The Peel District School Board and White Supremacy (Part 2 of 2)

The Racism Behind The Equity

This is an excerpt from The Woke West: The Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, Radical Activism And Forbidden Knowledge Dividing The West...And What You Can Do About It! - A book by James Pew, published serially to The Turn Substack.

The Peel District School Board and White Supremacy (Part 2 of 2)

A Summary of Antisemitism, Anti-Asian and Anti-White Racism at PDSB

It is my view that the majority of anti-Asian, antisemitic and anti-white racism (which I believe are the only forms of systemic racism at the PDSB), is mostly committed in the name of “anti-black racism.” Let me remind you that “anti-black racism” is a term coined by Ibram X. Kendi, who believes the only way to combat present day racism is with more racism.” Anti-white racism - the prescription recommended by the hero of the anti-racisit movement - is being directed at Asian, white and Jewish children in dozens of ways. Here are a few anecdotal accounts I learned about from parents:

1. PDSB regularly holds meetings that exclude white/Jewish students and parents. These are meetings where school issues are discussed. Only children who identify as BIPOC are invited. It should be noted here that the BIPOC category is a catch-all that excludes only white & Jewish kids (it’s not clear which meetings Asians attend). PDSB holds meetings where only BIPOC community members, students, parents and stakeholders are invited. White/Jewish community members don’t get such a private meeting - that would be racist.

2. During a PDSB public meeting, two black trustees who pushed back on claims of systemic racism at the PDSB were both called “White Supremacists.” This is a typical tactic of CSJ warriors when offended by black people who don’t act the way they say black people must act. Trustees David Green and Gale Solomon-Henry chose to forgo the group-think and express their own individual views. How dare they!

3. Dave Green, Solomon-Henry, Peter Joshua and others at PDSB who pushed back against claims of systemic racism at PDSB, were the targets of a twitter attack by a number of fake and now cancelled twitter accounts. Below is an example (from a now deleted twitter account):

Tweet on April 6 by @HomeisPeel reads: "So much for DE-colonizing. @quitychatter @davidgreen91 @PDSB_Director have all got colonized minds. Stepping on the necks of black students, community, staff and women of colour. More dangerous than the colonizers themselves."

Two other accounts, @AdvocacyPeel and @PeelBlackParent, retweeted it.

Trustee David Green responded with this tweet:

“As a Black man who has been fighting antiBlack racism all my life the Black families I know aren’t hiding behind anonymous twitter accounts. They live in the same community I live. They don’t call me N, Uncle Tom or monkey. This is about me standing up for myself and my family.”

4. A parent who attended one of the exclusive BIPOC-only parent/student PDSB meetings said that two black students were invited to tell their stories of encounters with anti-black racism. In both cases the stories were incoherent at best. Racism was of course invoked, but the details on the how and why are as usual sketchy, and best left up to the interpretations of the PDSB anti-racism CSJ warriors. So, how do our racial equity heros interpret anecdotal accounts of “maybe-racism”? Well they dispense with the “maybe” language and go directly to the “systemic” colonial white supremacist language. 

   In one of these accounts the student claimed their guidance counselor was racist for repeatedly encouraging them to take up a tutoring program that was offered for free to all students. Apparently the “victim” was hurt because they felt the guidance counsellor’s repeating of the fact that the tutoring was free, was racist because of the stereotype that black people are poor and can’t afford things like tutoring. Nevermind the common stereotype (truism) that all students universally are broke! And nevermind the seemingly good intentions of a guidance counsellor making an effort to direct a student into something positive that would help their academic career. Nope, forget all that - this is racism, the CSJ warriors say so!

PDSB and the Media

Many well known Canadian columnists agree with and report on the things woke PDSB administrators (cult members) say. This is especially so when an opportunity to bash Canada and it’s white “settler people” majority presents itself. Their articles include piles of unchallenged anti-white and anti-Canada statements and sentiments.  This brand of Canadian opinion writing rarely asks for evidence, or seeks out differing views or interpretations when accusations fit the evil colonial Canada narrative they like so much. To me, this clearly illustrates the systemic nature of both misandry and anti-white racism found in government, schools and media. The opposite of the prevailing narrative.

Writers like Toronto Star’s Race & Gender columnist, Shree Paradkar, present PDSB stories from the standpoint that PDSB schools are in fact systemically racist. It's a conclusion she no longer criticizes, debates or questions. Like so many other Toronto Star and Canadian journalists, their politics (and careers) seemed linked with Critical Social Justice.  In her case, why is Race & Gender lumped together as her column theme? What is the connection between these seemingly unrelated topics? Any cursory examination of intersectionality will answer that question.

What I’m getting at (for those who may be puzzled) is this - Race and Gender are two of the key issues that fall under the umbrella term wokeism (which you can think of as the next step in the evolution of Political Correctness). To be woke is to think of Canada - not as Canadian law Professor Bruce Pardy calls it - a “brilliant invention” which has grown into one of the most peaceful and successful liberal societies ever imagined - not at all, to be woke you must think Canada is nothing more than a dominion of white supremacist colonizers.  

Here is a little sampling of Shree Paradkar’s opinion writing (typical of left-leaning progressive columnists):

Headline - “Racist? Moi? Federal leaders miss mark with superficial approach to systemic racism in English debate”

“It’s no surprise, really, that the federal leaders failed to discuss white supremacy, systemic racism and colonialism in a serious way during the English debate on Thursday night.”

Headline - For an immigrant like me, the meaning of Canada Day keeps evolving. This year, what is there to celebrate?

“Unlike settlers who come to take over a place, immigrants who also come to settle here aim to fit into existing structures.”

When Shree Pradakar covered the PDSB controversies surrounding former education director Peter Joshua, former trustee Willam Davies and the “troubled board,” she did not frame the debate as many parents and teachers had framed it to me. In my discussions with PDSB insiders, the general consensus was that the board was split down the middle. They were at a stalemate. It was not a recognition that they had failed to dismantle systemic racism. 

From Shree Padakar’s column:

“...the Peel school board trustees made a historic vote — a unanimous one — to ask the Ministry of Education to take control of the board and send a supervisor to oversee them. It’s an acknowledgment that they had failed miserably in tackling systemic anti-Black racism.”

More words from Shree Pradakar. This best encapsulates her biased position on the PDSB controversies,

“This moment in the saga of resistance by Peel Region’s Black communities that has played out publicly for nine months should put on notice all companies issuing pretty statements committing to anti-racism: platitudes don’t cut it. People want accountability.”

To be fair to the Toronto Star, columnist Rosie Dimanno pushed back against Poleen Grewal during the “To Kill A Mockingbird” controversy back in October of 2018 saying, 

“The core fault of the novel, Grewal argues in a dense four-page directive aimed at Peel teachers, is that the story is told through a privileged white person’s eyes. Because privilege is allegedly the common denominator of all white people. It just is. It is not.”

But during the PDSB internal breakdowns, that subsequently led to the firing of both Education Director Peter Joshua and Trustee William Davis, Rosie Dimanno’s voice was absent.

PDSB and Social Media

One of the first things I did in preparing to write this piece was create a twitter list of PDSB teachers, principles, administrators and relevant community members and groups. After assembling over 60 names into the list. I took a step back to see what I had. Here is the actual page where the list lives (URL is https://twitter.com/i/lists/1442990703299026947/members). It’s public, so you can see it for yourself. Scrolling down the members page you see each person's name with their twitter bio to the right of it. 

It is the use of specific buzzwords (woke terms) in their twitter bios, which signals who the radicals are. The first list below is the radicals. The second list (Neutral Twitter Bios) may be moderates signalling their lack of CSJ support by the absence of any CSJ lingo. Although this is much less obvious than the clear gestures of virtue signalling and desire for tribal membership, coming from the radical CSJ progressive types. 

The Radicals

@a_Kalaitzia

Settler | Educator | Striving to be an anti-racist | Advocate for RJE | Opinions are my own | She/Her #BlackLivesMatter

@avnichauhan

educator in Peel District School Board. Committed to anti-racism, social justice, mental well-being, and always learning (she/ her)

@ChowdhurySayema

(She/Her) Educator, Life-long learner of all things Equity, Anti-oppression, Decolonization. Advocate for minoritized communities, Disruptor.

@HealthyMsB1

She/her/hers. Educator passionate about restorative justice and community. BLM. Advocate for dismantling the school to prison pipeline. Tweets are my own.

@TaliAikenhead

She/Her | Registered Social Worker | MH Resource Clinician @PeelSchools @MHRTPeel Passionate about well-being: community, belonging, equity, purpose, peace.

Pam Strong

@Strongthinktank

Equity Resource Teacher with Peel DSB, passionate about inclusion for all through the connected work of Equity, Climate, and Well Being

@JanetJackowski

Principal, PDSB Currently studying/researching special education reform through an anti-oppressive approach...I also love muay thai, hockey, triathlon, more!

@ETFOeducators

ETFO is a union committed to public education, social justice and equity. We represent over 83,000 elementary teachers and education workers across Ontario.

Stephen Lim

@mr_s_lim

He/Him || Proud educator with the Peel District School Board

In the case of Stephen Lim, it's the inclusion of his pronouns alone - “he/him,” that tells me he is likely to be a CSJ warrior. More from Stephen later.

Neutral Twitter bios - Maybe Moderates?

@TeralynP

Coordinating Principal - School Support (PDSB)  

I thought TeralynP was neutral until I saw her tweets. CSJ warriors have many ways to signal their virtue and group membership status. She is definitely a woke CSJ warrior. As thoroughly steeped in the arcane ideological woke “dialect” as are her radical PDSB contemporaries. Her tweets are full of “settler” language and hashtags (ie. #SettlerVoiceED). Here is the top tweet on her feed, a retweet,

Teralyn Phipps Retweeted

Pamala Agawa

@agawap

For those competing in anti-racism, you’ve got it all wrong! If you’re competing, you’re performing.The work moves with folks who approach with humility, truth, respect and TRUST and please CREDIT YOUR SOURCES #antiracistEd #EGOparkedatthedoor #nopowerstruggles #leadwithhumility

The ones below seem moderate. My intention is not to mis-represent the PDSB. If the following PDSB people are not signalling membership to the woke radical cult, then maybe some are moderates and there still may be hope for the PDSB.

@MrJRobertson

Superintendent of Education with the Peel DSB. Opinions are my own, but I am willing to share!

@SohiBalbir

PDSB Trustee, Proud mother of two, Entrepreneur, Dragon’s Den winner

@Soni_Gill1214

Superintendent of Education, Peel District School Board

@EmilyGeber

Modern Learning Resource Teacher with PDSB. Creatively incorporating inquiry, coding and making to empower students.

@ms_s_lee

Proud wife, step-mom and Principal in Peel, Queens University AQ instructor. Loves travel, fitness, math and learning! Tweets are my own.

@vinita_mongia

Principal with Peel District School Board, parent to two awesome kids...will always make time for my priorities...family, friends, fitness and a great book!

@mccutcheonpeel

Superintendent of Education - Fletcher’s Meadows / Heartlake / Parkholme Families of Schools - Peel District School Board

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Here are some Tweets by the Radicals at PDSB:

A. Kalaitzis

@a_kalaitzis

I resist white solidarity! Especially when it comes at the cost of another person’s humanity. No, not with you. Not today. Not ever!

12:11 PM · May 19, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

Here is some nonsense from Stephen Lim, the Educator with PDSB. The one I wasn’t sure was woke or not, but suspected he probably was because the pronoun virtue signaling part of his Twitter bio. He retweeted this,

Social Justice Warrior

@stand_4_good

·Sep 17

Racism isn’t only overt as being called the N-word. It’s also in the subtle nuance of everyday living. If you deny that systemic racism exists, it’s because you’re benefiting from the system that’s created to and continues to oppress Black people. #listentoBlackvoices

The Disrupting Anti-Black Racism Action Committee is “A collective of Peel educators who are *disrupting* anti-Black racism in our union and schools, using anti-racist, abolitionist principles.” 

Here they are retweeting CSJ warrior Joy Henderson:

Disrupting Anti-Black Racism Action Committee Retweeted

Joy Henderson

@Joyhenderson78

Sending love to the burn shit down educators. I know first hand the eduKarens are a pain in the ass. I just wanted to share that I got to hang out with some beautiful TDSB students today and they are ready to change the world and your push back is so important and so worth it.

Do Canadians realize that a collective of tax-payer funded PDSB elementary school educators are supporting “burn shit down educators,” and are repeating anti-white racists epithets like “eduKarens,” free of any consequences? Do Canadians know that “burn shit down” educators aka CSJ radicals are taking over the school boards and want kids indoctrinated to also “burn shit down?” 

When they say “disrupt” and “dismantle” they mean “burn shit down.” Do Canadians realize these radicals are not asking permission? That they do not take criticism? They are “burning shit down” at a rapid pace and the more power they get the bigger the conflagration becomes.  Are Canadians going to push back against this nonsense, or is the rest of the world laughing at us because our suspected lack of collective spines is actually true? God help us.

Poleen Grewal deleted her twitter account after her conflict of interest controversy erupted. But here is what Black Lives Matter Peel had to say,

#BlackLivesMatter-Peel

@AdvocacyPeel

Feb 19

#PoleenGrewal took brave steps to to secure access to success for #African #Black & #CaribbeanBlack students @PeelSchools at a time it was not acceptable, what did she learn? Come join us on Feb 24th you must not miss it. #PDSBLetsTalkSeries #HTGAWDismantlingABR

Here is the twitter bio for @advocacypeel ( Black Lives Matter - Peel),

Dismantling anti-Black racism in Education in Ontario I Supported by the Govt of Canada & BBI I Racial Justice Award Recipient 2020 I Our tweets R our opinions.

The top tweet on their profile is a meme that says - “White Supremacy at the PDSB whispers ‘You can’t withstand our backlash and rage.’ Advocacy Peel replies ‘Silly - We are the backlash, we are the rage.”

I wonder if the majority of Canadians know their government supports an advocacy group that operates on a false premise of white supremacy? The majority of Canadians are white last time I checked. Does that fact alone make for white supremacy? I mean white majority, yes. But white supremacy? There are no men in hoods, there are no open acts of clear-cut racism that would absolutely be required in order for any reasonable person to believe this nonsense. It's all CSJ word games justifying wildly false assertions. Light on hard data, heavy on anecdotal story telling. 

Conclusion

Our country is obsessed with self-loathing, Wokeism is despair and self-hatred, this I know Canadians have noticed. Let me tell you, they are sick of it! This transformative disruptive process of “burning shit down” in reality is an insane and untested social experiment being forced on innocent children and an unwilling populace by a minority group of radical woke, extremely authoritarian, CSJ warriors. It has to stop.

The net result of PDSB’s “equity” work is to damage overall education outcomes. One teacher confessed that the PDSB’s internal culture includes pressure on teachers to not only inflate grades, but also grade students differently (whatever it takes to achieve those equal outcomes).

However, I would like to close on a kind note, because Canadians are kind and I think it is important we remain so. Even through this alarming cultural divide. I do not hate woke CSJ warriors, they are my fellow Canadians. I disagree with them, and I am asking that they stop being so unreasonable and allow their critical methods to be examined by others, without calling them white supremacists.

I believe woke CSJ warriors are good people whose hearts are in the right place. They are fighting for social justice and want to dismantle racism - if you say it like that, in plain english, without the polylogism, critical theory and anti-oppression lenses - then we have something, a common ground. Amazing! We fundamentally agree, we are not enemies. 

There must be a middle ground where critical theories can be included as one of many methods in a diverse basket of pedagogical tools, so that an unbalanced hyper-focus on one method (critical social justice) does not get pushed to the point of cultish ideology and authoritarianism. 

Racism is something that does need to be dismantled, but not in a way that also dismantles everything good about society in the process. Lighthouse offers the Liberal Social Justice model, this is something that works and all Canadians can get behind. What do you say, CSJ warriors? Can we talk about Liberal Social Justice?

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I’d like to leave you with the words of J. Bell, from Saugeen Shores, Ont., a Toronto Star reader who left the following comment on one of Shree Padakar’s anti-Canada day op-ed pieces. Just one Canadian’s voice, but these sentiments are felt far and wide. I agree with him.

From J. Bell,

I am going to celebrate the many good things about Canada on Canada Day

Why I can’t celebrate Canada Day, June 24

It is a shame when a contributor has so little knowledge of world history and the historical figures within it, while at the same time is so committed to erasing it for its failure to live up to our 2021 moral standards.

This article contained no acknowledgment of the contributions Canada has made throughout its history to the betterment of humanity, often when other countries doubled down on oppression and division.

While people from truly oppressive, corrupt and violent nations of the world have found Canada a safe haven where they can live on equal terms under the law and create a better life, some here see only a lack of perfection, and protest that no one should be allowed to disagree with that narrative.

This year, I will celebrate the goodness of Canada. 

J. Bell

Thanks for reading!

There are many voices on Woke Watch Canada writing about woke ideology in Ontario schools. Checkout The Hamilton School Board Commits To Treating Our Children Unequally

And Please sign the petition to remove woke ideology from schools.