Authors: Tanitiã Munroe, Karen Murray, Grace-Camille Munroe, Giselle Thompson, Shawnee Hardware, Margaret Douglin, Sewsen Igbu, Entisar Yusuf, Annette Walker and Desiree Sylvestre
January 2022
In 2021, The Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement conducted consultations with African, Afro-Caribbean, and Black (ACB) students, their families and community members. The consultations sought to elicit perspectives from each education partner in relation to the role of the Centre of Excellence and the TDSB as a whole.
- The consultations aimed to create opportunities for Black students in English and French Language programs to discuss their schooling experiences and its impact on their wellbeing; and identify supports needed to improve their learning needs and amplifying their voices.
- The consultations also sought to create opportunities for families of Black students to discuss issues that impact their leadership and engagement in the school community; and provide insights on the ways the Centre of Excellence can serve them.
- Lastly, the consultations were committed to providing community partners with opportunities to explore meaningful and collaborative ways to promote school-community engagement.
The report outlines four areas grounded from perspectives of participants as follows:
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Black Families
- Learning Conditions in Classrooms
- School and Family Relationships
- Support for Black Student Achievement
Students, families, and community members shared recommendations to improve classroom conditions, negotiate school communities and improve partnerships. Many of the suggestions visualized a much broader concept of education that moved beyond “schooling” at the TDSB and into areas such as students’ wellbeing, equity of access, parent empowerment, and increased partnerships. The report concludes with a framework of action generated through the suggestions and recommendations from African, Afro-Caribbean, and Black (ACB) students, families, and community members.