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By Caden Fanshaw

SD 57

SD57 Board of Education reacts to findings of Special Advisors Report

Aug 30, 2021 | 6:51 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – After more than a month of being delayed, the Special Advisors Report on School District 57 was made public late Friday afternoon.

SD57 Board of Education Chair Trent Derrick says the findings of the report shocked him initially, but he says overall he is not surprised at what the special advisors found.

“Our first priority is to meet with the special advisors and develop a plan of action,” says Derrick. “I think any time you have something like this you need to take time to get it right.”

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The report outlined 45 recommendations for action from SD 57, the SD57 Board of Education, and the Ministry of Education.

Many of those recommendations are around systemic racism, systemic discrimination, and outdated practices.

Derrick says now is the time to reflect and now is the time to “be better.”

Although the report identifies a number of areas where School District 57 needs to be fixed, the report noted that Prince George is not unique in this scenario.

Advisors summarized the report by saying they want to use SD57 as a template for the rest of the province.

The special advisors Dr. Catherine McGregor from UVic and Kory Wilson from BCIT’s Indigenous Department have been re-appointed by BC Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside until March 2022.

Former SD57 Superintendent Rod Allen will also be involved to work with the school district to implement recommendations where possible.

The Ministry of Education also issued a statement following their role in the report:

“The advisors’ report is now complete and has revealed troubling trends and practices that must be addressed in order to better support students and staff in the district. In particular, I am extremely concerned with findings that indicate apparent streaming of Indigenous students into alternative education programs and poor outcomes for Indigenous students.”

Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside went onto say:

“Some of the advisors’ findings require further investigation to understand how resources are being allocated, what is contributing to lower educational outcomes for Indigenous students, how the district engages with Indigenous families, and the ability of the board to establish an appropriate strategic plan for the district. There is a clearly identified need to rebuild relationships between the district and First nations, in addition to a much stronger focus on improving educational outcomes and supports for Indigenous students.”

You can view the full report here.