In Search of Belonging in a Grade 6-8 Public School in Western Canada

Systemic racism and oppressive practices within and outside British Columbia institutions are negatively impacting students’ sense of belonging in schools. The Metro School District (MSD, a pseudonym) and BC Ministry of Education (BCMoE) have responded with the district equity plan and the K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan, respectively, to address this issue. However, a gap remains between their goals and the current reality of creating inclusive school environments. Valley Middle School (VMS, a pseudonym) has seen instances of racism and exclusion affecting students and teachers from minoritized backgrounds, including myself as a Sikh, South Asian principal. My Dissertation-in-Practice (DiP) focuses on bridging this gap and fostering a sense of belonging for all students through inclusive school practices. Applying transformational, transformative, and culturally responsive leadership, informed by critical and postmodern lenses, aims to address equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDID). Using Nadler and Tushman’s Congruence Model, I assessed the organization’s readiness for change, revealing a low readiness level across work, culture, structure, and people. Consequently, my DiP emphasizes developing teacher capacity in culturally responsive teaching and promoting change grounded in the ethics of care, critique, and justice. Implementing frameworks like Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model and Deming’s PDSA Cycle provide a structure for this change process, fostering a greater sense of belonging for all students.