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Youth Development

We Rise Together; Peel District School Board Recruiting Black and Indigenous Teachers

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BY KATHY MACDONALD

As an elected Brampton Trustee for Wards 3 and 4, it is my responsibility to take action when it comes to the needs of the community. One need that has been identified during my ongoing community and educational research, is the need for more Black and Indigenous teachers in the classrooms. In 2018, a motion was put forward to the Human Resources and Negotiations Advisory Committee (HRNAC). After consulting, analyzing data and taking all the necessary steps, the HRNAC recommended the motion be received.

On Monday, March 25th, the Peel District School Board, with a vote of 3 to 9, set into motion targeted a hiring recruitment fair of Black and Indigenous teachers. The motion reads;

Whereas, based on several research reports and studies conducted, the Peel District School Board created, “We Rise Together,” the action plan to: identify, understand, minimize and eliminate the marginalization experienced by black male students in the Peel School Board, and the Indigenous Education Action Plan to: identify, understand, minimize and eliminate the marginalization experienced by Indigenous students in the Peel School Board,

Whereas, the intentional hiring of Black and Indigenous teachers who are equipped to: create inclusive teaching and learning environments, that promote the intellectual engagement of Black and Indigenous students, and who reflect their narratives, interests, strengths and cultural perspectives, will contribute to a learning environment that is authentic and meaningful to all students. Be it resolved, that the Peel District School Board embark on a targeted recruitment initiative to hire Black and Indigenous teachers.

Simply put, this motion seeks to service and address the marginalization of Black and Indigenous students. It is not about addressing equitable hiring; it is about intentional hiring to address the fact that Black and Indigenous students are doing far worse than their peers in the academic arena. As a Trustee, I go to on average 23 graduations each year, so I get to see the students who are graduating, and those who are not. I also get to see the students who are winning awards and those who are not.

There are countless studies including research from our own board that has scientifically proven that having black teachers, even one, can make the difference in a black student’s life and increase their likelihood of graduating. Famed John Hopkins researcher Greg Stanley states that “A low-income black student’s probability of dropping out of school if he or she has just one black teacher in elementary school lessons by 29%.” Seth Gershenson and Constance Lindsey of the American University conducted a study, and their findings demonstrated the strength of the role model effect. In high school, black students; both boys and girls had a much higher expectation of going to university if they had a black teacher because black teachers have high expectations for them. Additional studies, including a study done by Cherng’s of New York University, had results showing that students of all races, White, Black, Latino and Asian benefit.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has two calls to action that relate directly to education. They refer to making age-appropriate curriculum and providing indigenous teaching methods in the classroom. It is time as an educational institution to honor these calls to action. The Human Rights Policy clearly states that if we know that people or systems are behaving in a manner that is discriminatory and we do nothing, then we can be held as being complicit. That is collusion, and in my opinion a classic case of systemic anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism. Last Monday, the Peel District School Board took steps to protect some of its most vulnerable students and made commitments to provide the necessary: learning environment, resources, and educators for Black and Indigenous students.

Overall, the research at all levels, and cross-culturally show that this motion will be beneficial for our students. It is my responsibility as a Trustee to do what is right for our vulnerable students.

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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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