distance and E-Learning Network Annual Conference. [5] [6]
Politics
Kirby was first elected in 2011 to represent the electoral district of St. John's North as a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party. [7] [8] Kirby left the NDP caucus in 2013 after a high-profile,public dispute with NDP leader Lorraine Michael, [9] [10] [11] and later joined the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party. [12] He was reelected in the 2015 provincial election as a Liberal in the new district of Mount Scio. [13] [14]
Kirby was sworn at Government House as Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development by Lieutenant Governor Frank Fagan on December 14,2015. [15] [16] Kirby was Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development for Newfoundland and Labrador from 2015 to 2018 during which time he oversaw the implementation of full-day Kindergarten across the province. He also oversaw the work of the Task Force on Improving Educational Outcomes which carried out a comprehensive review of the Newfoundland and Labrador public school system. [17]
On April 30,2018 Kirby resigned from the Liberal cabinet following allegations of harassment by Liberal MHAs Colin Holloway and Pam Parsons. Kirby sat as an Independent during an investigation of the complaint by the Commissioner for Legislative Standards. [18] [19] On August 27,2018,CBC released a copy of a report by the Commissioner for Legislative Standards that cleared him and Eddie Joyce of wrongdoing in all the allegations made by fellow Liberal MHA Colin Holloway. [20] On October 20,2018,Kirby shared the results of the report regarding MHA Pam Parsons’complaint to the public. Kirby was cleared on all complaints,except ”seeking a personal benefit”in a comment to Parsons about a school petition at the 2016 Liberal Party AGM;the report recommended a sanction by the House of Assembly on that count. [21] [22] [23]
Kirby did not seek re-election in the 2019 election. [24]
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