As per course,
Read and Review:
Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools: Guidelines for Policy Development for Policy Development and Implementation, 2014
Khalifa’s Chapter 2 “If I Have to Have A Police in My School I Don’t Need to Be Here: The Need for Critical Self-Reflective School Leaders – Specifically the Critical Self-Reflection Questions on p. 77-78
Ontario Human Rights Code (Specifically Protected Grounds)
View: Right to Play In Conversation Ally is Verb June 30, 2020
Respond to the following:
Building allyship as a skill is one way schools might foster anti-racist education. How would you operationalize building allyship skills in your school for students and staff? In what ways might you use Khalifa’s guide to critical self-reflection to develop your vision, goals, and action plan in operationalizing equity? Utilizing the Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario guidelines as a framework and considering your Bullying Intervention Plan, your School Improvement Plan and other initiatives and ideas, discuss the steps you would take to operationalize 'Building Allyship' in your school.
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Brief:
Within the current state of the school I am working at, students who are openly homosexual or identifying as a sexual orientation out side of heterosexuality are marginalized by their peers of the same gender. In many cases there is a lingering stigma that may not be violent in nature but certainly exclusive with regards to social communications. The school does not have policy that speaks directly to equitable inclusion policy as action item number one in Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools (2014) suggests administrators review. It seems like action item number six could be created and incorporated into action item 1 (if it doesn’t already exist) but a statement to this sentiment exists in the student handbook. I’d likely begin there to ensure that it is in place to make way for the development of allyship programs.
In regards to the operationalization of allyship within the school for students in particular we as teachers are trying to create more choice board based activities for students that allow for them to develop their own success criteria as well as project focus. The school community revitalization is currently underway and making headway as we slowly reintroduce monthly awards to students (for starters) now that COVID-19 is over.
Current Methods/Initiatives of Intervention:
As a school in a place that is still very much a wholesomely traditional and single track society, we endorse student interest groups. This feels like a step towards action item number three in Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools (2014). Although there is great push back with regards to committing to an “ally” centre, some student groups are in nature hosted by students who are in need of an ally centre for students to get involved in. These are things like cosplay club and fashion club. In these two examples, students are not restricted by gender or any other identifiers other than that they be asked to participate in meetings and events in some manner or shape. Granted, maybe not all students who benefit from allyship may be interested in these things, but there is a safe space created into the clubs themselves because of the creative openness that creators need, as a creator needs a safe space to be creative an individual who needs an ally, needs a space where there is mutual openness with behaviours or beliefs.
Furthermore, our English department is working hard to incorporate more discussion through selected texts or contexts that beg courageous discussions. In doing this I feel there is an actualization of action item number seven from the Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools (2014).
An example in English is the class lesson on bias, prejudice, power and privilege. China is constantly a place where LGBTQ students struggle to find acceptance in many areas of life even throughout adulthood in some cases. This is strange considering the history of China and the perspective that history creates on homosexuals.
School Improvement Plan:
Currently centralized around the school achievement on the OSSLT. The idea of incorporating structured literacy or more balanced literacy throughout all subject areas may allow for more courageous conversations to occur. In many of our surveys, there are a number of voice gauging questions that certainly speak to themes that are implied by action item number eight from the Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools (2014).
In some cases, there are opportunities to discuss figures such as Alan Turing in the historical context and other key figures who were quieted by the dominant populations at the time because of prejudice and inequality.
The idea of comparing and contrasting data on marginalized populations in Mathematics and Data Management begs a lot of questions as well with the way that society manufactures media.
Conclusion
If I were to organize a SMART goal for the operationalization of allyship in my school, it would take shape in this way,
Specifically, I would like to see at least 1 club that identifies as an ally group officially without needing to signify “a” group, but in general-openly to the student population (at the very least) explicitly.
Measuring this goal would ultimately come down to the survey data collected with regards to student response to varying stimulus and exposure to topics of focus (areas of allyship identified as needed)
As far as considering this an attainable goal, it seems like it is certainly attainable, if there is an identified need, it would be delicately organized.
Realistically, it won’t be a focal point of the school/campus, it will be a muted group with regards to various ways it is advertised, students may be asked when promoting the group to do so in a way that doesn’t eliminate the opportunity for allies to join out of personal uncertainty in regards to whether or not they are being invited or entertained.
Timeliness of the goal, this will certainly be a goal that could take a full year to organize and even then, it is difficult to identify the existence of it there after each student cohort as being openly identified as someone who is not a part of the dominant identity is still very much a stigma. Given a teacher who can inspire students to be supportive and welcoming it is possible to continue the allyship initiative, but one area of difficult will be club space.
References
Mlaba, K. (2021, March 19). Equity vs equality: What's the difference? Equity vs Equality: What’s the Difference? Retrieved January 21, 2023, from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/equity-equality-whats-the-difference-global-goals/?gclid=CjwKCAiAwomeBhBWEiwAM43YINm2DS89i_QNZToG0uLB_O4Dv8bEaonBFcrdxZWHsW0r4k0CJ_vWhhoCXAUQAvD_BwE
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/equity-equality-whats-the-difference-global-goals/?gclid=CjwKCAiAwomeBhBWEiwAM43YINm2DS89i_QNZToG0uLB_O4Dv8bEaonBFcrdxZWHsW0r4k0CJ_vWhhoCXAUQAvD_BwE
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