Appendix C: Dreams Delayed Calls to Action

Appendix C: Dreams Delayed Calls to Action
Student Well-Being

Action 24 – The Ministry of Education Must Monitor and Expand the Graduation Coach Program for Black Students – Immediate (1–2 years)

The OHRC calls on the Ministry of Education to increase provincial investment in the Graduation Coach Program for Black Students across school boards. In addition, the OHRC encourages expanding the program to all school boards and schools in proportion to the local student population.

The Ministry of Education must:

1. Allocate ongoing funding and resources to expand the graduation coach program for Black students.
2. Work with educators, students, and community organizations to establish program standards and guidelines for graduation coach programs across the province including hiring qualified coaches.
3. Mandate school boards to collect and report on comprehensive data, including disaggregated data on an annual basis on the number of participants, academic achievements, graduation rates, and post-secondary placements for all participants in graduation coach programs.
4. Monitor implementation of the graduation coach program across Ontario and conduct periodic evaluations of the program for effectiveness and changes.
5. Include data in the Ministry of Education’s centralized data repositories for analysis and public reporting.

Action 25 – Education Duty-Holders Must Expand the Student and Family Advocates (SFA) / System Navigator Program – Immediate (1–2 years)

The OHRC calls on the Ministry of Education to partner with the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism (MCM), the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), and the Ministry of Francophone Affairs (MFA) to fund the expansion of the Student and Family Advocates (SFA) program provincially with added responsibility to engage parents/guardians and caregivers of Black students to help them navigate the education system to advocate for their children. Data from SFA programs should be shared with the Ministry of Education.

This will foster stronger partnerships between schools and families of Black students, enhance student support, improve educational outcomes, and promote a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for Black students across the education system.

The Ministry of Education must:

1. Work with the MCM, MCCSS, and MFA through the Black Youth Action Plan and Youth Opportunities Fund to allow system navigators at the elementary and secondary schools levels to provide supports, including mentorship, tutoring, mental health support, and career guidance to Black students.

School boards must:

2. Develop tailored strategies to support Black families to navigate the education system in culturally sensitive ways, including:
    
   1. Foster partnerships with community organizations and cultural groups to provide additional support and resources to Black families.
   2. Conduct regular evaluations and gather feedback from parents and communities to assess the clarity, accessibility, and relevance of communicated information.
3. Develop processes which enable Black families to work with the SFA program for Black communities through targeted outreach and communication.
4. Strengthen supports for parent involvement committees to broaden community participation and balance representation based on demographics.

Action 26 – School Boards Must Create Inclusive Guidance Counselling for Students’ Transitional Stages – Immediate (1–2 years)

The OHRC calls on school boards to include parents/guardians and their children in the guidance counselling process when students reach grades 8 and 9. The transition into secondary school and the educational pathway selected in Grade 9 can significantly influence students’ opportunities. While de-streaming is ongoing, students and their parents/guardians would continue to benefit from understanding the different streams (e.g., academic for university, applied for college and trades, essential for the workforce directly after high school). Including parents in targeted guidance counselling will enhance educators’ accountability to students and parents/guardians during these educational transitional stages.

Action 27 – School Boards Must Create Affirmative Education Spaces for Black Students – Immediate (1–2 years)

The OHRC calls on school boards to create affirming educational spaces that respect all Black students’ intersecting identities.

School boards must:

1. Create inclusive school policies and practices that celebrate and validate Black students’ intersecting identities within the school community, including, but not limited to, dedicated spaces for gathering and support.
2. Foster a school climate that promotes respect, understanding, and appreciation for diversity among students and staff.

Action 28 – Education Duty-Holders Must Create Black Affirming and Empowering Curriculum – Immediate (1–2 years)

Representation in the curriculum is important to create an increased and sustained inclusive, non-discriminatory learning environment that imparts the richness of Ontario’s communities to all students. A shift in curriculum development to intentionally incorporate Black history and Black experiences is essential to creating a positive learning environment for Black students. The Ministry of Education, school boards, and unions should support educators in learning and teaching culturally responsive curricula.

Faculties of Education, OCT, unions, and school boards should build capacity within the curriculum for student educators and educators to develop the skills and competencies they need to teach about Black intersecting identities and to address discrimination.

The Ministry of Education must:

1. Ensure representation of Black intersectional identities in curriculum materials, textbooks, and supplementary resources.
2. Develop and disseminate culturally responsive teaching resources that reflect the diversity of Black experiences, identities, and histories.
3. Provide access to supplementary materials and tools that educators can use to enhance classroom discussions on intersectionality and diversity.
4. In collaboration with Black communities, parents, and community organizations, research and integrate diverse Black narratives, histories, and contributions in the K to 12 curricula as core subject disciplines.

School boards must:

5. In partnership with OCT and unions, implement mandatory professional development programs for educators on culturally responsive teaching practices.
6. Partner with Black students, parents, community organizations and educators to assess the impact of curriculum transformation on learning experiences and educational outcomes.

Action 29 – Education Duty-Holders Must Develop Targeted Recruitment of Black Educators and Education Workers – Immediate (1–2 years)

The OHRC calls on school boards to actively increase the diversity of leaders within the education system, specifically by including Black persons with lived experiences of discrimination. This approach will enable Ontario’s public education system to more effectively respond to the needs of all students, especially Black students.

School boards must:

1. Develop targeted recruitment strategies to attract Black educators, educational workers, and staff.
2. Establish networks and communities of practice where educators, administrators, and school staff can share knowledge, experiences, and resources related to creating safe and welcoming environments for Black students.
3. Promote diversity throughout the education system, including educators, educational assistants, social workers, guidance counsellors, office staff, vice-principals, principals, and superintendents.
4. Implement targeted initiatives to recruit and retain Black educators in Northern Ontario, considering the unique challenges of geographic isolation, limited resources, and lack of supportive networks.
5. Provide additional support and resources to ensure that Black educators in Northern Ontario can thrive and contribute effectively to creating inclusive and positive educational environments.
6. Incentivize educators in completing Additional Qualification courses in the areas of culturally responsive pedagogy, anti-racist pedagogy, trauma-informed pedagogy and supporting student well-being.
7. Develop targeted strategies to ensure a pipeline of Black education leaders (including school and system leaders).
8. Develop and implement strategies that are responsive to concerns about discrimination and harassment from Black leaders.

Faculties of Education must: 

9. Develop targeted recruitment and retention policies/strategies to attract Black educators, educational workers, and staff.

The Ministry of Education must:

10. Review all hiring and promotion policies to identify and eliminate systemic barriers and biases.
11. Require each school board to undergo a streamlined comprehensive employment systems review process and provide a report to the Ministry.

Ontario College of Teachers must:

12. Offer targeted professional development opportunities focused on cultural awareness and culturally relevant or culturally responsive teaching, anti-racism education, trauma-informed practices, and supporting Black student well-being.
13. Identify baseline training that is mandatory for graduation.

Collaborative Actions: 

14. School boards and Faculties of Education must increase diversity in leadership positions.
15. School boards, in partnership with Faculties of Education, should develop and implement outreach programs to encourage Black students to pursue careers in education. Resources should be allocated to provide support throughout potential students’ educational journeys (e.g., entrance scholarship and bursary).
16. The Ministry of Education, in partnership with stakeholders, should develop a standard hiring and promotion policy or guide to ensure equitable access to leadership positions.
17. In partnership with unions, school boards and the Ministry of Education must establish and enforce policies and practices that create safe, inclusive, and supporting working environments for Black educators and staff. Policies addressing Code-based discrimination and harassment, including a poisoned environment must be updated and publicly reported to all members.
18. School boards and unions should establish mentorship programs, professional development opportunities, and career advancement pathways to support the career growth and engagement of Black staff members.
19. OCT should improve offerings of targeted professional development opportunities focused on culturally responsive teaching, anti-racism education, trauma-informed practices, and supporting Black student well-being. School boards should incentivize educators in completing Additional Qualification courses in these areas.