Nova Scotia has moved on filling longtime vacancies on the Council on African Canadian Education.
The Education Department announced Tuesday that nine people have been appointed to the council for a total of 14 members. The council’s full complement is 17 people.
Former council member Carlotta Weymouth told The Chronicle Herald last month that its membership dwindled from 11 people when she started to only four members during her last three years.
Under the Education Act , the council is charged with promoting “the rights and interests of African-Nova Scotians by providing recommendations to the minister on programs and services in public schools.”
The following people have been appointed or reappointed to the council:
- Darlene Upshaw-Tynes, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Shaniqwa Thomas, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Anthony Riley, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Charmaine Willis, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Kimberly King-MacDonald, Glace Bay
- Glenda Talbot-Richards, Colchester County
- William Crawford, Yarmouth County
- Gerry Clarke, Halifax Regional Municipality
- Lindell Smith, Halifax Regional Municipality
"These nine individuals are all well-respected in their communities and will add valuable voices to the work being done to address inequalities in our education system," Education Minister Zach Churchill said in a news release Tuesday.
"The educational success of African Nova Scotian students is an important priority and I look forward to continuing our work with the council to ensure our African Nova Scotian learners are supported."
At least four seats on the council are for at-large members from the African Nova Scotia community, the release said, while four seats are reserved for provincial groups, such as the African United Baptist Association, the Black Educators Association and the Black Cultural Society.
Seven seats are reserved for regional representatives.
The appointments were approved Tuesday by the standing committee on human resources and will be finalized shortly.
The Education Department also has an African Canadian Services branch that works to address systemic racism and focuses on ensuring Black students and their families are reflected in the curriculum, the release noted.
As well, 14,000 department staff have taken training "to provide them with the culturally responsive teaching strategies needed to engage and support our diverse student population."
