Credentials

Carolyn Burjoski had a distinguished 20-year career as an elementary school teacher in the Waterloo Region District School Board. She received excellent performance reviews throughout her career and demonstrated leadership in various ways. Carolyn was part of a team that pioneered the Board’s Welcome Center to help newcomers to Canada get a good start at school. She also helped develop the ABLE Program, a specialized classroom designed to help refugee children quickly close gaps in their education due to war and migration. In 2013, her unique classroom was featured in a human interest story in the local newspaper. Carolyn was proud to be a leader in this fascinating field of education.

Summary

Carolyn Burjoski testifies about her experience speaking out against inappropriate sexual content in elementary school libraries and the subsequent retaliation she faced from her school board. She describes how she became alarmed by directives from education leaders and the teachers’ union to remove gender-specific language and promote gender ideology in schools. Carolyn attempted to address her concerns through proper channels but was ultimately silenced when she tried to speak at a public school board meeting. She details the severe consequences she faced, including suspension, disciplinary charges, and public defamation by school board officials. Carolyn discusses her ongoing legal battles against the school board and the broader implications for free speech and parental rights in Canadian schools. She expresses concern about the erosion of democratic processes in school governance and the potential harm to children’s well-being and education. Carolyn calls for greater transparency, respect for families, and a return to focusing on core educational subjects rather than political activism in schools.

The transcript for this witness testimony is currently in production by our volunteers. It will be available soon here on this page and as a downloadable PDF.