Follow through
A decade ago, schools were vibrant community spaces. Parents were seen as partners in education; moms, dads, and grandparents were coming and going, volunteering in classes, and building relationships at school barbeques and bake sales.
But as schools have become more focused on political activism, parents—especially those not sharing radical progressive political ideas—have increasingly been shut out. I myself was unable to get details about sex education lessons for my Grade 3 child. I was told only to consult the Ontario curriculum, but specifics were not provided.
The Board has also put up barriers to accessing information that should be publicly available. For example, after a controversial 'anti-racism' advocate provided professional development, the WRDSB would not disclose the costs to the public after a protracted Freedom-of-Information (FOI) process. This is not acceptable stewardship of public funds.
Parent Observers in Classrooms: Parents of all political stripes should be welcome partners in education. The response to parental concerns should be reflection and engagement rather than doubling down and shutting out parents. The Board should consider a program of parent observers in classrooms to deter activism.
Publicly Available Information By Default: Parents and taxpayers should not be put through lengthy FOI processes to get Board finances or professional development content.
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