February 5, 2020
Dear Ms. Russell-Rawlins and Mr. Rodrigues, Director of Education and Supervisor, Peel District School Board,
Congratulations on all the exciting changes you are making in the Peel District School Board!
The "very senior leadership team" in Peel now appears to consist of 3 Black persons, 2 Brown persons, and a white person – 4 women and 2 men. Well done!
Are there any plans to add a Muslim person to the "very senior leadership" team?
I'm asking because I don't believe there have been any Muslim associate directors or directors in Peel, and I believe there are currently no superintendents who self-identify as Muslim.
According to Peel’s census data for students in grades 9 – 12, 22.5% of students are Muslim. If Peel’s data included K - 8 students, its actual percentage of Muslim students would be significantly higher.
Non-Black racialized students (students who are racialized, but not Black) represent 63.3% of the total grade 9 – 12 student population in Peel, and South Asian students in grades 9 – 12 represent 45.3% of this 63.3%.
Looking at Peel’s senior admin team (approximately 24 academic superintendents), I believe only 5 superintendents represent these collective identities, which is approximately 20% compared to a 63.3% student population.
Are there plans to correct this disparity? Is there a plan to hire and retain more South Asian teachers and administrators?
Peel now has 8 Black superintendents (I believe), which is wonderful! Approximately 10.2% of students in grades 9 – 12 in Peel are Black. Peel appears to have gone above and beyond in making sure its Black students are better represented at the superintendent level! Well done!
How many Black principals and vice-principals are there in Peel? Does Peel need to hire more Black principals and vice-principals? How is Peel addressing the lack of Black teachers in the secondary panel? Is there a plan to actively engage universities to recruit more Black students for their teacher training programs?
I'm asking these questions because as a female working in education, I encountered a glass ceiling. When I expressed concerns about that glass ceiling, my concerns were not taken seriously. This set me on the path to advocacy and once on that path, I realized very quickly that I couldn't advocate for women only. I needed to advocate for all disadvantaged groups because other disadvantaged groups are even more disadvantaged than me.
When I ask questions about Muslim representation in the Peel DSB, it doesn't mean I'm racist. I say this because a Black teacher in Peel (who has nearly 2000 Twitter followers) told me that Muslim students could advocate for themselves, when I expressed similar concerns on Twitter, and Black Lives Matter Peel called me "racist" and "scum from the bottom of the barrel" because they assumed I didn't care about Black students.
As an education system, we are responsible for identifying and eliminating persistent inequities in the education system so that it will be fairer and more inclusive for all students, educators and staff, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or any other factor related to individual identity - including Black staff and students.
While the Peel District School Board Review focuses mainly on Anti-Black racism, and while significant changes are necessary to repair the harm that has been done to the Black community, Minister Lecce’s Directives apply to all students, educators and staff, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or any other factor related to individual identity.
Black lives matter. Muslim lives matter. Indigenous lives matter. LGBTQ2 lives matter. I'm not taking anything away from the Black community when I make these collective statements, or when I ask about Muslim representation in Peel.
So...when will Muslim students’ identities be better reflected in Peel’s “very senior” and senior admin teams? How will these students’ identities be better reflected in Peel’s school based leadership (VP and P) teams? I believe there are currently only 7 Muslim principals and 6 Muslim vice-principals in all of Peel.
I recognize this is a difficult conversation to have, but we need to have difficult conversations like these in order to be fully inclusive. I am not racist for expressing care and concern for Muslim staff and students. All educators need to express care and concern for students of all races, religions, ethnicities and other factors related to individual identity within the educational setting including Black students or we'll never be fully inclusive.
Carol Gilligan, an American ethicist and psychologist who is best known for her work on ethical community and ethical relationships, says all humans grow through 4 major moral stages – a selfish stage where we care only about ourselves, a care stage where we extend care to a chosen group, a universal care stage where we care for all groups, and an integrated stage where we find marginalization and oppression of all groups truly objectionable.
I am coming from an integrated stage when I ask these questions.
The Peel District School Board is doing a wonderful job of beginning the hard work of trying to eradicate anti-Black racism within the Peel District School Board, and I realize this work is only just beginning and will take years, if not decades, for all barriers for Black students to be eliminated.
However, the Black teacher from Peel who said Muslim students could advocate for themselves was grossly incorrect. As an education system, it's our responsibility and our duty to eliminate all barriers for all races, religions, ethnicities and other factors related to individual identity including Black students so no other group has to go through what the Black community had to go through to get the Ministry of Education to sit up and pay attention!
The teacher who said Muslims students could advocate for themselves is at the care stage of development. The trustee in another school board who recommended the Board name a school after a Jewish person (after the Black community fought a hard fight to have the name of a slave owner removed from the building) is also at a care stage. They are extending care to their chosen groups only. When a person says, "Black Lives Matter," it's coming from a universal care stage because all groups are being cared for.
My questions about Muslim students are coming from an integrated stage. These questions are a gentle reminder that the Peel District School Board needs to work toward eliminating barriers for all races, religions, ethnicities and factors related to individual identity - including the Black community.
This would put the board at Gilligan's integrated stage of development - and on the leading edge of human development.
Regards,
Debbie L. Kasman
M. Ed, Policy Studies, OISE/University of Toronto, Education Re-imagined, Analyst & Researcher, Author & Speaker
[Editor’s note: Interim Director Russell-Rawlins responded on February 12, 2021:
Dear Ms. Kasman,
Thank you for taking the time to share your perspectives with Peel board leaders through your open letter dated February 5, 2021.
I wish to address the matter of access to opportunities and representation which you raise in your letter and which are central to the strategic priorities of the PDSB with respect to the mandates of the Ministerial Directives.
The Ministry Directives, in response to sustained community advocacy, directed the Peel Board to address systemic racism with a specific priority on anti-Black racism. We are committed to ensuring our equity, anti-oppression, and anti-racism transformation as a school board goes beyond what is required by the Directives. As we carry out this continued work, historically underserved communities such as Indigenous, Black, African, and Caribbean students, where evidence shows disparities and disproportionate educational outcomes within our systems, remain our focus. Within this focus, we are also addressing the specific needs of the those students who identify as both Black and Muslim.
The reported “absence of demographic diversity…” despite the fact that “across 257 schools in Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon, the PDSB’s 155,000 students represent a rich array of racial, ethnic, linguistic and religious backgrounds and sexual orientations” is a significant reality in Peel schools. The overrepresentation of white teachers at the PDSB and the resulting cultural disconnection that plays out in classroom teaching and learning; and in student, family and community engagement opportunities can no longer be tolerated as a barrier to student achievement and wellbeing particularly for Black, Indigenous and racialized students. I hope your call to action to diversify senior staff is shared widely across the Province of Ontario regardless of the composition of the student population in a district. There are many documented benefits of a diverse workforce.
To address this problem, which manifests across various school boards in the province, the PDSB is currently reviewing and revising our mentorship, leadership and promotion processes. The 2018 student census is a key data source that guides this revision to ensure the extent to which Black, Indigenous and racialized students learn and experience belonging in schools is augmented with school leaders who do not only share their identities; but understand their lived experiences however those realities intersect.
Affirming Muslim identities occurs in several ways. The PDSB has a Resource Teacher directly supporting the experiences of students who identify as Muslim. We will continue to work proactively to prevent and respond effectively to Islamophobia and address the impact it has on the learning and well-being of those students and staff who identify as Muslim. The Equity Office collaborates with organizations serving Muslim communities on matters of program relevance for students, the responsiveness of faith accommodations to support program engagement and most recently as part of the consultation process for the development of Peel's first Anti-Racism Policy. Advice is also provided with respect to increasing Muslim representation through the review of hiring and promotion practices. Candidates of Muslim faith-practice are not exempt from these opportunities.
I would be remiss not to mention the importance of working from self-identification data rather than our perceptions of others' identities. As we engage in an open dialogue about representation, we must be aware of, and open to, the intersectional identities of all staff, including those who identify as Muslim.
As Audre Lorde states: “there can be no hierarchy of oppression”. Current and future Peel school and system leaders and staff will work alongside students, families and community members to attend to the learning and wellbeing of students who identify as Muslim and to ensure equitable and inclusive environments.
Thank you again for taking the time to put your perspectives in writing and sharing them with our team, and for your acknowledgement of the strides which have been made over the past few months toward the ongoing elimination of system inequities and transformation of the PDSB. We will take your perspectives into account as we move forward.
With appreciation,
Colleen Russell-Rawlins
Interim Director of Education
Peel District School Board
** I re-sent the letter again on June 8, 2021 in light of the horrific events that occurred in London, Ontario to the Salman Afzaal family on Sunday, June 6, 2021.
On June 8, 2021, the PDSB issued the following statement: “Last weekend five family members of the Muslim-faith were purposely struck by a driver of a pickup truck in London, Ontario. PDSB was deeply saddened to hear about this horrific, hate-motivated attack. Islamophobia has no place in our community. We stand in solidarity with those of the Muslim faith and others impacted by this tragedy. We are aware that events such as this may cause feelings of anxiety, shock, pain, and anger among the Peel District School Board community, and have made support resources available to staff, students and the community.
We are also aware that PDSB’s response to local and international tragedies has been inconsistent, and we apologize for missed opportunities to recognize horrific incidents that have deeply affected members of the PDSB community. PDSB unequivocally stands against all forms of discrimination and oppression. We encourage those who require support to access the mental health services on our website.
On June 9, 2021, Ms. Russell-Rawlins issued the following internal email:
"We are writing to share our deepest sympathies for the five family members of the Muslim-faith who were purposefully struck by the driver of a pick-up truck on Sunday, June 6 in London, ON. We grieve for the four family members whose lives were lost as a result of this heartless act.
"We are aware that such hate-motivated Islamophobic acts impact PDSB students, their families, and staff. With consideration to our commitment to anti-oppression, anti-racism, and equity and in our efforts to promote student and staff well-being, we believe it is important to condemn such events and to acknowledge and name the oppression. It is also important to acknowledge and consider the impact of such tragic events on those in the Peel board community who are of the Muslim faith and others who are also impacted by such events. With this understanding, we posted a message of support on all Peel board social media channels on June 7 when the tragedy was brought to our attention. On June 8, the board's Indigenous, Education, Anti-racism, Anti-oppression & Community Partnerships department provided resources to Superintendents, Principals and Vice-Principals to support staff, students and families.
"As the impact of this tragedy is felt across our community, we are providing a list of available mental health and well-being resources to support staff, students and families. Additional mental health supports for students, families and staff can be found on our website..."]