Educators to examine Safe Schools Act


A special forum at York University on the implications of the Safe Schools Act for Ontario schools will provide registered participants with an opportunity to assess the act and formulate recommendations on future directions for safe schools in the province. The forum is sponsored by the Office of Research & Field Development in the Faculty of Education at York University.


The forum, titled “Implications of the Safe Schools Act: Where do we go from here?”, will be held today from 8:30am to 3:30pm in Theatre A of York’s Vari Hall located on the Keele campus. The forum will bring together a panel of legal experts and educators who have direct experience in the process of implementing the Safe Schools Act.


The event will feature a panel discussion, workshops and a roundtable discussion. The keynote address will be delivered by Justice Marvin Zucker of the Ontario Court of Justice. Zucker will speak on “The Safe Schools Act and the Youth Criminal Justice Act”.


Workshop topics include:



  • Implementation Issues in Ontario’s Largest School Board
    Bruce Cameron, coordinating principal-Safe Schools, Toronto District School Board
  • Partnerships that Work
    David Pedwell, president, Pedwell Educational Professional Services Inc.
    Deb Keen, Peel Health
    Tom Snelling, Peel Regional Police Service
  • Progressive Discipline (Special Education Issues)
    Lisa Millar, elementary school principal, Durham District School Board 
  • Implementation Issues
    Mary Eileen Donovan and Richard Tone, superintendents, Toronto Catholic District School Board
  • Working with students at risk
    Angie Littlefield, retired secondary-school principal
  • Bullying – Are we dealing with it?
    Debra Pepler, professor with the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence & Conflict Resolution, York University

For more information, visit the Office of Research & Field Development Web site and click on the “other professional development programs for educators” link.