Teachers, parents and students are buzzing about what back-to-school could look like come September but according to local school boards, the final decision isn’t in their hands.
At the local public and Catholic boards, work is underway to prepare three scenarios for what back-to-school could look like this year during COVID-19: a distance learning plan (online learning), a return-to-school plan with safety modifications and a hybrid model, called an adapted model plan, but boards are staying tight-lipped on specifics at this time.
Ramona Deane is a designated early childhood educator at Fieldcrest Elementary School in Bradford West Gwillimbury, where she works in the classroom with children in junior kindergarten (JK) and has concerns about students being pushed back into classrooms too soon.
“Starting school is scary enough for JKs and introducing them to an environment in which there will be so many restrictions, where we cannot physically assist them, will be difficult to navigate,” said Deane.
“Everything in kindergarten is hands-on and play-based. Usually we start planning now for our students and I have absolutely no idea how I'm to deliver my program,” she added.
Deane lists off a number of questions and concerns she has about return-to-school protocols, including who will pay for personal protective equipment should students be returning to the classroom, how physical distancing will be enforced in places where there is minimal supervision such as on school buses and in washrooms and whether teachers will have a safe place where they can report uncleanliness without fear of repercussions.
“Will we be supported if we feel unsafe in any given situation?” she said.
She also has concerns about what will happen if an outbreak occurs at a school, as staff members only have between eight to 12 sick days per year depending on their union rules.
“My sick time is gone with one 14-day isolation,” she said. “Also, should the health unit have a duty to report to schools if a child or staff member tests positive, despite privacy issues?”
High school teacher Manon Heran teaches English and dance at St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School in Barrie, and has been a teacher for about 20 years. While she says she doesn’t see the need to get stressed about decisions that haven’t yet been made, she says she has heard concerns from many teachers board-wide about what a safe return to school could look like.
“Stressing about this will just make it worse,” she said. “Everything could change. I understand and can see why the anxiety is there. They want to be prepared, and they want to feel safe.”
Heran says there are many reasons teachers are stressed right now, including anticipated learning gaps between students as some will have been very active in the online learning that occurred between March and June, whereas others may not due to each individual’s circumstance.
Exposure is another teacher concern.
“They’re saying now there may be, say, a Monday/Tuesday group, Wednesdays will be for washing (deep cleaning) and then there will be a Thursday/Friday group,” said Heran. “Teachers are now wondering, am I going to be exposed to 30 kids in two different co-horts, or just 15? They want to know, what if I get sick as a teacher? How is it going to be tracked?”
Heran says teachers are also worried about day care for their own children, and how they are going to balance the schedule of a day care with their own unpredictable schedules. Mental health is also being discussed.
“We already have a wait list of over a year. There is one counsellor for multiple schools,” she said, adding that while the province has pledged funding for more mental health supports in schools, teachers have not yet been informed of what that support will look like.
“There are so many unknowns,” said Heran. “Maybe it’s easier to not (speculate) on what’s going to happen in September at all, rather than say what you think, and then change it. So, I’m OK with not knowing.”
Heran said she hopes that in August, the province will come down to suggest a hybrid model.
“I’m fine to teach dance in a studio with social distancing, or not, whatever they recommend. I’m fine to teach it online. I’m fine either way,” she said. “I just want to be with students and know that the technology and tools are all in place for teachers and students.”
Heran says she also hopes directional arrows in hallways, cleaning stations and personal protective equipment will all be in place as well, and the onus won’t solely be on teachers to implement all measures. She said when COVID-19 hit back in March, while she was required to do all teaching online she was not given extra funds to upgrade her Wi-Fi to make that possible and spent money out of her own pocket to do so.
“I’m hoping the people up top will be able to help prepare me for that in September,” she said.
At the local public and Catholic school boards, work is underway to prepare scenarios for what back-to-school could look like, however the final decision on what it will look like in September will be decided by the Ministry of Education.
“It’s a very fluid situation that changes continuously,” said Jodi Lloyd, board chair for the Simcoe County District School Board. “Boards are working through those and are putting plans together for all three (scenarios). It’s a significant amount of work, as you can imagine.”
The Simcoe County District School Board has 53,000 students and 7,000 staff. The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board has 21,000 students and 3,000 staff. Boards are expected to have their plans submitted to the province by Aug. 4.
“Then, later in August, the ministry will make an announcement about what those return plans will be. It’s not a board decision about what the return will be. It will be decided by the Minister of Education,” said Lloyd, adding a specific date has not yet been set for the announcement.
In the meantime, Lloyd acknowledges that parents, teachers, staff and students are all feeling uncertainty and nervousness about what the future will bring.
“I think it is a very uncertain time. They’re not alone in their concerns and anxiety around this,” said Lloyd with a laugh. “It’s very difficult in the middle of July to be able to predict what will happen when school resumes.”
When asked if she has concerns about a province-wide approach, Lloyd says she hopes the differences between boards is considered.
“I think there are challenges because there are regional differences in the province of Ontario, as we know,” said Lloyd. “I hope that’s taken into account when the decision is made. There are some areas of the province that have no active cases, and some that have a lot.”
“One of the important things to remember is, we could start school under one plan, and then quickly revert to another plan if there’s an outbreak or a second wave of the virus hits. As much as we all want concrete answers, that’s very difficult to give at this point in time,” she added.
Joe Zerdin, board chair for the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, says a series of mental health support videos have been put in place by the Catholic board to help parents and students address the anxiety that has come with the pandemic.
“There’s some patience that’s kind of required by all of us, because we’re dependant on the ministry and what they’ll decree,” said Zerdin. “The unknown is difficult. There are some parents expressing they want their kids in school, and there’s the other side saying they won’t send their kids to school.”
Zerdin said the board has walked through a number of scenarios for how back-to-school will look like in the fall, but as the province hasn’t announced additional funding to support any of the scenarios yet, there are other challenges to consider.
“The increased costs of transportation, or PPE, infrastructure changes... they’re still kind of silent on that,” he said.
Zerdin and Lloyd both said their boards would be sending communications to parents, teachers and students once they get a directive from the province outlining back-to-school procedures.
