This controversial direction has resulted in some very troubling situations for some students. The ongoing presence of officers in schools can be triggering and disruptive for some students. COPE would prefer to see school based professionals trained in working with youth , especially in the areas of mental health, safety and security, and school and career path choices. We believe that funding for ongoing relationship building teachers and staff is a better way to create safe school environments.

There is a gap in the measures taken in all Vancouver schools to insure that every student that is Indigenous, either being part of one of the three host Nations, or part of the Urban Indigenous population sees themselves reflected in the teachings of the classroom. An awareness of the importance of their identity as the stewards and occupants of the land we must be conveyed to every student. Indigenous leaders, elders and educators are the ones best positioned to provide the necessary teachings and every consultative effort must be undertaken to bring their voices into the classroom.

There is growing concern globally on the impact of technology on teaching and learning. It is past time that the VSB undertakes a comprehensive assessment of these tools to gauge their use in the following areas:

Student privacy and safety

How technology may be impacting learning in the areas of literacy, language development, critical thinking, social/ emotional intelligence, mental health and social connectivity.

By adopting the recommendations from the BC Human Rights Commission to respond to and eliminate racism in schools, COPE will work to keep racism out of the school.

COPE will maintain Sexual and Gender Identity education and resources in schools and support educators to teach about complex and sometimes controversial topics including but not limited to:

The history and impact of colonialism and residential schools.

The Trans- Atlantic slave trade, anti-Black racism, and the struggle for freedom and equality made by the People of African descent.

The history of Palestine, the current reality there and any local or global conflict where there exist racist overtones that have impact on the racial and cultural diversity in Vancouver schools and where there are multiple and differing perspectives.

There is a gap in the measures taken in all Vancouver schools to insure that every student that is Indigenous, either being part of one of the three host Nations, or part of the Urban Indigenous population sees themselves reflected in the teachings of the classroom. An awareness of the importance of their identity as the stewards and occupants of the land we must be conveyed to every student. Indigenous leaders, elders and educators are the ones best positioned to provide the necessary teachings and every consultative effort must be undertaken to bring their voices into the classroom.

We have been talking about special learners and what the classroom needs to support them for a long time. Rather than pulling back on those supports and programs designed to create full inclusion for all students we need to see the funding put in place that means that every student has an education plan that best suits how they learn. The differences become more complex all the time. We continue to learn more all the time on how to identify those complexities, and strategies that work for engagement. Unfortunately these strategies need funding to implement, and that's where we've fallen behind. COPE will strive toward getting the funding in place to implement the programs and supports to create public education that has a place for every student to learn in.

This controversial direction has resulted in some very troubling situations for some students. The ongoing presence of officers in schools can be triggering and disruptive for some students. COPE would prefer to see school based professionals trained in working with youth , especially in the areas of mental health, safety and security, and school and career path choices. We believe that funding for ongoing relationship building teachers and staff is a better way to create safe school environments.