Equity & Accessibility
The Peel District School Board’s 
Equity and Inclusive Education Policy #54 reflects the board’s commitment to provide and maintain safe and healthy environments conducive to learning and working for all. The policy affects all areas of the board’s programs, guidelines and practices, ranging from curriculum and assessment to religious accommodation, creating a welcoming school climate and preventing discrimination and harassment.
Action plan provides roadmap for equitable hiring, promotion at Peel board
On Jan. 22, 2013, Director of Education Tony Pontes announced a new action plan, The Journey Ahead, to transform the work of the Peel District School Board in equitable hiring and promotion. The detailed action plan will help create a more diverse workforce at all levels of the organization. It is based on extensive research by an external firm with significant and specific expertise in the area of diversity hiring.
Noted Pontes, “It’s critically important that we immediately take action on the research report. We have developed and will implement The Journey Ahead: Our Action Plan for Equitable Hiring and Promotion in Peel. This detailed action plan directly addresses the findings from the research. It will ensure that our work in the area of equitable hiring and promotion is bias-free, deliberate, planned, systematic and consistent with our goals, policies and mission. The Journey Ahead action plan will transform the work of the Peel District School Board in equitable hiring.”
Commitment to Equity
The Peel District School Board is committed to equity in employment. We are committed to equitable hiring practices that allow us to hire qualified staff who reflect the full diversity of the Region of Peel. We will make any reasonable accommodation, based on any of the human rights protected grounds, to support candidates to participate in the hiring process.
When contacted, candidates will be provided with an overview of the various elements of the selection process, such as tests and skill demonstrations. We will provide employment accommodation (i.e. an accessible location, rescheduling of interviews that fall on religious holy days) if we are advised of an applicant's needs in advance of any part of the selection process.
News release re: The Journey Ahead action plan and research report - January 22, 2013
The Journey Ahead Action Plan
Final Report
Human rights
Everyone has a right to be treated with respect and dignity, and to teach, learn and work in an environment that's free from discrimination and harassment. That is a core belief of the Peel board. Our commitment to human rights isn't just the words of a policy—it must be demonstrated by our actions every day. Together, we share the duty to prevent and eliminate discrimination and harassment.
Visit the board’s Go Beyond Words website to learn more about your rights under the board's policy. By learning more about human rights, we can go beyond words, and help achieve our goal to create equity for all students and staff.
Religious accommodation
The Peel District School Board recognizes and values the religious diversity within its community and is committed to providing a safe, respectful and equitable environment for all, free from all forms of discriminatory or harassing behaviour, including those based on religion.
As part of this commitment, the board has established its Religious Accommodation Operating Procedure to recognize, value, broaden the awareness of, and take all reasonable steps to accommodate, the religious diversity within the board’s community.
Parents of Peel students should submit a religious accommodation request in writing to their school principal in early September (or as early in the school year as possible).
Accessibility
It is the policy of the Peel board to provide an environment in all of its facilities that builds independence, dignity and respect for our students, parents/guardians, the public and our staff. The board is committed to the continual improvement of accessibility and the on-going removal of barriers in order to provide greater equity for all in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Our conduct will demonstrate our belief in the strength diversity brings to our communities.
Customer service operating procedure
Board's Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2013 - 2017
Poverty Reduction Strategy
The Peel board is an advocate for poverty reduction and works collaboratively with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the Region of Peel and service organizations to address some of the poverty challenges in Peel. The board has established policies and operating procedures to assist children and families in combating poverty and has instituted programs to support that goal.
For information about the Region of Peel's Poverty Reduction Strategy visit their website. Their three-year Poverty Reduction Action Plan (2012-15) can also be found online.
Peel board's role in Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy
Learn more
Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy