DEI
School boards need leaders who focus on education not politics
From the Fraser Institute
Canada’s largest school board is looking for a new leader. Colleen Russell-Rawlins, director of education of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), will retire this fall.
To say her tenure has been controversial would be an understatement. During her three years in the top job, TDSB doubled down on its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, with tragic consequences. Former TDSB principal Richard Bilkszto took his own life last year after facing relentless harassment from other administrators for challenging DEI orthodoxy during a professional development session.
The harms caused by DEI extend even further. Two years ago, TDSB voted to abolish its merit-based admissions policy at specialized arts and sports schools in the name of “equity.” Parents of students in these schools were not happy about this erosion of standards. After spending years building up these specialized schools, TDSB is now tearing them down.
Add to this the ongoing harassment of Jewish students in TDSB schools and the failure of administrators to crack down on employees who disseminate blatantly anti-Israel propaganda. Expect things to get even worse if trustees replace Russell-Rawlins with someone with a similar mindset and approach.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what will happen if TDSB follows the guidelines provided by the Ontario Public Supervisory Officers’ Association (OPSOA), the organization representing superintendents and directors of education in Ontario.
To be eligible for the position, prospective directors of education must complete the OPSOA’s Supervisory Officer’s Qualification Program. However, this program looks like a woke propogandist’s dream. According to the OPSOA’s website, the qualification program focuses on “anti-oppression, anti-racism, [and] anti—colonialism.” No wonder education directors appear obsessed with these topics.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce has stated that he wants school boards to focus more on academics. He’s even gone so far as to publicly rebuke school boards that get mired in debates over secondary issues such as masks or transgender policy. Lecce is right to be concerned. From 2003 to 2022, Ontario’s PISA math test scores declined from 530 to 495. That’s the equivalent of nearly two years of learning loss. Clearly, something needs to change.
However, things will only change for the better when school boards start hiring education directors who reject DEI ideology and who put academics first. This means choosing men and women who haven’t climbed the career ladder by pushing DEI initiatives.
At a minimum, the province must drop the requirement for education directors to hold supervisory officer’s qualifications. Making the completion of a program replete with DEI buzzwords such as “anti-oppression” and “anti-colonial” mandatory is a surefire way to ensure that education directors will focus on non-academic issues.
Fortunately, the Ford government has started making at least some changes. Back in 2020, Ontario removed the requirement for directors of education to be former teachers. Considering the uselessness of most Bachelor of Education courses, it’s legitimate to ask why anyone would need an education degree to run a school board.
Obviously, none of this means that qualifications don’t matter. The Ford government’s recent announcement that all future teachers must pass a math proficiency test shows that basic competency matters. People working for school boards, particularly those in the top job, must also be familiar with the education system and know how to lead effectively.
It’s important to remember why we have schools in the first place. The purpose of education is to help students master the academic basics, acquire important life skills, and become responsible Canadian citizens—not to indoctrinate students into woke ideology.
Schools can only function if they have the trust of the communities they serve. If parents feel that teachers are ignoring their concerns or are disrespecting their beliefs, they will pull their kids out of the government school system and pursue other educational options. While parents should always have this right, it’s unfortunate when they are forced into it by administrators who are hostile to their values.
TDSB trustees have a real opportunity to make a change for the better by hiring an education director with a track record of putting academics first. Otherwise, TDSB will continue its downward spiral.
Real change starts at the top. Hopefully, TDSB trustees realize the importance of the decision they are about to make and hire the right person for the job.
Author:
From StosselTV
The government promised to expand broadband, build hundreds of thousands of EV chargers, and to bring back semiconductor jobs. They delivered delays, waste, and failure. Why? Because they spend your money, not their own.
After three years and $65 billion spent to expand broadband, not a single person has yet been connected.
Also, two years into Biden’s $7.5 billion EV charging stations initiative, which was supposed to build 500,000 stations, only seven have been built.
The CHIPS Act promised to bring semiconductor jobs back to America. But the money got tied up in DEI quotas, climate pledges, and union mandates.
When bureaucrats spend other people’s money, they have little incentive to spend it carefully. Our new video explains why government should leave building things to the private sector.
After 40+ years of reporting, I now understand the importance of limited government and personal freedom.
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Libertarian journalist John Stossel created Stossel TV to explain liberty and free markets to young people.
Prior to Stossel TV he hosted a show on Fox Business and co-anchored ABC’s primetime newsmagazine show, 20/20.
Stossel’s economic programs have been adapted into teaching kits by a non-profit organization, “Stossel in the Classroom.” High school teachers in American public schools now use the videos to help educate their students on economics and economic freedom. They are seen by more than 12 million students every year.
Stossel has received 19 Emmy Awards and has been honored five times for excellence in consumer reporting by the National Press Club. Other honors include the George Polk Award for Outstanding Local Reporting and the George Foster Peabody Award.
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Censorship Industrial Complex
Biden admin used banks to spy on Americans’ financial data, targeted Trump supporters: House report
From LifeSiteNews
‘The scale of this surveillance is staggering,’ warns a startling new US House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. ‘Without safeguards, this could lead to widespread abuse of power and debanking.’
A startling report from the U.S. House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government reveals how, under the Biden-Harris administration, the FBI and the Treasury Department have manipulated federal laws such as the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) to access Americans’ private financial data – without a warrant.
The committee has published a succinct video summary of its 47-page report on X, beginning with a question: “Think your finances are private? Think again.”
The video explains:
“The federal government has conditioned financial institutions to work for them, inducing them to hand over your sensitive financial data without a warrant
When a bank submits an inquiry with your financial details, the federal government compiles it into a searchable database. In 2023, this database was accessed by over 14,000 government employees to conduct more than 3 million warrantless searches.
The federal government’s financial surveillance program is vast and can lead to something called ‘debanking.’ If you’re flagged, you could lose access to your own money. If you buy a Bible, shop at Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, or an ammo store, your financial data could be shared.
The system is broken and your privacy is under attack. Federal law enforcement is seeking unfettered access to your finances, all while ignoring your 4th Amendment rights.
The next time you swipe your card, know that someone may be watching. And it’s not just the banks. It’s the federal government.”
Purchase of Bibles or firearms deemed by the government as signs of ‘extremism’
“It all started after a whistleblower told the Committee that following January 6, Bank of America (BoA) voluntarily provided the FBI with a list of individuals who used BoA cards in the DC area during that time—without legal process,” noted the committee in a thread on X. “The federal government used sweeping terms like ‘MAGA’ and ‘TRUMP’ to flag Americans, even treating the purchase of Bibles or firearms as signs of ‘extremism.’”
“The scale of this surveillance is staggering,” they declared on X.
“This ongoing investigation reveals a disturbing trend: The government is using financial institutions as de facto arms of law enforcement, profiling Americans and flagging them as ‘suspicious’ based on vague criteria,” continues the thread. “Without safeguards, this could lead to widespread abuse of power and debanking. This investigation is not over. The federal government’s ability to spy on Americans’ financial data cannot go unchecked.”
The committee report warns:
All Americans should be disturbed by how their financial data is collected, made accessible to, and searched by federal and state officials, including law enforcement and regulatory agencies. With the rise in e-commerce and the widespread adoption of cash alternatives like credit cards or peer-to-peer payment services, the future leaves very little financial activity beyond the purview of modern financial institutions or the government’s prying eyes. This is because, as a condition of participating in the modern economy, Americans are forced to disclose details of their private lives to a financial industry that has been too eager to pass this information along to federal law enforcement.
‘Your beliefs or your bank account: You can’t have both’
“No American should have to worry that a financial institution will deny them service based on their religious beliefs,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Jeremy Tedesco concerning a case involving the debanking by Bank of America of a conservative Christian charity that partners with Ugandan ministries to provide basic necessities for orphaned and vulnerable children. “Canceling their account hurts those in need. It also sends a disturbing message to everyone—you can have your beliefs or your bank account, but you can’t have both.”
Bank of America is not the only major financial institution engaging in this type of behavior. ADF cited examples of JPMorgan Chase denying payments or cancelling accounts associated with people and organizations who hold mainstream American values, including:
- Former Ambassador Sam Brownback
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