Recent motion to combat racism in schools raises questions from Halton District School Board

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Published June 21, 2021 at 4:14 pm

Halton District School Board (HDSB) Chair, Andréa Grebenc, is seeking clarity and further discussions on what exactly the region is doing to combat racism in schools.

On June 7, Grebenc sent a letter to Halton Region Chair Gary Carr, requesting a chance to present initiatives to regional councillors aimed to “dismantle” racism and other forms of discrimination.

“Please consider this letter a request from the Halton District School Board to deliver the aforementioned presentation to Regional Council,” Grebenc stated in the letter.

“Trustees are also keen to pursue further discussions so that we may gain understanding of the Region’s offer of “support and advocacy” and its approach to dismantling and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination. Please advise who I should contact to determine availability for a meeting involving the Regional Chair, the Halton Catholic District School Board Chair and Vice Chair, the HDSB Trustees and Director as outlined in the recommendation.”

Back in February, the HDSB released an Anti-Racism Public statement stating its commitment to eliminating racism.

Additionally, in May, Halton Regional Council unanimously passed a motion for Inclusive Learning Environments that referenced HDSB students, staff, policies and procedures specifically.

“Be it further resolved that the Chair pursue further discussions to gain understanding of the Region’s offer of “support and advocacy” and their approach to dismantling and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination while reinforcing a whole community partnership approach,” Grebenc added.

“It is the perspective of the Board of Trustees that dismantling racism requires a whole-community partnership approach and that these initiatives will be a valuable step in a process so that all students and citizens can thrive in Halton,” concluded the letter.

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