Backgrounder


Ontario's Safe Schools Action Team

February 21, 2008

The Safe Schools Action Team promotes a safe learning and teaching environment in schools, and healthy relationships among students. The government is reengaging the team to identify ways to improve student safety and address concerns including those raised in Toronto District School Board's School Community Safety Advisory Panel's report.

The team's new mandate is finding ways to prevent inappropriate behaviour in school such as:

  • sexual harassment
  • homophobia
  • gender-based violence.

It will also look at making it easier for students to report these types of inappropriate behaviours in schools.

Leeanna Pendergast, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Responsible for Women's Issues will join the Safe Schools Action Team for this review. This will enable better collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the Ontario Women's Directorate.

Team Members

Liz Sandals — The Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education and chair of the Safe Schools Action Team. Sandals was elected to the Ontario legislature in 2003 to represent the riding of Guelph. Prior to that, she taught computer science at the University of Guelph and was elected to her local public school board. She served as vice-chair and chair of the board and was president of the Ontario Public School Board Association from 1998 to 2002. Sandals also represented Ontario on the board of directors of the Canadian School Boards' Association.

Leeanna Pendergast — The Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Responsible for Women's Issues. Pendergast was elected to the Ontario legislature in 2007. Born and raised in Kitchener, Pendergast has taught at various high schools in the region, serving as vice principal of four schools and as an education consultant for the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. She has worked collaboratively to develop various programs to support youth in Waterloo region, including the Safe Schools Initiative, education representative on the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Council, and the Community Partnership Initiative for youth at risk. She has chaired the school/police protocol for safe schools and the education foundation golf classic to raise money for numeracy and literacy initiatives. Pendergast obtained a BA from the University of Waterloo. She has also studied at the University of Toronto and at Oxford University in England, receiving numerous degrees including an MA, B.Ed., and M.Ed. She and her husband Richard Upenieks live in Conestogo with their three sons Adam, Alexander and Benjamin.

Stu Auty — The President of the Canadian Safe School Network and former chair of the Ontario Safe School Task Force. Auty leads a national multi-faceted not for profit organization with a mandate to reduce violence in schools and communities in Canada. Over the years Auty has acted as an advisor on safe school issues to municipalities, school boards and provincial and federal governments. He was the founding administrator of the Vanier School for Young Offenders.

Dr. Inez Elliston – Former Director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF). Dr. Elliston spent over three decades as an educator and a community volunteer. She retired from the position of education officer at the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training after working at all levels of the public education system in Canada, the United Kingdom, Jamaica and West Indies. Inez has served as a consultant on several provincial and national projects including: Citizenship Education, The Needs of Immigrant Women, Youth Leadership Training Programs and University Transition Programs (Admission for Special Groups). Her work includes teacher professional development in multiculturalism and intercultural education and citizenship preparation and training in anti-racist education. She received recognition for her contribution from governments, institutions, and organizations, including the Arbor Award for Volunteerism from the University of Toronto in 2003 and the Order of Ontario in 2004.

Ray Hughes — The National Education Coordinator for the Centre For Prevention Science with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. He is the past Learning Coordinator for Violence Prevention with the Thames Valley District School Board where he coordinated the implementation of violence prevention programs for 190 schools and 80,000 students. Hughes conducts presentations on violence prevention and safe school initiatives and has developed and implemented school-based programs on a wide variety of related topics. He has successfully implemented a proactive response to violence in schools called the Interpersonal Development Program.

Dr. Debra Pepler — Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology at York University and a Senior Associate Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children. She leads the PREVNet -- a Networks of Centres of Excellence New Initiative to Promote Relationships and Eliminate Violence. This national network brings together 42 national organizations and 45 researchers to promote healthy relationships for all Canadian children and youth. Dr. Pepler edited a recent book on international bullying prevention programs and has consulted with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on school violence and bullying. She heads two research networks and holds seven research grants related to understanding and addressing children and adolescents' aggressive behaviour problems.

Lynn Ziraldo – The Executive Director of the Learning Disabilities Association of York Region and advisor and past chair of the Minister's Advisory Council on Special Education (MACSE). As a parent of two sons with disabilities, Ziraldo has been involved provincially and nationally as a parent advocate in the field of special education for the past 25 years. She has also given numerous workshops and training on learning disabilities to parents, professional groups and community agencies. She has represented learning disabilities and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder on numerous committees/task forces on education, health, social and legal issues throughout York Region, Ontario, Canada, and the United States. Her work also has been acknowledged through several awards.

Team's History

December 2004 — The Safe Schools Action Team was first appointed. The team, made up of recognized safety and education experts visited communities across Ontario to examine school safety and the impact of the former safe schools legislation.

November 2005 — The team presented its first report: a bullying prevention action plan for schools and communities.

November 2005 – February 2006 — More than 800 parents, teachers, students and other community members provided input to the team on safe schools issues.

June 2006 — The team delivered its report on school safety summarizing its findings and recommending areas for taking action.

June 2007 — the Ontario government passed amendments to safe schools legislation based on the Safe Schools Action Team's recommendations. The changes more effectively combine discipline with opportunities for students to keep learning. The changes also place a greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention.

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