Notes

Protestors Oppose Muslim Prayer in Toronto Public Schools
July 30 2011

About 100 people showed up at the Toronto District School Board’s main office this past week to protest something taking place in many Toronto schools throughout the school year – accommodation for prayer. Protestors coming from such groups as Jewish Defence League (JDL), Canadian Hindu Advocacy and the Christian Heritage Party targeted Muslim prayer at Valley Park Middle School. Students there are allowed to pray on Friday afternoons with an Imam. The arrangement ensures that 300 Valley Park students do indeed return to class after Friday prayers.

Protesters waved signs with such tolerant remarks as “creeping jihad” and chanted “No Mohammed in Our Schools”. With irony not lost on anyone, the JDL website claims that Imams “have been allowed to practice gender apartheid” since girls are segregated from boys during prayer. This is the same group that tried to break up a recent talk by Palestinian activist Omar Bargouti as its members demanded the removal of Palestinians from the area.

Noting that accommodation is not “written in stone”, TDSB Director Chris Spence said that schools are obliged to make accommodations for religions
with thanks to Toronto Star

No Ads For Now
March 16, 2011

In a deft procedural move, trustees at the TDSB voted on March 9 not to “receive” a report recommending that a local firm provide monitors for local high schools in return for advertising rights. Had the Board actually “received” the report it would in effect, have given the go ahead without a vote for TDSB staff to make a major change in school culture by introducing advertising to a much greater degree than ever before. Yes, we have a bit of advertising on soft drink machines, on garbage receptacles rusting outside and indeed those of us of a certain age can remember maps of Canada brought to you by the Neilson Chocolate Company. But this would different, with about 30% of on-air time devoted marketing.

Staff and trustees in favour of a stronger corporate voice in schools, plan to return with a reworked proposal, so expect a round two on this issue. Read the original article

Wisconsin Okays Union Busting Bill
Thursday March 10, 2011
Wisconsin Republicans passed Governor Scott Walker’s bill to eliminate most collective bargaining rights for public employees, yesterday. Though all 14 Democratic state senators had left Wisconsin in protest to block the bill, it did not deter Senate Republicans who cut out any fiscal measures that would have required the Democrats to make up a quorum. This enabled them to pass the anti-union sections. Among the measures are ones that would prevent unions from collecting dues through payroll deductions or requiring members to pay dues.

Join The TDSB Debate On The "Achievement Gap"

JOIN THE TDSB DEBATE ON THE “ACHIEVEMENT GAP”

The Inner City Advisory Committee of the Toronto District School Board (ICAC) is reaching out to a broad constituency of “students, parents, community agencies, post-secondary institutions, teacher federations, trustees and representatives from (Board) advisory committees” to engage in two questions: What is the meaning of the official “achievement gap” in our schools? How can we get beyond the current emphasis on standardized test scores and introduce a much deeper understanding of equity in the education of marginalized students? The committee hopes that as many members of the public as possible will become involved in this discussion.

ICAC’s initiative was triggered by the release of the TDSB’s Achievement Gap Task Force Draft Report. This report is attached below, as well as two early contributions to this discussion by George Martell (from ICAC) and Tim McCaskell (from EPAC – The Equity Policy Advisory Committee of the TDSB). We hope you will read these documents carefully and enter what promises to become a very helpful debate in this city.

TDSB ACHIEVEMENT GAP TASK FORCE - DRAFT REPORT Queen’s Park Keeps Turning The Screws On Local Trustees