Permanent Secretary Warren Jones Resigns
[Updated] Warren Jones, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education, will be resigning from the position “in order to take up an opportunity offered to him in the private sector,” the Cabinet Secretary said today.
Cabinet Secretary Donald Scott said, “Mr. Warren Jones, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, yesterday gave notice of his intention to resign from his post in Government in order to take up an opportunity offered to him in the private sector.
“Mr. Jones will conclude 13 years of service in the Civil Service in December 2013. Mr. Jones made a significant contribution to policy development and programme delivery during his 13 years as a senior executive in Government.
“He served as Assistant Cabinet Secretary in charge of the Central Policy Unit and prior to his posting to the Ministry of Education, he was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health. His leadership and experience will be missed.
“He will be remembered for his focus on accountability and performance. On behalf of his colleagues and the wider public service, I wish him well,” concluded Mr Scott.
BPSU General Secretary Ed Ball said he was “astonished at the announcement of PS Warren Jones resignation at a pivotal time of the restructuring of the Department.” Mr Ball said he wished him luck wherever he is going, and also wished his successor the best of luck as well.
Update 6.56pm: Education Minister Nalton Brangman said, “Mr. Warren Jones has served the Ministry of Education, our principals, teachers and students in herculean ways and provided exemplary leadership over the past three years.
“I have counted it a pleasure and privilege to have worked with such an outstanding and indeed professional technical officer. As a senior civil servant, he has served our Government and this country with the finest service for many years.
“He has left a lasting legacy in Bermuda’s Public Education system. His commitment to the teachers, students and parents was unquestionable. He demonstrated a true commitment to working with everyone to seek the best solutions. On behalf of his colleagues at the Ministry of Education, I wish all the very best in his new career.”
Update Oct 31: Mr Jones has been named as the new CEO of Polaris Holding Company.
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The next PS a friends and family , any bets!!!!! LMAO
Jones, you getting out while the getting is good ?!
Perhaps he can no long support made up diploma/certification leaders? or he took off his rose coloured glasses and saw the true light of “they are just not for our children”
The entire PS BS should be eliminated by attrition!
Put in his time to get Gov benefits and now moving to the private sector.
I would say he is double dipping the system and retiring very well off!
He is not the first to do that. I know of at least one Director of a department to pull that trick. Retire, go private, become a MP, lose after a few terms, get pensions as an MP.
Sweet deal.
don’t replace him…that new commissioner dude don’t need any help
One of many more who need to be shown the door in that Dep. Cut out the seat warmers.
Your callous disregard for members of the civil service, such as Warren, who do actually take their work and their chosen carreers to heart is sickening, Warren has made a strong contribution to the Education Ministry in a very difficult period and should be commended for his solid contributions.
Attrition at its finest!
C-YA!
Be careful what you wish for you may get unintended circumstances. There has been a great hue and cry to reduce the level of government employment; but from what I am beginning to hear is that the government incentive of offering a package of early retirement is having more success than anticipated; so much so that there have been attempts in some government departments to stem the growing number of requests to take up the offer of
the incentive package. The reason some key people have sort to take up the offer. People with long work experience essential to the running of government services. The result is that there is already evidence that there is occurring staff short falls given the number of people that are leaving. So the other shoe is about to fall; the reduction of government services.
Happening everywhere Walton – why not bermuda? We have to cut costs – end of story.
But it is curious to me that services are hardly different than in 1998 and yet it takes so many more PS to deliver them now?
That can’t be true since if you took early retirement, you last day was almost a month ago….on the other hand I am waiting to see the retail numbers since the government has taken $2 million per month out of the economy…
Time to go while the getting is good,more resignations lingering on the horizon!
wish that clown education minister resign…..
Is that all you people can come up with?
Watch what you say about Mr Jones who started as a music teacher at Warwick Academy, worked hard even through adversity and remained dedicated to education for over 30 years! You single minded “nay sayers” better think about what you are saying before you type your narrow minded ill conceived opinions!!!
Agreed,Bulldog.Mr Jones will leave a huge void in the system.
your commitment to excellence for all stakeholders has been exemplary. Wish that we could find a few more ‘ good men’
Agreed, Warren is an honest broker. IMO that is why he has to leave this dishonest system which will create the unfairness for our children – face it OBA taking us way back…way way back. They have placed at the helm an uneducated arse.
………..deadbeat Civil Servants, advised the PLP MPs into this mess, since the PLP MPs weren’t qualified to do anything other than drink champagne and frighten us about returning to the plantation.
dying to see which private sector entity picked up this dead weight.
Wow.
@New Strategy New Team I really take offense to you calling Mr. Jones a dead weight. He is one of the few civil servants that work hard at his job. I can only assume you don’t know him and in that case you should shut up!
Many people seemed to be camouflaged under the disguise of being hard workers, people that are seen to be hard workers by the general public can often be causing more damage to the country than good, Col. Burch case in point.
I was surprised that he went back into education after what the ubp/oba did to him at northlands school
in all honesty he should have been given the directors job
Mr Jones, Thank you for your dedicated work. You don’t need any validation from anyone. You know you’ve always done and always exceeded what anyone else has ever done in any of your positions. For those that have ridiculed you they have their own journeys to fulfil and they have judged because of their own insecurities. We will always look to you in high regard. You’ve put in many thankless hours and that’s ok. They have been all life’s perfect lessons. May you and your family continue to be blessed. You know where your heart is and that’s all that matters. Signed , A Warwick Academy Alumni
When the ship starts sinking…what do the smart ones do? Warren must be seeing something coming down the pipeline!?
Hopefully the new Commissioner will now work towards formimg a leaner more efficient team. This of course means trimming the useless fat in the form of the lazy,unecessary, unproductive senior staff which we all know have taken up residence at Southside.
There’s no doubt that Mr. Jones has served the system well and bounced back after being wronged, however we cannot make changes when we forget where we’ve been and where and what we’ve come through. At my heart of hearts I thought change was going to come with him as our permanent secretary, however we seemingly got more of the same…..power plays. Don’t know who will succeed him as this is a political appointment but I only pray that his successor will have ONE goal in mind….the successful education of ALL our children!!!!!
Agree, improving the education system in terms of quality to broaden the future opportunities for our children. If you star in a system that brings you limited opportunities, then you end up with limited opportunities.
Get rid of 50% of the Education Department’s admin staff.
We need good,qualified and caring teachers,not paper shufflers pretending to work.Make everyone accountable!
Opinions are like a@@holes. Everybody has one.
all i kno is that our govt will save at least 400k/yr by not replacing jones
Don’t believe everything you think. You might hurt yourself.
Permanent Secretaries don’t get paid $400K/year, where did you come up with that figure??
I’m just saying: we can start handing out pats on the back and awards when the education system shows some true reform and headway. Directly or indirectly if your in education you have been apart of the low standard we have seen over the last 10-15 years! Grades and Graduation speak for themselves!
Eyeinthesky . . .this is truly an unfair statement to make!!!! Individual teachers who go over and beyond their call of duty cannot be held responsible or accountable for a system that has chnaged directions on too many occassions to count; nor for parents who fail to send their children to school prepared to learn and support the endeavours of the teachers and schools. While all of you sit on the outside looking in making these outlandish statements, you would need to come into the schools and see what teachers really do and deal with on a day to day basis! I’m not saying that there aren’t those in the profession who are lazy, collecting a paycheck or disinterested, nut you can not generalize and lump all teachers into that bracket.
In regards to change, our educational system has historically under both governments failed to reach out, listen to or act upon the concerns and recommendations of those on the frontline, that being teachers. We have always had a top down model of leadership and a reactionary model, which has stifled teachers ability to affect change.
There are so many facets involved in the education and its reform that the public are unaware of, hence, it is disgustingly alarming, annoying and unfair when blanket statements are made that degrade ALL educators!!!!
Bear this in mind when you refer to all teachers . . .in what other profession do you:
1. Pay for your education and then pay yearly to work in your field?
2. Are required to buy materials and supplies to decorate your office or work space area at your own expense?
2. Come to work and have to reach in your pocket to provide the essential tools needed to effectively do your job on a daily basis?
3. Work your contracted or stated work hours, and then have to go home and complete work that is required for your essential functions of your job?
5. Work per day basis and get paid for absolutely NO holidays?
4. Take a days paycut in the betterment of the country, and never have the opportunity to make up that days pay as do all the other government entities or employees?
And after all this, you ask yourself what teacher is in this profession and don’t care??????????
You get three months a year off, what more do you want?