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Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Teachers outraged as school district tells them innocent word is RACIST
A school district in Canada has defended a presentation which declared the use of the word 'family' problematic, due to its 'white supremacist' roots. The Waterloo Region District School Board in Ontario held a professional training session in November 2023 during which the word was said to imply 'values positions of [male] authority and hierarchy,' and 'nuclear family structure.' During the event, entitled Dismantling Whiteness at W-O: Words Matter, it claimed the word 'asks for obedience' with 'no room for questions or criticism,' and insinuates an 'expectation to prioritize family's needs and wants; sacrificing personal boundaries,' Juno News reported. The session went on to discuss the 'concept of whiteness' which 'allows white supremacy to flourish.' The Board, however, bizarrely defended the training in a statement this month - almost two years after the event - and said that the presentation had been taken out of context. 'The excerpts shared were part of a larger professional development session designed to deepen understanding around language, systemic bias, and how we can work together to ensure all students and families feel seen, respected and included,' a statement said. Maedith Radlein, chair of the Waterloo Region District School Board, told CBC K-W's The Morning Edition that the board had since received many messages of concern regarding reports of the training session. 'That screenshot was interpreted to mean that what was being said was that we are against family. That screenshot was, in fact, part of a larger presentation that was a discussion about language,' she said. '[People] are, of course, very upset because if that was indeed a message it would be something to be very concerned about. 'I would like to unequivocally state that that is not our message. We value families and we work with them every day as we seek to help their students achieve and enjoy their school experience.' The statement said the information in the presentation was 'developed and informed by' Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy, the Ministry of Education's Anti-Black Racism Strategy, and the Ontario College of Teacher's Professional Advisory on Anti-Black Racism. It furthered that the training sessions explored how differently public institutions can be experienced by different communities, and 'how educators an be thoughtful and inclusive in their communication.' 'Our continued learning and professional development is also informed by the Ontario Human Right's Commission's Tackling anti-Black racism and discrimination in education report,' the release said. The report referenced by the board, Dreams Delayed: Addressing Systemic Anti-Black Racism and Discrimination in Ontario's Public Education System, detailed the role that public educational institutions can play in dismantling and correcting harmful practices, specifically for people of color within their communities. A source told the outlet: 'Teachers just want to get on with their job of teaching. Ideology—if you will—is just something many teachers acknowledge as being present. They just want to get on with their jobs.' Rebel News editor Tamara Ugolini said, in a video posted about the training: 'Putting a wedge between children and their families, and teaching people that that family unit, your social safety net, which lies inherently in a strong family unit, is harmful and racist is absolutely absurd.' 'When someone's telling you that the term 'family' is rooted in white supremacy and to dismantle the family unit because it's rooted in patriarchy, you can tell them where to go,' Ugolini added. The board's defensive stance on the training session stirred outrage online, as users also condemned their vilification of the word. One said: 'That is OFFENSIVE to the highest degree!!!! 'Family' is in no way harmful!! There are many types of families, but Family is the most important thing in our society!!!!!' 'I wouldn't even put it as high as ideology. It's destruction of the building block of society,' another wrote. 'Family is a unit fundamental to societies across religious systems and regions. Why is Canada destroying ALL values?' Another commented: 'Calling 'family' harmful & rooted in white supremacy is troubling. Family is a core value in cultures worldwide, including Hinduism, part of one of the world's oldest civilizations. Why teach kids to question something so universally meaningful? This framing risks erasing cultural wisdom. What's the end goal here?' The Waterloo Region District School Board did not immediately respond to request for comment. The board further defended their position and said: 'WRDSB is committed to a quality public education system and to continuing the work of building a school district that centres student achievement, well-being and creating a sense of belonging in partnership with students and their parents, caregivers and families,' the statement furthered. 'We are committed to transparent, respectful dialogue and are always available to answer questions or discuss concerns.'
New York Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
School district forced to explain after speculation it told teachers the word ‘family' is racist
There's a lot of drama associated with this 'family.' After a year and a half of speculation that teachers in Canada's Waterloo Region District, just outside of Toronto, were being taught the word 'family' is racist, its school board was forced to come clean this month. The controversy began in November 2023, when the district offered a professional development presentation titled 'Dismantling Whiteness at W-O: Words Matter,' according to the CBC. Advertisement Reports earlier this month on the training included screen grabs from the presentation highlighting the word 'family,' followed by an explanation claiming the word is 'identified as harmful by our racialized students' and 'values positions of (male) authority and hierarchy.' After the training session came to light, the head of the school board was forced to acknowledge the scuttlebutt. Maedith Radlein, chair of the Waterloo Region District School Board, said the training session examined several words, including family. Advertisement 'That screenshot was interpreted to mean that what was being said was that we are against family. That screenshot was, in fact, part of a larger presentation that was a discussion about language,' Radlein said on CBC K-W's 'The Morning Edition.' 'I would like to unequivocally state that that is not our message. We value families, and we work with them every day as we seek to help their students achieve and enjoy their school experience.' The school board then issued a statement defending the instructional session. Advertisement 'The session explored how different communities may experience public institutions differently, and how educators can be thoughtful and inclusive in their communication,' the June 6 statement said. 'These discussions are part of our ongoing commitment to human rights, equity, and learning.' The Waterloo Region District School Board's training session titled 'Dismantling Whiteness at W-O: Words Matter' sparked controversy. Facebook/Waterloo Region District School Board The school board was forced to make two statements this month. Facebook/Waterloo Region District School Board Advertisement 'The word ' family' and what it represents is integral to all we do,' the board said in a second statement days later. 'A look at our website will reveal numerous references to family. There are lunchtime workshops for families; there are information nights for families; we collaborate with families (I.e., parents and caregivers at all stages of the learning process, in every grade and in every activity),' Radlein said in the June 10 statement. 'Families are seen as active partners in the learning and well-being of their children. They are seen every day in our schools contributing to public education.'
CBC
13-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
The word 'family' has caused controversy for this Ontario school board. Here's why
Social Sharing The Waterloo Region District School Board has been talking a lot about the word "family" this month. The board has released two separate statements so far in June after media reports and rumours circulated online that teachers were being taught the word "family" is racist. It stems from a professional development day training session in November 2023 when teachers from Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School near Baden, Ont., discussed several words and what they meant to students, the school board says. Screengrabs from a presentation called "Dismantling Whiteness at W-O: Words Matter" have appeared on alternative media sites such as Juno News and Rebel News. The photo of a slide show presentation shows that the word family has been "identified as harmful by our racialized students." The Juno News headline reads: "School board trains staff that the term 'family' is harmful, racist." In a video report, which was posted to YouTube on June 6, Rebel News senior editor Tamara Ugolini was critical of the board. "When someone's telling you that the term 'family' is rooted in white supremacy and to dismantle the family unit because it's rooted in patriarchy, you can tell them where to go," Ugolini says on the video. Maedith Radlein, chair of the Waterloo Region District School Board, says the training materials reprinted by those media outlets were shared out of context "and interpreted incorrectly." "That screenshot was interpreted to mean that what was being said was that we are against family. That screenshot was, in fact, part of a larger presentation that was a discussion about language," Radlein told CBC K-W's The Morning Edition host Craig Norris on Wednesday. Radlein says people have been emailing board staff and trustees and "are, of course, very upset because if that was indeed a message it would be something to be very concerned about." "I would like to unequivocally state that that is not our message. We value families and we work with them every day as we seek to help their students achieve and enjoy their school experience," she said. 2 statements The school board issued its first statement on June 6, stating they were aware of the media reports and wanted to clarify and provide context around what had been reported. "The session explored how different communities may experience public institutions differently, and how educators can be thoughtful and inclusive in their communication," the statement said. "These discussions are part of our ongoing commitment to human rights, equity and learning." The second statement was released June 10. It was a letter to the community from Radlein in which she noted "the word 'family' and what it represents is integral to all we do." The alternative media reports say the training was offered by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF). Dave VandenBerg, president of OSSTF District 24, said in an email to CBC News that the slides in the Juno News post were not from a presentation created by the teacher's union. "All staff meetings include time for OSSTF. It seems that the inclusion of OSSTF time at the end of the meeting was misunderstood to mean that OSSTF created the presentation," he said. CBC News has requested information from the school board about who created the presentation but have not yet received a response. Reports linked to parental rights movement: Researcher Lisa Gasson-Gardner is an assistant professor of religious studies at Mount Royal University in Calgary and researches new religious movements. She says the messaging in the reporting of this story by alternative media outlets appears to be linked to the parental rights movement. "Folks who are concerned about critical race theory are also concerned about parents having rights, are also concerned about gender ideology," she said. Gasson-Gardner says grassroots groups who are part of this movement know how to communicate. They say things that "seem obviously true," like parents should be informed about what their children are learning about in school, but then there's an underlying message the average reader may miss. "Consider that, when we say, 'Oh, we want to have a neutral classroom or a politics-free classroom,' what is neutral that we don't talk about?" she said. Gasson-Gardner says parental rights groups are good at mobilizing and she's seen evidence they've worked to get people elected to school boards in Alberta and Ontario. That's why she says it's important to understand who the people are who run for these positions, especially with Ontario municipal elections set for October 2026. "If you care about education, you have to pay attention to what's happening," she said. Aim to create 'moral panic' Carmen Celestini is a full-time lecturer of religious studies at the University of Waterloo. She says there are also groups who are attempting to create "moral panic" around critical race theory in education. Critical race theory is the idea that racial bias is inherent in certain systems, including legal and social institutions. She says the arguments being made in the reports by alternative media are similar to anti-critical race theory posts in the U.S. They "believe that [critical race theory] is an attack on national values and beliefs. Those values are expressed in their beliefs and values with little concern for others," Celestini said. "The school board should respond and be transparent in addressing issues such as this," Celestini said. "Yet, those who believe these negative narratives most likely have distrust in the institutions such as education and legacy media, so the board will not be converting the mindset of those who believe this, but will engage those who may have heard about this." Board 'meeting the needs of all students' Radlein said the training session on language took place on a professional development day and they looked at a number of words. Family was one of the words. "The message was that the word family does not mean the same thing to everybody," Radlein said. Radlein said school board staff need to educate themselves and be aware of where they may be assuming something about students or have an unconscious bias. She says this isn't the first time the board has been a target for people who don't agree with their philosophies. "I certainly think that the initiatives that our board does around truth and reconciliation, around equity, about gender identification and orientation, I certainly think that that is a lightning rod for many groups that have differing opinions," Radlein said. "I cannot speak as to why this is happening, but I do know that we are a board that is known for our commitment to meeting the needs of all students, to welcoming everybody, no matter who they are. And some people may not agree with that approach."
