Writing Team
Author: Dr. David Cameron
Institution: Toronto District School Board
Bio: David Cameron is the Senior Manager of the Research and Development Department in the Toronto District School Board. He is an educator and education policy sociologist with research interests in school change and the interrelationship between educational policy intentions or design and peoples’ experiences within policy frameworks. David has twenty years of experience working in the school systems of Ontario, the US, and the UK. Most recently, David worked as a Director of Research for People for Education, a non-governmental organization think tank that advocates for public education. David believes that societal health and human rights depend on an enriched and vibrant public education system.
Author: Alison Gaymes San Vicente
Institution: Toronto District School Board
Bio: Alison Gaymes San Vicente is currently a superintendent who works to disrupt educational practices that continue to disadvantage historically underserved students. Her disposition, anchored in critical pedagogy, has led to a secondment at 91ÑÇɫ’s Faculty of Education and her previous role as a Centrally Assigned Principal for Principal Coaching, Equity & School Improvement with the Toronto District School Board. Her passion has also been the impetus for her work in the areas of girls’ mentorship, Black Student Excellence, and challenging educational streaming in the elementary and secondary panel.
Author: Angelique Gordon
Institution: 91ÑÇÉ«
Bio: Angelique Gordon is a PhD candidate in the Graduate Program in Critical Disability Studies at 91ÑÇÉ«. Her research interests include Blackness, disability, education, and student wellbeing. As a teaching assistant in the School of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Health, 91ÑÇÉ«, Angelique has taught undergraduate students statistics, mathematical concepts, research design, and research methodology. In addition, Angelique’s background in the fields of social work, biology, and psychology further facilitates her multi-disciplinary approach to critical disability studies work and scholarship.
Author: Nicole Ineese-Nash
Institution: Ryerson University
Bio: Nicole Ineese-Nash is an Assistant Professor cross-appointed to the schools of Early Childhood Studies and Child and Youth Care at Ryerson University. As an Anishinaabe (Oji-Cree) researcher and educator, Nicole’s work focuses on Indigenous experiences of social systems, understandings of land knowledge, and community-based research. Through an interdisciplinary Indigenous lens, Nicole’s research explores Indigenous youth and child experiences in various educational contexts including land education programs, disability services, schools, and community settings. Nicole is particularly interested in supporting Indigenous youth to connect with their ancestry, land, and cultures as a way to promote wellness and has founded Finding Our Power Together, a national non-profit organization, in order to support Indigenous youth in realizing their own goals.
Author: Dr. Carl E. James
Institution: 91ÑÇÉ«
Bio: Carl E. James holds the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora in the Faculty of Education, 91ÑÇÉ«. He holds cross-appointments in the Graduate Programs in Sociology and Social and Political Thought. He has published extensively on the ways in which race and its intersection with gender, class, citizenship, and other identify constructs – mediated by accessible and equitable opportunities – account for the lived experiences and educational outcomes of racialized people, and Black youth particularly. One of James’s recent publications is Colour Matters: Essays on the Experiences, Education, and Pursuits of Black Youth (2021).
Author: Karen Murray
Institution: Toronto District School Board
Bio: Karen Murray is the Centrally Assigned Principal for the Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement in the Toronto District School Board. Karen leads initiatives on Black Students’ Success and Excellence from K–12 and most recently was appointed by the Ontario College of Teachers to lead the development of an Additional Qualification on Addressing Anti-Black Racism. In 2020, Karen became one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women.
Author: Dr. Gillian Parekh
Institution: 91ÑÇÉ«
Bio: Dr. Gillian Parekh is an Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Disability Studies in Education (Tier 2) within the Faculty of Education at 91ÑÇÉ«. Gillian is cross-appointed with 91ÑÇɫ’s Graduate Program in Critical Disability Studies and holds a status appointment within the Department of Social Justice Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. As a previous teacher in special education and research coordinator with the Toronto District School Board, Gillian has conducted extensive system and school-based research in Toronto in the areas of structural equity, special education, and academic streaming. In particular, her work explores how schools construct and respond to disability, as well as how students are organized across programs and systems.
Author: Luke Reid
Institution: University of Toronto
Bio: Luke Reid is a human rights lawyer and a social worker who has spent his career serving clients with disabilities. Previously, Luke led ARCH Disability Law Centre’s education law practice and is currently in private practice representing students with disabilities in conflicts with school boards. Luke has represented clients in numerous fora including the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, the Superior Court of Justice, and the Supreme Court of Canada. He has led multiple law reform and research projects on disability-related issues in the education system and has significant expertise in human rights, education, and accessibility law. Luke has recently returned to complete his PhD in Social Work at the University of Toronto and is conducting research on the human rights issues that students with disabilities confront in the education system.
Author: Jason To
Institution: Toronto District School Board
Bio: Jason To is a secondary mathematics and science educator who has challenged the practice of academic streaming and promoted greater inclusion at the school and system levels in the Toronto District School Board since 2014. Jason has created videos and written articles on destreaming and has also presented in provincial mathematics conferences and to leadership in numerous Ontario school boards on destreaming in secondary mathematics.
Author: Kathryn Underwood
Institution: Ryerson University
Bio: Kathryn Underwood is a Professor in the School of Early Childhood Studies at Ryerson University. Through critical disability theory, Kathryn investigates how society responds to and constructs childhood in social institutions. Her interests are in human rights and education practice, particularly with regard to disability rights and inclusive education. The focus of her research has been on institutional constructions of disability in education and early childhood programs, the work of families to engage with disability service systems, and the intersectional identities of all disabled children. Recently, Kathryn has led a ten-year multi-sectoral research partnership conducting a longitudinal analysis of family experiences and the work of families who have disabled children.
Coordinating Support
Kim Tran
Bio: Kim Tran is a Master of Education candidate at 91ÑÇÉ«, the Project Coordinator for Critical Transitions, and an Occasional Teacher for the Toronto District School Board. Her research interests include Indigenous conservation, experiential education, place-based learning, and equity/policy issues in education. Kim continues to learn and unlearn as a new educator and as a settler, and she is passionate about furthering the ongoing equity work needed in education.
Data Visualization Support
Firrisaa Abdulkarim
Bio: Firrisaa Abdulkarim is currently a PhD student in the Sociology Department at 91ÑÇÉ«. He previously completed his BSc in psychology at 91ÑÇÉ«, with a minor in economics. Throughout his educational journey, Firrisaa’s research interest has always revolved around the intersection of inequality and race, particularly within the educational system. He has experience in community development, including international experience, and has been a part of several projects that tackle the issues that youth from marginalized communities face.
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