This is the first section of the Full SEAT found on page 2.

Context and Connections:

Creating the conditions (SIEP Module 3) to initiate the equity journey is foundational to dismantling anti-Blackness and oppression. This equity journey begins with shifting minds and hearts by cultivating culturally responsive behaviours for the transformational change to happen. Therefore, creating a school culture that has a deep shared understanding of racial emotions and beliefs of the students and the communities we serve is where equity work really starts. The desired outcomes we are striving to achieve have been clearly stated in the Board vision shared in the EML document. It is indeed our moral and legal imperative to repair the unjust system that has failed our marginalized students, especially those who identify as Black. We Rise Together 2.0  provides the guidelines that will lead us towards our goal. Yet, it is the school culture that puts that vision and those guidelines into action so that marginalized students can thrive.

Reflective Questions:

How do we reflect on our histories with privilege, power, and oppression?

• How have I enjoyed privilege over other groups, especially those that I serve in my school?

• How do I continue to benefit from systemic privileges that I did not earn?

• How have I contributed to the oppression of groups I serve?

• Do I share our racial background in school and other public places, and use it as an opportunity to discuss racial oppression?

How do the structures in the school contribute to or reproduce oppression?

• Are our discussions and agenda items at staff meetings, Fire-Side chats and during professional dialogues aligned with equity?

• Is our program regularly examined to identify how we are marginalizing or disadvantaging students?

• Are programs, such as Spec. Ed. ESL, remedial tracks, disproportionately and negatively impacting marginalized students?

• Do marginalized students have access to the same social capital networks as non-marginalized students?

• How schooling practices are adjusted based on our reflections?.

How do we ensure we are cultivating healthy relationships with the community? 

• Are communications with parents in their native language?

• Does communication reflect their epistemologies and interests?

• How do we ensure that the messages from the school are accountable to and representative of community-based perspectives and interests?

• How do we know that student experiences and community epistemology are being used throughout the curriculum and learning materials?

How do student and parent voices contribute to conversations of critical self-reflection?

• How are we including the parent (or caregiver) voice in school governance and policy making?

• Do parents feel comfortable in this school?

• To what extent do the staff and the focus of school dialogue reflect the community being served?

Goal setting is grounded in CARES guiding principles. This Template that provides more details about the instructional/learning cycle and the System Improvement Learning Cycle (SILC) includes some guiding questions as we navigate the whole inquiry cycle.

While our goal is data driven and research-based, it has to be problem-based and inquiry-led. Showing curiosity around how our marginalized students are doing in our schools will allow us to engage in  the following race-conscious inquiry cycle and reflective questions:

• Why - Purpose/vision (in alignment with the Board vision as it outlined in We Rise Together 2.0 and  the EML Document)

• What do we believe? What do we value?

• How - Process

• Racialize the problem to identify racial roots of problems of practice - 

• How are our marginalized students doing? (the group of marginalized students will differ from one school site to the other. that may include, students with special needs, LGBTQ, girls ...) The data collected based on school demographics will unveil the disparities those groups are facing in our buildings

• Identify disruptive strategies/plan to address the problem

• How can we leverage their strengths and meet their needs so that they can thrive?

• Learn through practice to adopt disruptive practices

• What practices can we leverage as a collective learning community to better serve our students on the margins?

• Proliferate and deepen policies, strategies, and practices

• What strategies can we adapt our practice to to enhance the academic learning of our marginalized students?

• Monitor and assess experiences in relation to outcomes

• What - Impact

• The result of Why:  Outcomes and critical self-reflection to determine next steps as a result of continuously monitoring and assessing through triangulation of Data: Satellite, Map and Street data that include observations, conversations and products.

School Improvement and Equity Plan

• How do we build our own cultural consciousness as anti-racist educators to better centre the knowledge and experiences of our students' identity and community funds of knowledge in our teaching practice?

• How do we develop our critical self-reflection as a collective to be able to notice and name the oppressive practices that act as barriers for our Black students to thrive?