Acceptance of directives by Peel Board a good move

BY PAUL JUNOR

On Tuesday, March 24^th, the Peel District School Board (PDSB) met at their monthly meeting. This year the meeting had to be done virtually and was live streamed. At this meeting, the PDSB unanimously agreed to accept all the 27 ministerial directives that came out at the Ministry of Education review which was presented to the board on March 13^th, 2020.

The review was initiated in November 2019 and an interim report was released in January. The final report was sent to the Minister of Education in February. It took about four months for the review to be completed. It examined: systematic discrimination (specifically anti-black racism), human resource practices, board leadership and governance issues.

The ministerial directives that the PDSB accepted were specific in terms of what the board had to do to ensure that it: regained the publics trust, addressed systematic anti-black racism and ensured that inadequate and ineffective governance issues and dysfunctional leadership structures are resolved. The directives seek to re-address the inequities and injustices that have been allowed to prevail at the PDSB for far too long. The Minister of Education, Stephen Leece hopes to use the findings and recommendations from this report as a template to adopt governance issues across the province.

The news release published on March 13^th, 2020 by the Minister of Education was titled, “New Ministerial Directives to Drive Change and Combat Discrimination in Peel” and is extensive in its application. Each of the ministerial directives is targeted at a specific issue that the ministry review focused on. With respect to the anti-black racism, that resulted in black students having higher rates of detentions, suspensions, expulsions and how they are racially profiled, was addressed in directive number 13. The PDSB shall “Give full and fair consideration to make a responsive and respectful apology,” Many in the black community would welcome this apology as it is an acknowledgement of what many parents and students felt.

Many of the ministerial directives are intended to make the PDSB accountable and responsive to the concerns of many stakeholders in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga who have children in Peel schools. The directives include:

• The appointment of an independent mediator or conflict resolution expert
• Additional integrity commissioner
• External parliamentarian/governance expert
• Independent expert to conduct a comprehensive employment system review (ESR)
• The establishment of an equity office managed by a superintendent of equity, which would amalgamate the equity and climate portfolios

These are positive expectations.

In addition, there are directives, which are specifically intended to address inequity issues within the PDSB. They include:

• A comprehensive annual equity accountability report card
• A comprehensive four-year strategy and action plan to address the disproportional numbers of black students in applied and locally developed classes
• A diversity plan
• A learning plan for senior staff
• The collection of race-based data on suspensions of black students

It is worth reading the full Ministry of Education review of the PDSB and the ministerial directives at the Ministry of Education’s website (www.edu.gov.on.ca), or the PDSB’s website(www.peelschools.org). The next board meetings will be held on April 15^th, 2020 and April 29^th, 2020 and they will be live-streamed. Anyone is welcome to make deputations to the board by following the protocols that are outlined at the website.

References

Minister of Education Review
www.edu.gov.on.ca

Peel District School Board
www.peelschools.org