Professional Standards for BC Educators
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teacher-regulation/standards-for-educators/edu_standards.pdf
(March 21, 2023) Deborah Laurie Croft
https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/CROFT_CRA_20230306.pdf
First mention of a breach of Standard #9
- Teaching certificate issued in 2019 so they would not likely not have encountered Standard #9 during their teacher training program.
- Employed at an independent school
(a.) Student A was an Indigenous student in Grade 11. Student A’s homeroom was Croft’s classroom. On November 5, 2029, Student A and a friend went to Croft’s classroom to check their phones and decided to stay in the classroom as their next block was study break. Croft was required to attend a meeting at that time and needed the students to vacate the classroom in order to secure the room. She asked the students to leave, but they refused. Croft became frustrated, shut the classroom blinds, and locked the door from the inside so that other students could not enter. Croft then pulled Student A’s arm and grabbed Student A’s phone from Student A’s hands, in an attempt to force them to leave the room.
(b.) Student B, who is Indigenous, was a Grade 10 student in Croft’s Social Studies class. On February 20, 2020, Student B was being disruptive in class, an one point noisily slamming a book shut at least once. Croft responded by asking Student B to leave the classroom. As Student B was leaving, Croft took Student B’s book and hit Student B on the rear end with it. Student B was visibly upset and reported feeling humiliated afterwards.
- “The school terminated Croft’s employment, effective immediately” [no BCTF]
- “Croft admits that the conduct describe din Paragraph 4 of this agreement constitutes professional misconduct and is contrary to Standards #1 and #9 of the Professional Standards for BC Educators, June 2019″
- Two-day suspension of teaching certificate
- “She will successfully complete the course Systematic Racism in Canada in Partnership with Dr. Carl James offered by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation…”
In determining that a two-day suspension of the course requirement and appropriate, the Commissioner considered the following factors:
(a.) Croft failed to treat students with dignity and respect
(b.) Croft acted in a manner inconsistent with an educator’s responsibility to contribute to truth, reconciliation, and healing.
A selection of headlines:
- B.C. teacher who hit Indigenous student with book to take anti-racism course
- B.C. teacher suspended for professional misconduct involving two Indigenous students
- B.C. teacher fired for mistreating Indigenous students must take anti-racism course
- B.C. teacher reprimanded for failing to contribute to truth, reconciliation and healing
- B.C. teacher who hit student’s bum with a book suspended
- BC teacher fired for hitting Indigenous student with textbook
- B.C. teacher who hit Indigenous teen ‘on the rear end’ with book faces 2-day suspension, mandatory training
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(December 5, 2023) T-AL-2023
https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/T-AL-2023.pdf
(a.) In the 2020-2021 school year, Student A was an Indigenous student in the Teacher’s class.
(b.) One day, the students were instructed to line up before entering the School. Student A did not follow these instructions. The Teacher instructed Student A to go back and line up properly. Student A continued to walk towards the classroom.
(c.) Student A had previously behaved in a similar way. On those occasions, the Teacher verbally communicated with Student A and asked Student A to try again.
(d.) On this day, the Teacher decided to speak to Student A before Student A went into the classroom. The Teacher stood in front of Student A and made physical contact with Student A, which caused Student A to fall onto the floor.
(e.) Student A stood up and moved towards the Teacher, who did not move. A physical interaction occurred, and as a result, both the Teacher and Student A fell to the floor.The Teacher was right over top of Student A and restrained Student A on the floor. The Teacher repeatedly said “stop” to Student A.
(f.) Others in the room perceived the Teacher to be sitting or kneeling on Student A while Student A was lying on the floor.
(g.) An educational assistant, who saw the interaction between the Teacher and Student A in the hallway, came into the classroom and told the Teacher to “get off” Student A.
- “…suspending the Teacher for two days without pay…”
- The Teacher also voluntarily took the following remedial steps:
- a. apologized to the parents and to Student A;
- b. completed a series of counselling sessions through EFAP;
- c. received guidance from a mentor;
- d. completed several courses through Queen’s University Continuing Teacher Education program, education to improve understanding of the experiences and learning needs of First Nation, Métis and Inuit Peoples;
- e. completed “MindUP for Educators: The Science and Practice of Self-care and Mindful Teaching”; and
- f. completed the Tribes Learning Communities Tribes TLC 24 Hour Basic Course
- In the Teacher entered into a consent resolution agreement with the Commissioner, in which The Teacher admitted that the conduct set out in paragraph 4 constitutes professional misconduct under section 63 of the Teachers Act and is contrary to Standard #1, 3 and 9 of the Professional Standards for BC Educators (June 2019). The Teacher agreed to a five-day suspension of his certificate of qualification under sections 53 and 64(b) of the Teachers Act.
In determining that a one-day suspension and course requirement are appropriate consequences, the Commissioner considered the following factors:
(a.) The Teacher engaged in an inappropriate physical interaction with Student A.
(b.) The Teacher’s conduct was inconsistent with Standard #9, because the Teacher’s actions reflected the harmful legacy of physical abuse in Indian Residential Schools.The actions harmed Student A, negatively impacted the community’s feelings of trustand safety in the education system, and did not contribute towards truth,reconciliation and healing.(c.) It is a mitigating factor that the Teacher has taken proactive steps to complete courses to better understand Indigenous students’ cultural and learning needs and to learn more strategies to meet the individual learning needs of students.
Media:
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(August 6, 2024) T-AH-2024
https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/T-AH-2024.pdf
(a.) The Teacher used inappropriate discipline methods with students; failed to take appropriate steps to address student conduct; and in one class, made inappropriate gender-based comments to students about two teachers who were making a presentation.
(b.) The Teacher made insensitive comments to an indigenous [sic] student in the Teacher’s class about their indigeneity [sic].
- “On the Teacher entered into a consent resolution agreement with the Commissioner, in which the Teacher admitted that the conduct set out in paragraph 4 constitutes professional misconduct and is contrary to Standards #1 and #9 of the Professional Standards for BC Educators (June 2019).”
- “…one-day suspension of their certificate of qualification…”
- “The District issued the Teacher a letter of discipline and suspended them without pay for three days. In addition, the District removed the Teacher from their position with the Program and placed the Teacher on the District’s Teacher Teaching On Call list.”
In determining that a one-day suspension and course requirement are appropriate consequences, the Commissioner considered the following factors:
(a.) The Teacher failed to treat students with dignity and respect, and in a manner which fostered their mental and physical well-being.
(b.) The Teacher failed to contribute to reconciliation and healing with First Nation students.
(c.) The Teacher did not role model non-biased communication in front of their students.
Media:
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Considerations
- Has the BCTF taken a breach of Standard #9 to arbitration to seek to make clearer what circumstances of misconduct the standard applies to?
Gladue principles
https://aboriginal.legalaid.bc.ca/courts-criminal-cases/gladue-rights