The Peel District School Board (PDSB) and parent representatives of the We Rise Together community advisory council are inviting parents and guardians of black students in Peel to a We Rise Together parent engagement workshop on Saturday, Jan. 11.

This workshop, which will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at Lincoln Alexander Secondary School in Mississauga, is the second of four workshops planned for the 2019-20 school year.

We Rise Together is the PDSB’s action plan to identify, understand, minimize and eliminate the marginalization experienced by black students in Peel board schools.

The board established the We Rise Together council in the 2017-2018 school year to advise the PDSB and hold board members accountable on strategies to address: Persistent and consistent student achievement, opportunities, and participation gaps that black students experience.

After the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to meet with reviewers from the Ontario Ministry of Education — who are currently conducting a review of the PDSB — from 1 to 3 p.m.

On Nov. 7, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced the ministry would conduct a formal review of PDSB to address concerns about equity, including anti-black racism, and serious issues related to governance, leadership and human resources practices in the board.

Suzanne Herbert and Ena Chadha were appointed to conduct the review, but the province faced criticism that neither reviewer was black. Subsequently, Shawn Richard was appointed as an independent black reviewer who can put lived experiences in context.

"We are determined to root out discrimination in all of its forms, and with the addition of Shawn Richard, I feel confident that we will deliver," said Lecce, in a statement on Dec. 21, when Richard was appointed to the PDSB review.

People who want to attend the workshop should register at: pdsb.me/WRTparentworkshop2. A light lunch will be provided.

If the public has any questions, would like more information on the workshop, or would like to request accessibility accommodation they should email wrt@peelsb.com.