Let’s start with one that everyone has likely heard about …

BEING ‘POST-COVID‘

This term has been tossed around a lot. I actually appreciate its intention of wanting to ‘get on with things’ — of moving forward. While we still need to keep an eye on the virus, it is time to put our energies into a consistent focus of our educational mission. To be clear, we actually aren’t in a post-COVID world — like we’re not post-COLD or post-FLU — but we are figuring out how to live and thrive within this current reality.

Being able to look past the pandemic has provided us with the necessary space to build on our successes and address our challenges .

SAANICH STRATEGIC PLAN – YEAR #1

If you work here in Saanich Schools, you are aware of our new Strategic Plan 2022-2027. The Plan is laser-focused into 4 themes — Literacy, Mental Health and Wellness, Indigenous Learner Success, and Global Citizenship. What is exciting about the Plan is how it has come alive this year in all sorts of places — staff meetings, personal professional growth plans, School Plans, presentations to the Board and in our district operations — all having the singular goal of making us better.

We have provided regular progress updates within the Education Directions Committee — a committee that reports directly to the Board of Education.

We are also producing an annual report known as FESL (Framework for Enhancing Student Learning). It provides an overview of our progress, 20,000 feet, as well as being a navigational rudder for the next four years. Stay tuned for our next FESL report in the fall.

INTOLERANCE

This is the ‘not-so-positive’ issue that has affected us. It’s been a tumultuous year in BC and Canada — and we’ve certainly felt it here in Saanich as we are not immune from the social realities of intolerance. It is present in our community and shows itself in a number of ways — sometimes it’s blatant racism or demeaning anti-SOGI comments, but it can also be more subtle through things like microaggressions that are meant to marginalize or belittle others. My theory is that extremist social media posts and even daily news articles have emboldened some to believe that they have a right to dehumanize, demean or marginalize others.

I have devoted significant time to this topic — in management meetings, presentations to the Board, as well my blog writings. In the six years I have been blogging, there hasn’t been another topic that I have written about more than this one. I have made my voice clear — there is no place for bigotry, intolerance or hatred in our schools. We pride ourselves in ensuring that schools are emotionally safe — where everyone belongs and is accepted — a place where the diversity that is found in our community is celebrated in our classrooms.

Here are some examples of my writings from this past year:

Superintendent’s Report – March 2023 Board of Education Meeting: Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity

Dave Eberwein

Blog posts:

• “You People Are So Inspiring!” and Other Microaggressions (Oct 2022)
  • Everyday verbal slights that communicate hostility or negative attitudes
• RACISM – It’s Time to Talk (Nov 2022)
  • Working to understand how you and I may be part of the problem
• Be Vocal in Your Opposition to Racism (Dec 2022)
  • Being anti-racist means being consistent and vocal in your opposition to racism
• Compassion – Let’s Have More of That in 2023 (Jan 2023)
  • It’s definitely time to criticize less and seek understanding instead
• Painting a Picture with Numbers (April 2023)
  • Sharing some of the startling statistics for LGBTQ2+ youth in Canada

We have an important role in education to be the voice of inclusion, compassion and acceptance. We do this when we clearly and consistently communicate these values.

LISTENING AT THE MARGINS

We find ways of being more inclusive when we listen to the voices in the margins. With the new Strategic Plan now in place, we have consciously incorporated new approaches to collecting data — ensuring that we are capturing some of the quieter student voices.

We spent time with educational researcher Shane Safir learning and working with her concept of ‘Street Data’ — a way of seeking out the voices that can sometimes be overlooked. We used tools like Empathy Interviews and Student Voice Sessions to provide us with a peek into the margins of our system.

Empathy Interviews: Help us listen for how a person feels and perceives the equity challenge we are trying
to address, as well as access their creative thinking around how to approach it.

Shane Safir, Street Data – A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation

Student Voice: The expression and reflection of students’ thoughts, ideas, opinions, and values that they share to drive change within a school community

By listening at the margins, a more comprehensive understanding of student needs is developing which will only lead to better ideas for more equitable learning opportunities in Saanich.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT YEAR

The thing I love most about public education is the fact that there is no finish line — we can always be better — we can always tweek something on our path to improvement! There will always be obstacles in our path — that’s just life. Using creative ways to move past those obstacles is what makes us better.

We are travelling on this path of improvement, celebrating both our successes and our failures. As educators we believe in the possible because we care and we can picture a brighter, more inclusive and more equitable future.

What an awesome profession — even from 20,000 feet!

Have a wonderful summer everyone.