Equal Treatment will Never Placate Critical Theory Activists

Refusal by the PDSB to give preferential treatment to activists leaves them furious

By Igor Stravinsky: Teacher/Education Commentator

According to the Toronto Star in an article published Wednesday May 24th, a community-based Critical Theory activist group called Advocacy Peel is enraged that the Peel District School Board will not name its new “Center for Black Excellence” after the late Kola Iluyomade, who, until his death, was a leading figure in the move to entrench Critical Theory in the board. 

Critical Theory holds that our society is made up of a hierarchy of identity groups and thus people who are members of the groups at the bottom of the hierarchy are due special treatment, handouts, and shortcuts. Individual circumstances are considered irrelevant. 

The board apparently adopted a new policy in April forbidding naming buildings after individuals, thus naming this new center after Iluyomade is not in the cards.

This explanation of course did not in the least placate the activists, who are demanding an exception in this case. They may well prevail. So far, their bullying tactics have been very successful in winning them preferential treatment over any other community group, many of whom have been completely ignored by the board. This is highly ironic, though, because the whole reason naming buildings is now forbidden is largely due to the activism of groups like Advocacy Peel.

Named buildings, cities, roads, etc. has become highly problematic over the past few years as historically revisionist activists have railed against anything named after anyone whom they consider “colonial” or not “anti-racist” enough (that would be any white person, especially one who lived a century or more ago). For example, the former Ryerson University was renamed “Metropolitan Toronto University” due to Ryerson’s alleged connection to the Indian Residential Schools (the subject themselves of a mass misinformation campaign). A committee struck by the university determined that in fact Ryerson was a great friend to Indigenous leaders with whom he had a cordial and mutually respectful relationship, and further that he was not materially connected to the Indian Residential Schools at all, but the name was changed anyway due to “public perceptions”. I guess respecting your ancestors is only for Indigenous people.

Back in the PDSB, Advocacy Peel and some of their followers showed up to the Peel board meeting on May 24th and were so disruptive that police were called and the board had to move to a private room to continue the meeting, eventually sneaking out of the building through a side exit.

Lost in all this fracas are the basic issues underlying the catastrophic disaster the PDSB has become since the Critical Theory activists have held sway over it. It was they, after all, who aligned themselves with an opportunist faction of the board administration and triggered the Ministry of Education Review and ultimate takeover of the board. What followed was the immediate and total entrenchment of Critical Theory, leading to 

• The firing without cause, and at the cost of millions, of any senior administrators who questioned Critical Theory.

• Direction to school administrators that the tenets of Critical Theory were now board policy, and to oppose them would be met with dismissal (many who pushed back were in fact fired).

• Teacher “professional learning” which consisted of indoctrination into Critical Theory and the shaming and blaming of teachers for all disproportional academic and disciplinary outcomes between the overall student body and any sub-par identity group (black male students being the main focus). Any teachers who questioned this faced discipline and major damage to their reputation.

• An immediate decline in academic standards: Classes were “de-streamed” and students were no longer expected to attend class regularly nor complete work consistently in order to receive a credit. The pursuit of academic excellence was jettisoned at the altar of “equity” (equal outcomes for all identity groups). 

• A major spike in truancy and school violence with virtually no consequences for offending students in most cases. 

Then there is the question as to whether it is appropriate even to have such a thing as a “center for black excellence”. The Toronto District School Board was first out of the gate with such a project, and describes it this way on its website:

The Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement is the first of its kind in public education in Canada. The Centre of Excellence is dedicated to improving the experiences and outcomes for Black students and aims to be responsive to the voices of Black communities who continue to advocate for systemic change within educational institutions and for dismantling anti-Black racism at the TDSB.

So resources are to be dedicated to improving the experiences and academic outcomes of students based on their race. You might be the privileged son of two wealthy, happily married parents but if you’re black, handouts and special programs are available to you. On the other hand, if you’re an underprivileged white boy who lives with an unemployed, mentally ill, single mom you’re out of luck where those programs are concerned. That’s because under the mantra of Critical Theory, your identity group is what matters- not your individual circumstances. And of course, self-appointed community activists will continue to heavily influence school board policy.

Regarding the naming issue, will the PDSB buckle, and once again cave in to the Critical Theory activists? We shall see. But it is at least encouraging that even the ultra-woke PDSB is starting to realize that there is a case to be made for applying their policies equally to everyone. 

___

Thanks for reading. For more from this author, read Is Critical Theory on the Wane in North America?

There are now two ways to support Woke Watch Canada through donations:

1) By subscribing to the paid version of the Woke Watch Canada Newsletter for - $5 USD/month or $50 USD/year

2) By donating to the Canadian School Board Investigation fund, which is raising money to expand Woke Watch Canada’s research and investigation into dysfunctional Canadian school boards.