Ministry investigators urged to push for sweeping change at York school board

Calls to hire ombudsman to deal with complaints, dismissal of director of education, among recommendations from coalition of parents, community groups.

Thestar.com
March 28, 2017
By Noor Javed

Parents and community members are urging the Ministry of Education to push for sweeping change within the troubled York Region District School Board, including the dismissal of its director of education and hiring a public ombudsman to deal with complaints.

The recommendations come as ministry investigators wrap of their investigation of the scandal-plagued board.

Ministry troubleshooters Patrick Case and Sue Herbert have conducted more than 75 interviews involving about 125 people, including parents, community members, students, current and former staff, unions, professional associations and trustees, according to a ministry spokeswoman. An additional 200 individuals and groups have reached out through email.

A list of seven recommendations on behalf of parents and community groups was sent to Case and Herbert on Friday, two weeks before they are to complete the investigation, as a follow-up to numerous meetings that have taken place over the past two months.

“We hope that the input of parents and community members is valuable to you as you draft recommendations that will serve to assist the board in improving current practices and ensuring a safe and equitable environment for all students and stakeholders,” wrote Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, who sent the letter on behalf of parents and community groups such as the Markham Tamil Community Association, the Mosaic Institute and the Vaughan African Canadian Association, among others.

Among the recommendations:

• Modifying curricula from Grades 1 to 12 to include social justice and experiences of diverse communities. “Teachers should be provided with adequate resources and training to deliver such lessons, including at least one full day of annual training on diversity and equity issues”

• Instituting an “arms-length” ombudsperson to ensure “there are accountability mechanisms and complaint avenues for any violations.”

• Removal of current Director of Education J. Philip Parappally and the reassignment of associate directors, who the parents say have all “contributed to and created a culture and structure that contributed to systemic racism.”

• Appointing a provincial supervisor to implement these recommendations.

“Moving around the people in the organization is like putting a Band-Aid on the problem and that wouldn’t restore our trust,” said Charline Grant, one of the parents who has an ongoing human rights complaint against the board. “Something strong has to be done in order for parents to believe things are going to change,” said Grant.

In an email to the Star through board spokesman Licinio Miguelo, Parappally said he remains “committed to providing safe, welcoming and inclusive learning environments for our students and staff members to succeed.”

“We have acknowledged that there are areas for improvement and we are confident that the ultimate recommendations from the review will benefit our organization and foster a common understanding of how to move forward with the community, the board and staff members,” he said.

Heather Irwin, a ministry spokeswoman said at “the end of the review process, the reviewers will submit a report to (Education Minister Mitzie Hunter) that provides her with recommendations on how she may direct the board to ensure effective board governance that promotes equity, increases accountability and transparency and builds public confidence.”

“Due to the significant implications of the review, it is essential that the minister take the necessary time to review the recommendations based on the concerns raised by local parents and community organizations,” said Irwin.

The board has been under scrutiny over the past year, after concerns around its handling of racist and Islamophobic incidents, complaints about ineffective equity policies and trustee secrecy around international travel.

The investigators’ are due to report their findings by April 7.