Behind every research project there is a “why.” Mine began when my young son was repeatedly injured at school and the board’s response — every time — fell short of what the Ministry of Education requires boards to do. The pattern was unmistakable, and the confidence with which we were dismissed was striking. So I asked the obvious question: were other boards doing the same?
It turns out we were far from alone.
My doctoral research is both broad and deep:
Broad: I am conducting a cross-Canada review of children’s advocate offices — the institutions provinces have built (or dismantled) to give children a voice in the systems that affect them.
Deep: I am examining how Ontario school boards implement — or fail to implement — the Ministry’s safe schools directives.
My background in systems engineering, software, change management, education, and finance lets me work at a scale this kind of compliance review has never been done at before: LLM-assisted analysis across all 72 Ontario boards and 13 provinces simultaneously, rather than one anecdote, complaint, or news story at a time.
Early findings are clear. Many of the safety- and parent-facing requirements boards are obligated to meet — the obligations meant to keep children safe and families informed — are absent from the majority of board policies reviewed.
Pilot studies and other information are published openly at SchoolBoardResearch.ca, an independent resource for parents, advocates, and policymakers. I am also a Parent Contributor to Hold Schools Accountable, the network founded by
Canadian broadcaster Anwar Knight, after his family’s experience with the Peel District School Board.
Boards have a fiduciary duty. The data shows whether they are meeting it. Families who feel they are not being heard are, in most cases, correct — and they have every right to push for more.
If you are a researcher, journalist, policymaker, or parent who wants to discuss this work, I welcome the conversation regardless of political affiliation. Knowledge empowers better decisions, and I am happy to work with anyone who wants better educational outcomes for children.