1906-2006 Burnaby School District

POLICY # 5.45 NEXT STEPS

October 3, 2011

Note: The Policy 5.45 Advisory Committee meetings referenced below have been postponed until the end of teacher job action due to the absence of teacher participation.

  • The Policy # 5.45 Advisory Committee, composed of the District’s partners, will meet four times during the year and will be co-chaired by trustees Ron Burton and Gary Wong. (See membership and terms of reference below.) The chairs could add an additional two meetings if necessary. The meetings will be held when practical at Burnaby secondary schools and will invite open student voice.
  • No new curriculum will be introduced to support this policy. The district will introduce to principals and highlight for teachers the existing Ministry Resource Guide, "Making Space, Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice Throughout the K-12 Curriculum".
  • The District will establish a process to develop awareness amongst staff of the challenges facing LGBTQ+ youth and how school communities and staff can respond to issues in order to promote safe and welcoming environments for this community.
  • The District will continue to roll out the Safe Spaces initiative that began in 2011.
  • The District will encourage schools to continue to support anti-bullying in general and campaigns that focus on anti-homophobia such as "Pink Shirt Day".

Policy # 5.45 Advisory Committee

Membership on the committee includes:

Board Members
2 Trustees – Chair or Co-Chairs
Senior Staff
1 Assistant Superintendent
1 Director of Instruction
BASA
1 Elementary Principal
1 Secondary Principal
BTA
1 Elementary Teacher
1 Secondary Teacher
1 Counsellor
1 BTA Executive Member
CUPE
2 CUPE Members
Parents
3 DPAC Members
Students
3 DSAC Members plus an open invitation to students at the secondary schools where the meetings are held.
Community Group Representative
Community group membership will be determined and invited by the committee chair. In all other cases the actual committee members are determined by each partner group through process determined by each partner group. These processes will differ from group to group.

Terms of Reference

  • The committee serves as an advisory committee to the Superintendent of Schools or designate.
  • Advise staff on the development and action plan with goals, activities and timelines to ensure effective implementation of Policy 5.45 – Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
  • Promote sensitivity to issues of sexual discrimination and gender identity.
  • Hear community input regarding sexual discrimination and gender identity issues.
  • Review and evaluate the effectiveness of the policy, including reviewing the results of surveys and initiatives completed in the district.
  • Provide the Superintendent with an annual report.
  • The committee does not select or approve learning resources for the district. Learning resource selection and approval follows the regulations outlined in "Policy 6.55 - Learning Resources Selection."