The overarching objective of this study is to become more closely attuned to the politics of curriculum by identifying the discursive practices employed by governments to position curricular reform. In particular, this analysis aims to show how the twinning of neoliberalism and neoconservatism has served to justify shifts in curriculum at three North American sites in recent years. Further, using rhetorical analysis as a form of critical discourse analysis, the study demonstrates how discursive tools are used to advance neoliberal and neoconservative values under the guise of a taken-for-granted sense of education’s purpose and role. Rather than an analysis of curriculum documents as texts, this study focuses on government rhetoric describing the rationale for curricular reform so as to better recognize which values are gaining formal power, offer clarity into what is oppressed or ignored, and, ultimately, provide insights into where resistance might be aimed.

À Genève, deux types d’organisation du secondaire I sont depuis longtemps débattus. L’un favorise le regroupement des élèves niveau scolaire, l’autre privilégie l’hétérogénéité « académique » au sein des classes. Ces modèles, qui reposent sur des conceptions et valeurs différentes relatives à la justice et à l’hétérogénéité à l’école, ont donné lieu à une véritable « guerre scolaire ». Bien ce que soit l’organisation par filières qui est en vigueur depuis plusieurs décennies, des tentatives de changement ont été entreprises lors d’une réforme en 2011 et d’un projet de loi en 2022 ravivant les querelles idéologiques sur la gestion des inégalités à l’école. Cet article met en perspective les débats tenus dans le cadre de ces deux projets de réformes. L’analyse du discours des acteurs impliqués (élus parlementaires, responsables gouvernementaux, enseignants, chefs d’établissement et membres de syndicats) montre qu’une ambivalence persiste autour du rôle de l’école dans la gestion des inégalités. Elle montre aussi, et surtout, que les inégalités sont rarement pensées en termes de construction systémique face à l’injonction de performance à laquelle les systèmes éducatifs sont de plus en plus soumis.

In this paper, we share testimonies from interviews with 29 faculty deans from universities across Canada and Australia who have been targeted by bullies, and we examine how their institutions responded. Often silenced, we expose the consequences of institutional (in)actions on the identity and well-being of these leaders and document the impact of inadequate policies and procedures that deans are trusted to protect and support them. These stories combine to create a collective force calling for institutional courage to address incivility and bullying, as well as to challenge the culture that enables and reinforces it. We conclude with recommendations that institutions can implement to proactively protect and support deans to mitigate bullying in higher education.

This paper discusses the findings of a case study that sought to answer the question of whether and how an institutional faculty hiring policy that has codified a set of EDI best practices can be effectively deployed by search committees to foster more equitable hiring processes and diverse hiring outcomes. The research involved 23 searches implemented over a two-year period within the Faculty of Science of a Canadian research-intensive university. Using a mixed-methods survey design, the study sought to answer the research question by (1) analyzing the self-reported perceptions of the search committee members, including identifying any differences across gender and racial identity of committee members, and (2) analyzing the self-reported experiences of the longlisted candidates, including new hires. The study results suggest that codifying EDI best practices may be a ‘necessary but insufficient’ condition to advancing inclusive excellence in faculty hiring. While the practices on balances were perceived to be effective in improving equitable processes, their impacts on improving diverse outcomes were mixed. The study revealed several opportunities to clarify and enhance competencies to deploy key practices, and several insights, which have implications for fostering more equitable faculty hiring and diversifying the professoriate with respect to gender and racial representation.

30% des directions et des directions adjointes travaillent en milieu socioéconomique défavorisé au Québec (MEQ, 2024). Si la nature de leur travail est essentielle, les exigences de leur quotidien sont un déterminant important de leur bien-être au travail (Leithwood et al., 2017; Marsh et al., 2023; Poirel et al., 2020). Cette étude vise à examiner de manière comparative la perception des exigences du travail ainsi que le bien-être des directions et des directions adjointes (n = 864) d’établissements d’enseignement du Québec avec et sans le contexte de défavorisation. Les résultats montrent que l’indice de milieu socioéconomique (IMSE) a un effet partiel sur la perception des répondants en ce qui concerne les exigences du travail et leur bien-être selon la fonction de travail et l’ordre d’enseignement. Ces résultats sont cruciaux pour mieux comprendre les dynamiques professionnelles des directions et des directions adjointes et peuvent contribuer ainsi à l’élaboration de politiques plus efficaces pour soutenir leur réalité de travail.

Canadian historical records demonstrate the role of schools in diminishing Indigenous identity, either intentionally or as a result of neglect, within dominant western systems (Battiste, 2013; Harper & Thompson, 2017; Henry et al., 2017; Marom, 2019; Pidgeon et al., 2013; St. Denis, 2011). Despite the oppressive effects of institutional racism (Gillies, 2021; Harper & Thompson, 2017; Henry et al., 2017; Marom, 2019; McLean, 2022) and policies that limited the participation and influence of Indigenous people in publicly funded Canadian schools, Indigenous educators have maintained a presence in schools, contributing positively to Indigenous students’ experiences (Battiste, 2013; Burgess & Cavanagh, 2015; Gillies, 2021; Keddie, 2013; Santoro, 2015; St. Denis, 2011). While the Saskatchewan socio-political environment is increasingly characterized by reconciliation and expectations of Indigenous participation (Ministry of Education, 2019), our study identified that the provincial school policy environment is largely silent on the role of Indigenous educators in meeting system goals and on indications of how school divisions navigate issues of Indigenous identity and authenticity. With expectations of increased presence and participation of Indigenous people in publicly funded education in Canada consistent with Call 62 in the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015), school divisions must confront the need to ensure that Indigenous staff participation is prioritized and that they defer to Indigenous community norms and expectations (Burgess & Cavanagh, 2015; Pidgeon et al., 2013) when considering questions of authentic Indigenous voice and participation. Through the lens of an Indigenous analytical framework and the principles of critical policy analysis (Apple, 2019), we examined the Saskatchewan educational policy environment to explore ways in which extant policy reflects imperatives of Indigenous participation and identity. While our analysis identified shortcomings in these areas, we made sense of these gaps in policy and provided a framework for school divisions useful in prioritizing Indigenous participation at all levels and in beginning to navigate the complex issues associated with Indigenous identity and authenticity.