Listened to @seguincbc's interview with @DominicCardy re: schools this morning. Thanks to both for an informative discussion.

Thought I'd share some thoughts on the fall as a parent of two kids, ages 5 and 7. #nbpoli

A longer than intended thread... 1/13

I agree with the Minister that New Brunswickers need to be patient. I appreciate all the work that gov't and our teachers are doing to prepare for an incredibly challenging school year.

Most importantly, I think the public needs to be clear-eyed about potential disruptions. 2/

A full school year without ANY major problems seems unlikely. Parents and their employers ought to be thinking now about what that's going to mean.

A lot of media attention has been focused on high school kids, but K-8 are really the key to everything, including the economy. 3/

Most high school students can stay home alone, and do some schooling online. Their parents can likely still go to work. That's not true of young kids or their parents. I'm sure @DominicCardy understands this, but I'm not sure the public has fully grappled with it. 4/

If several elementary schools close, for example, that's a lot of parents who suddenly can't go to work. Again, there's no magic strategy the gov't can employ to prevent this outcome. We just collectively need to be prepared for it. The public is going to have to be adaptable. 5/

My kids probably catch 5 cold viruses a year. Probably two or three of those come with a fever. This is typical of little kids. So what are the exclusion procedures going to be? How often will kids need to be tested for COVID-19 or held out of school? 6/

Now imagine parents having multiple kids and those kids getting sick consecutively. How long will those parents need to take off work, or work from home until their kids are cleared to go back to school? 7/

Being "in this together," is going to require that we make accommodations for parents of young kids.

Maybe that's a public policy issue, but it will also be a social issue. Parents, teachers, and students are going to need accommodations and help. 8/

One issue that does not move the needle for me as a parent AT ALL is the fear of "lost learning." If the question is, "How can you guarantee my child will have the same education they would have under normal circumstances?" ... well, that's an absurd question. 9/

School will not be the same, and there probably will be disruptions. My daughter is starting kindergarten this year. Her experience will not be the same as her older brother's was. That's just her fate. It's unfortunate, but the world does not conform itself to our wishes. 10/

This is a public health emergency and I would rather my kids lose a few weeks of math class than lose a grandparent. We can address gaps in learning in the future. That's inconvenient, but so is everything else right now. 11/

Worries about lost learning often centre around high school kids and their readiness for post-secondary.

I'm a university professor. I sit on the academic Senate. I talk to colleagues. NO ONE at universities is worried about "unprepared" students. It's a non-issue. 12/

Ultimately, as a province, we need to be prepared for challenging times in education. We need to recognize that hardship will not be distributed evenly or fairly. We need to be patient and compassionate. And collectively, we need to be ready to help those who need it. 13/13