1/12 I may be used to making tough & big decisions in my job; however, making a #returntoschool decision as a parent is hard. I am empathetic to @tdsb (and other boards) given the challenges of this pandemic. Below are my personal views & many questions:

2/12 Many family circumstances are different - I am very understanding that what is the right decision for one family is wrong for others. There is no right answer for all. However, I note that many of my questions are common ones.

3/12 First my personal view. I am uncomfortable with the health risks for students and teachers associated with full time classes (and the associated risks that puts on the rest of my family – some elderly, colleagues and patients).

4/12 This option flies in the face of all expert opinion - @TPH, @SickKids and frankly my own experience working to keep my patients and staff safe in a large emergency department. How can I send my child into an environment I would never ask of someone who works for me.

5/12 I may be comfortable with a smaller size if the health measures can be followed – screening, masks, hand washing, cohorts. This is what we are doing to keep our staff safe on the job and in the break rooms in hospitals but must be followed.

6/12 For any in-person option, the trust we must place in the staff and other families to be following guidelines inside and outside of school, to not come to work if there is even a hint of symptom, to stay isolated if exposed - is immense.

7/12 I may be comfortable with remote learning if we can make it work as a family and find opportunities to ensure some sort of social interaction – but currently have a limited understanding of what this option truly looks like.

8/12 We know (for elementary students): 5hrs of daily learning with 2-2.5 hours as lg group + sm group, live, interactive synchronous check & connect (small group or individual) + independent asynchronous work using online forums. All delivered by more than one educator.

9/12 How large will the remote classes be? Is this done by a teacher from their school? Are they in classes with children from across the TDSB? Is there any individual attention if the child is struggling?

10/12 The teacher-student relationship is an important part of school – will the remote teacher(s) have any sense of what is going on in our family’s life and how it is affecting our child’s learning? What does this option require for us as parents in terms of time commitment?

11/12 What if our family needs to change format given our personal circumstances? We know it may be possible at ?4 set times to move from remote to in-person (& vice-versa?). What happens in the mean time? What if our needs change the 2nd wk of Sept?

12/12 I am disappointed that @tdsb and other school boards have limited resources to do this safely. I am empathetic to having to make plans with minimal info and strained resources. I lived this as a leader in spring 2020. Now I am living it as a parent and it is just as hard.