Unpublished letter submitted to the Toronto Star
Re: School boards have two weeks to toe the line. August 1, 2018
Where are the leaders that are so often touted as the necessary, strong, assertive, vocal and capable individuals who are required to lead our modern institutions like education and forge the ‘just society.’ They are for the most part AWOL in the debate over the sex-ed curriculum changes and its cancellation. Leaders like this are good at ordering people around and organizing their school boards but not so good at following their moral and ethical conscience. These are not leaders – these are hirelings. If all they do is follow the directions of the elected government then it stands to reason they would serve a dictator much like the troops serving Bashar Al Assad in Syria. In every situation leaders must make moral judgments about what they are being asked to do and determine if those directions serve the needs of the vast majority of people in this province – whether they voted or not.
Instead of seeing a full-page ad in the Star with the names of Directors, organizations representing supervisory officers and trustees, the various executives of the teaching affiliates standing together decrying the tactics and policies of Doug Ford and his Neandertal government, we are greeted with silence. Showing collective leadership that actually means something rather than cowering in their offices waiting for the of consequences of Ford’s decision making. This is not to engender revolution but a firm resistance that will temper the measures and benefit everyone.
This is the endemic problem with the entire patriarchal leadership model of organizations everywhere. It is a model based on fear, intimidation and violence if necessary. It is a male model of power, hierarchy, prestige, deferential relationships and most of all obedience and authority. It is the same model that excuses domestic violence, male control of women, a vicious dog-eat-dog economic system, religious domination and a thousand other abuses in society. It is a model that no longer has relevance – if it ever did. The model is broken.
We need leaders who are kind, calm, compassionate, loving and understand the complexity and diversity of humanity without threats. To accomplish this we need to introduce transparency into all human interactions. Where are these leaders?