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TDSB seeks to hire more men and minorities

Posted By: Newstalk 1010 · 2/19/2013 5:30:00 AM

The Toronto District School Board is looking to hire more men and members of racial minorities.

The Globe and Mail got their hands on a memo sent to staff that says gender and race could land a candidate an interview.

The memo states that, in addition to being 'an outstanding teacher,' interviews will be granted to candidates that meet one or more of the following criteria:  "Male, racial minority, French, Music, Aboriginal."

A board spokesman says there is a need for more male teachers and aboriginal teachers in many parts of Ontario, and Toronto is only one of them.

He adds more than half of teachers in the TDSB are women.

The TDSB competency is always the first requirement and that people who represent other groups will not be denied an interview.

Officials say the Toronto District School Board is trying hire more teachers that reflect the diversity of its student body.

According to a TDSB census from 2007, about 2 in 10 teachers are visible minorities, while 7 out of 10 students are visible minorities.

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  1. Bob Walker posted on 02/19/2013 10:19 AM
    Single, healthy white men have had no hope of even a call back from the provincial government job bank for 20 some years now and no one has said boo about this discriminatory and illegal behavior but now that the TDSB wants to become more representative, the usual suspects are screaming. How about the best person for any job gets the job... PERIOD or does that make too much sense for the left?
  2. Richard Collins posted on 02/19/2013 10:54 AM
    Here's a crazy idea: hire people based on their qualifications, not based on what category they fall into.
  3. Normand vonGrove posted on 02/19/2013 11:14 AM
    I taught for the North York board, now part of TDSB. It's about time they tried to get males in the classroom after pushing men out of the profession for years. Many men will not enter a profession where all the senior positions are held by women and the deck is stacked against promotion. All the Metro boards pushed affirmative action and poorly qualified females were hired ahead of men and pushed into administration. I was a department head, held a board wide office and was an acting vice principal highly rated by my principal, who happened to be a black male. When it came time to make the position permanent a black woman with no leadership experience and 8 years experience got the job. I joined the rush of males from the board.

    This is not just an elementary problem. Out of 34 high schools in the Peel district school board, only 8 have male principals. At the JK-5 elementary level, there are few male teachers, with about 25% in the middle schools. and many of the men teaching there are just waiting for some secondary positions open up.
  4. Jack posted on 02/19/2013 11:15 AM
    How long until our cultural obsession with not offending anyone results in intentionally hiring dramatically under-qualified people, simply because incompetence has qualified as a "discrimination factor" alongside race and gender? Either you can do the job, or you can't. End of story.
  5. proton posted on 02/19/2013 12:38 PM
    It's the race to the bottom. That's why our education system is so bad, why more and more people want to be part of a public service union (the bottom are over paid and too well protected).

    This attitude is what hurts our competitive capabilities.
  6. Angry Bill posted on 02/21/2013 05:01 PM
    All you guys are correct. But one thing that perhaps isn't mentioned is why a lot of men, white or otherwise, aren't actually seeking positions in schools. It's the same reason why it's hard to find scout masters. Who wants to walk around on egg shells, just waiting for a sexual abuse charge? People assume that men who want to work with kids are perverts. No one here can say otherwise. Well, you could say it, but you'd be wrong. No man wants that stigma, so they avoid the situation.

    Now, apparently, people are scratching their heads wondering where all the men in the profession are??? Seriously?? People are that dense?
  7. kenfromcanada posted on 02/21/2013 05:59 PM
    Whilst I had many good female teachers throughout Junior and High School (so many years ago!) the standouts were a few male teachers. Who could forget the first day of (male only) sex-ed class - we called it 'HEALTH CLASS', the gym teacher - why always a gym teacher? - stood in front of us giggling group of adolescent males - and opened with - ' Boys, today I will explain all about - GRASS ON THE PLAYGROUND'.

    lolololol.

    With out a scintilla of doubt, I am sure today he would have been fired!!
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