Wm. N. Holtby 382 Bigelow St., Port Perry, ON L9L 1N2 905-985-8133

To: PPHS SCC Date: Nov. 24, 2014

Re: PIC Report

At the Regional SCC meeting of Nov. 4, 2014 (agenda follows) there was an introductory session conducted by Sid Lashley (Durham District School Board’s Internal Auditor) on SCC accounting procedures. As the PPHS SCC is not involved in any fund-raising activities, we do not require the level of accounting required of elementary schools.

The guest speaker was Itah Sadu (see agenda) on the topic “Stories of Allies” in which she recounted stories of her personal experiences of forming “alliances” with student bodies at individual schools and then “setting up” the schools to form “alliances” with each other.

The next topic was “Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for School Community Councils” (follows or download from ) and the “Year Of The Ally (follows or download from ).

The final “Area Networking Session” for “The North” adjourned early as there were only three (3) attendees (2 had come together and had to leave).

The next meeting of the DDSB PIC (Parent Involvement Committee) is Nov. 25. For more information on the PIC please go to the DDSB web-site and follow the links “Parents”, “Parent & Community Involvement In Schools”, “School Community Council page” (where you can download a copy of the School Community Council Handbook), “Parent Involvement Committee (PIC)”, or just .

Bill Holtby (PPHS SCC Community Rep & DDSB Northern PIC Rep)

Future Regional SCC Dates:

November 4, 2014 – Education Centre400 Taunton Road East, Whitby, Ontario

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.To register, please visit PD Place @www.pdplace.durham.edu.on.ca

PRE-REGIONAL SCC SESSION (ROOM 1011)

6:00 – 6:45 School Community Council Finances

Sid Lashley, the Durham District School Board’s Internal Auditor, will provide a broad overview on how School

Community Council funds should be accounted for; and the internal controls required to ensure transparency and accountability.

We encourage all SCC members to attend this session, especially those in a Treasurer position who are directly involved

with SCC funds.

REGIONAL SCC (BOARDROOM)

7:00 – 7:15 Introduction

Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) Co-Chairs, Mary Hindle and Kathleen Abe-Gokool will provide an

overview of the role of the Parent Involvement Committee plays and their connection to local School Community Councils. The

introduction will conclude with a focus on the Year of the ALLY to set the stage for the evening.

7:15 – 8:00 Keynote Speaker. Itah Sadu – Stories of Allies

Itah Sadu is an award winning children’s author who has captured the Canadian audience through her

published books, which include How the Coconut Got its Face, Christopher Please Clean Up Your Room!, A Touch of the Zebras,

and Name Calling. She is also a parent, cultural animator, and owner of A Different Booklist bookstore in Toronto. Itah Sadu will

present Stories of Allies through her storytelling and through her oral tradition offer a space for those with common interest to

intersect.

8:00 – 8:35 Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for School Community CouncilsIn support of the Durham District School Board’s ongoing work to support student achievement, well-being,

and the Year of the ALLY; the Equity, Diversity and Race Relations Department has organized this session to communicate the

importance of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and how it impacts the role of the School Community Councils. The learning in this

session will emphasize the importance of acknowledging multiple social identities that exist in our Durham families and how they

intersect in this world.

8:35 – 9:00 Area Networking SessionParent Involvement Committee (PIC) members will lead a guided discussion with new and experienced SCC

members from the same area on information presented during the evening, the sharing of best practices at the school level,

successes and challenges experienced, and next steps moving forward.

**This evening program is intended for both experienced and new SCC Members and School Administrators. SCC Treasurers are

encouraged to attend along with multiple members of the SCCs from our schools.

January 27, 2015Regional SCC Meeting

March 31, 2015Regional SCC Meeting

CapacityBuilding Series

SECRETARIAT SPECIAL EDITION # 35

K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2

Some definitions ... Diversity – The presence of a wide range of human qualities and attributes within a group, organization or society.

Equity – A condition or state of fair, inclusive and respectful treatment of all people.

Inclusive Education – Education that is based on the principles of acceptance and inclusion of all students.

(Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy, 2009)

November 2013ISSN: 1913 8482 (Print)

ISSN: 1913 8490 (Online)

The Capacity Building Series is produced by the Student Achievement Division to support leadership and instructional effectiveness in Ontario schools. The series is posted at: www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/. For information: lns@ontario.ca

support every child reach every student

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Towards Equity and Inclusivity in Ontario Schools Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy (2009) provides a framework for building an inclusive education system. The strategy identifies ways to remove discriminatory biases and barriers to student achievement and well-being that relate to ethnicity and race, faith, family structure and socio-economic status as well as to sexual orientation, ability and mental health. To support implementation, Policy Program Memorandum No. 119, released by the ministry in the spring of 2013, requires all Ontario school boards to develop an equity and inclusive education policy. The goal is nothing less than the provision of equitable learning opportunities for all students in all Ontario schools.

This monograph emphasizes how crucial it is to acknowledge our students’ multiple social identities and how they intersect with the world. It is designed to spark conversa-tion and support educators as they seek to give life to equity strategies and policies. Its intent is to deepen understanding of teaching practices that engage student populations with a full range of differences in learning background, strengths, needs and interests.

Culture is about ways of knowing ... Culture goes much deeper than typical understandings of ethnicity, race and/or faith. It encompasses broad notions of similarity and difference and it is reflected in our students’ multiple social identities and their ways of knowing and of being in the world. In order to ensure that all students feel safe, welcomed and accepted, and inspired to succeed in a culture of high expectations for learning, schools and classrooms must be responsive to culture.

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Culture is a resource for learning ... Gloria Ladson-Billings (1994) introduced the term “Culturally Relevant Teaching” to describe teaching that integrates a student’s background knowledge and prior home and community experiences into the curriculum and the teaching and learning experiences that take place in the classroom. There are three central tenets underpinning this pedagogy: (1) holding high expectations for all students, (2) assisting students in the development of cultural competence and (3) guiding students to develop a critical cultural consciousness. In this student-centred frame-work, the uniqueness of each student is not just acknowledged, but nurtured.

Other theorists, among them Gay (2000) and Villegas and Lucas (2002), use the terms “Culturally Responsive Teaching” or “Culturally Responsive Pedagogy” to describe teaching that recognizes all students learn differently and that these differences may be connected to background, language, family structure and social or cultural identity. Theorists and practitioners of culturally responsive pedagogy more than acknowledge the “cultural uniqueness” of each student; they intentionally nurture it in order to create and facilitate effective conditions for learning (Brown-Jeffy & Cooper, 2011). They see student diversity in terms of student strengths; they orient to it as presenting opportunities for enhancing learning rather than as challenges and/or deficits of the student or particular community.

Culturally responsive pedagogy is not about “cultural celebrations,” nor is it aligned with traditional ideas around multiculturalism. It involves careful acknowledgement, respect and an understanding of difference and its complexities.

Theorists write about three dimensions which comprise culturally responsive pedagogy:

1. Institutional

2. Personal

3. Instructional

The institutional dimension refers to the administration and leadership of school systems, including the values developed and reflected in school board policies and practices. It highlights the need to critically examine the formal processes of schooling which may reproduce particular patterns of marginalization. Educators need to consider which patterns need to be intentionally interrupted and changed.

The personal dimension encompasses the mindset of culturally responsive educators and the practices they engage in, in order to support the development of all students. Not only are culturally responsive educators self-aware, but they also have a deep knowledge of their students and how they learn best.

The instructional dimension includes knowing learners well and considering the classroom practices which lead to a culturally responsive classroom.

All three dimensions are foundational to the establishment of an inclusive school culture (Richards, Brown, & Forde, 2006).

Making a better space for everyone ... “Inclusion is not bringing people into what already exists; it is making a new space, a better space for everyone.”

(Dei et al., 2000)

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Where we are in Ontario ... To support culturally responsive pedagogy, school leaders promote reflection, face complex issues head on, find ways to honour community and support authentic collaboration among all stakeholders.

Here are some inquiry questions for school leaders:

What does a school look like, sound like and feel like when we promote reflection, honour the community and support authentic collaboration among staff, students and parents?

What does a classroom look like, sound like and feel like when it is inclusive and when instruction is responsive to the full range of student diversity?

What further information would be helpful in considering cultural relevance and cultural responsiveness in our school?

How do we work with our communities to help everyone appreciate the importance of culturally responsive teaching?

What is the impact on our students when we do not acknowledge the complexity of culture and difference?

Across the province, it is strongly believed, and well supported by research, that there is a strong correlation between school leadership and student achievement. According to Leithwood et al. (2004), leadership is second only to teaching with regard to impact on student outcomes.

Although principals are not as directly involved with students as classroom teachers are in terms of day-to-day instruction and learning, they do make a difference. Further, as outlined in Ontario’s Leadership Framework, it is the responsibility of school and system leaders to be responsive to the increasingly diverse nature of Ontario communities by ensuring that schools are inclusive and welcoming of diversity, as reflected in both school climate and the classroom learning environment.

The institutional dimension of culturally responsive pedagogy underscores the significance of education policy and the way schooling is organized. At the school level, it means paying attention to school budget priorities, the relationship between parents and the community and how curriculum and instruction impact the conditions for student learning and student experience. While Ontario is highly regarded internationally as a leader in improving student achievement and supporting student well-being, there is still much work ahead.

Leaders take on the role of catalyst ... “School leadership acts as a catalyst without which other good things are quite unlikely to happen.”

(Leithwood et al., 2004)

The Mindset of Culturally Responsive EducatorsCulturally responsive teachers share a particular set of dispositions and skills – a mindset that enables them to work creatively and effectively to support all students in diverse settings. In the next few pages these characteristics, as outlined by Villegas and Lucas, are identified.

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Characteristic #1 Socio-cultural consciousnessCanadian research continues to affirm that “membership in the white middle-class group affords individuals within this group certain privileges in society,” while those outside of this group experience challenges (Dei, et al., 2000). This is because society is influenced by the norms established by the dominant group (Gay, 2002; Dei et al., 2000). Culturally responsive educators understand their position in our present social, historical and political context; through questioning their own attitudes, behaviours and beliefs, they come to terms with forms of discrimination which can affect the experiences of students and families in multiple ways.

Self-reflection is foundational to the examination and identification of one’s own biases. This critical process includes understanding the issues related to the distribution of power and privilege and the relationship of power dynamics to one’s own social experience. Self-reflection also allows us to recognize how our own social identity is constructed and to think about how social identities are positioned and shaped by society. This is what it means to possess socio-cultural consciousness.

Characteristic #2 High expectationsThe perceptions we hold of students’ abilities have a significant impact on student achievement and well-being (Ladson-Billings 1994, 2001, 2011). However, historically, some social identities – particularly those linked with disabilities or

intersecting with race and low socio-economic status – have been deemed as contributing to notions of “at-risk-ness” in students (Dei, 1997; Portelli, Vibert & Shields, 2007).

Culturally responsive educators hold positive and affirming views of their students and their ability to learn and achieve academic success. They demonstrate genuine respect for students and their families as well as a strong belief in their potential. They consider the social identities of students as assets rather than as deficits or limitations.

Characteristic #3 Desire to make

a difference

See themselves as change agents working towards more equity.

Characteristic #1 Socio-cultural consciousness

An awareness of how socio-cultural structures

impact individual experiences

and opportunities.

Characteristic #2 High expectations

Hold postive and affirming views of all students of all

backgrounds.

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Characteristic #3 Desire to make a differenceEducators who are culturally responsive see equitable and inclusive education as fundamental to supporting high levels of student achievement (Ladson-Billings, 2001; Gay, 2004). Consistent patterns of underachievement found in groups, such as those students with special education needs or those with students from low socio-economic circumstances, need to be seen as created by deeply problematic systemic and institutional barriers. Culturally responsive educators are committed to being agents of social change, ultimately working to remove barriers and creating conditions for learning that are beneficial for all students (Ministry of Education, 2009).

Characteristic #4 Constructivist approachCulturally responsive educators build upon the varied lived experiences of all students in order to bring the curriculum to life. Through this approach, they integrate locally situated learning into daily instruction and learning processes.

Constructivist approaches promote inquiry-based learning – they support students asking questions and creating new knowledge based on their natural curiosity about their own experiences. Knowledge building is reciprocal because students play

an active role in crafting and developing learning experiences for themselves and their

peers. This results in making learning relevant and accessible for all students in the classroom as they are able to see themselves in the curriculum.

Characteristic #5 Deep knowledge of their studentsIt is important for educators to recognize that parents, caregivers and families know their children best (Kugler & West-Burns, 2010). Therefore, in an effort to know their students, culturally responsive educators work to build strong relationships with their students’ families. They promote mutual respect between home and school and embrace a collaborative approach to teaching and learning.

Deep knowledge, not just of content, but of one’s students as individual learners, enables educators to integrate lived experiences into the daily learning of the classroom. Drawing on students’ experiences provides teachers with the opportu-nity to represent their knowledge in the curriculum so it is meaningful and students see themselves reflected in the learning that takes place in the classroom (Villegas & Lucas, 2002).

Characteristic #4 Constructivist approach

Understand that learners construct their own

knowledge. Characteristic #5 Deep knowledge of their students

Know about the lives of students and their families; know how students learn best and where they are

in their learning.

Characteristic #6 Culturally responsive

teaching practices

Design and build instruction on students’ prior knowledge in order to stretch students

in their thinking and learning.

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Characteristic #6 Culturally Responsive Teaching PracticesA wealth of research is available both nationally and internationally on culturally responsive instructional strategies. At the core of these strategies is a) holding high expectations for learning while b) recognizing and honouring the strengths that a student’s lived experiences and/or home culture bring to the learning environment of the classroom. As Villegas and Lucas observe about culturally responsive educators, “they use what they know about their students to give them access to their learning” (2002, p. 27). Learning experiences are designed to be relevant and authentic, enabling students to see themselves in the daily learning of the classroom. This sends a message to students and the community that student, parent/community knowledge and experiences not only have value, but that they are also important to the learning in school.

The following are some inquiry questions for culturally responsive educators:

What questions might we reflect upon to examine our own biases towards diversity and cultural responsiveness?

How would we start a staff discussion on moving towards cultural respon-siveness in a more intentional way?

How might we integrate specific life experiences of our students into daily instruction and learning processes?

Effective instruction matters! The quality of the instruction and the expertise of the teacher considerably outweigh the challenging circumstances that some of our students bring to the classroom (Callins, 2006; Willis & Harris, 2000). Effective instruction also ensures academic rigour which is essential in a culturally responsive framework; high expectations need to be coupled with the appropriate supports to scaffold new learning (Gay, 2002; Ladson-Billings, 2000).

Some strategies to implement a culturally responsive framework are suggested below. They are adapted from the work of Jeff Kugler and Nicole West-Burns (2010):

Expand upon what is considered as the “curriculum” – recognizing both the informal and the subtle ways in which the curriculum defines what is and what is not valued in our schools and society.

Use inquiry-based approaches to student learning to develop engaged and self-directed learners. Support students in making decisions about their learning that integrate who they are and what they already know with their home and community experiences.

Get to know your students ... “Get to know your students. How do they self-identify and what community do they originate from? What types of print, video, audio and other experiences motivate them?”

(Toulouse, 2013)

Use a variety of resources, including community partners, to ensure the learning environment and pedagogical materials used are accessible to all learners and that the lives of students and the community are reflected in the daily workings of the classroom. Resources, materials and books should present both local and global perspectives.

See the curriculum as flexible and adaptive to the lived experiences of students so they see themselves and their lives reflected in daily learning opportunities.

Know and build upon students’ prior knowledge, interests, strengths and learning styles and ensure they are foundational to the learning experiences in the classroom and the school.

Ensure that learning engages a broad range of learners so that varied perspectives, learning styles and sources of knowledge are explored.

Differentiate instruction and provide a wide range of methods and oppor- tunities for students to demonstrate their learning, ensuring both academic rigour and a variety of resources that are accessible to all learners.

Work to ensure that the socio-cultural consciousness of students is developed through curricular approaches, emphasizing inclusive and accepting education, to inform critical examination and action regarding social justice issues.

Here are some questions to provoke thinking about what a more culturally responsive curriculum might look like:

How do we define relevant and authentic learning opportunities in the context of our school?

How might we support students in making decisions about their learning that integrate who they are and what they already know with their home and community experiences?

How can we lessen dominant perspectives in our curriculum so that contributions from different backgrounds can be better understood and integrated into learning?

Preparing to teach all our students ... Those engaged in the work of culturally responsive pedagogy are “committed to collective, not just merely individual empowerment” such that the impact of this approach to teaching is directed towards making change for all members of society (Ladson-Billings, 1995, p. 160). As educators, we must be prepared to teach all students while also being committed to preparing students for the reality of a diverse Canadian and global society. The journey towards equity and inclusivity in Ontario schools seeks to empower everyone in the learning environment. Such an

Take an asset-based approach ...“The knowledge children bring to school, derived from personal and cultural experiences, is central to their learning. To overlook this resource is to deny children access to the knowledge construction process.”

(Villegas & Lucas, 2002, p. 25)

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approach validates and affirms the cultural capital that our students bring to the classroom each and every day. This journey also brings us closer to reaching our goal in Ontario – providing relevant and authentic learning opportunities every day for every student in every classroom.

Here are some ways to think about your next steps in the journey towards equity:

What will our school conversation focus on?

How might a process of inquiry among staff further this conversation?

If we implement specific strategies to support a culturally responsive approach to teaching and learning, how will we assess the impact on student learning and achievement?

References Brown-Jeffy, S., & Cooper, J.E. (2011, winter). Toward a conceptual framework of culturally relevant pedagogy: An overview of the conceptual and theoretical literature. Teacher Education Quarterly, 65–84.

Callins, T. (2006, Nov./Dec.). Culturally responsive literacy instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 62–65.

Dei, G.J.S. (2006). Meeting equity fair and square. Keynote address to the Leadership Conference of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, held on September 28, 2006, in Mississauga, Ontario.

Dei, G.J.S. (1997). Reconstructing drop-out: A critical ethnography of the dynamics of black students’ disengage-ment from school. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Dei, G.J.S., James, I.M., James-Wilson, Karumanchery, S.L., & Zine. J. (2000). Removing the margins: The challenges and possibilities of inclusive schooling. Toronto: Canadian Scholar’s Press.

Gay, G. (2004, Spring). Beyond Brown: Promoting equality through multicultural education. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 19(3), 193–216.

Gay, G. (2002, Mar./Apr.). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106–116.

Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, practice, & research. New York: Teachers College Press.

Kugler, J., & West-Burns, N. (2010, Spring). The CUS Framework for Culturally Respon-sive and Relevant Pedagogy. Our Schools, Our Selves, 19(3).

Ladson-Billings, G. (2011). Asking the right questions: A research agenda for studying diversity in teacher education. In Ball, A. & Tyson, C. (Eds.), Diversity in teacher education (pp. 383–396). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2001). Crossing over to Canaan: The journey of new teachers in diverse classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465–491.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeep-ers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Leithwood, K., Seashore Louis, K., Anderson, S., & Wahlstrom, K. (2004). How leadership influences student learning: A review of research for the Learning from Leadership Project. New York, NY: The Wallace Foundation.

Portelli, J.R., & Vibert, A.B. & Shields, C. (2007). Toward an equitable education: Poverty, diversity and students at risk: The national report. Toronto: OISE/University of Toronto.

Richards, H.V., Brown, A., & Forde, T.B. (2006). Addressing diversity in schools: Culturally responsive pedagogy. Buffalo State College/NCCREST.

Toulouse, P. (2013). Fostering literacy success for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students. What Works? Research into Practice, 45.

Villegas, A.M., & Lucas, T. (2002, Jan./Feb.). Preparing culturally responsive teachers: Rethinking the curriculum. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(1), 20–32.

Willis, A.I., & Harris, V. (2000). Political acts: Literacy learning and teaching. Reading Research Quarterly, 35(1), 72–88.

Ontario Ministry of Education

Ontario Leadership Strategy. Resources for Building Leadership Capacity for Student Achievement and Well-Being (2012)

The Ontario Leadership Framework: A School and System Leader’s Guide to Putting Ontario’s Leadership Framework Into Action (2012)

Realizing the Promise of Diversity: Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy (2009)

New from the ministry ...

Supporting Bias-Free Progressive Discipline in Schools: A Resource Guide for School and System Leaders http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/discipline.html

Jointly developed with the Ontario Human Rights Commission, this guide is intended to assist school and system leaders in fostering a bias-free approach to progressive discipline, prevention and early intervention practices to support positive behaviour among all students.

Durham District School Board

Year of the ALLY

2014—2015

Glossary

Culturally responsive pedagogy and practices - recognizes that all students learn differently and that these differences are strengths that may be connected to background, language, family structure and social or cultural identity. Not only is cultural uniqueness acknowledged but it is intentionally nurtured in order to create and facilitate effective conditions for enhanced learning.

Diverse social realities - intersecting dimensions of diversity including but not

limited to; age, ancestry, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, physical and intellectual ability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

Intersectionality - the relationship (intersection) of one part of an individual’s

identity to another part of their identity or lived experience...resulting in the experience of barriers based on invisible privilege and/or oppression…(Including, but not limited to: religion, socio-economic status and sexual diversity, race and physical or intellectual ability)

Marginalization - a social process of being pushed or kept in the lower or outer

limits; the margins

Oppression - social dynamics that create experiences of privilege or unjust impositions

or restraints in society

Privilege - can operate at personal, interpersonal, cultural, and institutional levels and

gives advantages, favours and benefits to members of the dominant group at the expense of a marginalized group. Privilege is characteristically invisible to people who have it.

There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.

- Audre Lorde

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Why is it the ‘Year of the ALLY’?

We all possess intersecting identities; therefore, we all play a crucial role in ensuring safe and inclusive spaces at the DDSB that support high levels of achievement while ensuring student, staff and community well-being. It is important to reinforce awareness, advocacy and action, irrespective of personal beliefs and experiences, and believing in the inherent dignity of all people.

Why do this in educational settings? Year of the ALLY supports:

Ontario Ministry of Education’s renewed goals of achieving excellence, ensuringequity, promoting well-being, enhancing public confidence

The three focus areas of Durham Directions – Ensure Openness, Accountabilityand Safety, Promote Student Achievement and Discovery, Implement EquitablePrinciples and Practices

Legislation and policy in areas of equity and inclusive education, safe andaccepting schools and bullying prevention

The Durham District School Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievementand Well-Being’s emphasis on culturally relevant practices and safe, inclusivelearning environments

The DDSB’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategic Plan, 2013 – 2018 “LinkingHealthy Minds for a Positive Future” which identifies five links of influence

Becoming an ALLY!

What does it mean to ‘Become a Social Justice ALLY’?

Allies are people who are able to identify marginalization and barriers to equity of outcome, and are equipped to create change by acting together. For the last twenty years, the notion of the ‘ally’ has been rooted in LGBTQ communities. The notion of the ‘ally’ has grown to include all communities where discrimination exists.

Allies are people who recognize the unearned privilege they receive from society’s patterns of injustice and take responsibility for changing these patterns. Allies include men who work to end sexism, white people who work to end racism, heterosexual people who work to end heterosexism, able-bodied people who work to end ableism, and so on. Part of becoming an ally is also recognizing one’s own experience of oppression. For example, a white woman can learn from her experience of sexism and apply it in becoming an ally to people of colour, or a person who grew up in poverty can learn from that experience how to respect others’ feelings of helplessness because of a disability.

Anne Bishop - www.becominganally.ca

An ALLY acts when people face discrimination and supports the rights of marginalized people. Are you an ALLY? – www.mountsanai.com

Characteristics of an ALLY! An ALLY is… Aware of their social group memberships and the intersections of identity; understands intersectionality

Able to take responsibility for learning about their own and any individual or group’s experience(s) of marginalization, and ways of knowing; notice who is the centre of privilege and the centre of power

Willing to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them – then try again

Able to recognize that the process of becoming an ALLY is a continuum not a destination

Willing to notice areas of marginalization that people around them might experience – and speak up! (think about – students’ experiences, the classroom, hallways, curriculum, employee groups, parents and community members)

Willing to ask “how can we use our privilege to interrupt marginalization and create social change?”

Able to recognize that we must all act as agents of change to support positive mental health and well-being within all spaces

What might this look like? Don’t make assumptions… Recognize that unlearning oppressive beliefs and actions is a lifelong process, not a single event; welcome each learning opportunity

“I am willing to ask questions when interacting with people whose experiences might not be like mine…”

“I am open to taking risks, receiving feedback, and considering changes in practice…”

Noticing privilege and power; identifying areas where a deficit lens might be in place… Being willing to question the words and meaning that might be attached to the abilities and potential of students and people of diverse social realities

Ensuring that students and staff can see authentic representations of themselves; images and curriculum are representative of the experiences of people in the building and free of stigma

“What knowledge, experience(s), and lens am I using to frame my interaction(s) and decision-making…?”

Acting as an ALLY in the school / work environment… Interrupting a comment or joke that is insensitive or stereotypic towards a marginalized group, whether or not that individual or group is present

Example: “What did you mean by that?”…”That language does not contribute to the type of environment I want to work in…teach in…learn in…”

Collaborating and integrating… Recognize the intersections and connections within practice(s) that foster safe and inclusive environment which will support student achievement and well-being

Use a team approach and connect with like-minded people to support your work as an ALLY

Build support, establish networks, work with already established students’ and staff groups, teams, and committees

Strategic planning… Reflect on SIPSAW goals for supporting Student Voice / Student Engagement, embedding culturally responsive pedagogy and practices, and parent and community engagement

Approach planning with an asset lens and growth mindset

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