Bill 64: The Public School Modernization Act is Racist
*This is a slightly edited version of the original post, which didn't have complete math in the stats section. In my original research, I changed the term 'visible minority' to 'BIPOC' because I wanted to use the most current language, but without realizing that Stats Canada collects separate stats for people who identify as Indigenous. The stats portion now reflects these new numbers, but the overall message is the same.'
One of the books I ordered after George Floyd was killed is called ‘Anti-Racist Baby’, by Ibram X. Kendi. It is a list of actions parents can take to teach their kids to be anti-racist. The third point in the book
is ‘Point at policies as the problem, not people’. So, here we go. Let’s point at a proposed policy.
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It’s easy to get lost in all the problematic aspects of Bill 64, especially as a teacher. It becomes a ‘can’t see the forest for the trees’ situation. We need to step back and look at the forest.
I’m very concerned about the Provincial Advisory Council on Education (PACE), and I’m going to tell you why you should be, too. This is the body the Province is proposing that will represent the interests of the public (specifically parents) regarding Education. The Better Education Starts Today literature states repeatedly that ‘Parents have oversight of the (Education) system’, and PACE is how they aim to embody that.
PACE is made up of volunteer parents. Each new education district in Manitoba gets to elect one parent to this board. The province’s proposal and assurance in their literature is that PACE will report directly to the Minister of Education and the Provincial Education Authority (body appointed by the government). PACE will oversee curriculum development, what is taught and not taught, and what is considered ‘sensitive content’ and how that should be taught or not taught.
Ok, so they want input and insight from parents. Setting aside the issues of a non-professional oversight board made up of volunteers, let’s look at some numbers. All of these stats are from either Statistics Canada or the Manitoba Government and are all easy to find online.
Each new district gets one representative on the PACE. Here’s how that breaks down in terms of number of students each elected parent represents:
New Proposed School Districts Enrolment as of 2019
Notice anything?
Winnipeg has more students than all the other school divisions combined and they get ONE vote. Every other representative has an average of just under 6 000 students and families in their charge.
Now let me give you some more numbers. According to the 2016 census, 84, 305 of Manitoba's 223, 310 Indigenous folks live in Winnipeg. That works out to 38% of Manitoba's Indigenous folks living in Winnipeg.
Manitoba is also home to 216,850 'visible minorities' (this is the term used by Stats Canada and I am not a fan of it; I can't tell you how many times I've in my teaching career I've had to tell my students that they were the 'minority', and I, the lone white person in the room, was the 'majority'). Of those, 193, 055 live in Winnipeg. If you're quick with math (I'm not), you know that 89% of Manitoba's BPOC live in Winnipeg.
With the two numbers combined, 63% of Manitoba's Black Indigenous People Of Colour (BIPOC) live in Winnipeg.
Let that sink in.
Ibram X. Kendi is a leading anti-racist scholar from the US and in his work points to the importance of policy. He says that policy and legislation can be either racist, or anti-racist. There is no such thing as neutral.
Given the numbers above, it’s crystal clear that, in addition to grossly under-representing Winnipeg students in general, the proposed governance model for education in Manitoba is racist. It aims to silence urban BIPOC voices and amplify white rural ones. It is so incredibly blatant, it’s horrifying. If you’ve ever wondered how systemic racism works or what it looks like, Bill 64 is a textbook example. To be very crystal clear, on the other side of the coin from systemic racism is the encoded and subtle-but-not-subtle value of white supremacy.
I’ve talked to a few teachers, parents, administrators who try to comfort me in my outrage by saying ‘the PACE won’t have any real power anyway. It’s a lame duck’.
Here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter.
The PACE doesn’t need to have any power. A homogeneous and unrepresentative group of volunteer parents is a perfect cover for any decision or change the Provincial Education Authority wants to make: They can say “We’re not going to teach human sexuality and consent in school any more. We’re going back to Abstinence education.’ And when teachers and administrators protest the government can respond with ‘That’s what the parents want! Look at PACE!’
With each new government, the government appointees on the Provincial Education Authority will change. They will represent the interests of the currently elected government (and that is its own major issue, as has been pointed out by others). The 15 education districts and PACE, though, that’s a much harder egg to unscramble. How does a new government, no matter what its party or ideological leaning is, make meaningful change that ensures BIPOC voices will be heard? Further combine rural districts and re-split Winnipeg ones? Costing all of us more taxpayer money?
I’m not opposed to combining divisions - I think there is a lot of unnecessary duplication of roles with so many different divisions. I don’t even think it’s necessarily a bad idea for Winnipeg to be one division; more unites us than divides us as educators and students. I think the school system COULD use some updating and streamlining; it’s been 100 years since the Public Schools Act was passed. Things are different now.
But make no mistake: ‘Bill 64: The Public School Modernization Act’ is about keeping power in the hands of the powerful. It is not about improving student achievement, or improving teacher effectiveness. It is about silencing voices that the Pallister Government does not want to hear. It is about making it as difficult as possible for BIPOC parents and therefore students, to have their voices counted.
A few years ago, I had a student in Grade 9 English whose parents did not want him to learn about The Holocaust or Residential Schools. I said ‘Residential Schools are non-negotiable’. They went to the principal. The Principal said ‘Residential Schools are non-negotiable’. They went to the superintendent. The superintendent said ‘Residential Schools are non-negotiable’. The student learned about Residential Schools.
Would we get the same result in a public school if that parent, who was very motivated and sat on our school’s parent council for the 6 years her children attended our school, went to the PACE with its huge under-representation of BIPOC parents?
I didn’t find statistics on how many LGBTQ2S* people live in Winnipeg vs. surrounding areas, but it’s a pretty safe bet that per capita, Winnipeg has a higher concentration of people who identify as LGBTQ2S* than rural areas. This is another group that Pallister would rather not hear from or even acknowledge. It’s another group this government is eager to silence under the guise of ‘sensitive content’.
Every single year I teach trans students. EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. Are these kids, their very existence, are they ‘sensitive content’? How will these students, and parents of these students, be represented on the PACE?
The ‘Better Education Starts Today’ literature repeats over and over that “parents want more say” and “parents will have oversight on the system”. When you take a closer look at WHICH parents they are lifting up and which they are pushing down, it is chilling. Put this bill in concert with Bill 57 targeting Indigenous protesters, and we should all be terrified by the direction Pallister is trying to take our province.
This proposed change is a foundational one that will be expensive and messy to correct later. It will determine the direction of our Education system for years and governments to come. It enshrines racist policy into racist law. Pallister and his government are trying to give control of public schools to white parents and keep BIPOC and LGBTQ2S* parents out of it.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS are supposed to teach the PUBLIC and should represent the families that use them. Public Education has always been a vehicle for creating the kind of citizens a country or province wants. It's obvious that Pallister’s greatest fear is an informed, anti-racist, anti-homophobia electorate, education system and citizens.
To quote ‘Anti-Racist Baby’, ‘Anti-Racist baby is bred, not born. Anti-racist baby is raised to make society transform.'
We are coming to the end of Winnipeg’s first Anti-Racism week. If you, like me, are trying to learn how to be anti-racist, and if you, like me, are trying to raise anti-racist babies, take action. Share this. Share the infographic. Send them both to your MLA, your current trustee, your kid’s teacher, your kid’s principal, your friends, neighbours and on social media. SHARE IT EVERYWHERE. Let’s take a stand against racist policy, white supremacy, and a government that doesn’t think we’ll notice.
If your kid is not in school yet: SHARE THIS
If your kid graduated long ago: SHARE THIS
If your kid is in school now: SHARE THIS
If you don’t have kids: SHARE THIS
If you want to live in a less racist world: SHARE THIS
Let’s hold Pallister and his Ministers accountable for their blatant biases and racist policies.
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ReplyDeleteIf we apply a few criteria to adjust PACE, then the number of PACE slots can be adjusted, along with combining two proposed devisions. I assume that PACE should have roughly proportional representation to the number of children in an area. Using your numbers, I have combined Evergreen, Lakeshore with Interlake, and Lord Selkirk. Then increased the number of PACE slots to 30. Then multiplied the proportion of children in an area by 30. To ensure each area has at least 1 representative, I then chose a result that is the maximum of 1 and 30*proportion. This would see Winnipeg having 16 of 30 PACE reps. Frontier, Kelsey, Flin Flon, Mystery Lake would have 2 reps. The remainder would have 1 each. Then it is proportional representation by population, with a tweak to ensure each area would have at least one representative. If shares fall too much, contiguous areas could be combined in the future. People can check the SD data here: https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/schools/schooldivmap.html
DeleteThanks for doing that math! That's a great idea!
DeleteI left a comment around 7 pm this evening with the same name. Is it being reviewed before posting? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIs the comment you're referring to below?
DeleteIs it possible that Terms and Conditions of the PACE could define minimum expectations of its composition to ensure the subset of its members is reasonably representative of BIPOC, without relying on geography alone? Even though the PACE is proposed to consist of volunteers, the selection of appointees should be based first on the merit system and not purely on demographic or socioeconomic representation. Are details available about how the governance (oversight) role of the PACE is expected to complement the operational authority (management) role of principals and/or committees made up of teachers/principals/professional administrators? The challenge of a "...non-professional oversight board made up of volunteers..." doesn't need to be set aside. It is a common issued for many not-for-profit boards...especially for organizations without an abundance of interest from prospective board members. I am not convinced that the PACE will be meddling in curriculum content so much as considering recommendations for curriculum content and changes from professional administrators and educators. For one final comment, I believe it is a false dichotomy to assert that "...policy and legislation can be either racist, or anti-racist. There is no such thing as neutral...".
ReplyDelete“For one final comment, I believe it is a false dichotomy to assert that ‘...policy and legislation can be either racist, or anti-racist. There is no such thing as neutral...’ “
DeleteI suggest you do some more reading on the topic of racism, then. We live in a society steeped in systemic racism. Unless your policies directly confront and oppose racism, they will necessarily be engaged in the process of reinforcing and enacting the racism built into our society. To be “neutral” on a question of systemic oppression is to offer at least tacit support for the continuation of that oppression.
C Baron,
DeleteThanks for your thoughts. It's always good to have people engaging with these important issues.
The reading I have done has not given any specifics about how the parents on PACE will be chosen, other than saying that they will be elected, one from each district. It will be impossible for one parent to represent 100 000+ students effectively when every other parent represents about 6 000.
Regarding the 'merit' system: unfortunately, the merit system doesn't exist. Countless other factors go in to making decisions about who gets jobs and who doesn't. Considerations such as socio-economic status, race, geography, time, capacity, interest level are inherent in all decisions about who is in charge. It's impossible to choose the best person for any job. You have to choose the best person for the job from the pool of people who
1. Know about the job
2. Have the mental space and time in their schedule to allocate to such a job (ie, aren't at full capacity with managing other aspects of their life; at this juncture I certainly couldn't be a volunteer parent on this board: I am maxed out between my kids, my job, and my mental health)
3. Have the financial stability to dedicate many hours to the job without pay (according to what the BEST literature says, whether they intend it to be true or not, these parents will be attending meetings every 3 months and will be expected to review and advise on curriculum, budgets, teachers AND represent their constituents)
4. Want the job
Regarding Geography: I can only speak from my experience as a human and also as an educator for 10 years in inner city Winnipeg. Geography is a major factor in many many issues. If you live in a food dessert (ie, downtown Winnipeg), the kids who attend your school are more likely to need food at school. If you teach in the area near Central Park in Winnipeg, kids tend to be very street savvy OR spend all their non-school time inside their apartment because their parents are scared of their neighborhood. Both of these factors affect how kids do at school and what they need. We definitely need people from different geographic ares representing the interests of students.
I think you're right that the PACE as currently envisioned by the gov't won't be asserting changes. I think they'll be a puppet for the changes the PAE wants to make. Either way, the door is open for drastic and inhuman sweeping changes that set back social justice based education.
As for racist or anti-racist laws, Andrew is right. I suggest you do some more reading. Ibram X. Kendi is not the only scholar on this issue; 'I am still here' by Austin Channing Brown is also an excellent memoir on this topic. In Winnipeg, Nigaan Sinclair, Kevin Lamaroux, Sadie Phoenix-Lavoie, Lenard Monkman, Red Rising Magazine...All of these are great places to start listening and learning.
Systemic racism is so entrenched in our society, it is hard to see and understand how it works.
This, however is a crystal clear example.
If you read this whole response, I salute you :) It's a long one. :)
Thank you for the interesting read. I agree, the system needs shaking up.
ReplyDeleteWhen advocating for marginalized communities its always helpful to keep in mind *nothing about us without us*
I have read the bill and have my fears that suddenly I will be labeled as *sensitive content* . Our queer communities have been down this road before. We slayed it.
While your ally-ship is welcome, your fear mongering and hand wringing are not.
You can have out back but not our voice.
Thanks for your comment.
DeleteI'm not sure what you mean by 'hand-wringing' and 'fear mongering', but I assure you, I'm not trying to insert myself in place of anyone else's voice. I did some math no one (that I saw) had done yet and put it out there. I hope the message goes far and wide, not to make me 'famous' or so that my voice is heard over others, but so that students and parents and teachers get fired up to fight.
I whole-heartedly agree that labeling anyone 'sensitive content' is wrong, and I'm just trying to stand up and say that it's wrong. That's it.
Hoping other people stand up and say the same.
KCR may not want to be co-opted in order for you to express your displeasure with the government of the day. I'm not sure, but it's likely that KCR is sensitive to the fact that you are using the plight of a group that you are not affiliated with to publicly advertise your virtuosity. As KCR stated, their community has fought for recognition before without the assistance of the hyperbolic internet rantings of a 'saviour'.
DeletePerhaps it's possible that the groups you have appointed yourself as spokesperson for are not as uni-polar in their views as you think? Perhaps they would like to evaluate the proposal on it's own merits before you tell them what will happen to them?
I haven't said anything about what will happen to anyone. I'm merely pointing out a structural imbalance in representation.
DeleteAnd I'm certainly not more virtuous than anyone else.
And I'm absolutely no body's spokesperson, except I guess my own.
I didn't make a single assertion that anyone would agree with me or against the government.
People can agree or disagree with the gov't all they like: but everyone should have equal opportunity to do so, at the same table.
That's all I'm saying.
This is assuming the curriculum of Winnipeg schools will be determined by votes from parents outside of Winnipeg. Where does the bill say this?
ReplyDeleteEven if this is the case, your clear assumption is that most people living outside of Winnipeg are racist.
I've read Kendi, I've read Coates and I've read Emanuel Acho. I've also read Thomas Sowell, Coleman Hughes and John McWhorter. Have you?
Babies are not born racist (you should read more than Kendi), racism is learned by looking at everything through the prism of skin color.
Yes, you're right, Kendi is not the only scholar talking about anti-racism - the more diverse we read the more we learn. I am always trying to diversify the voices I'm listening to.
DeleteI am in no way assuming that parents outside of Winnipeg are racist. I'm asserting that BIPOC people inside Winnipeg (the majority of that population) don't have a clear avenue to make their voice heard in a proportional way. Demographically speaking, the population of various regions outside of Winnipeg are much more predominantly white than Winnipeg is, especially certain neighborhoods in Winnipeg.
I am white: I would never ever assume I could speak for communities of predominantly BIPOC people. As an ally, though, I CAN say when the system doesn't allow for an equitable seat at the table.
Also, it clearly states in the literature that the PACE will have 'oversight' (whatever they mean by that') over all aspects of the education system, including curriculum. One could safely take that to mean there will be at least a cursory consultation with the PACE parents on curricular changes that the government wants to make.
I agree that babies are not born racist. But what I have learned in the last year of reading in the wake of the BLM movement is that avoiding discussing how our skin colour affects our experience in society contributes to systemic racism. I didn't know that before. I learned it in the book 'Anti-Racist Baby' by Kendi, pictured above. :)
I'm not convinced at all that you do listen to diverse voices - you've mentioned Kendi five times and others who tow the divisive critical race theory line. The only endpoint of looking at every policy and daily interaction through the lens of someone's skin colour (and Kendi stresses EVERY policy and interaction) is only more divisiveness and racism. CRT doesn't have a monopoly on the discussion regarding race and I'm definitely not getting the impression you have a truly diverse perspective on the topic. CRT is dividing us more by placing us in groups according to skin colour and then assigning characteristics such as supremacist and oppressed based solely on skin colour. Going down this road will lead to more division and hostility (see your blog post) rather than unity. People should be seen as individuals with diverse thoughts and characteristics and treated equally because it's the moral way to act. CRT implores is to see people as a product of geneticly derived skin melanin.
ReplyDeleteYou are assuming a parent volunteer in Winnipeg will have the same say in curriculum delivery as a parent in a rural town in that particular town and vice versa. It's not clear to me if that's true and I don't think you know either. I do agree with you that this would be not ideal. It's not even clear at this point what power PACE will have at a local level, never mind a provincial level. As for democratic representation, it seems to me that every parent in every school will have the opportunity to serve on a local parent council so I don't understand your concern. You can't complain that people aren't given the opportunity to participate and then when they're given the opportunity claim that they won't bother to participate.
Your response to me acknowledges that PACE may have a cursory consultation on changes. I agree this is certainly possible. This is quite different from your blog post which concludes the whole system is racist and designed to perpetuate white supremacy. The insinuation you make is as clear as day - giving too much say in the direction of education delivery to voices outside the city (ie. not you and the people you agree with) will result in a racist and homophobic system because the people themselves are racist and homophobic. You don't say it (you almost do) but it's the unescapable logic of your argument.
Yes, unfortunately skin colour affects our experience. So do a multitude of other things beyond our control (socio-economic status, weight, mental health, physical health, cognitive intelligence, early childhood experience (one or two parent household, physical abuse, substance abuse), etc etc). The way forward is to view people as diverse individuals who should be given the power and responsibility to shape their own lives as they see fit, rather than to evaluate people into genetically assigned groups and then again by where they lie on an intersectional matrix of suffering at the hands of oppressors.
Without the benefit of Kendi's theories on race my four year old somehow has fallen head over heels in love with his Pakistani school teacher and plays lovingly and happily with his East Indian, Black and Chinese friends. I will never pollute his mind with the toxic ideas of a hierarchy of oppression based on skin melanin. I will teach him as Martin Luther King said, to judge people (yes, it's ok to judge) people based on the content of their character rather than the colour of their skin.
It's always interesting to see where the hostility comes from, that's for sure.
DeleteToo often we see that a system is racist only after years of it being in place (hello, justice system). This is one we can see in advance.
You can throw out every theory you want: people in Winnipeg deserve a proportional seat at whatever table is being created, and BIPOC people deserve the same.
Yes I agree, all individuals who wish to do so should have an opportunity to help shape the educational system they want. Right now there is a lot of uncertainty with these changes, that's for sure. I wonder if the government is engaging in a public negotiation game where they first propose extreme changes with the knowledge that they intend to walk some of it back before implementation. In a way I hope this is the case.
DeleteThe only hostility I see on this page is at the very top where you make unsubstantiated claims of racism and white supremacy and in your characterizations of rural Manitobans.