Toronto District School Board Where Amazing Happens!

Raise the Praise

Facts Widening achievement gaps Disengaged parents & community in a number of schools and community Students’ health & mental health problems Inadequate provincial funding formula 2.9 billion backlog in deferred maintenance, 61.7 million capital deficit, 30 million operating structural deficit Declining enrolment in some areas, growth in others Growing cultural & language diversity

Guiding Questions Who are our learners? What are their needs? What skills, values, and knowledge will they need to be successful, productive members of society?

We Believe!

Improving Achievement Belief in their abilities to master a rigorous curriculum. Time tailored to specific student needs. Understanding that not all students learn the same way and at the same rate.

Strategic Directions Make every school an effective school. Build leadership within a culture of adaptability, openness and resilience. Form strong and effective relationships and partnerships. Build environmentally sustainable schools that inspire teaching and learning. Identify disadvantage and intervene effectively.

Fuel Excellence in Education Through the Power of Innovation: “There is no lack of creativity and willingness to try new innovative approaches in our schools. Our goal is to help unlock that creativity and give schools, principals, teachers, support staff and children the resources to succeed.”

Innovation Platform

Will you be the 10th person? For every nine people who denounce innovation, only one will encourage it For every nine people who do things the way they have always been done, only one will ever wonder if there is a better way For every nine people who stand in line in front of a locked building, only one will ever come around and check the back door Our progress as a system rests squarely on the shoulders of that tenth person. The nine are satisfied with things they have always done Person 10 determines what needs to be done differently

Vision: Co-create Future TDSB Schools

Prepare Tomorrow’s Leaders Create Schools for the future Vision: Co-create the Future School Prepare Tomorrow’s Leaders Build Today’s Leaders Create Schools for the future Early Learner Instruction & Programming FDK District, Principal, & Teacher/Staff Leadership Development TDSB Teaching & Learning Academy Creating Innovative District & School Plans

Dimensions of Equitable Education

We Believe In Our Staff

We Believe In Our Parents and Community

Together We’re Better! Informed, engaged and supportive community parents and partners.

Overlapping Spheres of Influence Family School Student Community

Myth #1: As a parent, the best way to get involved in my child's education is by joining the school council. To support achievement, research suggests the most effective parental involvement focuses on learning activities-reading to children, letting them figure prices at the grocery store or setting aside time and space to do homework and projects. There are benefits in joining the school council, such as the opportunity to share experiences and information with other parents and access to organizational resources. Just the same, parents can provide the support needed at home for their children to be successful in school without joining a local parent organization.

Myth #2: The teacher is the sole expert in educating a child, so a parent should never question a teacher or staff on school-related issues. Teachers and parents or family caregivers play different roles in a child's education. And a good relationship between a teacher and a parent, based on mutual respect and trust, benefits students. At times, parents may need to ask a teacher or school staff member for clarification about a specific issue or information. Parents should contact their children's teachers or other school staff when they have questions about their children's education. Most school staff members begin to see parents as partners when they know they will ask questions when information is unclear.

Myth #3: The influence of parent involvement on school achievement depends on the parents' income, level of education, and employment status. A large body of research confirms that family involvement in children's school experiences has a positive effect on children's attitudes toward achievement in school, regardless of how much money parents have or how many years of school they completed. More important is the parents' attitude toward learning. Working parents may not have much time to be involved at their children's schools, but they can show how much they value education and take an active interest in what their children are learning.

Myth #4: The key actors in parent involvement are the teacher, parents or family, and the student. Meaningful and successful parent involvement is not limited to partnerships between parents and teachers. Parents and family caregivers should think of the following educators and decision makers as participants in their children's educations-teachers, the principal, the trustee, the superintendent, and other staff. Parents can influence school board members and public officials by participating in meetings, voting, and engaging in discussions of education matters and child advocacy issues.

Six Types of Parental Involvement, Epstein, et. al. 2002.

GOAL: Recruit and organize parent help and support. VOLUNTEERING GOAL: Recruit and organize parent help and support.

PARENTING GOAL: Help all families establish home environments to support children as students.

COMMUNICATING GOAL: Design more effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications with all families each year about school programs and their children's progress.

LEARNING AT HOME GOAL: Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curricular-related activities, decisions, and planning. Information on homework policies and how to monitor, and discuss schoolwork at home, and skills required for students in all subjects at each grade. Information on how to assist students to improve skills on various class and school assignments. Regular schedule of homework that requires students to discuss and interact with families on what they are learning in class . Goal setting for students with families each year, and for future plans.

DECISION MAKING GOAL: Include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives.

COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY GOAL: Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning. Information for students and families on community health, cultural, recreational, social support, and other programs or services. Information on community activities that link to learning skills and talents, including summer programs for students. Service to the community by students, families, and schools (e.g., recycling, art, music, drama, and other activities for seniors or others, etc.) Alumni to link to school programs for students.

Benefits of Parent Involvement: The Triple A’s Student Achievement Student Attendance Student Attachment

Leithwood (2010) “Effective parent engagement accounts for as much as 50% of the variation in student achievement across schools.” Stelmach’s (2005)research shows the following impacts: Higher grades Increased homework Improved attendance Positive attitudes Fewer behavioural issues Increased rates of High School completion decreased school leaving rates Greater participation in post secondary

Our job is to teach the kids we have, not the kids we used to have, not the kids we wish we had, not the kids who exist only in our dreams.

We Need to Become More Right Brained to Compete & Survive “The future belongs to a very different kind of mind─ creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers. These people─ artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers─ will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.” Daniel Pink A Whole New Mind -Why Right-Brainers will Rule the Future

Relationships Matter! You can’t motivate a student you don’t know. There is no learning without trust and respect, and neither are granted automatically by today’s students. They must be earned.

Student Voices “Believe in me, until I can believe in myself.”

How would our students respond? Am I being challenged? Do I feel sense of ownership and pride here? Can I talk to you? Will I feel confident to go to the next phase of my life? Do they care about me? Do I feel connected and welcome here?

Thank You! Together We’re Better!