PQP Part II-Module 5-3b) (Assessment and Metrics of Success)

As per course, 

 EQAO has been the standard by which Schools measure their achievement progress in Ontario since 1996. It is used to construct both School Improvement Goals and Board Improvement plans and often drives the focus of professional development in Boards and Schools.

In 2020, and again in 2021 there were no EQAO scores to guide, specifically Elementary schools. EQAO has now shifted all of its assessments to digital, online environments.  Other large scale data assessments may or have been cancelled as well. Given the absence of large scale standardized assessment data, schools and Boards must now find new ways to measure student achievement.

Sandra Herbst, a Manitoba educator and author, explains that for assessment and evaluation to be reliable and valid, three types of assessment must be used:

-Products

-Observations

-Conversations

And these must be collected over time. She terms this 'triangulated evidence' (Herbst & Davies,2016).

Reflect on the changing realities of EQAO.  In what ways might this affect the reliability and narrative the data tells? Consider the reading by Caillou and Wesley-Esquimaux and Street Data chapters and discuss what types of evidence may be collected in your school and how it will be aggregated in order to gain a clear picture of school achievement and needs.

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As per discussion, 

PQP Part II-Module 5-3 (Assessment and Metrics of Success)

 As per course, 

EQAO has been the standard by which Schools measure their achievement progress in Ontario since 1996. It is used to construct both School Improvement Goals and Board Improvement plans and often drives the focus of professional development in Boards and Schools.

In 2020, and again in 2021 there were no EQAO scores to guide, specifically Elementary schools. EQAO has now shifted all of its assessments to digital, online environments.  Other large scale data assessments may or have been cancelled as well. Given the absence of large scale standardized assessment data, schools and Boards must now find new ways to measure student achievement.

Sandra Herbst, a Manitoba educator and author, explains that for assessment and evaluation to be reliable and valid, three types of assessment must be used:

-Products

-Observations

-Conversations

And these must be collected over time. She terms this 'triangulated evidence' (Herbst & Davies,2016).

Reflect on the changing realities of EQAO.  In what ways might this affect the reliability and narrative the data tells? Consider the reading by Caillou and Wesley-Esquimaux and Street Data chapters and discuss what types of evidence may be collected in your school and how it will be aggregated in order to gain a clear picture of school achievement and needs.

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As per discussion, Reflecting on my practicum for principal qualifications parts 1 and 2, it is very much a point of discussion. After reading Caillou and Wesley-Esquimax, Chapter 2 of "A Wise Practices Approach"(2010), it seems that the measurements need to account for the ways of learning that recognize first nations perspectives and ways of knwoing. This strongly reinforces what I am trying to accomplish with my practicum, on a very loosely worded level, I am trying to ensure that the students who enter our program (with their varying degrees of exposure to English language), are not only heard when they have concerns with regards to their learning, but presented with learning opportunities conducive to an engaging language learning environment of which is not solely localized in their English Literature Studies or English U. Prep classes while still holding culturaal relevance. Although the OSSLT may not impact a student's grade directly, it becomes a question of the data's relevance and reliability of students who participate.

Having much time spent reading "Street-Data: " (2021), in particular the focus in this discussion is of Chapter 3-4, "Flip the Dashboard" and "Digging into the Levels of Data". From "Flip the Dasboard" chapter, the representation of student work should not be quantatative as it reinforces product based assessment, This is problematic for the simple reason that it reinforces the ideas of knowledge based criteria catering to the assessor and not the student assessed. For accurate representation of student success, qualitative data is collected within the OSSLT but many not feel complete or honest due to the context in which it is collected and the context missing from the data if observed from outside of the population of collected data this sentiment is echoed with the term use, systemic oppresion with Chapter 4 "Digging into the Levels of Data".

Finally, considering my experiences, the readings I believe that after seeing the EQAO's OSSLT process up close many times and participating in it as much as I have, the data that is being accessed through its use is important, however with regards to reliability though it is a question begs one to discuss the use of the information. The OSSLT closely resembles a number of other assessments across Canada, one I have had personal experience with is the literacy test that BC still utilizes (which does account for a small percecntage of a student's grade, 12% if I recall correctly) and its predecessor(s); another would be the testing in New Brunswick that the EQAO remesbles more closely now, it takes place online as well and contains sections of testing very comparable to the OSSLT. Two areas of noticable difference with regards to New Brunswick to Ontario is that the ELPA (English Language Proficiency Test) is administered at Grade Levels 9, 11, and 12. Furthermore there is department of early childhood education that collects, oversees and distributes the data/results. I digress, the reason the question is varying in its application is because on one hand if it is used to measure students' individual and actual capabilities it will always be unreliable unless interperted by the classroom teacher which is generally how BC's testing was (maybe still is). Without the EQAO having a distinct impact on a student's marks directly, it is something that some may not try as hard to demonstrate their best work on which makes it very much a test that is made to identify pass/fails rather than actually access students particular abilities in varying degrees of application which is a core difference between classroom work and this test. I understand this difference as something that can be characterized through the understanding of the Culminating Task that counts towards the 10% of the student's grade and the exam (in most university prepatory courses) that accounts for 20% in order to finally determine impromptu abilities with potential scenarios. With that being said, the data defines a student has pass or fail after the literacy test is taken, numerated and broken down for closer examination on a larger scale but yet localized to the school itself which in many cases could be further examined by the school's departmental faculty/staff. On the otherhand, with the amount of testing done in New Brunswick, it could be interesting to compare the language testing data for reliability there compared to that of the data collected from the OSSLT, and ultimately it becomes a question of "would more assessment lead to more reliability as believed with the triangulation of data?" Even with that being said there is still the question of the type of data collected conversation, observation and product. I would conclude then that the data produced by the completion of the EQAO is important and reliable in regards to being understood as a voicing tool for the whole population, and a measurement tool for educators to align focus with regards to at-risk or underserviced populations if utilized correctly, but to say it is a direct reflection of each specific student's abilities, no, it is not reliable enough to predict the perceivable grade of a student as the tasks are limiting to student standarization. 

PQP Part II-Module/Assignment 5-1 (Data Informed Professional Learning)

View the following Video on Creating a Collaborative Learning Culture

The Learning Exchange's Beginning to Create A Collaborative Learning Culture

Read: Chapter 4 Pound the Pavement: Digging into the Levels of Data in Street Data, by Shane Safir & Jamila Dugan (2021)

The Professional Learning Framework for the Teaching Profession

Review:

Principals as Co-learners: Supporting the Promise of Collaborative Inquiry

 Actions and Interactions Framework for Professional Learning

Discussion and Assignment 4:

For this task, you are encouraged to work in groups of 2-4 people. It is expected that you collaborate on either module 4.2 or 5.1, or both. It is expected that you will meet synchronously and also collaborate asynchronously on this task. If you would like to work alone for this assignment, you must collaborate for the other assignment. Earlier, you reviewed your school data set to set a SMART goal for the year. Using the same data set, design a professional learning task for the coming cycle. Include resources, questions, activities, success criteria etc. that you might use with your school staff. Be sure to consider shifting the gaze in data to equity and shifting mindsets.  If you are coming from a Catholic lens, be sure to include faith-based lens and connections to curriculum. 

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Presentation Outline: Consider the Numbers

Brief

Students progress has hypothetically been released and the administrative team has put the data together, maybe the data is better than expected, maybe it is meeting expectations, or maybe its below our expectations. As an administrative team, we recognize the perceived length of our goal and need to recognize that in any case there is a need to commit and see it through, so in this hypothetical situation, the data would be reflecting a below expectations result in which maybe 20% of students passed the OSSLT. We need to, as a staff, reflect on the practices we contributed to the effort and perceive next steps.

Introduction

Insert land acknowledgment. Emphasis on the appreciation for the study towards furthering us as guests and family in the indigenous ways of not only within the scope of the land, but among fellow visitors as well to promote a healthy meeting point. 

'To practice teaching in Southern Ontario (specifically Niagara Region), I recognize that I may be teaching on treaty land as per the “Two Row Wampum 1613” and Treaty 381 (1781). It is generosity of the Anishnaabe (Ontario.ca, 2018), Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation, and Mississauga of The Credit Nation (Niagararegion.ca, 2022) that would be to thank for allowing me to practice my profession as an educator on this land. In the name of the shared teachings, blessings and goals as a community, I declare that my classroom and professional learning uphold four basic principles modeled from the Medicine Wheel Framework adapted into UNESCO’s Pillars of Education (2016), Learning to be, Learning to know, Learning to do and Learning to relate. As an educator of Ontario I will put forward my best practice of the Growing Success Document to reflect the needs, conversations and observations of students best and most recent work as this model is an equitable model that not only allows for culturally responsive classroom experiences but reflects the First Nations principles of Learning in three general ways, A holistic approach to measuring learning that occurs, the understanding that there are more domains and sources for knowledge than in a book or on a website and that learning is a lifelong journey in which one continually moves forward in with each lived experience (2009). '

The principal should have a protocol or SAFE space protocol (in particular), prepared for a meeting such as "Courageous Conversations".

"In this particular learning, we will be developing questions that we need to consider in order to collect the numbers needed to identify what we can do to improve. Once we have the data, we can then uncover what we need to reimagine and then collaborate on how to move forward (Street Data: A Next Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy and School Transofrmation, Dugan and Safir 2021)" 

"As educators, what are the surface level questions we have for our students with regards to their performance on the OSSLT?".

*Educators will brainstorm generic questions based on student scores (as a general population) using the data from the OSSLT* These questions will be on a larger board or included into a "jam board".

Identifying our Own Bias-During

Have staff members breakout into departments and brainstorm why they think students may not be recieving teh literacy efforts as effectively as planned originally by the department,

Each group should then reflect on the following excerpt.

'Ways of knowing of interest to the Theory and activism of Critical Social Justice specifically include those that they deem to have been unjustly excluded or marginalized. These include tradition, superstition, storytelling, and emotion. They are considered to have been excluded by white, Western men who established their own (typically Eurocentric, white, and/or masculinist) ways of knowing—like science, reason, logic, and empiricism (see also, master’s tools). Because white, Western men had the power to do so, they have unfairly privileged these approaches and imposed them upon other cultures (see also, colonialism). They did so failing to realize that they’re also just cultural products, while rationalizing them as more valid, more correct, and methodologically stronger than others (see also, meritocracy, positivism, objectivity, white science, white empiricism, reality, and internalized dominance). People (in the West and who have adopted methods from the West – see also, colonialism) are believed to have been socialized by the dominant forces of society (not rigor or utility) to accept that these “cultural products” are in fact superior to others, according to Theory. In some sense, this understanding arises from cultural relativism, but it also has roots in both postmodern Theory and other critical theories. These, respectively, see knowledges wholly as cultural products (see also, Foucauldian, episteme, power-knowledge, racial knowledge, truth, realities, and reality) and intrinsically caught up in issues of justice and injustice (see also, epistemic injustice, epistemic oppression, and epistemic violence).

Critical Social Justice wants to reverse this state of affairs and forward these “other” (marginalized and excluded) ways of knowing. The usual claim from advocates of Critical Social Justice is that knowledge as we generally conceive of it is merely a cultural product of powerful white, Western men, who then systematically exclude other ways of knowing outside of their own cultural tradition. The demand is to make room for and advance these “other ways of knowing” either by expanding the available set of “shared epistemic resources” (e.g., by engaging in cultural sensitivity, cultural humility, racial humility, cultural relativism, cultural responsiveness, and shutting up and listening), in order to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion, or by “decolonizing” the existing knowledge system, its canon, its literature, and its canon (see also, research justice). That is, the claim in Critical Social Justice is that a sort of knowledge equity is necessary to remake the system (see also, revolution), and the way to do this is to include and advance “other ways of knowing” that have been excluded from white, Western, male thought.'

In groups, take from this the idea of what is "knowledge, myth, and opinion."

Ontario Ministry Curriuclum document Snapshots (Curriculum Expectations discussion)

Can your department scope and acknolwedge areas of learning that may seem out of place for students or unfamiliar to students?

If not, the department would be asked to look at their student population (principal will need to prepare these in advance, yes it would take time to organize), and ask, of the populations included, how many of them recognize what they learn/how they learn it as something that they can appreciate as a part of their identity?

Referring back to the surface level questions that teachers have for students, ask teachers to reflect on what more SPECIFIC questions could come from those general questions-as each group of educators to take on one question and record the specific questions that come up as well as how they expect students to answer them, (scalar response, open response, etc.)

The principal needs to note again, this is a courageous conversation in many respects and putting oneself on the spot is the point of it, in some cases, the princpial may feel better about stepping out into the light about the topic first.

Measuring Achievement-Consolidation

Departments will coordinate through gallery-walks from one to the other and eliminate questions that are repeated. In some cases, educators may want to add a question and that is greatly appreciated.

The principal will be circulating and documenting questions in a live forms sheet documenting key questions from the departments.

 As teachers, the closing reflection is going to be the consideration that you were OR were NOT given when you were a student preparing for the OSSLT, consider the remarks of some staff you may have interacted with AS A STUDENT who may have noted the lack of consequence for failing the test.

Storientation-Next Steps

The next step for the staff would be interviewing students and or parents who they are responsible for in this semester and interviewing to discover what some difficulties for the student may be, how these challenges may have been overcome in the past.

Source List:

Street Data: A Next Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy and School Transformation, Dugan and Safir 2021

Canadian Council on Learning. The State of Aboriginal Learning in Canada: A Holistic Approach to Measuring Success. Ottawa, Ontario (2009).

 www.ccl-cca.ca/sal2009.

Lalonde, S. Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia. (2016).

Provincial First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Professional Learning Project. Calgary, AB:

Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia.

Ministry of Indigenous Affairs. Map of Ontario’s Indigenous Treaties and Reserves. Ontario.ca 2018

N.K. Singh.  Culturally Appropriate Education Theoretical and Practical Implications.

Niagararegion.ca Indigenous Engagement. 2022

https://www.niagararegion.ca/health/equity/indigenous-engagement.aspx   

Interesting Resource from Hamilton Board (Ontario, Canada) for Prospective Principals

 http://www.schooladvocacy.ca/left_level3/law_policy.html

PQP Part II-Module/Assignment 4-3 (Case Study)

 As per course, 

Read Chapter 2 Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework p. 11 – 20 in Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education by Paul C. Gorski and Seema G. Pothini (2014)

Using the Skills on p. 13 Figure 2.1 and the Equity Literacy Case Analysis Framework on p. 14 to complete the Case Study Analysis. 

Read Case 3.4: High Expectations or Unrealistic Goals? P. 29 – 31

Prepare notes on the following to utilize in our discussion which will occur in the Zoom Session.

Use the Questions on p. 31 and discussion on p. 130 to help guide your response.  Consider the following as well: What biases and ‘single stories’ are evident throughout the case? How is the deficit narrative evidenced in comments and resources (school staff, university staff etc.)? What school practices, structures, and policies reinforce these deficit narratives? What systemic policies, procedures, and structures reinforce them? How does this case highlight the difference between opportunity and access? As a Principal in what ways can you work to disrupt or dismantle the structures, policies, practices, and mind-sets that contribute to those deficit narratives, biases, and stereotypes?

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As per discussion, 

An Investigation in Case 3.4 from Gorski and Pothini

Introduction:

As a actor accessing the role played of Principal by myself, I am drawing understanding from provided questions listed in p.29-31 Paul C. Gorski and Seema G. Pothini (2014), with regards to the teacher’s (Ms. Sutter’s) decision to take the students on an unprepared guide of a college; the teacher’s responsibility in offering equitable experiences in educational practice and the potential for a teachable moment with keeping the dignity and integrity of all students intact.

Step 1: Identifying the Problem

Before amounting the concerns with regards to case 3.4 High Expectations or Unrealistic Goals? the following will need to be understood, teachers are not sole proprietors in the approval process of a field trip, from the beginning (in all school boards) principals are included in the planning and approval process of a field trip. In this case the case’s focus is on systemic prejudice. In the case that this comes for review, it could be understood that through the understanding of “securing accountability” in the Ontario Leadership Framework (2013), the principal holds even more responsibility than the teacher (minus immediate student care insinuated by the Education Act, 1990). Although, the university may have its prejudicial standards and beliefs systemically built into the processes carried out by the admissions (as demonstrated through the dialogue by the Director of Admissions), there is a matter of fact that the teacher has not been to the institution beforehand to examine what would be worth noting for her students nor had the principal followed up with the teacher to ensure that the teacher had a plan in place in the event of a situation in which something like this had occurred, or her familiarity with the school itself. As an initial question a principal may ask “Why did you choose this university in particular?” Then following up with questions that allow the principal to see if there were purposeful connections being made between the learning and/or experiences of the students and this field trip. The reason this may come up as an essential portion of perspective is because although the teacher may have been trying to act equitable, the teacher may not have actually reflected with the considerations of her students’ personal learning, location and financial situations in mind. In an example, a student in Toronto who is seeking the opportunity to study in a Medical Sciences program may not benefit from a trip to Brock University located in St. Cathrines, but would much rather benefit from a university tour of University of Toronto. Furthermore having been on a college road-trip myself, I know that sometimes its not a university campus tour of the campus itself really, but the experiential learning opportunities that a perspective student can have through sit-ins and “meets” with various deans or professors. Personally reflecting on my experiences at Lakehead and at Nipissing, Ryerson, etc. After reviewing the case, I have identified approximately 3 problems, these problems stem with a core issue in communication, but the fault can certainly be divided equally. Speaking to the issue of equity, the teacher is expected to follow-up with a plan of action co-created alongside the principal.

Step 2: Taking Stock of Varying Perspectives

First of all, from the perspective of the other stakeholders (the university and its staff visited, parents, and students), they may feel the teacher failed to communicate with the university that they were interested in visiting. Most (if not all) school boards have policies field trips, after reading policies from York Region District School Board (2022) and Catholic District school Board of Eastern Ontario (2020) these are policies that are aligned with the Safe Schools Act. This stresses the need for alignment with the Education Act. For someone outside of the classroom and unfamiliar with the student’s particular needs, the teacher should be able to understand that it would be important to make a point of organizing this field trip through manner that ensures there is opportunity for both the school visited and people visiting to make accommodations. In doing this the teacher would be able to give a detailed and accurate representation of the trip to not only the student’s guardian(s) and the Principal but the university being visited as well. The university could then prepare a tour guide that is suitable for an audience that is in 5th grade (as well as on a field trip). In personal experiences, having been a tour guide, it can sometimes be overwhelming and stressful as it is sometimes a part of a volunteer arrangement with people who asking varying degrees of questions. The teacher knew prior to the trip that she would be arriving with a group of students. Based on what the director says, “we can’t afford to put  your group ahead of those students”, it seems that the university was not informed of the visit. If the visit was arranged, the university would/should have contacted the teacher in advance to notify them of the unavailability. There could have been more than enough time to make an appropriate judgment call on the part of the teacher. This further questions the teacher’s ability to follow the Ontario Schools-Code of Conduct in the following area, “communicate regularly and meaningfully with parents” (The Ministry of Education, 2022). If the teacher had in fact been communicating with the students’ parents, the teacher would be able to get a much clearer picture of what kind of supports would hypothetically need to be in place for one of their children to be able to afford post-secondary education, this being important to note because one of the goals that the teacher may have in place at the club is various self-inventory activities or literacy building opportunities that allow students to understand how to prepare for various scholarships, or even budgeting savings for that matter.

A second perspective (from the school board), in regards to conduct in this case is that the principal is a stakeholder in field trips, some school boards, such as York Region, have gone as far as to outline the responsibilities (section 3) of different roles in the event of a field trip (2022). As a part of the Ontario Leadership Framework (2013), the Principal is expected to secure accountability, which basically means, ensure there is an understanding of where people are, what they are doing and for how long they will be there. The approval process of the field trip goes well beyond the principal, but it is certainly the principal being the second line of query that would raise questions. If the teacher had embellished, lied or defrauded the process in someway, this would be a much more serious matter than as it is currently situated. As a principal as well, one should consider previous alumni from that university who may be within the school community that may be of assistance in enriching the experience of the students.

Lastly a potentially well-mannered, level-headed principal who wants to ensure that the teacher is not being disciplined for misplaced negligence may believe, as a school board, it is important to report in each investigation in regards to violations of The Ontario Human Rights’ Code (1962) and ask that the OHRC examine the case closely on behalf of the students, parents and teachers of the school board. It is integral that in this case, the principal and teacher both recognize that this systemic intolerance of the group is in need of desperate attention, taking a look at The Ontario Human Rights Code, a human in Ontario will observe the following, “Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status or disability” (1962). The principal may go as far as to expect the teacher to demonstrate their efforts and understanding of the situation’s seriousness by having the teacher file a complaint against the university under violation of The Ontario Human Right’s Code, through the actions and statements logged through the interactions with the Director of Admissions (eee the following website for complaints, https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/filing-claims-discrimination). According to the Human Right’s Code, “Every person has a right to claim and enforce his or her rights under this Act, to institute and participate in proceedings under this Act and to refuse to infringe a right of another person under this Act, without reprisal or threat of reprisal for so doing” (1962), not only meaning that people of this school, race or situation in general should take action to be represented appropriate and free of prejudice, but to do so in confidence that they should not expect to be penalized by these actions that safe-guard their human rights. In many cases there may be perceived concern that students who come from this school board may be treated with more bias if their board has lodged a civil suit against them.

In regards to public perspective, the immediate issue of awareness and observance by the classroom teacher who took the student’s on the field trip, (however unforeseen circumstances may have been) would be willing to say this is a teachable moment that can be understood by the teacher after this first experience. In another light, this article outlining systemic racism in Canada’s Nursing Schools are reported through University Affairs News Reciprocal (https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/canadas-nursing-programs-address-racial-prejudice-in-the-profession/) in 2021. The racism being brought to mind is not only in part part of Canada but across the country and not just with regards to the applications of perspective students who are admitted to programs but the very curricular content learned. What the teacher in Case 3.4 is doing may be of good nature and intention but may if not well-organized could be ill planned and setting up a group of students for discouragement rather than opportunity.

Step 3: Consider Possible Challenges and Opportunities

In regards to challenges, the teacher would need to account for the potentiality that not all students may feel they are university bound, let alone aware of the implications of university versus college. The teacher should also note that in cases where parents/guardians did not attend university themselves, it does not need to solely mean that the families are under privileged, in many cases very successful people study in College for the matter of fact that university doesn’t offer the hands on programming or practical experience in the field needed to become a builder, botanist or radiology technician. 

Step 4: Imagine Equitable Outcomes

If the teacher calls the principal, for advice on what to do next, it could be suggested that the students take an opportunity to check out the library, and sports facilities. In more happenstance scenarios, the principal may even know of the university themselves and be able to come out there out of an emergency support for this situation and have a teacher in charge at the school for the duration of the field trip. 

Realistically, the teacher should consider the population’s demographics and try to create prior learning experiences that create depth to the experience so it is not just a matter of showing up and seeing a building or beautiful campus. Students may be able to even set up an opportunity to meet with a student at the university who had been their school for a duration of time as a student. 

In reality, the school should not have turned the students away so nonchalantly, but endorses and appreciated the opportunity to build an itch for knowledge and excellence in perspective students. 

Step 5: Brainstorm Immediate-Term Responses

Finally, the reason as a school we will stand together to face the reality of this miscommunication, “Education providers violate the Code where they directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally infringe the Code, or where they authorize, tolerate or adopt behaviour that is contrary to the Code.” This statement implicates many parties involved which is why I, as a school leader firmly believe. Reasonable accessibility to facilities that are a part of the learning experience are included in this. The teacher will file a report and/or complaint with the municipal government, as well as the Ontario government outlining the incident and issues raised on behalf of the school community. This report will be copied for the principal’s investigation. This will determine the sincerity of the teacher’s mistake in communication.

Step 6: Brainstorm Longer-Term Policy and Practice Adjustments

In the end, the principal will need to likely clarify the field-trip process and parent notification procedures to ensure a more transparent communication between all parties as well as proof of prior communication with the field trip hosts/venue.

Additionally, policies regarding student potentiality and generalizations will need to be addressed through a whole staff sensitivity training. Equity vs. Equality workshops/learning modules may be a first step, but creating more community outreach between parents and teachers to reflect the good intention efforts of the teacher who took the students on the field trip.

Step 7: Craft a Plan of Action

After the field trip, regardless of which way the teacher landed on the decision making process, to change the trip’s itinerary or have the student in need of accommodation observe a film, the teacher would need to prganize the PLC task as described in “Step 6”. This plan would come to application within the PLC within the span of a month, if not sooner.

The principal will need to connect with the university to offer them an opportunity to speak to the story given by the teacher who took the students on the field trip as a part of this investigation.

This would be a task that the teacher is expected to meet regularly with the principal about the group club content (within the realm of office hours, where the teacher may have other tasks to assume), the principal would log PLC time in with that teacher specifically to offer recognition for their dedication to reassure the school community that the school and its staff have student equity and meaningful learning/experience in mind. This one on one PLC time would allow the teacher to draw attention, reference and focus on different policies (or the lack thereof-in potentiality of a hypothetical).

After reviewing the documents, the teacher would need to create a PLC resource for presentation purposes on field trips that the school’s PLC may also invite parents to (potentially). 

If not possible to invite parents to the PLC presentation on field trips with the other presenters present, the principal may decide to make the PLC available for PTA review or hold another sitting in which the teacher is requested out of expression of dedication to the school community and student inclusivity policies of the school board, to present at a PTA meeting. The idea of making this PLC opportunity available to parents would be to keep parents informed as a level of query that helps align teachers with the concerns of all stakeholders in the school community.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, as a principal, this case has been reviewed through case study framework and through the investigation it is clear that this is not a common error in judgement by the school administration or teacher, but through people communicating from a distance. 

Ultimately, the school leadership and school board feel this will be an excellent opportunity for all teachers to participate in a field trip protocol PLC experience coming up, as implied through Ontario Schools – Code of Conduct, “develop effective intervention strategies and respond to all infractions related to the standards for respect, civility, responsible citizenship, and safety; ” (2022). This is expected to be run in part with the professional development resources available from the school board (on policy) and with the classroom teacher on shared field trip protocol experience as the school is excited to promote equitable experiential learning. To outright discipline this initial and unforeseeable offence would ultimately be detrimental to the development of the learning community that will support and improve on student standards, teacher reception/perspective of students and this particular teacher’s excellent methods in teaching in accordance with K–12 School Effectiveness Framework (2013) “6.3 The school and community build partnerships to enhance learning opportunities for students.” *This is presumed by myself as an actor in the role of this hypothetical case.

Works Cited

B1:4 School Operations – Field Trips Educational Field Trips. Jan. 2020, www.cdsbeo.on.ca/policies/B4-1_Field_Trips.pdf.

Education Act, RSO 1990, c E.2, <https://canlii.ca/t/55np9> retrieved on 2022-11-01

Gorski, Paul, and Seema Pothini. Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2018.

Human Rights Code, RSO 1990, c H.19, <https://canlii.ca/t/5574j> retrieved on 2022-11-01

“Ontario’s Code of Conduct for the Education Sector: Parent’s Guide.” ontario.ca, 2022, www.ontario.ca/page/ontarios-code-conduct-education-sector-parents-guide.

The Institute for Education Leadership. The Ontario Leadership Framework. Ontario, 2013, www.education-leadership-ontario.ca/application/files/8814/9452/4183/Ontario_Leadership_Framework_OLF.pdf. 

The Ontario Ministry of Education. School Effectiveness Framework. The Queen’s Printer, 2013, files.ontario.ca/edu-school-effectiveness-framework-2013-en-2022-01-13.pdf. 

York Region School District Board. Accessibility Policy 407. 2020, www.yrdsb.ca/boarddocs/Documents/PP-accessibilitystandardsforcustomerservice-407.pdf.

York Region School District Board. Accessibility Policy 642. 2022, http://www.yrdsb.ca/boarddocs/Documents/PP-fieldtrips-642.pdf 

PQP Part II-Module/Assignment 4-4 (Principal’s Legislative Duties as an Employer)

 As per course, 

Read, Explore and Review the following legislation.

Ontario Labour Relations Act

Ontario Employment Standards

Ontario Human Rights Code

The Education Act

As a Principal, you are an Instructional Leader, Manager and Employer.  Each role has distinctive and sometimes conflicting purposes.  Principals are required to adhere to the same Employment legislation as employers outside the education sector.  In schools there can be as many as 6 to 8 different Unions and collective agreements.

Discussion:

Comment on the Unions and collective agreements within your school setting. Where can you access the applicable collective agreements within your Board? Reflect on the Employment standards and relevant legislation and discuss potential conflicts of interest and priorities.  How might you as a Principal accomplish the vision and goals of the school, while maintaining standards and adhering to contracts? Share experiences, omitting names and identifying information.

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As per discussion, 

PQP Part II-Module/Assignment 4-1 (Efficient Administrative Practices)

 As Per Course, 

"Welcome to Education Finance!

As a school leader, it is important to understand the funding structure of the Ministry and how money is distributed to Boards and allocated according to student needs. (Warning, this can be dry material if you are not already interested in numbers! But, it is one of the many things that can create significant issues later.) It is good to have the system and provincial prospective as you consider your instructional leader role through the lens of accountability and education finance.

Familiarize yourself with this Ministry of Education web page: https://www.ontario.ca/page/education-funding-2022-23

Be sure to skim the Grants for Student Needs Funding Memo.

Then please comment on the following:

As a school leader, how would you ensure that administrative practices and budget responsibilities align with the Ministry's funding structure yet are reflective of the Board Improvement Plan, personal School Improvement Plan and are reflective of the School Effectiveness Framework? What opportunities are there for supporting equity within your school/school board? Describe the process you would use to prioritize use of funds in your school."

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As per discussion, 

"The idea of being a leader who needs to run financial point for a school that could be over 1000 members in the building at anytime (more when considering school stakeholders) is terrifyingly interesting to me. I feel budget is that one point in the Principal's decision-making process that can sometimes make or break the beginning of another year. Not to state the obvious, but its difficult to give everyone what they want. Granted, I think as people have likely mentioned, it is integral that the vision of the school is realized, discussed and prepared for at the end of each year (before september, discuss what ideas of the school's vision shall remain and what shall change for the incoming year-when you have a consistant staff). Over the summer it give time for reflection, connection and preparation of what may come. Furthermore, as a leader it is important to establish that recieving funds in general is expected to be received as a good thing, and even though a group may expect to see it used here, if there is no way to allocate there responsibily or in an equitable manner, then it needs to be realized that there is a grand underappreciation for what is happening, maybe this vision didn't account for the voices OR maybe individuals invovled in the vision's realization didn't reflect as hard on the vision as they needed to. As a principal it is first and foremost of the process, to have your vision created by/with your staff;  from there, the process shall lead to an actualization of programs and initiatives that pre-exist versus those that call for start-up funds; in the event that the vision and these initiatives do not align a principal needs to take inventory of the school and weigh the allocations of human resources vs. funding; the third step of the process is to establish an inventory of what is needed from an observational level and take stock on what is preceived as needed on the operational level by those leading the initiatives. Finally, through this process, perspective taking, and inventory, the principal SHOULD be mostly confident with the allocations they provide. In the event there is a disagreement with the decisions, principals should reflect on the following components of The School Effectiveness Framework (2013) as base decision drivers.

Indicator 4.1: A culture of high expectations supports the belief that all students can learn, progress and achieve.

Indicator 4.2 A clear emphasis on high levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy is evident throughout the school.

Indicator 4.3 Teaching and learning in the 21st Century is collaborative, innovative and creative within a global context.

Indicator 4.7 Timely and tiered interventions, supported by a team approach, respond to individual student learning needs and well-being.

(Please note, there are many that can be applied, but these ones spoke to me more or less because of the perspective I am holding within my current role and position as well as SIP).

This being for the simple reason that the Ministry of Education's five-point plan is reflecting a focus point on the following areas:

Area 2-Creating student strength in base literacy skills in mathematics as well as accessibility of texts (B02, 2022)

Area 3-Student's wellness as mentally vulnerable individual and their ability to overcome challenges to mental wellness (B02, 2022)

Area 4-The use and establishment of learning opportunities outside the class provided by thrid-party education groups. (B02, 2022)

These focus areas are very clearly applicable to many different faucets available to teacher and student resource development within the school community. As a principal our budget decisions best reflect (firstly), the stakeholders (in the most equitable manner possible) and local-epistemologies, the ministry of education's five point plan, and the school effectiveness framework as our anchor in that/those decision(s).

To conclude, the opportunities that currently befall our school in the way of equity are those in the areas of ESL. To be frank many of our students are English language learners, however there is a great deal of ability that gapes between the students. The material should remain consistent to avoid students trying to play the system to their own benefit, but teachers need to reflect on the goals and principles of Growing Success. Using this, teachers and staff are expected to keep in mind that we can apply various learning resources and assistive tools; in some cases we need to apply for funding. My wife being the ESL course Lead Teacher actually was able to allocate funding for the program "THINK", for my English department, we are working hard to create things in house and develop depth for varying levels of differentiation to take place while still reaching learning goals in a hollistic manner."

PQP Part II-Module/Assignment 4-2 (Street-Level Data)

 As per course,

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As per discussion,

"From China to the West Coast"

"I was working with Ian on the comparison data, we took a look at the way the data was used rather than strictly the data itself. Ian's data was surrounding the students at the grade 6 level and their numeracy proficiency. In my case, I was looking at the OSSLT scores and student preparations at the grade 9/10 level.

The data in both cases did conclude that there is a need for prior learning which takes place on an enriching level-rather than "teach to the test". Using this data though, there was a perceived similarity with regards to how to engage the school community as a whole in reaching this goal. The students are expected to participate outside of class with parents/guardians and a great example of how this should look work (for my case), is reflected in the motivations and statements of Waterloo's public board in which they are trying to implement a structured literacy program. This requires families to take on the role as active participants (however little doses of engagement that may occur), and participate in community learning. One community building event that resonates with is the family scrabble night hosted by Frontier College in Thunder Bay. This has certainly been a cornerstone of my vision for a school community that is not rich with resource or budget and although not everyone may participate initially, it may come to a point where in which as (one of our practicum presenters last meeting had discussed the impact of having a really great effect and lasting impression on school community acitvities for families who were seemingly uncertain to the depth of engagement that they were going to bring to the event) people participate, they become more comfortable with participating.

Feel free to check out the documents posted,

Thanks again to Ian for templating in a clean format!"

 As per course, 

Reflect on the decision making within your classroom, school, and system with respect to reporting on Learning Skills and streaming from Grade 8 to Secondary. What potential biases, mindsets, and cultural norms inform these decision-making processes? As a Principal, how might you disrupt these processes, mindsets, and norms? Describe actions you would take.

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As per discussion,

I have noticed that in the past, here at the current school I am working at, that there was a sort of streaming occuring, however (I feel), it may have been due to the 3 different programs that students enter my classroom (ENG4U/ENG3U/PPL3O) from. We have the dual-credit program (students who will recieve a diploma from China and Canada-Ontario), AP based students who will often be much higher performing academically and finally, the CIS students who will be graduating with their OSSD (solely). In most cases the AP students are credit rich, the CIS students are facing a similar situation to majority of students in ON (except they rarely take a spare) and the DCP students are usually in a very difficult spot as they need to reach their goals effectively or there is a chance they will need to return for another year to acheive their OSSD. 

Over the time being here, I observe that the homerooms are certainly split up because that is the base of the scheduling and classroom/facility measurement. From there, the DCP students seem to be the group that struggle the most, and in few cases overloading their classes in semester 1 (some chinese classes occur outside of the OSSD program hours) so that they can have more time to prepare for ENG4U in semester 2. 

In my classroom, to be honest, I don't  segregate or try to mix students around too much unless I feel there is a serious need for it. In most cases my students have been exceptional, granted there are many who are very much an ESL student, yet capable of producing passing quality of learning. In some cases this is not enough for them, so I have needed to tier some tasks. When I do this though to make it equitable I usually get a lot of grief from which ever of the three groups of students' coordinators who didn't get treated the way another group had (as mentioned before, considering equity vs. equality). 

The leadership team that looks over the CIS, DCP and AP are very much selecting students based on a number of things, they know that I am very much looking at students' English capabilities and providing feedback, but writing based tasks. In other cases I have a colleague online for another class, and the administration may move the student there to give the student an opportunity to use the assistive tool effectively. 

As a Principal, its as simple as allowing a student to transfer from one course to the another course because their friend is in that class, the other administrators need to solidify that particular change, but it still needs to pass their eyes. In other cases, the principal may ask teachers to complete a "Check-in" with all students over a specific period of time from across the school to give the teacher another perspective on students who the teacher thought they really knew.

PQP Part II-Module 3-3 (Indigenous Governance and Reconciliation in Education)

 As per course, 

Read: What Matters in Indigenous Education: Implementing a Vision Committed to Holism, Diversity, and Engagement by Dr. Pam Toulouse for People for Education (2016)

Review: 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

Review TRC #63

Discussion post respond to the following three prompts:

Where is your school/board now in realizing TRC Call to Action #63?

Using the Critical Self Reflection questions as a guide consider the following: How can your school centre Indigenous epistemologies and community voice in your operations, policies, and instruction? How might you gather community voice and create an inclusive environment that welcomes Indigenous leaders, families, and students?

Using the TRC #63 as a guideline, create a TRC School Improvement Goal. The goal should reflect your current situation and how you see your school/board achieving the goal. Consider the staff learning and student learning experiences that you will plan to help you get there.

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As per discussion,

We are certainly moving forward in our realization of the TRC Call to Action #63. Being an ON school there are expectations we need to consider, however being a private school overseas, there is some understanding granted. Representing our Canadian identity and history is a directive (without any question), however as a part of that inclusive and welcoming (or multi-cultural) identity, we need to observe our curriculum delivery/content with a culturally responsive lens.

Currently our administrative team offers subsidized AQ/ABQ opportunities and strongly recommends teachers taking advantage of that to spruce up their understanding of curriculum (home board) developments (in regards to teacher expectations) while here overseas. At the same time, our Coordinator or Lead Teacher Team, offer support (me being one of them), in utilizing the ways of knowing and FNMI Worldviews to reach students here in a way that resonates with them (this is because a lot of Confucian ethics, morals, or principles often coincide with that of FNMI worldviews.

In some ways, I would imagine we are doing more than well, however getting caucasion teachers or teachers from urban southern populations within Ontario (in general) to specifically refer to FNMI groups in particular is a tough bit as many haven't had the boots on the ground experience with treaty people or reserve living/teaching experience. That is where texts from Dion, Toulouse, Lowan or Bell come in handy.

Now that COVID-19 is officially relaxed here in China, I am speaking with our administrative team with regards to building a partnership/fund with the https://www.councilfire.ca/ Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre (as they are related to the land that our base school is located in, Gunshot Treaty of 1788). THis I feel is a development we can make to have a bigger impact and commemeration of our Canadian/North American roots.

As mentioned previously, texts from Lowan, Dion, Bell and Toulouse develop a sense of ownership over the situation and breathing space for more courageous conversations to take place. As a leader in my school community, I recognize and hope that our department can support the recognition of the following goal as stated in the TRC's Call to Action #63. i. Developing and implementing Kindergarten to Grade Twelve curriculum and learning resources on Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools. Contexts from myself being a white Catholic male are certainly an undermining point for those who feel there is a degree of need for indigenous representation to press on in a direction that might be seen as critical social justice. However I feel that given my position and power, I am in a unique position to not only raise awareness but gain support in this area that might benefit everyone in a grander picture of development. Being one of those people who have a natural mediation or networking ability, I feel there is a lot of potential for growth on all fronts. This being the fruit of a much longer term goal though.

In the current state of events and resources, my goal is to build our departments into culturally responsive and yet information driven educational hubs that build students' akcnowledgment of the land's (known in the modern day as Canada) rich and sometimes unfortunate historial background as well as bright future. This goal is reflective of (K-12 Effectiveness Framework) 4.3 which is related to Curriculum, Teaching, Learning. More specifically, the goal describes, Teaching and learning in the 21st Century is collaborative, innovative and creative within a global context (K-12 Effectiveness Framework, 2013). It is an aspect of the situation we find ourselves in being overseas, that we need to be aware of culturally responsive pedagogy while recgonizing our Call To Action as Ontario Educators.

First as a staff, we need to develop a sense of ownership over the conversation and not pride by any means, but willingness to hold a conversation that we may (at first) feel detached from. Having this conversation as a staff, being open to say "I don't know, but now that I do, I feel..." is a big step for some staff members. A meeting like this might be most beneficial with involvment of groups administrators based in Toronto at our base school who have been working on this aspect of their school's image.

In hopes, I would be able to arrange a meeting with someone of the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre to share insights and cultural norms of their particular land. It would be amazing to have a meeting in which someone from the cultural centre can say something that makes the department feel encouraged in this path, that they are doing the right things, saying the right things.

From there, the hope would be that the cooperation or experience (if short lived at first), might inspire a sense of interest to develop this cooperation further (but that is a part of a longer term goal, as mentioned earlier).  

For our students here, the idea would be allowing them to have an opportunity to appreciate the idea or at the very least understand and recognize that they are in a way also visitors of this treaty land. I know for myself while I was studying at Lakehead, once I had experienced what it felt like to be welcomed into a community even without really (at first understanding) what I was welcomed into, it really gave me a greater appreciation for a lot of how I interpreted society, and daily interacitons with people  around me (yes, even on a personal level-because as a Catholic, two very important words resonate and are not to be taken lightly, "Truth" and "Reconciliation"). 

In turn these developments that we want to see more of will determine our department's readiness to answer the call to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee.

PQP Part II-Module 3-2 (Reflections on Meeting the TRC Calls to Action)

 As per course,

Choose one quote and write a response to it using the above questions.

From the TRC Commission of Canada Calls to Action, 2015

Quotes Protocol

Review the following quotes and consider: In what ways do you connect to the quote? In what ways does the quote extend your thinking? In what ways does the quote challenge your understanding? Are there ways the quote leads you to think about any recent classroom or school experiences?

Education is what got us here and education is what will get us out.

Justice Murray Sinclair

The road we travel is equal in importance to the destination we seek. There are no shortcuts when it comes to truth and reconciliation. We are forced to go the distance.

Justice Murray Sinclair

Many of the calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation are about education and awareness and put us at the forefront to empower our students to not walk with shame or carry the burden of guilt but to see themselves as being transformative.

Kevin Lamoureaux

Reconciliation isn't an act of pity, it is Canada going through a process of healing itself.

Kevin Lamoureux

Nothing about us without us.

Judi Chamberlin

Reconciliation requires changes of heart and spirit, as well as social and economic changes. It requires symbolic as well as practical actions.

Malcom Fraser

When we talk about the history and legacy of residential schools, it is also acknowledging that it is not over.

Dr. Marie Wilson

I want to ask you to get uncomfortable with discomfort. If Canadians want reconciliation, they can't turn away.

Jesse Wente

 

Sitting in corners wringing our hands and wondering what to do is not going to advance anything, including yourself. Read the calls to action, and as you go through them one at a time ask yourself: do I belong in this call?

Dr. Marie Wilson

We are involved in a national project of remedial learning, and the academy is in the front row

Dr. Marie Wilson

I see you. I hear you. I believe you

Dr. Marie Wilson

It's not going to be fast, and it's not going to be easy, but it's going to be rich and uplifting for us all.

Dr. Marie Wilson

It's time for the rest of us Canadians to understand these stories and understand what it means to be a Canadian. Because I do believe, since the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and then the apology of the Prime Minister, that Canadians are experiencing a sort of existential crisis - who are we? What is this country? We've been told who we are and it doesn't fit with these descriptors.

Kathleen Mahoney

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As per discussion, 

Education is what got us here and education is what will get us out.

Justice Murray Sinclair

This quote mentions the idea of education, being such a grand topci with so many avenues of discussion, I reflect on the evolution of the education itself as something that resonates with me ultimately. Students in public schools and Catholic schools of Ontario are (maybe most cases were, but I haven't really done a concensus on the decolonization of social sciences/history in Ontario yet), living in a bubble when it comes to the foundations and history of Canada. The Social Studies (History) curriculum begins preparing them for what is to come in the high school history education but by that time the students have already developed a conception that Canada is and always was a culture mosaic. To an extent  “Canada” itself has always been, but it was what came before that which is important.

The curriculum that is offered now (from the professional circles I am a part of at least). begins (emphasis on begins) to tie up the loose ends of the past educational curriculum but needs to offer more than a bit of knowledge to help students truly understand where Canada came from. The native people lived by a simple philosophy in life and once the Europeans arrived, things became complicated. A modern world mingling with a world that didn’t want to remove itself from what had always been. Not unlike today, there are many traditions that these cultures (we call the First Nations) have many beliefs that offer more than animism and theism in general. Their teachings offer a fundamental respect for all living things and that is what kept their cultures alive for the amount of time it has.

To be frank, its uneasy to believe that many school boards are still struggling to decolonize something like "history" (or had for so long). I thought "Aboriginal Education" was a mandatory course through my concurrent education year. I must say that it was extremely helpful with experiences after during teacher's college, but I certainly (after teaching this long), question why it isn't (if it still isn't).

I find that within the realm of how materials are taught, I find making something accessible only in a particular manner or way is too exclusive and almost counter productive. The reading of culture and tradition is poetry in itself. The Ojicree practice chanting that offers teachings and stories in many different respects. The students we teach in our schools are indeed learning English but why can’t they also be observing another language’s translated chants or scripts of dialogue, etc. This allows students to view a text from a different viewpoint. The teachings of cultures are applicable to language arts on most levels. Yes, they would most likely need to be translated but its not as if they are not already. Ultimately, why throw a great example of oral-story telling, like Shakespeare out the window only to replace it with something that (yes, maybe is more applicable to this country at this time), seems more palatable to one group? I understand the idea of decolonizing a curriculum and system to root out systemic racisim. At what point does one stop and recognize that the same thing was done with French language learning. I don't believe that has necessarily changed, but I do know that had French been an option I would maybe have been more interested in choosing rather than being told to study it (I mean, maybe not, elementary school-we had a French teacher who did a great job at making everyone never want to study French). To this day, I reflect heavily on what I missed out with in regards to French language learning and how if I don't move into administration, I'd like to move into a direction of French or Mandarin (Chinese) language/International Language teaching.

Without saying that its quite the same as when a teacher takes it upon themselves to become a member of a Catholic School Community or non-native french speaker integrates themselves into a French Immersion School Community, its certainly a matter of fact-educators are going to need to step out of "The stranger" paradigm be ready to include the worldviews/histories of cultures other than their own as apart of their taught epistemology (Dion, 2014). On some level I feel there is a moment where education needs ensure that teachers have the training they need to meet the needs of their students. I have been working with colleagues (while in China), on decolonizing our curriculum in two ways, one not making it solely about "Canadian identity" and the other, "Not leaving out the history of the land".

Sources:

National Center for Truth and Reocnciliation (2015)

Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action -  Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf (trc.ca) (Education calls #6-

12 on pages 1-2, Education for Reconciliation calls #62-65 on pages 7-8)

Statistics Canada. (2016). http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/171025/dq171025a-eng.htm 

Dion, S. D. (2016). Mediating the Space Between: Voices of Indigenous Youth and Voices of Educators in Service of Reconciliation. Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue Canadienne de Sociologie, 53(4), 468–473. https://doi.org/10.1111/cars.12128

This is a document use in this Module (Task 2). The perspective of the indigenous students was of great focus and importance in regards to the ability to build voice for these students.

PQP Part II-Module 3-1 (Creating a Vision)

As per course,

Start by posting your current vision of education.  When creating and reflecting on your vision, be sure to be critically self-reflective (Whose culture, beliefs, norms center your vision? Is it inclusive and responsive to diverse communities? In what ways does it vision equity? Etc.). Visions need to be effectively communicated whether provincially, board level or school level.

Next, design an Initial Staff Meeting exercise or presentation to build a collaborative vision together with staff and community. Include an overview of how you will align with board and provincial priorities, communicate, and actualize this vision to the students, parents, wider community, senior administration, trustees, etc. Please also reflect and comment on the advantages and opportunities in the use of technology to communicate with students, parents/guardians, staff, community, and other education stakeholders.

You may use video, audio, ppt, prezi, or whatever mode you feel with best engage and communicate with the candidates in this course.

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As per discussion,

Vision as a school staff (leader and teacher),

In my classroom I am an educator, a guide, a steward, an advocate and a listener for my students, my community, my student athletes, my colleagues, the parents of my students my Catholic faith and Mother Earth. As an administrator, I am all these things not because I have to be, but because that is what it takes to be a leader of the caliber I want to be.  I model learning by being, my students, staff and community members will see my many metaphorical hats and it is in those moments that I hope I would have made a positive enough impression that they to may be successful in their goals as they learn by being themselves wherever they go regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex, gender or religious beliefs.

People need me to be relative (Culturally Relevant and Responsive), in my community I will relate, empathize and show compassion for the members of my community (professional, faith, and greater school), as we journey together from the end of one season to the beginning of that same one. Learning to relate requires all of us in the school community as lifelong learners to bring experiences, and learning goals to develop content that we not only can relate to, but that can relate to us as we are more than the Nation of Canada or the Province of Ontario, we are a group of people sharing the gift of learning through the land and community. (Singh)

My students, staff and general school community will see what I do and they will be clear on what I expect them to do in my class, our inquiries and projects in class are based on a “do” and that do is expected to be something that can be shared with not just our immediate class community but hopefully the greater school community. It is as a community that when we learn to do, we learn best. The motivation of our community members will intrinsically motivate our students.

Since 2020, life has greatly changed, educators and leaders need to be more conscious now than ever in regards to students’ socio-economic status, social emotional state and learning effective processes. Learning from the land is traditionally how the indigenous peoples whose land I practice on were learning. It is my goal to bring that practice and application of learning from the land to emphasize growing success’ achievement chart criteria in a way that holds meaningful experience and measurement for students participating in my course/subject area.

See outline below

Presentation Outline: Courageous Conversations

bell hooks-Introduction

Insert land acknowledgment. Emphasis on the appreciation for the study towards furthering us as guests and family in the indigenous ways of not only within the scope of the land, but among fellow visitors as well to promote a healthy meeting point. 

'To practice teaching in Southern Ontario (specifically Niagara Region), I recognize that I may be teaching on treaty land as per the “Two Row Wampum 1613” and Treaty 381 (1781). It is generosity of the Anishnaabe (Ontario.ca, 2018), Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation, and Mississauga of The Credit Nation (Niagararegion.ca, 2022) that would be to thank for allowing me to practice my profession as an educator on this land. In the name of the shared teachings, blessings and goals as a community, I declare that my classroom and professional learning uphold four basic principles modeled from the Medicine Wheel Framework adapted into UNESCO’s Pillars of Education (2016), Learning to be, Learning to know, Learning to do and Learning to relate. As an educator of Ontario I will put forward my best practice of the Growing Success Document to reflect the needs, conversations and observations of students best and most recent work as this model is an equitable model that not only allows for culturally responsive classroom experiences but reflects the First Nations principles of Learning in three general ways, A holistic approach to measuring learning that occurs, the understanding that there are more domains and sources for knowledge than in a book or on a website and that learning is a lifelong journey in which one continually moves forward in with each lived experience (2009). '

The principal should have a protocol or SAFE space protocol (in particular), prepared for a meeting such as "Courageous Conversations".

"In this particular reading, we are observing (not necessarily the cultures discussed here), but the idea of dominance and oppression as they relate to ways of knowing. The reading is from an author known as bell hooks, who extends beyond the simple discussion of ways of knowing and opens discussions of culture’s impacts on ways of knowing." 

bell hooks, is an an author who speaks out against sexism and racism (oppression in general). The readings of bell hooks are often very informal, but very toned and sometimes very radical in regards to the position it holds on “change”. In the Americas, there are decades of oppression that had ultimately originated upon the colonization of the Americas by Europe. The oppression that arose from colonization damaged and destroyed the traditions/development of knowledge of black culture, Asian culture, women’s voice, Indigenous culture and likely much more. Some of this is changing, some has changed but much of it is still yet unrealized. Each year whether there is a discovered inequity or previous atrocity, there is ever changing theory with regards to how such a vast and multicultural land can be “for all”.

This first one, provides context of bell hooks and where she stands on the cultural constructs of society in North American culture.

Jennie-Laure Sully, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUpY8PZlgV8 

This next clip provides insights into the impacts of media on society from the point of view of bell hooks

ChallengingMedia, 2006, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQUuHFKP-9s

Ways of Knowing-During

have staff members breakout into departments and read the following excerpt from an adaptation on bell hooks' ideas through new application,

'Ways of knowing of interest to the Theory and activism of Critical Social Justice specifically include those that they deem to have been unjustly excluded or marginalized. These include tradition, superstition, storytelling, and emotion. They are considered to have been excluded by white, Western men who established their own (typically Eurocentric, white, and/or masculinist) ways of knowing—like science, reason, logic, and empiricism (see also, master’s tools). Because white, Western men had the power to do so, they have unfairly privileged these approaches and imposed them upon other cultures (see also, colonialism). They did so failing to realize that they’re also just cultural products, while rationalizing them as more valid, more correct, and methodologically stronger than others (see also, meritocracy, positivism, objectivity, white science, white empiricism, reality, and internalized dominance). People (in the West and who have adopted methods from the West – see also, colonialism) are believed to have been socialized by the dominant forces of society (not rigor or utility) to accept that these “cultural products” are in fact superior to others, according to Theory. In some sense, this understanding arises from cultural relativism, but it also has roots in both postmodern Theory and other critical theories. These, respectively, see knowledges wholly as cultural products (see also, Foucauldian, episteme, power-knowledge, racial knowledge, truth, realities, and reality) and intrinsically caught up in issues of justice and injustice (see also, epistemic injustice, epistemic oppression, and epistemic violence).

Critical Social Justice wants to reverse this state of affairs and forward these “other” (marginalized and excluded) ways of knowing. The usual claim from advocates of Critical Social Justice is that knowledge as we generally conceive of it is merely a cultural product of powerful white, Western men, who then systematically exclude other ways of knowing outside of their own cultural tradition. The demand is to make room for and advance these “other ways of knowing” either by expanding the available set of “shared epistemic resources” (e.g., by engaging in cultural sensitivity, cultural humility, racial humility, cultural relativism, cultural responsiveness, and shutting up and listening), in order to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion, or by “decolonizing” the existing knowledge system, its canon, its literature, and its canon (see also, research justice). That is, the claim in Critical Social Justice is that a sort of knowledge equity is necessary to remake the system (see also, revolution), and the way to do this is to include and advance “other ways of knowing” that have been excluded from white, Western, male thought.'

In groups, take from this the idea of what is "knowledge, myth, and opinion."

Ontario Ministry Curriuclum document Snapshots (Curriculum Expectations discussion)

Can your department scope and acknolwedge areas of "colonization" that remain within the ways that we as teachers understand the subject matter, or from which the ministry documents still hold closely within it?

If not, the department would be asked to look at their student population (principal will need to prepare these in advance, yes it would take time to organize), and ask, of the populations included, how many of them recognize what they learn/how they learn it as something that they can appreciate as a part of their identity?

In some cases, there may be departments that are "decolonized', if so, they would be asked to share how they came to this point, as well as if they think there is any further application of decolonization that (however superflous it may seem/feel to some staff), could be attained?

The principal needs to note again, this is a courageous conversation and putting oneself on the spot is the point of it, in some cases, the princpial may feel better about stepping out into the light about the topic first.

Measuring Achievement-Consolidation

Adverbs in rubrics? What is good?

Source List:

Jennie-Laure Sully, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUpY8PZlgV8 

ChallengingMedia, 2006, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQUuHFKP-9s

Canadian Council on Learning. The State of Aboriginal Learning in Canada: A Holistic Approach to Measuring Success. Ottawa, Ontario (2009).

 www.ccl-cca.ca/sal2009.

Lalonde, S. Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia. (2016).

Provincial First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Professional Learning Project. Calgary, AB:

Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia.

Ministry of Indigenous Affairs. Map of Ontario’s Indigenous Treaties and Reserves. Ontario.ca 2018

https://www.ontario.ca/page/map-ontario-treaties-and-reserves#:~:text=Niagara%20Purchase&text=The%20written%20treaty%20covers%20a,what%20would%20become%20Upper%20Canada. 

N.K. Singh.  Culturally Appropriate Education Theoretical and Practical Implications.

Niagararegion.ca Indigenous Engagement. 2022

https://www.niagararegion.ca/health/equity/indigenous-engagement.aspx