In sum, it is argued that these barriers perpetuated within the institutional culture serve to diminish the significance and quality of education for all students. Conversely, the study found that racial minorities almost universally felt that racial inequities were a serious issue within the institutional and educational context. While a number of White individuals within the Board have worked towards reforming the education system, a greater number do not seem to share the same strong views about racial inequities, and a third smaller group of Whites strongly opposes, and is resistant to, measures favouring anti-racist education. Despite having developed a cadre of committed and respected experts adept in the field of equity and organizational change, Board efforts aimed at inculcating equity seem to be largely isolated, often disconnected from the larger decision-making process. Further, it was found that the implementation of equity, and in particular anti-racist, initiatives has been wrought with a number of inconsistencies, underscoring the entrenched and systemic nature of the institutional culture. The thesis has nine principal findings, which together indicate that, despite the leadership shown by the TBE over the past two decades, a coherent, effective equity strategy has been lacking. Laying the groundwork for the research is an historical review of the implementation of the various overlapping components connected to equity in the TBE from 1970 to 1995. The research methodology involved two components: (1) one-on-one interviews with twenty-two key decision-makers, six principals and seventeen racial minority teachers, in addition to a focus group discussion with five racial minority teachers and (2) data gathered through three detailed questionnaires-one for principals, one a random sample survey for teachers, and the other being a targeted survey for racial minority teachers only-were provided by 5 principals, 60 White teachers and 35 racial minority teachers, all working in the secondary panel.Īn analysis of the ways the institutional culture in education have marginalized racial minorities is provided by reviewing the implementation of employment equity in education, policy development in education, and multicultural education. This approach aims to provide a forum for better understanding how inequitable power relations are perpetuated, and how educational institutions respond to the needs and interests of marginalized groups. The central focus, therefore, is on the institutional culture of the TBE: the myriad formal and informal practices, policies, programs and events which shape the day-to-day and long-term management and vision of the Board, from decision-making processes to the educational activities in the classroom.Ī qualitative, applied approach based on an anti-racist education framework emphasizing critical pedagogy, is used to examine the secondary panel of the TBE. This thesis examines the manner in which a large, diverse, urban school board-the Toronto Board of Education (TBE)-has responded to racial diversity and anti-racist education from 1970 to 1995.
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