1) Board Policies, Guidelines, and Practice

• Anti-Homophobia, Sexual Orientation and Equity shall be reflected in all aspects of organizational structures, policies, guidelines, procedures, classroom practices, day-to-day operations and communication practices.



• eliminating homophobic and heterosexist biases
  


• ensure continuous implementation of anti-homophobia
  


• ensure policy implementation of homophobia
  

TDSB shall provide informed and committed leadership at all levels by:

• assisting trustees, administrators, staff, and student leaders to develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours required to implement the equity policy in the area of anti-homophobia and sexual orientation



• identifying expectations for those responsible for implementation and incorporating these expectations into the performance appraisal processes, including the ongoing evaluation of teachers, support staff and administrators, annual plans and year-end reports.

TDSB shall ensure effective participation in the education process by:

• identifying and involving representative and inclusive organizations and lesbian and gay communities within the jurisdiction of the board.



• encourage school councils and others to reflect the range of lesbian and gay communities



• ensuring access by students, parents, and staff to supportive resources provided by the lesbian gay communities etc. as appropriate for use in TDSB schools.

• a curriculum that strives for sexual orientation equity provides a balance of perspectives



• ensuring that the principles and practices of anti-homophobia and equity on the basis of sexual orientation permeated the curriculum in all subject areas



• to use the curriculum effectively in order to promote critical thinking and to challenge homophobia and heterosexism.



• ensuring that classrooms, resource centers, school libraries, audio-visual collections and computer software contain appropriate materials and resources which accurately reflect the range of Canada’s lesbian and gay communities.



• developing guidelines to ensure that displays and visual representation in all schools and work places of the TDSB reflect the cultural heritage and include the contributions of the lesbian and gay communities.



• ensuring that the contributions of lesbian and gay communities, to Canadian and World History to Historiography are included accurately in all areas of the curriculum.



• ensuring that curriculum materials and learning resources are allocated to challenge hate groups and hate propaganda against the lesbian and gay communities.

• ensuring that students’ diverse sexual orientation and gender identities are valued and affirmed in such language learning.

• identifying, reviewing and changing practices which lead to the disproportionate streaming of students who identify on the basis of sexual orientation into academic programs

• providing counselling services that are culturally sensitive, supportive and free of bias on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.



• ensuring the maintenance of confidentiality around matters of sexual orientation and gender identity for youth.

• establishing outreach activities and affirmative action strategies (e.g. encouragement, mentioning, training and staff development) that center on that focus on marginalized groups of lesbian and gay people.



• ensuring that the board’s commitment to anti-homophobia and sexual orientation equity is communicated throughout the board, and that staff, students and community are aware of this commitment.



• encouraging diverse groups of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to apply for teaching and non-teaching positions.

• TDSB committed to on-going staff development on anti-homophobia and sexual orientation equity for trustees and board staff



• improving staff’s knowledge, skills and expertise in anti-homophobia and sexual orientation equity in order to help them understand how to identify and challenge prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.



• training, teaching and support staff in anti-homophobia methodologies to enable them to deliver on inclusive curriculum



• promoting the expectations that all employee practices will reflect anti-homophobia and sexual orientation equity policies and practical, and establishing criteria for accountability and evaluation.