Comox Valley Schools (SD 71) has completed its first equity scan of Indigenous students, staff, families, and communities, and has released the findings in its Equity in Action report. This report includes a summary of students’ equity concerns, inequitable experiences, and outcomes; an explanation of the district’s response gaps and their underlying causes; and the seven action priorities that have been proposed to close the response gaps. The study involved surveys, interviews, and meetings with key contacts such as students, school staff, board-level centralized staff, and local community members. The report outlines several key findings from the study, including issues around trust, bias and racism exposure, and an over-reliance on Indigenous Support Workers. While the study concluded with several priorities for the board to act on, the author noted that one in particular was crucial to the success of all others: Building an accountability mechanism that would apply evenly and systematically across the entire district.
