Toronto Catholic District School Board has unfulfilled equity and justice goals for 2023

BY PAUL JUNOR

There was hope and expectation when Dr Brendon Browne became the Director of Education of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) two years ago. He seems ideally suited for this top educational position, because of his years of service with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB).

At the outset he made it known that he was committed to anti-racism initiatives and that he would be pursuing an equity and social justice mandate. In his Director’s Report for the school year 2021 -2022, he identifies the Anti-Racism Conference for Grade 7-12 students which occurred on May 11^th, 2022, as one of his highlights. The theme was “Learn and Unlearn: Challenging the Norms in Media.”

Dr Browne mentions that he participated in and contributed to the “Ripple Effect Circle Meeting,” which was concentrated on establishing an environment of change and dismantling systemic anti-Black racism in communities across Canada. He notes that there is a new Pastoral Plan: Walking with Christ: With Eyes of Faith and Hope. This involves a three-year plan with specific focus on different issues from year one to three.

One of the developments of the TCDSB in 2020 was the creation of its Equity Action Plan. Derek Chan, former: ESL Teacher, High School Teacher, Vice-Principal, and Head of Camps was promoted to Superintendent of Equity, Diversity, Indigenous Education and Community Relations in August 2020. There were concerns raised about Derek’s lack of equity background and involvement in any equity initiatives.

Superintendent Derek was part of the attempt to establish a Special Board Advisory Committee on Race Relations. This Race Relations Committee was intended to be an advisory committee reporting to the board of Trustees. It came as no surprise when he left the TCDSB to become a Chief Equity and Assessment Officer and the Education Quality and Assessment Office.

There has not been much work done with the African-Canadian Advisory Committee (ACAC) since long standing members Ian Jeffers and Kirk Mark left. Ian served as Chair for several years, and Kirk was the TCDSB’s Co-coordinator of Race and Ethnic Relations, Multiculturalism, and Senior Coordinator of Community Relations.

ACAC is committed to advancing the interests of students, parents, and staff and stakeholders within the African diaspora. There is much hope that ACAC will be able to play an effective advisory role with the TCDSB as it has in previous years. It still has a 5-year implementation plan with specific objectives from 2020 – 2024 spelled out and many of them are unfulfilled. Hopefully, in 2023 they will be revitalized. The next meeting of the ACAC is scheduled for February 23^rd, 2023. There are no minutes available from its June 23^rd meeting.

As the year 2023 unfolds, the TCDSB will be celebrating African Heritage Month in February. There will be another Anti-Racism Student Video Competition for students in Grades 6 -12. The theme for 2023 is “Be the Voice of Challenge and Change.” Students are invited to submit their video, reflections about race offering a proposition, solution, or action on how to combat racism. The deadline for submission is Friday, February 10^th at 5:00 pm. Finalists will be notified by Tuesday, February 28^th.

Hopefully, the TCDSB’s Race Relations Committee will be active in 2023. It is over two years now since the motion was passed by the TCDSB’s Board of Trustees to establish the committee with the hope that it would be running for September 2020-21.

There is still a lot of work that the TCDSB has to do to fulfil the goals of its Equity Plan. Lavina Latham was hired as its Human Rights Equity Adviser two years ago and there is hope that she will help the TCDSB to address the issue of  systemic anti-Black racism.