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PDSB to Collect Student Data

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BY KATHY MCDONALD 

At the regular meeting of the Peel District School Board (PDSB) on Tuesday Nov. 22nd 2016, trustees unanimously voted in favour of collecting student data. The Vice Chair of the Board, Suzanne Nurse submitted the following notice of motion. “Whereas the Peel District School Board is committed to inspiring success, confidence and hope in each child; and whereas pursuing the achievement of the above goal the PDSB has embarked on a number of significant initiatives to support student success, the most recent being We Rise Together – the Peel District School Board Action Plan to Support Black Male Students; and whereas the progress of such initiative need to be measured and reported; and whereas the PDSB embraces data-drive decision making and the appropriate allocation of public funds to support student success; therefore be it resolved that, commencing January 2017 the PDSB will begin the research toward the creation of a student census with a plan implementation date no later than December of 2018.”

I was most honoured to second this motion. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work and was years in the making. Trustee Rick Williams had worked tirelessly on a similar motion years before and was unable to secure enough votes to make this a reality. However, so much has changed since Trustee Williams was first elected as a trustee and the will of the board has shifted. I remember the first few months of being a trustee, reading incessantly trying to get a full grasp of this vast and complex education system. One of the first questions I asked was why don’t we collect student data? I strongly believe cold, hard data is imperative if we truly hope to inspire success, confidence and hope in each child especially marginalised children. Data, not assumptions is crucial if this progressive board intends to authentically move forward with genuine change. Some of the naysayers would say that the cost of such an initiative is not money well spent. However, I personally believe that you cannot put a price tag on aggregated data. The cost of administering this census will pay for itself rather quickly. Such statistics when used properly can only serve to improve the lives of all students. Improving the lives of students is not a self-serving initiative. The board does not seek to pat itself on the back with better student achievement data. But when all students succeed, including Black and Caribbean students, the society benefits. Student success means there is a reduction in crime and mental health issues. Student success means that there is an increase in positive citizens that pay taxes and reduce the pressures on public assistance.

When the information from the student census is collated, successful strategies can easily be developed to ensure the success of all students. The We Rise Together action plan will be more relevant armed with the results of the student census. The four focus areas of the action plan are: integrate Black Canadian experience into the curriculum; develop bias free and anti-racism professional development; engage with the community and inspire Black student leadership and engagement. Our four focus areas will be enriched because of this concrete data. The aims of each of these focus areas and all the activities that will be developed thus will be more accurate and effective because of the student census.

Parents, I employ you to come on board, get engaged and above all participate. The parent voice is very important as we navigate our action plan to support Black male students as well as Black female students and all student groups that don’t feel included in the PDSB community. If you are concerned about how the education system/ PDSB is impacting your child, if you are concerned about the opportunities for your children, if you are concerned about the achievement and engagement gap for your children; let your voice be heard. The PDSB plans to hold community consultations. A tentative date has been set for Dec the 10th at the central board office at 5650 Hurontario St. and Jan 21st  location to be determined. Look out for the ads in your community/ethnic news media, check the PDSB website and above all come out and be heard. The PDSB needs you to journey with us as we, and I quote Director Pontes, “act on the report – together… we will do what needs to be done, because that is the work of inclusion – that is how we make sure our students – all students – can truly rise.” Walk Good, Belle Marché.

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Youth Development

Understanding the multiple layers involved in navigating education spaces Parents of Black Children launch Navigating the Education System

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BY PAUL JUNOR

The work of the advocacy group Parents of Black Children (PoBC) has made a significant and revolutionary difference by bringing issues to the forefront that help Black families at all levels.

For over two years now, it has organized events, workshops and initiatives that have provided important information to the Black community to bring empowerment, knowledge and deep understanding of the multiple layers of the complex dynamics involved in navigating education spaces.

There are five core principles that underlie PoBC understanding of racism:

  1. Racialization
  2. Racism is about power
  3. Critical racial theory
  4. Our stories matter
  5. Racism is founded on White supremacy

On Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021, they launched the document Navigating the Education System,” which was a very empowering, enriching and inspiring tool for diverse Black families. Kearie Daniels, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author of the document, moderated the launch. Furthermore, Claudette Rutherford, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author gave an extensive presentation of the details of the document, sharing useful insights, practical knowledge and interesting information.

PoBC shared a pdf document subsequent to the launch, which provided additional details in a fifty-three-page package. It contained relevant, contextual and vital resources. PoBC’s Advocacy Team supported the document, which includes Charline Grant and Xavier McLaughin.

In the introduction to the document the mission of PoBC is to “Provide support to parents of Black children across Canada and the United States. We advocate and work towards change and concrete action in our education system and adjacent systems such child welfare and the justice system.”

The launch of this vital document is a culmination of all the advocacy and activist work that PoBC has been extensively involved in. It serves to remind members of the Black community that there are resources, tools and supports available to ensure that Black children are able to thrive academically, excel mentally and flourish intellectually in spaces that may not be welcoming to their presence.

The document states that the navigate guide is “Geared towards families in Ontario, but the information can be applied to any jurisdiction where there are Black children and families.”

The document “Table of Contents” is useful and helpful. There is vital information on:

  • School board terms you need to know
  • Education organization you need to know in Ontario
  • Black families and the Child Welfare System
  • Black families and the education system
  • Black students and Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
  • Black students in High School.
  • Developmental delays in learning exceptionalities
  • Supporting students with learning exceptionalities
  • Selecting a school system
  • System abuse

PoBC presented a webinar on “System Abuse”. The document states,

“The system is not neutral. These systems were designed as part of a colonial framework that must be dismantled.” Furthermore, the document “Serves as a means to demystify the pitfalls within the education system and light a path towards a decolonized education system.”

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Youth Development

Toronto prepares families for COVID-19 vaccination of children

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Photo by Charles Deluvio Library on Unsplash

BY PAUL JUNOR

There have been concerns, fears and anxieties as parents, caregivers and guardians anticipate the possibility of having their children under twelve vaccinated.

The Boston Globe reported on Friday, October 29th, 2021, that the FDA approved the administration of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of five to eleven. These children will receive one-third of the dose administered to teens and adults.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention met on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, in order to finalize details with respect to which children should be vaccinated first. In anticipation of these developments, Team Toronto has initiated a series of outreach and education sessions, as well as town halls in order to inform the Toronto community.

Parents of children between the ages of five to eleven who attend public schools will be receiving an email and an invitation to respond to a survey to “Support vaccine planning.”  This invitation will also be extended to parents whose children attend private independent schools as well. The survey will be administered by Toronto Public Health (TPH) and the City of Toronto VaxTO in order to “Better understand parents’ intent to vaccinate their children, how they would prefer to have their children receive their COVID-19 vaccine, and to obtain critical information on socio-demographic factors such as race and income.”

John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, is optimistic and positive about this development. He states in the press release, “While our work to get 90% of eligible residents vaccinated is continuing, we are also readying for when the vaccine will be available to protect kids five to eleven. We want to hear from parents, so we made sure we designed a vaccination program that works for kids and their families. This is just one more example of the outreach we are doing to prepare for this effort. This work is so important and will help us get kids vaccinated so they have the best protection against COVID-19 and so our schools can be as safe and as open as possible.”

Councillor Joe Cressy, Chair of Toronto’s Board of Health who has been at the forefront of advocating for the vaccination of margnizalied and at-risk communities is supportive of this campaign. He states, “At every stage of our immunization campaign, connecting with people on the ground has been critical to our success. Now, as we prepare for the rollout of vaccines to children aged five to eleven, we’re committed to engaging directly with parents, families, and community leaders to have active conversations about vaccinations for kids.”

In addition, Dr Eileen De Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health is a strong proponent of this campaign. She states,” When vaccines are approved for use and when we have supply we will ensure that we bring every resource to bear on this critical component of the vaccination campaign.”

The survey will be available as of Sunday, November 7th, 2021. It consists of fifteen questions that will be available online at s.tphsurvey.chkmkt.com in multiple languages. Parents and guardians will receive them from their children’s public school boards. In addition, there will be town halls for specified multilingual communities as well as neighbourhood-based telephone halls to ensure that the public has access to timely, necessary and relevant information for informed decision-making.

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Youth Development

Act as if what you do makes a difference. IT DOES

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BY SABRINA S. – 12 YEARS OLD

The school year is coming to an end, I’m sure that this year was hectic for everyone. Last year, we had a pandemic strike in the middle of the year and the world was sent into lockdown.

We didn’t get to go to school for the rest of the year.

Many students got to choose if they wanted to do school in-person or online, I chose online since I didn’t feel safe.

First day of school was very weird, most people don’t turn their cameras on, don’t even get me started on the wifi issues. I would lag out of the google meet many times and miss most of the instructions on the assignment. That is when friends come in handy, though I don’t get to see my friends that often, we still connect with some online games and phone calls through snap chat.

I don’t know where the time went, it just flew by. Last month was September and suddenly, I feel like we skipped eight months. I only have a week of school left! Because it is the last week of school, I have a lot of homework and final assignments to do but I know I’ll get through them and finish the school year.

I haven’t had time to go outside as well, I’ve been too busy with my assignments.

If my school year was this hectic, imagine the teacher’s year. I’m very grateful for everything my teachers have done for me and my classmates this year, they definitely deserve the three-month summer break. I’m sure my teachers doubted teaching online, but everything went okay and I learned lots.

“No matter how hard it is, or how hard it gets. I’m going to make it!”

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