The Chair of the Cowichan Valley School District Board of Trustees the protests over the death of George Floyd shine a light on the very real and systemic racism that people of colour and minority groups face in the world.
Candace Spillsbury says around the world, people are taking to the streets in solidarity, pressing for change and hoping for a better world.
She says the Cowichan Valley School District District 79 is striving to prepare students to make the necessary changes by creating a curriculum and culture that views students through a lens of equity.
“We strive to ensure all voices are not only heard, but reflected in all facets of the school system.”
Spillsbury says District 79 achieves this by embedding equity into the Strategic Plan and everything they do to create safe, flexible and culturally responsive learning environments.
She says they’re learning to critically examine their biases, attitudes, beliefs, values and practices to facilitate truth and reconciliation.
Spillsbury says educational institutions must lead by example and prepare the leaders of tomorrow to dismantle racism in all its forms.
June is both Indigenous History Month and International Pride month, and District 79 states, “This month recognizes the unique histories of Indigenous Peoples and the LGBTQ2IA+ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two-Spirit, intersex and asexual), while focusing on their resilience in the face of discrimination and their struggles for equity.”
