Human Rights & Equity Lead

See Yourself in Limestone!

The Limestone District School Board is seeking a proven visionary leader with a well-defined philosophy of equity and inclusion to join a highly collaborative team, providing strategic direction and leadership across the district to a professional and caring staff who are committed to the success of all students and staff. Reporting to the Director of Education and other members of the Senior Team, you will provide leadership, strategic direction and expertise in equity, diversity, inclusion, human rights, and change management, working as a senior advisor to the District on matters relating to change/transformation, human rights, equity, diversity and inclusion. You will lead and support transformational change to expand cultures of respect for human rights and equity, and champion the identification and elimination of system discrimination to build capacity within Limestone District School Board through structural and cultural change in support of staff and student achievement and well-being.  This includes supporting and strengthening the implementation of culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy in classrooms.

Supporting the evolution and implementation of the Limestone DSB Equity Action Plan and the Board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan, you will collaboratively develop and implement a Human Rights procedure, support the implementation of the Ontario Equity Action Plan by providing both centralized learning and job-embedded learning within schools, building and maintaining relationships with community partners and coordinating and facilitating learning events for students and/or staff.  You will also oversee Limestone’s internal human rights complaint procedure, including conducting investigations, and/or supporting mediation with the goal of promoting and supporting Limestone’s efforts to identify and address systemically-based human rights and equity issues.  You will also support Human Resources in recruitment, retention and succession planning for under-represented groups within the board. 

The Limestone District School Board’s strategic vision centres on student and staff Wellness, Innovation and Collaboration. Situated in historic Kingston, on the shores of scenic Lake Ontario, the Limestone District School Board serves more than 19,000 students in 55 schools and 5 alternative education centres, covering a geographic area of 7,719 square kilometres across the City of Kingston, the Townships of Central Frontenac, North Frontenac, South Frontenac, Addington Highlands, Loyalist, Stone Mills, the Frontenac Islands and the Town of Greater Napanee.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

• A post-secondary degree in a related discipline such as law, human rights and equity, humanities, social sciences, or education and/or a combination of relevant education and experience
• Ideally, a minimum of five to seven years’ experience leading equity, diversity and human rights initiatives, including supporting human rights investigations and/or mediation
• K-12 Education sector experience is an asset, including familiarity and understanding of the Education Act, and associated regulations and policies
• Knowledge and understanding of the Ontario Human Rights Code, human rights case law, and emerging issues and trends
• Commitment to continuous learning and improvement based on data
• Experience leading and supporting the professional learning of adult learners in the areas of human rights, equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to respond to contentious issues with sensitivity, confidentiality, tact, and discretion
• Excellent conflict resolution skills with an inclusive approach to building consensus and solving problems collaboratively
• Strong cultural competence and demonstrated commitment to working in diverse school communities and/or work environments
• Ability to provide clear direction to Board staff, managers, school administrators, and senior leaders to ensure compliance with Human Rights legislation and policies
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, including demonstrated flexibility to meet changing priorities in a fast paced environment
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Proficiency in the use of technology including word processing, databases, presentation tools, case management software, email, and internet
• Ability to travel to any school across the district

How to Apply

If this exciting and dynamic opportunity aligns with your vision, values and lived experience, and you can see yourself in Limestone, please forward your resume and cover letter representing how you see yourself impacting Limestone in this capacity, along with the names of three preliminary references, who will not be contacted without consent.  Packages should be addressed to Krishna Burra, Director of Education, and must be submitted no later than 3:00 p.m. on June 23, 2021 to moorewy@limestone.on.ca

Further information about this opportunity is available by contacting the Office of the Director of Education at (613) 544-6925, ext. 235 or burrak@limestone.on.ca.  Additional information about the Limestone District School Board can be found at www.limestone.on.ca.

Interviews

Please note that interviews will be scheduled between June 29 – July 7, 2021.  Candidates will be advised at time of contact whether interviews will take place in-person or virtually. Shortlisted candidates will be requested to submit written consent to contact three professional referees, including current and prior supervisors.

Thank you for your interest in working and leading in Limestone.

Commitment to Diversity

Limestone District School Board is committed to fair and equitable hiring practices that will move us forward in hiring qualified staff who reflect the full diversity and lived experiences within the communities we serve.  Within the education sector, historically under-represented groups in the workforce include people who have traditionally been marginalized based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion, disability (both visible and non-visible), and/or self-identification as First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous peoples.  We invite and welcome you, through your cover letter, to self-identify as someone who has lived experiences as a member of one or more of these groups and who can bring valuable, diverse knowledge and perspective to our District and the students and communities we serve.  

We thank you for your interest. Only those applicants who have been selected for an interview will be contacted and invited to further participate in the process.

Accommodations will be provided to applicants to enable equitable participation in the recruitment process.

The Limestone District School Board is situated on the traditional territories of
the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee.