Supporting the Integration of Internationally Educated Teachers to Foster Equitable Schools

Within a change process grounded in constructivist and transformative worldviews, internationally educated teachers (IETs), an underemployed group in the education sector, can support equity efforts in Ontario schools. The Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) presents an overview of the organizational and environmental factors that contribute to the necessity for change and which influence the change process. A new way of supporting equity work in schools is proposed through a dual change process intended to bring change at the principal organization (meso) and in schools (micro). Kotter’s (2012) eight-stage process is embedded within Cawsey et al.’s (2016) change path model to support change at the micro and meso levels. It is expected that the change process will create circumstances in schools where Principals better support IETs\u27 cultural and social integration by answering four guiding questions: how can the principals\u27 association provoke a shift in attitudes towards IETs from one of apprehension to one of fascination for principals; what knowledge and skills do principals need to support cultural and social integration of IETs in schools; how can school administrators contribute to the success of IETs in school environments and, how can IETs knowledge and experience be leveraged to support equity work? The change implementation plan uses a four-step plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle to execute a multi-step solution, including focus groups, training and resources, and professional learning networks. The different components of the solution will be monitored and evaluated based on detailed yet flexible monitoring and evaluation plans. Pathways to using the change process in other contexts are also explored

Trauma-sensitive school leadership

Public schools welcome and support students from all walks of life. As a result, educators in public schools are responsible for meeting multiple and divergent student needs. Events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic – such as increased anxiety, domestic abuse, neglect and school closures – as well as growing awareness of systemic societal inequities for many under-represented groups, and historical atrocities such as the discovery of unmarked student graves at residential schools, have led to an increased public awareness of student and staff trauma