Backgrounder - Commission settles employment case with Toronto District School Board

November 10, 2005

As part of its commitment to employment equity, the Toronto District School Board (the “Board”) agrees to undertake a number of initiatives that expand upon its efforts to date to promote barrier-free hiring and promotion, and equitable representation of designated groups at all levels of employment.

The agreement sets out the following commitments:

• Develop and conduct a self-identification survey of all employees that will provide the Board with data on the number of racialized persons (disaggregated by race) who are in permanent and acting positions of responsibility for the school year of 2005-2006.  Positions of responsibility include: curriculum leaders, assistant curriculum leaders, assistant chairs, chairs, vice-principals and principals.
• Commit to the principle that subsequent measurement is necessary in order to gauge the impact of the Board's equity measures and to monitor its progress in meeting the objectives of its Employment Equity Plan.
• Recommend (no later than four years from the completion of the self-identification survey) to the Board at a public meeting that the Board undertake subsequent measurement of the number of racialized teachers who are in permanent and acting positions of responsibility, compared to other groups.
• Use an established selection, promotion, and competition process for all positions of responsibility (and when practicable, for acting positions), including assistant chairs, chairs, assistant curriculum leaders, curriculum leaders, vice principals and principals, which includes Equity performance indicator “look fors” and behaviour based questions, including an interview question regarding demonstrated commitment to equity. The process will also include de-briefing a candidate as to why he or she was not selected, and using Equity performance indicator “look fors” and demonstrated commitment to equity when placing staff in acting positions in the absence of a competition.
• The Board’s Employment Equity Task Force, or its successor, will make its reports publicly available.
• Make the results of its self-identification survey for 2005-2006 publicly available, as well as all subsequent measurements within 60 days of completion, and provide the results at a public meeting of the Toronto District School Board.
• Establish and make known, a mentoring program for teachers who are interested in seeking promotional opportunities, including promotions to positions of responsibility, and that such a program will include a component focussed on mentorship for racialized teachers.