Highlights of the Equity Action Plan for the 2023-2024 school year are available below. These goals are also articulated in the board’s 2023-2024 Budget and Priorities Report.
For more information on Equity and Inclusive Education, please email us at: equity@dcdsb.ca
All staff will engage in learning about the way in which faith and well-being, and equity and human rights, create the conditions for student learning. Through regular meetings, staff will revisit the core resource below:
Staff will engage in self-reflection about how to be anti-racist and foster cultural humility to guide their own professional growth/learning plan
Culturally Responsive School Leadership & Human Rights Training
A three-part training series for Catholic Education Centre (CEC) and Operations Maintenance Administrative Centre (OMAC) staff, and Maintenance/Custodial Staff.
CEC/OMAC Staff Training Dates
Maintenance/Custodial Staff
Academic Services teaching staff will engage in a book study of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students by Zaretta Hammond, to intentionally integrate Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy strategies into their instructional sessions and educator supports.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies, early literacy instruction/intervention strategies, and the use of mathematics manipulatives at Program Support Teacher (PST) and PST Curriculum Chair meetings:
The DCDSB commits to listen to our diverse communities and address disparities to cultivate a community that is focused on human rights, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion. This six-part virtual series provides opportunity for staff to engage in learning to support culturally responsive and relevant practice. A certification of completion will be issued to staff who complete this learning series.
Dates to be confirmed:
Like many organizations across the country, the DCDSB celebrates Black History Month each February. The focus of this committee is to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions, culture, history, and achievements of Black students, staff, families, and communities, not only during Black History Month, but every day.
Meeting dates:
Continue to build relationships with community partners who provide culturally relevant resources and support to our racialized students and families.
Current community partners:
Building upon last year’s successful program, which engaged 30 classes and 757 students across the DCDSB, this virtual engagement series for Grade 7 to 9 classes will once again be facilitated by Tanika Riley (a.k.a. iNsight). This is a four-session series:
2024 Dates:
On Thursday, March 21, 2024, approximately 520 Grade 7-9 students across DCDSB participated in the first session of Created in the Image of God: I am because We are (Ubuntu). Ubuntu is a virtual engagement series led by Tanika Riley with guest, Matthew Jones, in collaboration with a board planning team. The first session was focused on self-awareness, and it took a closer look at personal beliefs, labels, and personal identities such as race, culture, stereotypes, talent, and skills, and how our beliefs can be helpful or harmful.
Ms. Spitale and her Grade 7 students share their experience about Ubuntu and how the engagement series has helped them learn more about themselves. Thank you to Ms. Spitale and her Grade 7 students for participating in this video! Watch the video below:
This community partnership in four of our Catholic Secondary Schools supports culturally relevant facilitation through intergenerational connection, mentoring, and rhythm. Black “seasoned” adults with diverse career experience will share their wisdom and experience with students in the Grade 10 Careers course (GLC2O).
We are pleased share our newsletters to Black families at the DCDSB, and look forward to sharing information, resources, and upcoming events that may be of interest.
Families can express interest in receiving communications for Black students and families on the student verification form. The 2023-2024 newsletters can be found below:
Highlights of the Equity Action Plan for the 2022-2023 school year are available below. These goals are also articulated in the Board’s Budget and Strategic Priorities Report (direct link).
For more information on Equity and Inclusive Education, please email us at: equity@dcdsb.ca
Summer Institute for Educators (August 25, 2022)
All staff will engage in learning about equity and mental health, facilitated through regular meetings, using a consolidated resource package titled, What does racism have to do with me?
School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO) resources:
What does racism have to do with me?
Human Rights Training
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Program Support Teacher (PST) Meetings (Elementary and Secondary) |
PST Curriculum Chair Meetings (Secondary) |
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Key Resources:
Anti-Black Racism and Black Excellence Advisory Committee
Upcoming meeting dates for this committee are as follows:
Community Partnerships Hub
Invitational Learning Series for Staff
Trinity and Inclusivity with Father Darren Dias
November 17, 2022
Approximately 65 staff members attended
January 24, 2023 - Inclusivity for Caring Adults Session 1
Created in the Image of God: I Am Because We Are (Ubuntu) Virtual Engagement Series
A virtual engagement series for Grade 7-9 classes, facilitated by Tanika Riley aka iNsight, an energetic storyteller, city builder, entrepreneur and artist. There are four sessions available in this series, including:
Highlights of the Equity Action Plan for the 2021-2022 school year are below:
Authors and Advocates: Illuminating Representation in the Classroom
(Nov. 22-24, 2021)
Anti-Black Racism and Black Excellence Advisory Committee
Executive Meeting Dates:
Highlights of the board's Anti-Black Racism Strategy for the 2020-2021 school year are below:
Anti-Black racism pilot workshop
Challenging System Barriers: Anti-Racism and Equity - training for leaders
Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy (CRRP) Practitioner Inquiry
Racial Equity Facilitator Training
Mandatory Anti-Black Racism Training
Invitational Learning Series for All Staff
Consultations (November 2, 2020 to December 15, 2020)
Initial consultations with Black and racialized students and parents/guardians were held to inform our next steps to address systemic discrimination and barriers in our system. We spoke with 38 students, 48 parents/guardians and 18 members of the Student Senate to hear the impact that systemic racism and how it has affected the experiences of some of our students and families.
The Thoughtexchange platform was used to gather the information and feedback that was shared. Thoughtexchange is a collaborative platform that brings people together on important topics. It helps people learn from one another, discover important insights, and make decisions quickly and effectively. More information about this platform can be found on the website using the direct link: Thoughtexchange – How it Works.
Direct links to the interactive reports for each of the Thoughtexchanges are below. The student and parent/guardian reports will also be shared broadly with our school communities. Some of the intentional next steps in our work can be found within these reports.
Interactive Thoughtexchange Summary Reports:
Anti-Black Racism Strategy Conversation with Senior Admin (February 16, 2021 at 7:00 - 8:00 p.m).
All community members were invited to engage in further conversation regarding DCDSB's Anti-Black Racism Strategy with members of Senior Administration.
Anti-Black Racism and Black Excellence Advisory Committee
As part of our Anti-Black Racism Strategy (2020-2021), the Board has committed to establishing an Advisory Committee to support engagement and ongoing communication with our stakeholders as we move forward in this work. Aside from the main group, six sub-committees have been formed:
Meeting dates:
2. An Advisory Committee focused on anti-Black racism and the illumination of Black Excellence, has been established with broad staff, parent, student and community representation. The committee will support and help co-ordinate school and system-level engagement, and internal accountability for addressing issues of systemic barriers. An Advisory Committee focused on anti-Black racism and the illumination of Black Excellence, was established in March 2021 with broad staff, parent, student and community representation. The committee focuses on supporting and helping to co-ordinate school and system-level engagement, and internal accountability for addressing issues of systemic barriers.
3. Ongoing training opportunities for staff at all levels will be a continued focus. Mandatory training will be incorporated into PA days for both the elementary and secondary panels.
4. The Human Resources Department is developing a new hiring policy and administrative procedure that is reflective of the Ministry of Education’s expectations on teacher hiring practices to develop a diverse and representative workforce, with a focus on hiring Black educators and professionals.
5. The Board’s Demographic Data Project Application to the Equity Secretariat has been approved and project planning is underway. Administration of a Student Census will take place in the fall of 2021.
6. The Business of Belonging Learning Series took place May 17-20, 2021. The learning series focused on critical topics regarding belonging and what it looks like for Black learners and professionals through intersectional topics in education. The symposium was open to all DCDSB staff.
News Release: DCDSB Announces Introduction of New Grade 12 Course: Deconstructing Anti-Black Racism in the Canadian and North American Context. Click here to read the news release.