New High School Graduation Coach Seeing Success

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Sydnie Moore opens the door to her office at Catholic Central High School every day ready to hear the struggles and triumphs of the incoming students.

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Last October, Moore joined the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board in a new role as a graduation coach for Black, African and Caribbean students.

Research data shows that blacks and other visible minorities in Canada face a number of systemic barriers to completing high school and moving on to post-secondary education.

I’ve only been here since October, but it feels like 10 years.

“From the data, we could see that students who identify as black or racialized graduate less and their educational outcomes are not as favorable as white students,” said Rosemary LoFaso, the board’s superintendent of student success. “You see a disproportionate number of students who are enrolled in applied-level courses, so the trajectory of their life in high school and those leading up to graduation is really determined early on, perhaps too early.”

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Moore works with about 35 students at all different stages of their educational journey. They are in English as a Second Language (ESL), applied or academic programs that span all four years of high school.

“I’ve only been here since October, but it feels like 10 years,” Moore said. “It has already been such an enriching experience working with parents, youth and staff. Their stories are not homogeneous. How they came to this school, why they came to this school, the stories are all different. “

You’ve already seen how streaming has intensified social inequities and you’re working with students at the applied level who should be mainstream.

“It’s daunting, but it’s the reality that we are in right now,” Moore said. “They transmitted me, so it is a very personal issue for me. I don’t take it lightly. Growing up, they told me you can’t be black and academic. “

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Moore works with ESL teachers, student achievement teachers, and guidance counselors to ensure that students get the most out of their high school experience.

Sarah Alimasi is a 16-year-old 12th grader who wasn’t on track to graduate until she crossed paths with Moore.

Alimasi didn’t know anyone at Catholic Central when he started there. All of his friends from elementary school went to another high school.

“Ninth grade was a really difficult year,” Alimasi said. “I came here because of my English and making friends was difficult.”

Now she is taking a cooperative night class to make up for missing credit and plans to go to college to study travel and tourism.

“I love traveling and I really want to go to college,” Alimasi said.

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She never hesitates to stop by “Miss Sydnie’s” office if she has a problem.

“If I have to get something off my chest, I feel comfortable talking to her,” she said.

That’s exactly the kind of “additional support” provided in “a positive and enjoyable way” that the position was created for, according to LoFaso. “We want to make sure they are meeting their own expectations and that we are meeting their needs.”

A descendant of Mary Ann Shadd, Canada’s first editor and an innovative educator in her own right, Moore is up to the task.

“I’m excited to see where this can go with the board,” Moore said. “There is a lot of potential for growth. My goal is to expand the program and that would mean more of me, but I have to prove myself. “

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