We know that the idea of ‘Community’ is a major source of pride for all of us—students, staff and parents—whenever we talk about UA. It is deeply ingrained in our collective values and that’s why it’s woven into the fabric of our Mission Statement. This week I was very fortunate to contribute, as part of a peer review team, to another wider community that UA belongs to, Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS).
Some of you may know, but CAIS is a nationwide association that regulates and supports a select group of independent schools across the country in all aspects of their organization and operation. All member schools go through regular accreditation and evaluation visits by peer review teams from other CAIS schools to ensure standards are being met. Urban Academy is also preparing for a peer review accreditation visit in January. Since our initial visit by CAIS in 2022, the UA team has worked on a comprehensive self-study in preparation for this visit. This two-year process has involved and will continue to involve, developing policies to codify and clarify our practices, as well as critically assessing and reflecting on our performance from different angles. And, this is exactly what makes this process significantly more engaging and thorough compared to a regular inspection; its emphasis on ongoing reflection, critical analysis and taking action on feedback.
This week I was able to be part of a Peer Review Team (8 of us from across Canada) at a peer review visit at a well-established independent school in Toronto. Being on the other side of the process definitely helped me develop an even greater appreciation for the value of getting such feedback. The amount of work that goes into providing this report to the school is phenomenal. Prior to this visit, we read the self-study and the school’s guidelines, policies and handbooks; during the visit, we visited classes and met with the staff, students, and parents. Our report was then the result of hours of discussion among the group members. As I participated in this process, I couldn’t help thinking how wonderful it is for us to be receiving this fulsome feedback soon that will help us improve Urban Academy in so many aspects of the school. I am confident the peer review team visiting UA will have some positive feedback for us on how “Inspired by Community” goes way beyond our mission statement. Thank you all for your ongoing support and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Enjoy the long weekend.
Yours in education,
Khatereh Dadar