CTV.ca | Luther Brown: Back in T-dot

Luther Brown: Back in T-dot

Updated Tue. Jun. 17 2008 12:31 PM ET

Lindsay Zier-Vogel, CTV.ca

Renowned choreographer, Luther Brown spent his childhood in a radio station, and in fact, didn't step foot in a dance studio until 2000. So how he one of the top choreographers in North America, working with artists like Janet Jackson, Shawn Desman and Toronto's own Jully Black?

"I observe," he says, "I always have. I just soak it all in." From watching musicals growing up, and then music videos as he grew older, Brown has broken the trend of dancing first, then becoming a choreographer. Instead, he became a choreographer in his own right. "Not everyone took the route I did -- it's unique," he says.

"Luth-er! Luth-er!"

After first making his name in Toronto, then New York and now in LA, Brown is ecstatic to be back in his hometown. But as thrilled as he might be, he's nowhere near as excited as the competitors. The moment he walks out of the wings, the dancers are on their feet giving him a raucous standing ovation and chanting "Luth-er, Luth-er."

With so much of Canada's dance talent heading to the States, he's thrilled to be able to offer dancers in Toronto the opportunity to be seen in their own country. "I'm so glad I'm on this [panel], 'cause this is stuff we've been doing forever and now we get to bring it to the front."

"Toronto's a lot of everything. There are a lot of trained kids, and a lot of street kids -- b-boys and hip hops dancers. It's gonna be a beast."

Growing up in the 'hood

Brown spent much of his youth in Jane and Finch in the north end of Toronto and before he even knew what outreach was, Brown was engaged in community-building work, bringing art and music to kids in his 'hood.

His father, Luther Brown Sr., runs Caribbean Crucible, a reggae radio program on the community radio station out of York University. During the summers, Brown would bring his friends in to take over for his dad.

Hosting the show with the now-famous singer, Jully Black, he would delegate the rest of the responsibilities to his friends. "I didn't think I was a leader, but my dad took me aside later and broke it down for me. I took a lot of kids people couldn't control and focussed them -- [giving them tasks and responsibilities]."

"We just did it"

Expanding on his skills at the radio station, Brown worked at the Driftwood Community Centre, creating arts programming for under-privileged youth. "There were just so many kids that were hungry to do stuff, so we just did it," he says, referring to his comprehensive arts programming that included dance, film, visual art and musicals.

Having grown up in Kingston, Jamaica, a place Brown describes as "Brooklyn meets South Central", Brown says he related to his participants because he knew what it was to "live in the 'hood."

"But, he adds, "I also knew what it was to strive for different things."

Telling stories

It was at Driftwood that Brown started making dance troupes. "But then, I didn't know what a choreographer was. I just knew that I could put together a crew, get a routine happening, organizing and overseeing everything."

His love for narrative and musicals shaped these original creations: "I was always telling stories physically. There was always a story and characters behind my choreography."

Brown took his love for story-telling to the University of Windsor where he studied English Literature and Black History. But while he was there, he couldn't leave his love of dance behind, so Brown created the university's step and dance teams.

Doin' Dat

While studying in Windsor, Brown was frustrated by a lack of support and recognition for Toronto street dancers. Being the go-getter that he is, Brown founded Do Dat Entertainment -- originally a dance group that morphed into an agency, a school and now even provides artist development for Toronto's leading performers.

The lineup in Toronto was full of Brown's students, who said that though he can be a clown in his workshops, he definitely knows when to get to work. "You have to be on top of yourself," one hip hopper said. "You have to push yourself and you have to be serious."

Another dancer added, "If you're not serious about it, there's just no room for you."

From teaching to judging

Brown believes his role as a teacher will help him as a judge. "My angle as a judge is to find diamonds in the rough and make them hot. I really want to find the best well-rounded dancer," he says, smiling behind his Versace shades.

And what is Brown looking for in a dancer? "You've got to have skill and you've got to be clean," he says. "You don't just want to learn the steps, but understand how to perform the steps.

"You need to take the movement and add yourself to it, make it fresh -- that's the choreographer's dream."

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Mikey Dread. Dead at 54

From: Versionist.com

Entertainment Update March 2008!.

It is with great sadness that we at West Indian Times have to report that Michael 'Mikey Dread' Campbell who was always 'The Dread At The Control' has passed away. Mikey passed away at approximately 6:50pm Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 15th, 2008. He was surrounded by his family in the home of his sister in Connecticut at the time of his passing.

We had reported in October 2007 that Mikey had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and that he was fighting with all his might to recover from his illness. Mikey constantly remained upbeat and hopeful for a full recovery so that he could continue doing what he loved; spreading Jah music to the world.

Mikey's family including his children; 2 sons from Jamaica, a daughter who lives in Houston, TX, a son who lives in Canada, a daughter who lives in Belize, and his 4 month old son Zylen Jahlight had been close by in the last few months as he fought to stay with them. We will keep you updated as service arrangements are made. West Indian Times sends our deep condolence to the family and friends of Mikey Dread. His passing is a great loss to the Universe. He will be greatly missed. Mikey, may your soul rest in eternal peace.'

Rest In Heavenly Peace Mikey Dread
www.myspace.com/zacheousjacksonmuzic


From: The Jamaican Observer

Mikey Dread, gone from the control Hailed as one of reggae greatest innovators

By Basil Walters Observer staff reporter Sunday, March 16, 2008

Radio disc jock Mikey Dread is dead. He succumbed to a brain tumour late yesterday afternoon at his family home in Connecticut, USA at the age of 54. Born Michael Campbell in Port Antonio, Jamaica, he distinguished himself as an extraordinary studio engineer and presenter at the now defunct Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) where he came to prominence in the 1970s as "The Dread-the-Control Tower", the name of the late night show he presented at a time when reggae music was scoffed at by many.


From: CaribbeanCricket.com

The Dread at the Controls

Mikey Dread, gone from the control
Hailed as one of reggae greatest innovators
By Basil Walters Observer staff reporter
Sunday, March 16, 2008

Radio disc jock Mikey Dread is dead. He succumbed to a brain tumour late yesterday afternoon at his family home in Connecticut, USA at the age of 54. Born Michael Campbell in Port Antonio, Jamaica, he distinguished himself as an extraordinary studio engineer and presenter at the now defunct Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) where he came to prominence in the 1970s as "The Dread-the-Control Tower", the name of the late night show he presented at a time when reggae music was scoffed at by many.

Mikey Dread... hailed as one of reggae's greatest innovators
One of reggae's greatest innovators and original radio engineers/technicians, the past student of Titchfield High School, in

2006 celebrated the 30th anniversary of the night programme which he started at the JBC, and revolutionised the after midnight shift making it into the most popular slot on radio, by playing strictly dub music. This innovation is seen by many musicologists as the antecedence of dancehall as we now know it.

Upon leaving the JBC, Mikey Dread ventured into recording and scored with a number of releases such as Weatherman Skanking in combination with Ray I, Barber Saloon, Love the Dread, as well as albums such as Dread at the Control, Evolutionary Rockers and World War III. Over time he attracted the attention of British punk rockers, The Clash, who invited him to produce some of their music, the most famous of which is their single Bankrobber, and contributed to several songs on their 1980 album, Sandinista. Mikey Dread also toured with The Clash across Britain, wider Europe and the US.

He also worked closely with producer Trevor Elliot to launch musical career of singer Edi Fitzroy, who was then an accountant at the JBC. As the news of his passing surfaced yesterday, the Sunday Observer got comments from a number of persons in the media and the music fraternity, all of whom hailed Mikey Dread as a significant contributor to the development of Jamaican music. "His (Mikey Dread's) work, is not only national or regional, but also international," former JBC's journalist Leslie Miles noted. "It spanned the world scene and made Mikey a pioneer broadcaster for playing dub music, and also redefined aspects of radio, especially night time radio" Miles, who is now head of news at Bess FM, also spoke of the struggle Mikey Dread faced at the conservative JBC. Music consultant Colin Leslie pointed out that the consequence of the "fight" he received from the management was putting him on at night, but that backfired.

"Remember he is a Portlander, so I always appreciated the fact that we shared the same alma mater (Titchfield High School), that is something I've always cherished and I hold him in high esteem. Although he was ahead of my era, he was somebody who laid an awesome foundation and was very unique and highly respected," was how Richard "Richie B" Burgess of Hot 102, remembered Mikey Dread.

"We were at JBC together, and in those days when he started at the JBC dreads weren't popular on the air. The powers that be in management really gave him a fight," Ali McNab told the Sunday Observer.

"Michael Campbell, is someone who revolutionised radio in Jamaica when there was still an anti-Jamaican sentiment regarding music and culture. In terms of the emerging dancehall, it was Mikey Dread who popularised it on radio. Although it was late night, he still managed to popularise dancehall music and bring it to the masses," was the perspective of Dennis Howard who also worked on JBC Radio, in the post-Mikey Dread era.

And Irie FM's disc jockey, GT Taylor hailed the late Mikey Dread as a role model. "Reggae music in Jamaica, owes a lot that that brother. He was one man who stood up for reggae in the early '70s, bringing the music to the forefront. He is one of my inspirations."

Veteran singer Freddie McGregor attested to the fact that "Mikey Dread was one of the persons fighting the struggle for reggae music. Mikey and I did a lot of shows together over the years. A wonderful brethren".

Visit: mikeydread.com

Barack Obama : : Change We Can Believe In | Sam Graham-Felsen's Blog: Senator Barack Obama Receives Endorsement of Flag Officers from Army, Navy and A

"CHICAGO—Citing his judgment and ability to lead, admirals and generals from the United States Army, Navy and Air Force that together have served under the last nine Commanders-in-Chief today announced their endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for president.

In offering their endorsement, the generals and admirals recognized Obama’s judgment to oppose the war in Iraq before it began, his respect for the Constitution and rule of law, his leadership on behalf of America’s servicemen and women and his ability to conduct the diplomacy necessary to restore America’s standing in the world.

'Those of us who have served, worn the cloth of our nation, and gone into harm's way know that to be successful we must have the strongest sense of trust in our Commander in Chief. We must be confident that he or she has listened to the best possible advice, that he or she has garnered the best possible information from all possible sources, that he or she has analyzed and weighed all the possible consequences and outcomes, and that he or she has made the decision to exert military force as a last possible resort,” said Admiral (Ret.) Robert “William” Williamson (USN). “Of"

International Women's Day 2008: Investing in Women and Girls

'At the 2005 World Summit, Governments of all nations agreed that “progress for women is progress for all”. Yet the 10-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action revealed a serious gap between policy and practice in many countries. A lack of political will is reflected in the most telling way of all: lack of resources and insufficient budgetary allocations. That is why the theme of this International Women’s Day is “Investing in Women and Girls'. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon

The United Nations and Gender Equality

The Charter of the United Nations, signed in 1945, was the first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men. Since then, the UN has helped create a historic legacy of internationally-agreed strategies, standards, programmes and goals to advance the status of women worldwide.

Over the years, the UN and its technical agencies have promoted the participation of women as equal partners with men in achieving sustainable development, peace, security, and full respect for human rights. The empowerment of women continues to be a central feature of the UN's efforts to address social, economic and political challenges across the globe.

For information about recent themes and commemorations by the United Nations of International Women's Day, please visit: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd.

TheStar.com - Ending the silence to save history

Feb 02, 2008 04:30 AM

Stuart Laidlaw
Faith and Ethics Reporter

OWEN SOUND–Bonita Johnson-de Matteis tells this story. She's not sure of all the details, or even how much to believe, but the tale of how her family came to Ontario is an integral part of Canadian black history.

Some 150 years ago, two Johnson brothers escaped slavery in Maryland, made their way north to Detroit and were stopped by the difficulties of finding passage across the river and the border into Canada.

A Detroit businessman offered to help them if they agreed to work for him for a year. So they willingly put themselves back in bondage, in a free state, for a chance at freedom. A year came and went and the businessman went back on his word – so the two men made a run for it.

This is where the details get vague. The two brothers may have killed the man to escape, or he died pursuing them. "Either way, he ended up dead and they got away," Johnson-deMatteis says.

As black men in the 1850s, and escaped slaves at that, the two spoke little of the incident. They knew they would be blamed for the death whatever the truth. In time, the sharp details of their escape were rounded as the story was passed through the generations.

And so it is with some of the oldest and richest black history in Canada. Fearful of persecution and being sent back into slavery, early black settlers kept largely to themselves, rarely telling anyone their personal histories.

Even their children would be kept in the dark until they were old enough to be trusted with the truth.

These fears were well founded.

John Hall was a black man born free in Ontario but he, his mother and 11 siblings were abducted one night and sent into slavery in Kentucky. He escaped and made his way to Owen Sound. His story is a cautionary tale about lying low.

Through the generations, this secrecy born of self-preservation became part of the culture, reflected in an insularity in the community, a distrust of others and an aversion to doing anything that draws attention.

"Even with your closest friends growing up, you wondered how much to tell," Johnson-deMatteis remembers, sitting at the kitchen table of a friend from her school days, Terri Jackson, a white woman who grew up in the black neighbourhood of east Owen Sound.

It's now time to break the silence, the two women agree. They volunteer with the local genealogical society compiling the local black history into a book to be published this spring. They expect it to be a valuable resource for both amateur genealogists and academics.

"If our generation doesn't do this, it'll all be lost," says past chairman of the society Art Harvey, who got the project going.

The group is going through family journals, scrapbooks and photo albums, talking to older residents and others who have moved away, stitching together tales passed through the generations.

Without the pictures and clippings saved by these families, the three agree, telling their story now would be impossible.

"These people had the presence of mind to sit down and have their picture taken," Johnson-deMatteis says, looking at a family photo taken in 1924, after the funeral of her great-grandfather.

At the centre is her great-grandmother, Sarah, a white woman who married into the family and by the late 1950s was its matriarch. Disowned by her own family, Johnson-deMatteis remembers, Sarah proudly told people she was a "white black woman."

The history project reflects a growing recognition of the often overlooked black history of rural Ontario. A cairn has been erected in Owen Sound's main park to commemorate the Underground Railroad that brought slaves north, and a museum was built nearby. Each summer, the city hosts an Emancipation Picnic.

The three local historians fear, however, that too much has already been lost. Johnson-deMatteis once asked her uncle David Earll if he knew the details of the two brothers' escape, but he couldn't help. As a child, he wasn't trusted with the story, and by the time he became old enough, his priorities were elsewhere. "He said he was too busy as a young man just trying to make it in a white man's world," Johnson-de Matteis says, and details of the escape were lost with the previous generation.

That's what spurs her on in the work, she says, but confesses that the old instincts of secrecy sometimes get the better of her – and she pulls away from the project from time to time.

"I go two steps forward and one step back, but that's just me still working all this through."

In the end, she says, her own aversion to attention takes a back seat to reminding people that black history is not just an American or an urban thing. It is also a rural thing interwoven with European settlement of Ontario.

In fact, she says, a century before Toronto began to think of itself as a multicultural centre, small towns like Owen Sound, Dresden and Chatham were already dealing with issues of race and ethnic tension.

A decade after Confederation, Jackson says, nearly a third of Owen Sound was black, many of them escaped slaves. Their stories are piling up in the books and papers collecting in Jackson's home office, and in the very buildings of this Georgian Bay port.

On the main street, the grand Buchan Manor backs onto the Sydenham River. Legend has it, the first owner, industrialist and fervent abolitionist Walter Buchan, installed a tunnel from the river so escaped slaves could get to his home, where they were housed until they found a job and a place to live.

Up the street, at Coulson's British Hotel, hotelier J.P. Coulson ran one of the finer establishments in town, with 80 rooms, stables, dining rooms, a bar, a women's parlour and, it is believed, a secret staircase behind a secret door with a trick lock leading to a room where escaped slaves found shelter.

"Even if you knew where the door was, you couldn't open it," Jackson says.

Any hard evidence of the secrets of the hotel, now converted to apartments, are lost, a fate the three local historians are working hard to ensure does not befall any more of the area's rich black history.

Each photo, newspaper clipping or story handed down through the generations adds to the bigger picture, Johnson-deMatteis says.

"These are all the little things you pull together, knit together and try to make sense of your life."

Crucible Awards 2007

Artist	Award	Year	Title	Country
Buju Banton	#1 Dance Hall Single	2007	Driver	Jamaica
Jimmy Reid	#1 Single	2007	Storm Cloud	Canada
Tarus Riley	#1 Single - International	2007	She’s Royal	Jamaica
Queen Ifrica	Artist of the Year - Female	2007	Fyah Muma	Jamaica
Steele	Artist of the Year - Male	2007		Canada
Tarus Riley	CD/Lp of the Year	2007	Parables	Jamaica
Jimmy Reid	CD/Lp of the Year	2007	Storm Cloud	Canada
Tony Rebel	Circle Of Distinction	2007	DJ/Producer	Jamaica
George Banton	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Gospel	Canada
Lance Ingleton	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Live Show Promotion	Canada
Bobby Ruglas	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Musician	Canada
Karl Harvey	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Musician	Canada
Dean Fraser	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Musician/Producer	Jamaica
Arnold A. Auguste	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Publisher /Editor of Share Newspaper	Canada
Michael Van Cooten	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Publisher/Editor of Pride News Magazine	Canada
Alton Ellis	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Singer	England
Freddie McGregor	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Singer	Jamaica
Owen Gray	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Singer	England
Grandmaster Rosa	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Sound System	Canada
Winston “Merritone” Blake	Circle Of Distinction	2007	Sound System	Jamaica
Eddie Fitzroy	Comeback Artist	2007		Jamaica
Max Romeo	Comeback Artist	2007	Chi Chi Bud	Jamaica
Kirk Davis	Comeback Artist	2007	One More Chance	Jamaica
Anthony Cruiz	Crucible Mention	2007		Jamaica
Carl Henry III	Crucible Mention	2007		Canada
Comfort	Crucible Mention	2007		Canada
Exco Levy	Crucible Mention	2007		Canada
Granny Inspiration	Crucible Mention	2007		Canada
Maxi Million	Crucible Mention	2007		Canada
Richie Stephens	Crucible Mention	2007		Jamaica
The Mighty Mysticcs	Crucible Mention	2007		Canada
Jassette Haughton	Crucible Mention	2007	Gospel	Canada
Patric Blair	Crucible Mention	2007	Gospel	Canada
Janet Scott	Crucible Mention	2007	Mystery Woman	Canada
AL G	Crucible Mention	2007	Roots	US Virgin Island
JD Smooth	Crucible Mention	2007	Smoothe Thoughts	USA
Dylan Murray	Crucible Mention	2007	White Wing Roots	Canada
Alicia Keys & Jr. Reid	International Artist of the Year	2007	No One	USA/Jamaica
Gregory Isaacs	Longevity	2007		Jamaica
Jakki James	Longevity	2007		Canada
Winston McAnuff	Longevity	2007		France
Bob Andy	Longevity	2007	Reggae Land	Jamaica
Lloyd/Michelle Campbell	Producer of the Year	2007		USA
Richie Stephens	Respect Due	2007		Jamaica
Tanya Mullings	Respect Due	2007	Music Is My Life	Canada
Tony Greene	Respect Due	2007	Musician/Producer	Jamaica
Prince Everald	Respect Due	2007	Producer/Artist	Canada
Dubmatix	Respect Due	2007	Production/Musician	Canada
Beres Hammond	Respect Due	2007	Singer/Producer	Jamaica
DJ Funkie	Respect Due	2007	Sound System	Canada
DJ Logie	Respect Due	2007	Sound System	Canada
DJ Sugarbird	Respect Due	2007	Sound System	Canada
Meshach Wevolusion	Rising Star	2007		St. Lucua
One Shat	Rising Star	2007		Canada
QQ	Rising Star	2007		Jamaica
Visionary	Rising Star	2007		Canada
Blessed	Rising Star	2007	Blessed	Canada
LJX	Rising Star	2007	Two Chord Skankin’	Canada

Africa Unite Symposium in Jamaica - Ziggy Marley

Message to the African delegates at the Africa Unite Symposium in Jamaica

It only takes a small spark to start the biggest fire and a small axe can cut down a big tree. What we endeavour to do does not take money and it does not need to be institutionalized.

All we need to do first is talk to eachother. Yes talk. There is a saying that talk is cheap, but when these talks eventually cause action, we will have achieved a great return on our investment. We are here to talk about african unity, to discuss it, to debate it, to get it on our minds, to put the conversation of african unity back on the peoples agenda, around the fires, the bars, the schools, the football games, the dinner table, the bedroom, and eventually the continent. When was the last time you thought about it, when was the last time you heard an african leader mention it, maybe they speak about it in their bedrooms.

I believe in african unity but I know not all who are on the continent believe or are willing. Many are called few are chosen. Some countries will some won't, for whatever reason they choose. Yet those who do not wish to"

080129_Africentric_1217.pdf (application/pdf Object)

080129_Africentric_1217.pdf (application/pdf Object)

TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
IMPROVING SUCCESS FOR BLACK STUDENTS

Special Meeting 29 January 2008
RECOMMENDATION

IT IS RECOMMENDED:

1. That a Program Area Review Team (PART) be established in
February 2008 to recommend the program and operational
model for an Africentric Alternative School opening in September
2009, including grade levels, selection of site, and staffing
and support services required, and that the PART report to
the Board with its recommendations by May 2008;

2. That a three-year pilot program be established in three existing
schools beginning in September 2008, to implement a model
for integrating the histories, cultures, experiences and contributions
of people of African descent and other racialized groups
into the curriculum, teaching methodologies, and social environment
of the schools;

3. That a Staff Development, Research, and Innovation Centre be
established beginning in September 2008, in collaboration with
post-secondary institutions and community agencies, in order
to develop, use and assess the effectiveness of best practices
for improving school achievement for marginalized and vulnerable
students who are not achieving success in school; and
4. That the Director report to the Board in April 2008 on an action
plan for addressing student underachievement for marginalized
and vulnerable students, based on proposals received
from community stakeholders and on current system plans.

RATIONALE
Background
On 27 June 2007, in response to a community request for an Africentric
Alternative School, the Board decided that staff present a
report on the feasibility of an Africentric Alternative School. Staff
undertook the usual consultative process with community and staff
stakeholders under the terms of the Board’s Alternative Schools
Policy and Procedures.

Special Meeting 2
January 29, 2008 Agenda Item 5.1

The request for an Africentric Alternative School arises from
community concerns about low achievement and disengagement of
Black students in schools. Staff also received extensive input at
two system-wide community forums on 1 and 8 December 2007.
At these forums about 100 speakers – parents, community members,
youth groups, community organization representatives,
teachers, principals, and interested individuals, presented their
proposals for Black student success to a panel of trustees and senior
staff.

A summary of the key proposals are listed in Appendix A.

This report presents four recommendations and rationale.
Program Area Review Team Process for Africentric Alternative
School

This recommendation responds to the specific community request
for such a school. Staff conducted literature reviews to provide
background information on Africentric schools. As in any other
school, the success of an Africentric Alternative School depends
on the expertise of the school leadership, high quality instruction,
high expectations for students, a culture of caring, parental engagement
and support, as well as an inclusive curriculum that positively
reflects the identities, backgrounds and experiences of all
the students in the school.

An Africentric Alternative School is not a school for Black students
only. It is open to any student in the TDSB who chooses to
attend.

The TDSB defines an Africentric Alternative School as
follows:
An Africentric Alternative School is a school open to all students, which uses the sources of knowledge and experiences of peoples of African descent as an integral feature of the teaching and learning environment. A planning process for the Africentric Alternative School will begin immediately with the establishment of a PART in February 2008.

This process and timeline is recommended because of the need to ensure that the following key components of the program and operational delivery model are carefully considered with the input of the community:

• The grade levels of the school (i.e. elementary, middle or secondary
grades) and the number of classes per grade;

• A suitable and accessible school site;

• The school philosophy, pedagogy, and program focus require
community input;

• An Africentric curriculum for the appropriate grade(s) once the
grades have been determined;

• The nature of the staffing and support services required;

• The expectations for parent involvement and support; and

• Staff training on the model in order to ensure the required level
of expertise.

Following a determination of the above components, a survey of parents will have to be conducted to determine intent to enroll.
This survey will require information about the grade levels of the school, selected site, program description and other necessary details
in order for an informed parental choice to be made.

It is understood that the opening of any alternative school in the TDSB is contingent upon a commitment to enroll formally expressed
by a sufficient number of students required to operate a viable program, as recommended by the PART. Community members have emphasized during the consultation
forums that the Africentric Alternative School must be set up for success. Opening the school in September 2009, will provide greater scope for careful planning and execution of the key components so as not to place the viability and sustainability of the Africentric Alternative School at risk.

Pilot Programs in Three Schools
A key equity goal for the Board is to ensure that every school positively reflects the diversity of its community, in terms of school philosophy, instruction, student support and overall socio-cultural environment. Some racialized communities, in particular the Black community, have persistently expressed concerns that their child’s school falls far short of that goal.

Data from the recent TDSB Student Census shows that a vast majority of students say that learning about their own racial and cultural background will make school more interesting and enjoyable for them and about half of all students say that this will help them to do better in school.

Other TDSB student data shows that students from the Caribbean, East and West Africa who are predominantly Black have the highest rates of school failure. About 40% of Black students do not graduate from high school. The rigorous implementation of inclusive school practices within an inclusive school philosophy is essential to reversing this persistent pattern of school failure for Black students and other racialized groups. All schools will benefit by access to proven exemplary practices, resulting from schools which model these inclusive approaches to teaching and learning.

This report therefore recommends that a three-year pilot project in three schools (K - 6, middle, secondary) with a significant population of Black students would provide a mechanism for identifying high-impact best practices. Integrating an Africentric approach along with other approaches which centres the experience of other
groups positively within the whole school environment will be the focus of these pilots. Additional resources will be needed to support this initiative. Existing African-centred curriculum units developed with the TDSB and from external sources will be adapted and enhanced to support these pilots. Staff and community expertise will support these pilots. There is potential interest among several schools to participate in this opportunity. Centre for Staff Development, Research and Innovation Initiatives proposed in this report will require the use of action research to gather data, track progress, use and test best practices, which have an impact on all students, in particular marginalized
and vulnerable students. The support of external expert partners in this research will be an important resource for this initiative.

Phase I will begin in 2008 through a partnership with York University, Faculty of Education, through the concept of a Centre for Research, Staff Development and Innovation. Discussions have already taken place with York University regarding the research model to be used. Initiatives to improve achievement of Black students and other racialized groups will benefit from this research. Other post-secondary institutions have indicated an interest in similar partnerships to support marginalized and vulnerable students.

Action Plan for Improving Black Student Achievement
Many proposals for improving the achievement of Black students have recently been made by community members, educators and experts. Staff have not yet had an opportunity to consider the proposals received at the 1 and 8 December 2007 community forums. Other proposals and strategies arising from reports such as the School
Community Safety Advisory Panel Report and from other staff and community discussions regarding Black student achievement will be considered in developing an action plan.
This report recommends that the Director report to the Board with an action plan based on these proposals, for short and long term response, with implementation beginning in 2008-09.

COST AND FUNDING SOURCE
$350,000.00 Development Process for Africentric Alternative School - $450,000.00 Pilot Programs in Three Schools ($150,000 per school) - $15,000.00 Centre for Staff Development, Research and Innovation - $5,000.00 Development of Action Plan $820,000.00 Total

IMPLEMENTATION AND REVIEW
• PART process to begin as soon as possible;
• Lead principal to be hired for September 2008;
• Consultation with Superintendents of Education to identify interested pilot schools, and their readiness to participate;
• Development of Action Research model in consultation with York University;
• Formation of a Committee to begin review of community and staff proposals and to set priorities;
• Executive Planning and Priorities Committee will monitor, review, and report progress to the Board.

APPENDICES Appendix A:
Black Community Education Forums (1 and 8 December 2007):

Summary of Key Proposals FROM Christopher Usih, System Superintendent, Learning to 18, Programs
& Partnerships

KEY COMMUNITY PROPOSALS INCLUSIVE CURRICULUM
• Teach all students about how race, class and gender impact their lives, and provide
curriculum resources and teacher training to support this teaching;
• Ensure that history of Canada taught in TDSB schools is inclusive of the
histories of people of African descent and all other groups which make up this country
including the perspectives of all groups impacted by events in Canadian history;
• Implement a mandatory curriculum unit on the history and experiences of people of
African descent as well as Aboriginal peoples in the curriculum for all students at
middle and secondary schools;
• Establish a diversity education program in each school using community resources
so that all students can learn about each other and develop intercultural understanding;
• Invest substantially in literature, film, documents, and aids that depict legitimately the
experiences of people with whom the diverse community of students can identify;
• Use African-centred references and content in visual and performing arts and sports
at all levels of instruction including the teaching of rap, gospel, and jazz;
• Teach historic facts about wealth creation, entrepreneurship, science and academia
of people of African descent in order to change current societal emphasis on Black
role models in sports and entertainment;
• Provide opportunities for all students to learn world history early enough so that they
understand why people from different geographical regions have different experiences,
characteristics and values;
• Integrate the teaching of African history, cultures and achievements through the
school year, not just in African History Month;
• Establish a position of Central Principal for Black Studies similar to the existing position
of Central Principal for Aboriginal Studies.

PROGRAM INITIATIVES
• Require each school to identify equity targets for the School Improvement Plan;
• Restructure Grade 9 courses to run in split classes, applied and academic together;
teachers will deliver the academic curriculum and allow for a differentiated assessment;
• Make co-op opportunities more accessible to youth of schools in marginalized communities;
• Provide more job shadowing programs for youth in high need communities;
• Develop Eco Schools Program in inner city communities;
• Build partnership projects between schools in disadvantaged communities and cultural
institutions such as the ROM, the Toronto Art Gallery and the Ontario Science
Centre to bring greater learning involvement of the youth with these institutions;
• Undertake an aggressive program to teach inner city youth how to use new technologies
to support learning;
• Use technology and Africentric software to aid in teaching a more culturally relevant
curriculum;
• Provide permanent funding to support the stability, quality and expansion of the existing
Black Heritage International Language Program;
• Extend learning opportunities to include summer programs for children and youth;
• Organize specialty summer camps for marginalized students to include nontraditional
summer activities such as archery, horseback riding, wilderness survival
and other activities that will expose students to a wider range of experiences;
• Provide employment opportunities for students in disadvantaged communities to
work for the TDSB in the summer.

STUDENT SUPPORT
• Transform the role of guidance counsellors to provide a focus on guidance to students
struggling with challenges who need culturally sensitive support to make more
informed choices in their academic and social lives;
• Restore and expand the community support workers, youth outreach workers, attendance
counsellors, and social work positions which have been cut by the Harris
government;
• Establish a Black male mentorship program in high need areas;
• Establish a TDSB job category of Youth Mentors;
• Provide in-school one-on-one tutoring for students struggling with their academic
challenges;
• Schedule intervention style group meetings with the student at-risk with more than
one teacher, parent/guardian;
• Replicate the “Promoting Excellence Program” which has a 98% success rate in the
Jane/Finch area;
• Utilize ‘Future Aces Program’ which provides student leadership opportunities;
• Offer Pathways to Education (Regent Park model) in all inner city communities of TDSB.

VALUES
• Create a board-wide initiative where every school would be required to adopt a
charitable project around which they would use character-building values;
Special Meeting 10
• Implement an integrated approach to character development across all programs in
the school;
• Teach children good manners; teach them the importance of a smile (the promoters
of rap music have taught children to wear a sullen and hostile look);
• Encourage children not to copy the tough gangster look that America has sold to
Black youth.

SCHOOL CLIMATE
• Ensure that each school set a goal of building a trusting relationship between all staff
and students and work hard to create an environment in which all students feel safe;
• Ensure that teachers get to know each student personally; know their names, know
their goals, know the issues and stresses that they are experiencing in their personal
lives and actively support them in dealing with their challenges;
• Build the school program in disadvantaged communities around improving students’
self esteem by focusing on what they do well, by expanding their view of what is
achievable, and by instilling the confidence to strive for something positive;
• Provide support for those students whose learning styles that may be considered
different, while making learning challenging and fun by developing their creativity
and thinking skills;
• Create opportunities for groups of students in middle and secondary schools to
come together to discuss issues; organize student workshops and discussion groups
on topics and issues they are dealing with in their lives;
• Create many opportunities for Black students and other racialized groups to participate
in leadership responsibilities in the school.

STUDENT DISCIPLINE
• Get students to commit to taking responsibility for their part in building respect for
each other and for adults in the school;
• Establish a better balance between punishment and conflict resolution, peer mediation,
prevention, human rights protection, and equity;
• Use in-school suspensions where suspensions are warranted, and ensure that supports
are provided for suspended students;
• Link students who are having behaviour challenges with a mentor/advisor prior to
suspensions;
• Promote the use of school uniforms for all schools.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Train all elementary and middle school teachers in the use of African-based content
in delivering literacy and numeracy programs;
• Provide intensive training for principals, teachers, guidance counsellors and support
staff in equity issues including anti-racism and gender equity awareness and strategies,
stereotyping, racial profiling, cross cultural differences, and understanding the
immigrant and refugee experience;
• Provide pre-service education for all teachers in the college programs to learn about
the realities of dealing with Black students and other racialized student groups;
• Develop an Africentric Leadership Institute for principals, teachers, and students so
they understand the needs of the community, similar to the model in Nova Scotia;

PERSONNEL ISSUES
• Recruit teachers who have a passion to teach children and who can communicate
high expectations for all students and who can build trust with students;
• Recruit teachers who understand how to use mainstream hip-hop culture as a context
for motivating and teaching Black students;
• Include demonstrated evidence of inclusive instruction as part of a teacher performance
appraisal programs;
• Principal transfer approvals should consider the candidate’s record in equitable
school practices and community engagement;
• Principals with experience in working progressively with Black students and parents
should be placed in schools with predominantly Black populations;
• Establish a teacher compensation policy which includes factors related to teacher
effectiveness and student achievement data.

ADVOCACY AND ADVISORY STRUCTURES
• Establish a Black community committee of advisers to work with the TDSB on how
to move forward on Black students achievement issues;
• Develop a council in African Canadian Educators to work specifically with the Ministry
of Education to ensure the needs of Black students are being met;
• Establish a committee of Black educators, parents, students, members of the community
and the clergy to work with the Board to organize, implement, and administer
the Black focused schools;
• Organize a support group of community and professional organizations to act as
youth advocates for students;
• Organize an annual Black Community Education Summit funded by the TDSB.

PARENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
• Create strong home-school connections with Black parents, providing opportunities
for families to come together to support student learning;
• Ensure that principals and school council leaders have strategies for identifying and
eliminating any barriers to the involvement of Black parents and other racialized
groups in the school and in the school council;
• Organize events at school that are of interest to parents who are not actively involved
in the life of the school;
• Have a Parent Night once per month for the parents to just talk with each other
about schools and their children;
• Establish a formal network between schools, community centres and businesses,
and other interested groups in the local community to address youth issues and to
support youth;
• Open the schools to more free or low cost community use for programs aimed at
children and youth;
• Schools and community agencies should create parent support groups with expert
resource people to help parents with coping strategies and proactive strategies;
• Adjust school meeting schedules to accommodate the convenience of parents;
• Organize a Take Your Parent/Caregiver To School Day for students in K-10;
• Make sure the main school office projects an inclusive and African-friendly environment.

BLACK FOCUSED SCHOOLS
• The Board should establish a Black focused school because it will lead to improved
school achievement for students who attend, and it will provide a model for other
schools to follow;
• The Board should not establish a Black focused school because it is divisive and it
will create a focus away from improving school achievement of Black students in all
schools.

OTHER
• Ensure that the TDSB website or other communication vehicles gives the community
good information about what’s going on and how the Board is addressing Black students’
issues.
• The TDSB should work closely with the Ministry of Social Services, Ministry of Child
and Youth Services, and the Ministry of Housing to address social issues of Black
students which impact Black students in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Promoting CRITICAL LITERACY

Barbara Comber defines critical literacy
as the opportunity to use language in
powerful ways to get things done in the
world. http://www.curriculum.org/secretariat/files/Nov29CriticalLiteracy.pdf


Questions to Promote CRITICAL LITERACY

Who is the author/producer?
What do you think are the author’s values, attitudes and beliefs?
How do you think the author sees the world?
Who or what may have influenced the author’s world view? Explain.
What is it that they believe in that is different from what we believe in?
What do you interpret to be the author’s intent? Explain.
Who is the target audience? How do you know?
How might different people interpret the message of the text?
When and where was the text crafted? How do you know?
What was going on in the world at the time the text was crafted?
How has the author worded ideas in the text?
How does the wording influence the meaning?
Where is the “agent of action” placed in the sentence (spoken or written)?
For example:
Police Catch Criminal! (places focus on “police” and softens focus on “criminal”)
Criminal Caught By Police! (places focus on “criminal” and softens focus on “police”)
Criminal Caught! (places sole focus on “criminal”)
How do the features of text influence the message?
How does the medium influence the message of the text?
Who published the text?
Who is making money from the text (what are the commercial implications)?

More Questions to Promote CRITICAL LITERACY

♦ Who is the author/producer of this text?
♦ Knowing what we know about who created this text, how do we expect him
or her to treat the subject matter?
♦ Why are we reading or viewing this text?
♦ What do we already know about the text based on what we can see?
♦ What do the images suggest? What do the words suggest?
♦ What kind of language is used in this text? What is its influence on the
message?
♦ What do you interpret to be the author’s intent? Explain.
♦ With whom do you think the author wants us to identify or sympathize?
♦ Who is the target audience? How do you know?
♦ How might different people interpret the message of the text?
♦ How are children, adolescents, or young adults represented in this text? How
are boys or girls represented?
♦ What has been left out of this text that you would like to have seen included?
♦ Is the text fair? Does it treat the subject matter/sides/parties fairly?
♦ Who benefits from this text? Who does not?
♦ What does the reader/viewer need to know ahead of time in order to really
understand this text?
♦ What is real in the text? What is not real? How is reality constructed?
♦ How might the creator of this text view the world? Why do you think that?

Nov29Questions.pdf (application/pdf Object)

TheStar.com | GTA | Key recommendations for safer schools

TheStar.com | GTA | Key recommendations for safer schools:

Why schools aren't safe
Jordan Manners died of 'pure neglect' – a result of the cutbacks to the kinds of supports at-risk students need, says the head of a panel that has delivered a stinging indictment of safety in the city's high schools.
Jan 11, 2008 04:30 AM
Daniel Girard
Education Reporter

The Falconer report makes 126 recommendations to the Toronto District School Board, Queen's Park, City Hall and various other public agencies. Here are some key ones:

SECURITY

Uniforms: All students should wear uniforms unless a school council opts out. Identification: Students should be required to wear identification cards around their necks.

Canine unit: Board canine units should be used as part of immediate stepped-up security that includes regular searches of lockers for weapons. Police:"

Oscar Peterson: A Jazz Giant

Oscar Peterson: A Jazz Giant

	Growing up in Montreal's Saint-Henri		'Coloured boy with amazing fingers'		Oscar's swinging style
	Nurturing young Oscar Peterson's phenomenal talent. (TV; runs 7:47)		Eighteen-year-old Oscar Peterson delivers a crowd-pleasing performance. (Radio; runs 3:51)		Young Oscar Peterson talks about his unique "walking boogie" technique. (Radio; runs 8:55)

	Oscar's big break		Battling all shades of racism		Oscar: The practical joker
	Montreal's own wows jazz impresario Norman Granz. (TV; runs 1:49)		Oscar Peterson defends white jazz musicians. (Radio; runs 2:40)		Remembering some unforgettable pranks on the road. (Radio; runs 8:42)

	'Maharajah of the keyboard'		Marriage of two great Canadian pianists		Gzowski in conversation with Peterson
	A relaxed Oscar Peterson muses about his fame, Canada and Frank Sinatra. (TV; runs 15:05)		Oscar Peterson receives the Glenn Gould Prize. (Radio; runs 14:42)		CBC's Peter Gzowski drops in for a visit with Oscar Peterson. (Radio; runs 26:46)

LINKS Topic from Les Archives de Radio-Canada on the same subject Oscar Peterson, le roi du jazz Related Topics from CBC's Archives Glenn Gould: Variations on an Artist CBC.ca Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson dies External sites National Library of Canada: Oscar Peterson -- A Jazz Sensation Oscar Peterson's Official Web Site Encyclopedia of Music in Canada: Oscar Peterson The CBC assumes no responsibility for the content of external links.

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