Somali Parents in Toronto: "The proposed special program wants to stigmatize our kids and say they’re incapable of learning"

[Khayr]

What are the recommendations again?

It easy to bad mouth your own people.

 

[Madoobe1508736697]

Khayr,

You are absolutely right "it’s easy to bad mouth others". What the majority of the people posting about this article are forgetting is the fact that the parents opposing to the SOMALI TASK FORCE in the TDSB have every right to say NO to the SOMALI TASK FORCE recommendations. I have done some research and come to support those who are against the SOMALI TASK FORCE's RECOMMENDATIONS.

 

Initially, I was a supporter of the SOMALI TASK FORCE when it was initially put together....and after reading all teir meeting minutes...I was disgusted with any Somali who was willing to listen White Men who were blatantly bashing the Somali Community (don't take my word....go and see what they wrote on their meeting minutes available in link below.

 

Anyone, who reads the details, will NOT support the recommendations. In my view there is several reason one should not support this:

 

1. It demonizes our children and labels them as a whole community unable to compete with the rest of society, thus we the members and their affiliates must do the work of the parents.

 

2. When one reads each recommendation carefully, one realizes this is not about helping students of Somali descent. Rather, it is mainly a proposal to get grants from the Minister of Education. After all the biggest supporter of the SOMALI TASK FORCE is Chris Glover (the man responsible for SCARLET Heights High School). What did he do for our students that are tangible? Why would he care if the children/Students of Somali descent are further labeled….after all his entire budget increases resulting in bigger Bonus!!!

 

3. Ask yourselves,

1. Who are the people/members of the task force?

2. What are their backgrounds?

3. Are they leaders of the community? If so, how come they can’t get their message across?

4. What have they accomplished that is concrete?

5. If they think this is great…why not allow/listen those who oppose?

6. How did they conduct the research?

7. What methodology was used?

8. How come the TDSB, did not sent letters to all the Somali Parents informing them of the SOMALI TASK FORCE?

 

Furthermore, stated in the recommendations document, they claim they have the support of o over 400 of the Somali parents. Their research as they claim was based approximately 5616 self-identified Somali-speaking students who attended TDSB. The question I have here is how the members of the task force can want to get the 23 recommendations approved based on 400 parents support? The math doesn’t add up. 400 parents do not speak/represent 5616 students of Somali descent!!!!!

 

I hope we shall STOP demonizing those who oppose it. Again, in my view, anyone should be allowed to critique when it involves their children’s future. And if the SOMALI TASK FORCE members and its supporters are not willing to hear critiques, then we must conclude they are not for the best interest of our children.

 

 

Taskforce Members

 

Abdi Aidid – Member

Abdifatah Warsame – Member

Abukar Hagi – Member

Ahmed Ilmi – Member

Ahmed Omar – Member

Ali Abdullahi – Member

Ali Mohamed - Member / Co-Chair

Trustee Chris Bolton – Member

Faisal Omar – Member

Fatouma Ahmed – Member

Hamdi Mohamed – Member

Hassan Ibrahim – Member

Haweiya Egeh - Member /Co-Chair

Idil Burale – Member

Superintendent Jim Spyropoulos –Support Staff

Trustee John Hastings – Member

Trustee Maria Rodrigues – Member

Mohamed Abdullahi – Member

Mohamed Haji-Nur– Member

Mohamed Sambul – Member

Muna Ali – Member

Munira Abukar – Member

Mustafa Abdi – Member

Rayaan Elmi – Member

Shadia Abess – Member

Zahra Hassan – Support Staff

 

Link to the SOMALI TASK FORCE MEETING MINUTES:

http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Community/HowtoGetInvolved/SomaliTaskForce.aspx

 

Link to the 23 SOMALI TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS;

http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boardroom/AgendaMinutes.aspx?Type=A&Folder=Agenda%2f20140122&Filename=140122+Somali+2233.pdf

 

I hope you read the details carefully....looking forward to your constructive views.

 

Thank you.

[Madoobe1508736697]

<cite>

@Safferz

said:</cite>

That's our people! I'm honestly embarrassed by all of this.

 

Read the recommendations. Mind you they are not in DRAFT....they are final...then tell us if you think it’s about helping our kids rather than creating employment and jobs for those behind the SOMALI TASK FORCE.

 

Then again don’t bother, because you seems to have made your mind...hiding yourself!!!

 

At least I give some respect to the Author of the article who clearly wrote his name on it........only a real man with a clear message can do that....it seems to me he and others have had enough with the so-called Somali Community leaders who are only interests in getting some allowances...even if they have to smear the future of all children of Somali descent. Credit goes to those that stand against the SOMALI TASK FORCE.

 

 

[Madoobe1508736697]

<cite>

@LayZie G.

said:</cite>

The above author does not explain how the program will benefit the task force members, just that it will. I guess we have to take his word for it and blindly follow him to the ends of the earth.

 

 

TDSB Task Force on the success of Students of Somali Descent

Meeting Minutes

Tuesday March 19, 2013

 

(Abubakar stated that it would be in the group’s best interest to make sure none of the questions were leading and debatable because it would throw everything off balance. Make sure to guide the questions and if needed to have the questions clarified)

 

 

Himm!!!!...this sounds a lot like a group with an agenda...

[Madoobe1508736697]

<cite>

@Safferz

said:</cite>

The only group with a higher dropout rate than Somalis in Toronto are the Portuguese, and the Toronto District School Board created a Portuguese task force a year earlier that successfully assessed the needs of Portuguese students and made specific recommendations to the board. There has also been a First Nations task force. The TDSB followed that model in creating a Somali task force, made up of a diverse group of Somalis of different ages and varied career backgrounds. And how do a handful of our city's self-appointed Somali elite respond? Complete and utter butthurt rooted in the fact that they weren't the ones asked by the TDSB to lead the task force, and I suspect there is also some qabyalad at play. They offer no solutions whatsoever, and act as though Somali students aren't already marginalized in the system with their high drop out rates.

 

It is enraging. Somalis certainly have a knack for destroying things rather than building and doing anything constructive, SMDH.

 

Most of the people here seem to be Task Force members….very pathetic. If you think you are doing a great job refrain from insulting and references to QABYAALAD….this is Canada folks…if you wan to help the children of Somali descent….RUN FOR THE TRUSTESS positions!!!!

 

20 plus years later, 30 plus community centers, any parent who is involved with their kids’ education will not accept the so called SOMALI TASK FORCE…..

I wish I knew which one of the members you happened to be!!!

 

[Safferz]

Take a goddamn seat, Madoobe. You've said absolutely nothing of substance here -- what evidence do you have that the task force recommendations are not in the best interest of Somali children? Break the recommendations down, be specific, and tell us your critique. What do you propose should be done instead? And how the hell is the task force a source of employment, jobs, bonuses, etc for those involved? The stupidity here is astounding. Thankfully people like you are in the minority, a loud and stupid minority, but a minority nonetheless.

[Khayr]

saff,

 

xiishood maalahiid.

 

If someone disagrees with you then respond back and defend your position but don't insult them.

 

P.s. Committees and Task Forces are always formed to say that people are being engaged and opinions are being taken into account. The question is whose opinion is taken and implemented. Everyone has a self-interest and no one really cares about your particular under-employed and poverty ridden community. Saff, your belly has always been well fed so you don't understand nor can you relate to those that are hungry (an analogy)

[Hawdian]

This is a serious issue I do hope that both sides are given right to have their say and the final recommendations are useful for the success of these children . Time for the taskforce and the parents to meet and listen to their concerns . The issue of labelling kids born and bred in the country as foreign is wrong.

[Safferz]

^ Hawdian, many of the task force members ARE Somali parents, and the process has been open to public feedback since the task force's formation. They have had community hearings where Somalis have been able to give their views, and meetings have been open to the public.

 

<cite>

@Khayr

said:</cite>

saff,

 

xiishood maalahiid.

 

If someone disagrees with you then respond back and defend your position but don't insult them.

 

P.s. Committees and Task Forces are always formed to say that people are being engaged and opinions are being taken into account. The question is whose opinion is taken and implemented. Everyone has a self-interest and no one really cares about your particular under-employed and poverty ridden community. Saff, your belly has always been well fed so you don't understand nor can you relate to those that are hungry (an analogy)

 

Khayr, I am livid over this and I don't apologize for calling out the fools who are responsible for the campaign to derail one of the few positive things to happen for Somali students in Toronto. The fact remains that Somalis have one of the highest dropout rates in the entire CITY. And what you're seeing from people like Madoobe is the compulsive need to sweep sh*t under the carpet and pretend there are no problems, accuse the TDSB as "labeling" Somali students as dropouts despite the fact that these are known and documented statistics, and insult the members of the Somali task force who have *volunteered* their time and expertise to get the ball rolling and strategize on how to fix this systemic issue.

 

Yes, I was one of the Somali students in Toronto who "succeeded," and its precisely for that reason I feel so invested in making sure those left behind aren't ignored or obscured by people in our community who have no idea what the hell they're talking about.

[Madoobe1508736697]

<cite>

@Safferz

said:</cite>

Take a goddamn seat, Madoobe. You've said absolutely nothing of substance here -- what evidence do you have that the task force recommendations are not in the best interest of Somali children? Break the recommendations down, be specific, and tell us your critique. What do you propose should be done instead? And how the hell is the task force a source of employment, jobs, bonuses, etc for those involved? The stupidity here is astounding. Thankfully people like you are in the minority, a loud and stupid minority, but a minority nonetheless.

 

First, thank you for identifying yourself (Task force member #7)

I promise I will not stoop down to your level…Yes…Xisshood...

 

Here is my take on this issue:

 

1.The members of the Taskforce on the Success of Students of Somali Descent are not representatives of the entire community. They were not democratically elected by the Somali-Canadian parents to act in the best interests of their children. Yet being appointed by TDSB somehow makes them authentically representing the concerns of a community that not only denied an opportunity to select them but were not even given notice of the existence of such a taskforce. The TDSB did not send even a single letter with the students to inform parents of what was happening. I guess they're in a cost reduction mode!!!

 

2. Common sense alone would lead anyone to see that this taskforce is out for an agenda and not for the students. If they really wanted to help address high dropouts of students, why can't they answer the real questions surrounding who they are what they have accomplished....how some of them who have criminal backgrounds speak for the rest of us???? In my view they are no different than those (community centers) who have been getting funds from the government….while claiming they are teaching the Somali community how to cross a road!!!! How to flush the toilet after they use it>>>>> etc. etc….

 

3.There are already support systems and programs in place the TDSB. I support the Taskforce for Gap Achievement that examined the dropout rates overall (all students) however, I do not support taxpayer's money specifically being used to further marginalize and victimize young Canadians of Somali descent.

 

4.If there is one thing that you the members of the SOMALI TASK FORCE take away from all that I have said, take my firm belief, that in a democratic society as we march towards progress, we should never sacrifice the value and importance that we place on our children. They are truly our future and as such political rhetoric and personal agenda have no place in our children’s classrooms.

 

5.!!!There is too much at stake!!!

 

6. Xishooooood Waryaa...and take any constructive criticism...this is exactly why your team (the members) couldn't get your point across to the community!

 

Again let me say, I welcome any constructive criticism….

 

Ciao!!!