Cedarbrae Blog

The Toronto District School Board – Canada's largest school board – has been in the news recently when a memo surfaced recommending that "the first round of TDSB interviews will be granted to teacher candidates that meet one or more of the following criteria in addition to being an outstanding teacher: Male, racial minority, French, Music, Aboriginal…"

The reasoning behind this criteria? The TDSB wants to better serve its communities by having role models that are more representative of the diversity of students in its schools.

The Globe and Mail reports "about 77 per cent of elementary teachers and 59 per cent of high-school teachers are female. Many experts blame a shortage of role models for the fact that boys and some minority groups lag behind girls on standardized tests and postsecondary achievement."

This isn't a new story – in fact, The Globe published this back in 2010, noting that "men have been the clear minority in primary teaching since the days of the one-room school house."

Interested in learning more? Read up on some titles about diversity, inclusion and teaching in Canada, available at the library.

Seeing the Rainbow: teachers talk about bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender, and two spirited realities (check out this article online too)

Teachers, students and pedagogy : selected readings and documents in the history of Canadian education

The challenges of student diversity in Canadian schools: essays on building a better future for exceptional children

The pursuit of division:  race, gender, and preferential hiring in Canada