We Apologize…

We Apologize…
Posted on 07/10/2021
We Apologize

This year, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has been reviewing practices through an equity, human rights and anti-oppression lens.  One important part of this work was a review of police involvement in schools through both the School Resource Officer (SRO) program and times when the OCDSB calls police to respond to incidents. Through conversations with students, families, community members, staff and administrators, we heard that both the presence of police and how and when they are used in schools can create a sense of fear, increased anxiety and vulnerability for some, and especially for students who identify as Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and people with disabilities.  That’s not okay, and we apologize to the students and communities who have been harmed.

We want every student to feel safe at school, and we recognize that will require changes in practice.  The OCDSB has withdrawn from the SRO program and we are inviting other Ottawa school boards, community partners, the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Police Service to collaborate on new ways to move forward. We have increased budget funding to support further work in equity, anti-racism, anti-oppression and mental health supports.  We are updating policies and procedures relating to Safe Schools to improve our practice and accountability,  and developing both a Human Rights and an Indigenous Rights policy.  We remain committed to strengthening our relationships with families and community through the creation of the Families and Community Engagement office. 

The OCDSB is committed to ensuring that our schools welcome, include, honour and respect all students, so that every student can reach their full potential.

Camille Williams-Taylor
Director of Education
Lynn Scott
Chair of the Board


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