Read an Excerpt from the Director of Education's Remarks:
"School success is an important preventative measure against disengagement, despair and involvement in violence. Disparities in achievement are a risk for individual students and to school safety. Student achievement is something we have control over as educators and must continue to address. At the TDSB, we have focused on equity of outcome and identified resources and supports to eliminate the disparities in academic achievement and opportunities by identity.
We know that student well-being and connection has also been negatively impacted by the health pandemic. And, TDSB educators and staff regularly collaborate and partner with community organizations to offer additional activities outside of the school day to youth employment, wellbeing, leadership, sports, and engagement.
All of this is to ensure that young people have choices and access to opportunities that enable students to reach their full potential.
The TDSB has – and will continue to – invest considerable resources in school safety in addition to programs and opportunities that connect with and engage students. It is important and critical to note however, that in many ways some of the services provided are outside of our key mandate and what we are funded for as a district school board. We as an organization continue to compensate for other gaps in services and that’s reflected in our bottom line.
As staff and trustees, this work has been prioritized because we know the positive outcomes for students of these investments. However, this work of prevention, intervention, and responding to violence and engagement, is also shared responsibility for our society, other organizations and all levels of government. We can’t solve this problem alone.
We are open and ready as staff to work with other stakeholders to further create spaces that are nurturing, equitable, inclusive and safe for our students and citizens of Toronto.
In closing, I need to say to those listening tonight, that school safety is an urgent priority for our staff, students, families and community members. We are committed to working together to ensure every student has what they need to be successful in school and to keep our schools safe."
Watch the Director's full remarks and see the staff presentation.