June 22, 2020

~from the TDSB web

Today, the Premier and Education Minister announced the Government of Ontario’s guidelines for the return to school in September. School boards across Ontario are being asked to prepare for three possible scenarios that will depend on the public health situation at the time:

• Normal school day routine with enhanced public health protocols: Students going to school every day, in classes that reflect standard class size regulations.

• Modified school day routine: Based on public health advice, an adapted delivery model has been designed to allow for physical distancing and cohorts of students. Under this model, school boards are asked to maintain a limit of 15 students in a typical classroom at one time and adopt timetabling that would allow for students to remain in contact only with their classmates and a single teacher for as much of the school day as possible. This model would require alternate day or alternate week delivery to a segment of the class at one time.

• At home learning: Should the school closure be extended, or some parents choose not to send their child back to school, school boards need to be prepared to offer remote education. Remote education should be delivered online to the greatest extent possible, including the establishment of minimum expectations for students to have direct contact with their teacher at the same time on a regular basis, also known as synchronous learning. Synchronous learning can be used as part of whole class instruction, in smaller groups of students, and/or in a one-on-one context.

TDSB has been exploring and planning for all of these possibilities over the past several weeks and will now work towards finalizing plans, based on today’s announcement. To further assist and inform our plans, the TDSB is asking parents/guardians, staff and students to share their thoughts about planning for September by completing online surveys. This important feedback will help guide the TDSB’s work as we determine plans for September. Please access the Parent/Guardian Survey here and the Grade 7 to 12 Student Survey here.

School boards have been asked to submit their plans to the Ministry of Education by August 4, 2020 and the TDSB is committed to sharing plans with school communities once they’re approved, prior to the start of school. We want to ensure that all students and families are well prepared and know what to expect when returning to school in September.

~from the TDSB Web

At the June 17^th meeting of the Toronto District School Board, Trustees approved a motion calling on the Ministry of Education to incorporate Genocide education as compulsory learning. As part of the motion, Chair of the Board Robin Pilkey will make the following requests to the Minister of Education:

• That the Genocide: Historical and Contemporary Implications (CHG381), Grade 11, Locally Developed Course in TDSB, be accredited as part of the Ontario Curriculum as a “university” or “mixed” course.

• That genocide examples are a comprehensive study as part of the mandatory Canadian History Since World War I Grade 10 course; and,

• That the province convene a working group of experts to look critically at the Ontario curriculum to ensure that students graduate with a better understanding of human rights, and how to protect those rights and take effective action if they or others experience hate, racism or others forms of discrimination and violence.

The motion, which was passed unanimously by the Board, is also supported by a number of organizations including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Project Abraham, National Holodomor Education Committee, Liberation75 and the Armenian National Committee.

Quick Facts

• Encouraging Students to Investigate and Understand the Past to Think Critically about the Present and Future is a website that was created by the TDSB as a resource for staff and students to continue the important work of Holocaust and Genocide Education in honour of Liberation75.

• As per a Board decision in June 2019, the TDSB developed the Reporting and Responding to Racism and Hate Incidents Involving or Impacting Students in Schools (PR728) procedure to set clear expectations about the processes to be followed and the Board’s responsibilities in situations where there are acts of racism and hate.

• The TDSB’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan requires mandatory training for administrators in anti-oppression and anti-Black racism, as well as building capacity among educators to effectively co-lead learning in human rights, equity and anti-oppression.

~from the TDSB web

Trustees with the Toronto District School Board have unanimously approved funding to create a new TDSB Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement. It is the first of its kind in public education in Canada. It is one of TDSB’s responses to dismantle anti-Black racism within the school board and improve both experiences and outcomes for Black students. The creation of the Centre is also responsive to the voices of the Black communities who consistently advocated for deeper systemic change from the TDSB.

Anti-Black racism is deeply entrenched in Canadian institutions, including TDSB schools, and many attempts to address it have fallen short of the expectations of students, staff, families and communities. Systemic and individual acts of anti-Black racism have become normalized and are therefore difficult to identify, address and prevent solely through policy changes.

The concept of a Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement was first proposed in TDSB over two years ago by the Enhancing Equity Task Force. This work involved extensive community consultation which surfaced systemic barriers that are experienced by many TDSB students and disproportionately impeded the academic success of Black students. The Task Force’s recommendations led to a number of action plans in the Board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan focussed on specific ways to support Black students. These action plans have the goal of removing practises that stream students and decrease the educational opportunities of underserved groups of students, especially Black students.

While significant work has been done across the Board to support Black students, the report notes the “current rate of improvement in closing the achievement gap and enhancing school climate is ultimately insufficient. For Black families, present initiatives and newly developed policies and procedures need to promote faster positive change for the benefit of their children and all children to live in a more just world where everyone’s human rights are respected.”

The Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement will build on community voices as well as past and present efforts through a direct, multi-faceted strategy for meaningful and sustained change. The Centre will focus proactively on academic success and experiences of belonging of Black students. It will provide a more coordinated and well-resourced approach leading to systemic transformation. There will be enhanced support for impacted individuals and a forum to develop solutions that are authentic and relevant for Black students, families and staff.

The mandate of the Centre is to:

• Provide support to Black students in TDSB schools to combat racism, navigate complaint processes, identify barriers to success and access appropriate resources (e.g., scholarships, networking, mentoring);

• Use evidence to highlight promising practices and engage in meaningful research on topics relevant to Black students that are then integrated across schools and at the system level within the TDSB;

• Create professional learning in anti-Black racism and collaborate with other staff in facilitating learning in decolonization, Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression & human rights recognizing the similarities and intersections of various forms of oppression;

• Identify, develop and facilitate culturally responsive and relevant healing practices for groups of students;

• Inform changes to policies and procedures so that all students may benefit from the learning and innovative practices developed by the Centre;

• Establish effective mechanisms for monitoring improvement in the achievement of Black students;

• Provide annual accountability reports and recommendations to the Board of Trustees and staff;

• Support meaningful engagement and advocacy of caregivers for their children in TDSB schools and programs and improve communication to them about Black student success, system navigation and complaint processes; and

• Engage in strategic community partnerships related to education within the annually identified approved budget for this purpose.

Quick Facts

• The Centre for Excellence in Black Student Achievement would be supported by 20.5 staff positions, including a social worker, child and youth counsellor and five graduation coaches all focused on supports for Black students, improving students’ experiences and identifying the ways in which anti-Black racism is operating in TDSB and offering possible solutions to eradicate it.

• Five action plans in the Multi-Year Strategic Plan titled Toward the Excellence in the Education of Black Students: Transforming Learning, Achievement and Well-Being currently support this work.