The Halton District School Board (HDSB) has released a "professionalism policy" for parent and stakeholder review, but it contains no details on standards of dress for teachers.
Concerned parents have been calling on the board for six months to deal with the appearance in the classroom of a shop teacher at Oakville Trafalgar High School wearing large prosthetic breasts. Parents say the school and the board have ignored their concerns and failed to deal with the matter while the school continues to be disrupted by bomb threats and argue that the children's education is suffering.
HDSB trustees called for a professionalism policy that "outlines the HDSB’s expectations of all staff members, including the requirement to maintain appropriate and professional standards of dress and decorum in the classroom" in January.
The report is to be presented to the board at Wednesday's (March 1) school board meeting, but a copy is included in the agenda package for the meeting, which has been posted on the HDSB website.
While the report contains no details on the suggested standards, but rather references other policy framework documents, HDSB Superintendent of Human Resources Sari Taha told the Toronto Star it will be followed by a companion policy with details in coming months after consultations with stakeholders and refining.
Parents group Students First Ontario said the students' needs continue to be overlooked.
"The current policy does not address the immediate needs of the parents," member Celina Close told sister site BurlingtonToday. "We want professionalism standards for teachers to be defined and upheld so our students can get back to a distraction- and bomb threat-free education."
Close said the interim report delivered to the board by HDSB Director Curtis Ennis at the Feb. 15 meeting was "infuriating" and alleged there's no urgency to resolve the matter.
"This week we are seeing that efforts are being put forward on the policy development, but the time frame is long and drawn out. So again, what is being done now to address our concerns for the students?"
HDSB is consulting with stakeholders, with a survey mailed out on Friday. Students, staff, parents and guardians being invited to complete an online feedback survey.
Input will be collected over the next two weeks and while it won't be anonymous, "access to respondent identifiers is restricted to the Research and Accountability Department conducting the survey and consolidating findings," the policy draft states.
It then asks respondents to rate its guiding principles and objectives on a scale of how clear, fair, brief and understandable they are. There's also a section for written feedback.
While many are frustrated, Close said they will not stop fighting for the importance of their children's educational experience.
"Parents are heavily invested and involved in this issue," she said. "Parents are active in board meetings, parent council meetings, calling all levels of the education system and government as a whole. Our hope is that the board can resolve it; if not, we know (Ontario Education Minister Stephen) Lecce is looking for a resolution, and we also have legal options.
"We are very much committed to the students' education and well-being and will not back down."
