Thread by @BreenOuellette

It is abusive to teach children to find "positive experiences" in #apartheid, #genocide, and other #CrimesAgainstHumanity.

Thanks to Lynda @steeletalk for inviting me to share. Thanks also to her listeners.

A few extra thoughts that exceed the limits of a live radio program...

https://twitter.com/steeletalk/status/1332112474347249666

Abbotsford School District deserves minor kudos for quickly bringing an investigation.

However, most of us want a plan to prevent this happening again.

I hope @AbbotsfordSD is prepared to rise to the occasion.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of actions they need to take...

.@AbbotsfordSD needs to acknowledge that this conduct is harmful to kids, particularly #BIPOC kids.

ASD needs to communicate that they:
1⃣ understand the risk & harm to all the kids;
2⃣ will take steps to undo the damage done; and
3⃣ will prevent this from happening again...

This would track closely to a full apology, still owed by @AbbotsfordSD:
1⃣ an expression of regret & an admission of failure;
2⃣ making amends by undoing the harm to the children; and
3⃣ a promise that it will not happen again, including concrete plans to achieve that promise...

1⃣ @AbbotsfordSD must acknowledge that kids were researching a topic that encouraged them to go down dangerous alleys of the Internet.

Kids likely encountered hate speech, #genocide denial, and white supremacist propaganda b/c of this assignment.

Kids were put in harm's way...

#BIPOC kids were forced to justify #apartheid & #genocide targeted at people like them.

Their classmates were likewise forced to participate in dehumanizing their friends.

No doubt that students were emotionally impacted.

@AbbotsfordSD needs to acknowledge these harms...

2⃣ Kids assigned this work need help to undo the damage.

They need a full teaching on why the assignment was wrong.

They may require counseling for exposure to hate materials or coercion to dehumanize others.

@AbbotsfordSD needs to own the cost of their employee's failure...

3⃣ @AbbotsfordSD also needs to take steps to prevent this from happening again.

This requires better direction and education of their teachers, and may require terminating problem teachers to prevent them from causing further harm to children.

A written policy is key...

A written policy @AbbotsfordSD should include that:

Teachers must exactly follow curriculum on identified potentially harmful topics (ex: residential schools).

Teachers must receive advance approval to deviate from curriculum on identified potentially harmful topics...

Of course, a policy update will mean that @AbbotsfordSD must review potentially harmful topics, produce safe curriculum materials, and communicate on the materials that the subject matter had been identified as potentially harmful and is subject to the policy...

Really good planning for this policy will include consultation with #BIPOC independent experts and parents.

It's in @AbbotsfordSD's power to make the best of a bad situation.

In this case, doing so will be very beneficial for current & future students.

On a related note, Lynda mentioned after the interviews that she is considering taking the free Indigenous Studies course offered by the University of Alberta and promoted by @danjlevy. I want to include a link for that:

ualberta.ca/admissions-pro…