“TDSB Board and the Staff are therefore committed to ensuring that fairness, equity, and inclusion are essential principles of our school system and are integrated into all our policies, programs, operations, and practices”.

TDSB Executive Officer - Student and Community Equity Mr. Lloyd McKell

A Conversation with Muse Kulow, Publisher of Immigrant Post

Q1. Can you please tell us how your department came into existence and when and why it was created?

A: In 1998, the Toronto District School Board established an equity policy, called the Equity Foundation Statement. This policy acknowledges that certain groups in our society are treated unfairly and inequitably because of race, culture, language, religion, social class, gender, sexual orientation and disability. It also acknowledges that such treatment exists within the school system, and that this leads to lower academic and social outcomes for students who are affected by such treatment.
The Equity Policy sets out a series of commitments to address discrimination and inequity in all aspects of the school system. The Board then established an equity department to provide leadership, guidance and advocacy for ensuring that all schools are inclusive of the diversity of the community and that the principles of equity, fairness and inclusion are essential principles of the school system. The department works with teaching and support staff, school and system leaders, students parents and community members to support the implementation of the Equity Policy. In 2005, the Board created a senior leadership position with the title of Executive Officer for Student and Community Equity to provide direction for its equity policy.

Q: 2. What are the main vision and policy framework for your department?

A: The vision of the Equity Department is to ensure that all schools are inclusive of all backgrounds and identities, and that diversity itself is seen as strength to be respected and valued. We want all students to have equal opportunities to be successful, and we also want to ensure that are no barriers to limit their success. We also have a vision of schools where diverse parents and community members are actively working with schools to support students. Finally, we want to progress towards a diverse workforce. Three policy frameworks provide the context for this vision: The Equity Policy, The Parent and Community Involvement Policy and the Employment Equity Policy.

Q : 3. How do you embed equitable practices in schools to reflect the diversity, cultural and religious mosaic of Toronto?

A: That’s very good question, and not an easy one to answer. First it is important for all employees to understand their own prejudices and biases, because all inequity results from human thoughts, beliefs and assumptions. Secondly, we have to continually ask ourselves as educators, who is benefitting by what we do, and who is not benefitting. We can then make decisions about how to better serve those who are not getting the best of what we have to offer. Thirdly we have to be prepared to consistently evaluate our work in order to change those practices that are not benefiting our students. Embedding our practices involves using “an equity lens” through which can effectively view and assess our work

Q : 4. What are the main goals that your department wishes to achieve?

A: An important goal is to ensure that all teachers have the knowledge and skills to for inclusive instruction. Secondly we are working to ensure equity is a priority for all school leaders, such as principals and school superintendents. Another important goal is to ensure that adequate support and resources are provided for those who work at the frontline with students, parents and the community. We want to ensure that all schools are culturally, socially and emotionally supportive of all students, so that all students feel equally part of school family. It is very important that the school consistently demonstrates a culture high expectations and a caring and compassionate approach to all students and families.
Q : 5. What are the main goals that your department wishes to achieve?

A: The equity department is made up of a number of teams with their own special function areas: instructional leaders who work with teachers to support inclusive instruction and provide training in inclusive school practices; student equity program advisors who work with students from diverse groups to promote student engagement and leadership; aboriginal education staff who work with schools to support aboriginal education and aboriginal students; teacher coaches and community support workers who work with schools and parents in inner city communities to ensure equal opportunities for students who are disadvantaged by poverty; the human rights staff who address staff and student complaints about discrimination and harassment; and the employment equity staff who are responsible for supporting and monitoring our progress towards workforce diversity. Each of these staff teams is led by a manager or supervisor who co-ordinates the work of the team.

Q : 6. What are the main goals that your department wishes to achieve?

A: The challenges the equity department faces are in fact the same as the challenges faced by the school system as a whole: close the achievement gap for racialized and marginalized groups such as aboriginal, black, hispanic and middle eastern groups; ensure that all schools are equitable and inclusive, combat the negative effects of poverty in our inner city areas; embed a caring and safe school culture in all schools; build effective working relationships with diverse parents and communities who are disconnected from schools; and attract adequate funding and resources to support equity work.

Q : 7. What impact does your department intends to have on the overall education system in Toronto?

A: We will continue to assess the impact or effectiveness of equity work in terms of students' outcomes, especially for students who feel marginalized in the school system because of their background or life circumstances. We will measure the impact of equity in terms of academic results such as test scores and graduation rates, better school attendance records, decrease in school suspension rates, and decrease in complaints about discrimination and harassment, and an increase in the levels of student participation in all school activities. We will also look at employee knowledge and skills in building inclusive classrooms and schools.

Q : 8. What concrete gains have you had thus far towards achieving your goals?

A: Evaluating our progress is an ongoing process. However, we can already determine that our work in our diverse inner city communities is directly having a positive effect on student results. Students in these schools are getting better test results and school attendance rates have significantly increased. We can already tell that more students from highest-need secondary schools or “urban diversity schools”, are better engaged in their schools trough our student success initiatives. The equity training that we offer to teachers and schools leaders is resulting in higher levels of expertise. More and more teachers are integrating their knowledge and skills in diversity education to improve their curriculum and instructional strategies. When we undertake the second student census in 2011 and compare its results to the 2006 student census, we will be able to have a more comprehensive assessment of our progress in equitable and inclusive schools.
Q : 9. Who do you think will benefit most from the equity department?

A: If the equity department is successful then everyone will benefit: students of all backgrounds will achieve better academic success, will develop positive values and behaviours, and will enjoy schools more; teachers and support staff will have learned valuable skills which will enhance their professional excellence, schools will be exciting places to teach, learn and lead, and parents and community members will be more fully engaged with schools in supporting learning for all students.
Q : 10. Are there specific services for the immigrant communities aimed to overcome language barriers and other structural obstacles that they confront?

A: Students who do not do not speak English have access to English as a second language classes for up to four years. Parents as well can take adult ESL classes through our continuing education courses. Parent who do not speak English also have access to translators and interpreters to facilitate communication with schools. The TDSB also currently has a partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Newcomer Service agencies to place school settlement workers in schools to assist newcomer families with their orientation to the school and to services in the community. There are over 100 of these settlement works who work with schools. Further, there are 24 community workers representing a variety of cultures and languages who outreach to families and help parents to work closely with schools

Q : 11. The dropout rates of East African communities, particularly the Somali speaking students is more than twice the average drop out rate of the TDSB, are there specific measures aimed to alleviate the difficulties the Somali speaking students have?

A:We are very concerned about the relatively high drop out rate of students of Somali origin. Many of those students who were born in Somalia or Somaliland and other areas of East Africa came from circumstances of interrupted schooling. We can therefore expect that for many of these students, there was a lot of ground to make up. Students need 30 secondary school credits to graduate, and this has been very challenging for them, But this only partially explains the low rates of school graduation. We have to ensure that we provide adequate support and interventions for many Somali .students who are having difficulty in school. The Director of Education has recently established an Achievement Gap Task Force. This Task Force will recommend strategies and programs for addressing the needs of racialized communities such as the Somali-Canadian community.