Trustees and senior school board staff are invited to join our next speaker session Thursday, February 25 from noon to 1 p.m., where we will welcome educator and writer Matthew R. Morris for a session entitled Closing The Gaps By Connecting The Bridges: An Anti-Oppression Approach for Public Schools.
Matthew R. Morris is an educator and writer, born and raised in Toronto. His writing focuses on the intersection of race, Black masculinity, hip-hop culture, and education. He currently teaches middle school in the TDSB and believes that the more credentials behind his name only equate to the more tattoos down his forearms. He holds a Master of Arts from the University of Toronto. He has written with TVO, Huffington Post, ETFO’s “The Voice” magazine, and Education Canada magazine. Matthew is a TEDx speaker and has been featured in the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, CBC Radio, and CityNews Toronto. You can find his work on his blog: www.matthewrmorris.com.
Here is a preview of the session provided by Mr. Morris:
“Marginalized students are still disproportionately affected by systemic barriers that ultimately lead to impacting their career pathways and future life outcomes. Part of the reason why this is still a reality is because our public school systems operate through structures and procedures that often lead to communication breakdowns. Embracing anti-oppressive approaches to public school education is one thing; implementing practical systems and solutions that produce equity is something entirely different. I do not have all of the answers. But from my perspective of teaching and learning while Black, culminating in my role as teacher in the same inner-city middle school I once attended as a student, I can share some insights towards how trustees and executive administrators of school boards can help teachers in those classrooms and ultimately, help the people who we are all committed to–the students.”
This series is offered free of charge. If you are planning to attend, please send a quick email to confirm your interest – for this and any additional information, contact Kendra Devine at kdevine@opsba.org.
About the OPSBA Speaker and Professional Development Series
Every second Thursday from February to May, OPSBA is offering online lunchtime speakers and professional development sessions for trustees.
