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Hamilton Spectator

Classrooms are ‘increasingly diverse' — Educators in Brantford are working to make sure teachers are, too

At 16, singer Q Quimado — who also plays piano, guitar and drums — already knows she wants to share her passion with others as a music teacher . Q, who is Asian and visually impaired, has struggled to identify with educators. 'I always had a very specific idea of what a teacher looks like and that doesn't look like me,' the W. Ross Macdonald School for the blind student said. It's a reality professors at Wilfrid Laurier University are working to address through an initiative aimed at diversifying Ontario 's educators. On Wednesday, the university's Brantford campus hosted its first Increasing Teacher Diversity event, which drew more than 60 students from local schools to campus to explore careers in education through guest speakers, booths with career and funding information, and campus tours. The same event has been held in Waterloo for the last three years. The initiative, hosted by the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Coalition at Laurier's faculty of education, is intended to engage and inspire Black, Indigenous, racialized and LGBTQ students, as well as those with disabilities. 'Our classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse,' said assistant professor Pam Malins, a member of the queer community. 'In addition to preparing teachers to teach … we also know the power of seeing yourself represented in your classroom.' Professors Jennifer Straub, Pam Malins and Keri Ewart are part of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Coalition at Wilfrid Laurier University's faculty of education. Representation can affect confidence, self-esteem and sense of belonging, experts say. In Hamilton, a 2022 public board census showed that students are far more racialized than staff , and nearly a third of students said they don't identify as heterosexual — a far greater number than staff. Asked about their race, 62 per cent of students described themselves as being white — again, well below the 88 per cent of staff who did so in the 2019 employee census . 'The HWDSB's hiring practices include 'targeted efforts' to 'reach a broad and diverse audience,' such as advertising jobs on platforms dedicated to groups, like Indigenous peoples,' executive officer of human resources Jason Alexander said in an email. In 2019, 88 per cent of staff at Hamilton's Catholic board identified as white. It's unclear if the Brantford-area Catholic board has conducted a similar census. At the Grand Erie District School Board, which includes the city of Brantford, as well as Brant, Norfolk and Haldimand counties, 88 per cent of staff identified as white in 2024, compared with 62 per cent of students. Twenty-one per cent of students said they weren't straight (or declined to answer), compared with six per cent of staff. Progress has been made since the last workforce census in 2021, the report reads, but there's still work to be done. The board, whose area is adjacent to Six Nations of the Grand River, saw a 25 per cent increase in Indigenous staff, but the overall proportion was small at one per cent. Seven per cent of students identified as Indigenous in 2024. Director of education JoAnna Roberto said creating a 'strong connection' between students and their schools is a priority. The board's human resources and leadership teams are working to attract staff from diverse backgrounds and offer relevant professional development. 'We need to enhance our practices,' she said. The staff 'is not as diverse as it could be,' said Carmen Davis, a teacher at Assumption College School. At the Brantford school, 13 per cent of students spoke a first language other than English, five per cent were newcomers and 16 per cent received special-education services in 2023-24. 'It's not reflecting our student population,' Davis said. Wilfrid Laurier University education students Zia Balaj (left) and Samantha Terpstra, both 25, volunteered to help dozens of Brantford-area students to explore careers in education at the first Increasing Teacher Diversity event on Wednesday. Aspiring educator Grayson Dela Rosa said most of his teachers have been women, and he wants to see more men in the field. Classmate Ella Da Silva, 17, agreed, and noted that leadership positions tend to be male dominated. Laurier's efforts could have significant local impact, as more than 85 per cent of education students who graduated between 2021 and 2023 work in schools within 100 kilometres of Laurier campuses, an employment survey found. The initiative, which was launched in Waterloo three years ago, came after the education faculty noticed a trend: Their own cohorts and placements lacked diversity, said assistant professor Jennifer Straub. She said kids often comment: 'I've never had a teacher that looks like me.' 'If we want more teacher diversity, then we need to do something about it,' she said. 'The best way to do that is to reach out to secondary students to say it is possible.' Born and raised in Brantford, Samantha Terpstra's elementary teachers were 'predominantly white.' The 25-year-old bachelor of education student hopes to be part of diversifying the Ontario school system. 'Your school is supposed to reflect your students,' she said. 'I want to be there to represent a teacher of colour, so students can see themselves in me.'