Conversations with Communities – A Call & Response Between Community Advocacy Groups & GTHA Directors of Education

Workshop Description

“Our work, our relationships, and our lives succeed or fail one conversation at a time. While no single conversation is guaranteed to transform a company, a relationship, or a life, any single conversation can.”

― Susan Scott, Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time

Canadian schools are microcosms of society. They reflect the racial, linguistic, abilities, religious and cultural diversity of Canada, while also remaining steeped in colonial hegemony. This colonial hegemony is pervasive in schooling and impacts minoritized students’ sense of self, leading to negative impacts on student wellbeing and their academic success (Brown et al., 2014). Rummens and Dei (2010) found that Canadian schools are often sites of social dislocation and further marginalization for culturally diverse and/or racialized youth. Minoritized students need leaders and educators who are prepared to disrupt oppressive colonial practices in schooling and to be cultural change agents to support the student’s chances of academic success (Cooper, 2009). Given this information, what is the role that educational leaders might play in decolonizing schools?

We know that educational leaders need to constantly navigate dynamics of power and privilege at micro and macro levels (Khalil & Brown, 2020). We also know that social identities are complex, multi-layered, and complicated (Dei & Asgharzadeh, 2001). The interplay between all these complexities may make the road to liberatory practices for all seem unclear and daunting, but conversations with diverse community groups and families play critical roles in authentically understanding the needs of the students and families whom our schools serve. 

Join us for this revolutionary “call and response” keynote panel. Hear from a variety of trailblazing community groups on their dreams for children and hear the responses to these dreams from a selection of our dynamic Ontario directors of education. 

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Community Organization Bios:

Parents of Black Children

Kearie Daniel

Kearie Daniel is a Senior leader, community advocate, communications strategist and equity leader. Kearie has over 20 years experience as a strategic leader centring equity, diversity and inclusion. ]

Kearie is a co-founder of Parents of Black Children and the organizations Executive Director.   She is also the founder and principal consultant at KAMA Consulting, an Equity, Inclusion and Communications consulting firm, one of the only Communications Consulting firms in Toronto to anchor the frameworks of anti-oppression and anti-Black racism in all work.

Kearie has also led systemic change across multiple systems in the province of Ontario including the education and child welfare systems, where she led communications and community engagement for Phase II of the One Vision One Voice community initiative to address the overrepresentation of Black children in the child welfare system, at the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies.

Charline Grant

Charline is a mother of three children and a wife who led the fight to take on the York Region District School Board to defend and advocate for her children and others against systematic racism. Charline is known for her courageous efforts to improve the York Region District School Board. Her efforts led to provincial changes in education; increased accountability and transparency around finances; and equity training within the York Region District School Board. Currently a local business owner in Vaughan and a former law clerk, Charline earned a diploma from Centennial College and has her real estate license from the Ontario Real Estate Association College. She has over 20 years of legal, real estate, and management experience. Charline is a recipient of the Courage Award from the National Council of Canadian Muslims and the President’s Award from the Association of Black Law Enforcers. Charline was also a trustee candidate in the 2018 Municipal Election.

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NCCM (National Council of Canadian Muslims)

Aasiyah Khan
Manager, Educational Programs

Aasiyah Khan has an extensive community development and research background that is grounded in inclusion and anti-oppressive practice principles. She recently completed a research project that captured the narratives of young Muslim women in the GTA with a specific emphasis on Islamophobia and resilience.

Aasiyah worked as a research assistant for three years at the University of Toronto where she was actively involved in research aimed at understanding the formation of stereotypes, bias and discrimination within the adult population.  In 2018, Aasiyah graduated from York University with her Master of Social Work (MSW). Outside of work, she is a nature enthusiast and avid traveler.

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Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centers

Gregory Querel
Education Policy Analyst

Gregory Querel is Métis from the historic Red River Métis Community in present-day Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has worked as Education Policy Analyst for the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres for 9 years advancing the strategic interests of Friendship Centres in the areas of early learning and child care, public education, and Indigenous language revitalization. He holds a Master of Arts in Indigenous Governance from the University of Winnipeg and is currently a PhD Student in York University’s Education: Language, Culture and Teaching program. His research is focused on Indigenous public education policy and community planning.

Jennifer Dockstader
Executive Director of the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre

Jennifer is from the Oneida of the Thames Nation, Bear Clan, and a citizen of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. She is a strong believer in her people, her Indigenous traditions, and that there is no higher honor than to be of service to the people.

Jennifer has worked with her Indigenous community for over 30 years to help people become stronger and healthier. Jennifer is currently the President of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres. 

Jennifer is the Executive Director for the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre. Starting this role in 2014, she has worked to facilitate local paradigm shifts about Indigenous people and build a stronger community. She believes in the Vision and Mission statement of the Organization “To Enhance All Aspects of Native Life While Extending Friendship to the Community” and “Together for a Stronger Tomorrow”. A proud mother, Auntie, daughter, sister, granddaughter and friend Jennifer believes in the strength of women no matter which role they take in society.

Jodielynn Harrison
Community Based Education Research

Jodielynn Harrison (she /her) is a white settler of Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry. She is mother to her five-year-old daughter who is Afro-Indigenous (Haudenosaunee / Afro-Cuban). Jodielynn works at the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre, conducting community-based Indigenous education research. She is an Ontario certified English, Social Sciences and First Nations, Métis and Inuit Studies secondary school teacher. She holds a Masters in Social Justice and Equity Studies; her MA research examines Indigenous education in the Ontario public school system. She holds two undergraduate degrees, a BA in Humanities with a minor in English Language and Literature & a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. She also holds a BEd in Adult Education. Since 2006, Jodielynn has worked as a teaching assistant at Brock University. She co-founded the Indigenous Solidarity Coalition @ Brock and she co-founded the Supporters of Haudenosaunee Right to Hunt. Jodielynn works to organize peaceful educational initiatives designed to educate members of settler society and to support community building in Niagara.   

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Coalition Against Streaming in Education (CASE)

Kaydeen Bankasingh

Kaydeen Bankasingh is a mother, community organizer, facilitator and advocate in North York, who has successfully put her daughter through the public school system. She is advocating intensely for her son in the elementary public system.

Kaydeen has led parent engagement initiatives for many years through school council, model schools initiatives and community partnerships. Supporting parents and families to support their children’s success at school is her priority.

She is passionate about equity, anti-black, anti-indigenous racism in the school system and the impacts on all racialized children at having healthy learning experiences.

Kaydeen has been a community representative with CASE since 2020.

Tiana Thompson

Tianna Thompson (they/them) is a passionate life-long learner working at the intersection of anti-racism, education, and policy. Their own lived experience makes them a committed advocate for other students and families marginalized by systemic oppression. In addition to their work as a policy analyst, they are the Coordinator for the Coalition for Alternatives to Streaming in Education (CASE). Tianna is deeply curious about abolitionist education practices and movements – they spend a lot of time dreaming about what lies beyond existing education structures. Tianna holds an M.Ed from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

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Director Bios:

jeewan chanicka
Director – WRDSB

chanicka’s education career began in early childhood education and adult literacy. During the past 20 years as an educator, he has held a variety of roles in education as a support worker, teacher, administrator, principal and superintendent. His work spans several districts in Ontario including York Region District School Board and Canada’s largest school board, the Toronto District School Board where he served as the Superintendent of Equity, Anti- Racism & Anti-Oppression and Superintendent of schools. chanicka also worked at the Ontario Ministry of Education. In 2019, he assumed the role of CEO in Dubai to develop the blueprint model for a growing district of schools across the Middle East anchored in innovation and curriculum design.

chanicka speaks several languages and is recognized provincially, nationally and internationally for his work in social justice advocacy, curriculum, anti- racism, human rights and innovation. He is one of a select group of global senior education leaders highlighted as a TED-Ed Innovative Educator and delivered his TedEd talk at the TED Summit in Scotland 2019.

In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, cooking (but not doing dishes), landscaping, art, writing, community service and spending time on the land and in water. He enjoys adventure and thrill-seeking and has all types of experiences including running a marathon in the Alps, scuba diving, sky diving, parasailing, ziplining, rock climbing and more. He is a father of 3 children and is continually doing his own personal transformation and healing work.

He holds a Master of Education degree from York University, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Arts with a focus on Culturally Responsive Mediation & Bargaining from York University.

He currently serves approximately 65 000 students, 10 000 staff across 130+ schools and sites as the Director of Education where his work focuses on challenging historically entrenched outcomes of the most marginalized learners and moving systems and structures out of the 19th and towards the 22nd century.

Colleen Russell Rawlins
Director – Toronto District School Board

Colleen Russell-Rawlins is an accomplished educator with a career that spans three decades and includes senior leadership positions with the Peel and Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Canada’s largest school boards. During her tenure at the TDSB as an educator and leader, equity was the foundation for improving student confidence, engagement, and achievement. As the Associate Director at the Toronto District School Board, she led the team responsible for the TDSB’s Multi-Year Strategic Action Plan which included improving early literacy, family engagement, childcare, and professional learning in equity, anti-racism, and anti-oppression.

Prior to returning to the TDSB as the Director of Education, Colleen served as the Interim Director of Education for the Peel District School Board where she led the implementation of the Directives from The Ministry of Education’s Review of the Board focused on eliminating anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism and ensuring effective governance, leadership, and human resource practices.

Colleen holds a Master of Education as well as a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from York University.

In 2020, Colleen was recognized as one of the 100 Accomplished Black Women in Canada.

Colleen is also a proud graduate of the TDSB’s Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute.

Camille Williams-Taylor
Director – Ottawa Carlton District School Board

Camille Williams-Taylor is an innovative leader and an accomplished learner who will ensure that excellence and equity co-exist throughout the District. She cultivates an environment that embraces creativity and brings together a variety of voices to foster positive relationships and support student learning and well-being.

Building a vision for public education that ensures students have the best learning opportunities in a safe and caring environment is Director Williams-Taylor’s priority.  Her goal is to always influence and motivate colleagues, staff, community partners and students to galvanize their voices and realize their potential.

Her leadership capabilities evolved through time and experience. In the last three decades, she has been a classroom teacher, a principal, a superintendent, a Ministry of Education student achievement officer and a Faculty of Education course director.  She believes learning happens everywhere.  In every one of her roles she has learned from students, staff, and community leaders.

As an educational leader she is tasked with fostering change to encourage young people to leverage their talents and come up with innovative approaches to building possibilities. This task motivates her approach to leadership.

Dr. Brendan Browne
Director – Toronto Catholic District School Board

Dr. Browne is a transformative organizational change leader, who brings a wealth of educational leadership in areas related to literacy and numeracy, special education, classroom management, educational technology, and program evaluation. He joins us from the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), where he most recently served as an Executive Superintendent, overseeing 283 elementary and secondary schools, adult learning and alternative education sites. At the TDSB, Dr. Browne executed meaningful systemic change focused on inclusion and equity in areas of human resources, financial stewardship, and organizational structures and responses. 

Prior to this, Dr. Browne devoted over 20 years of service to the Halton Catholic District School Board where he held a number of senior leadership portfolios. As a Superintendent of Education for over 5 years, he provided leadership to academic and clinical staff in support of student success, special education, mental health and well-being. In his capacity as a Principal and Vice-Principal for 8 years, he led culturally and economically diverse school communities where he put into action more diverse and inclusive practices for teaching and learning, fostered a commitment to faith formation, and nurtured a positive school climate and positive relationships with the surrounding school community. 

In collaboration with the Institute for Catholic Education and the Catholic Principals Council of Ontario, Dr. Browne developed four module courses to support ongoing leadership and faith development for Principals as part of a Catholic Leadership Course, and published a book entitled, “Leading for Educational Lives: Inviting and Sustaining Imaginative Acts of Hope in a Connected World”. As a graduate of the Catholic school system, Dr. Browne understands the importance of applying Catholic values in all that we do.