I'm thinking a lot about the province insisting that some disabled students be taught in-person, in spite of the fact that many of those same disabled students are at an exponentially higher risk of fatal complications from COVID.

You want to know the REAL reason?

I'll get there.

First, many parents of disabled children have advocated for these programs to stay open, again, in spite of the much higher risk of catastrophic outcome to their children.

This isn't because they don't love and care for and want the very best for their kids.

It's because they're exhausted.

Because of the way our communities are structured, parents of disabled children experience intense isolation.

Many families have much lower incomes due to a need for one parent to be available 24/7.

School has too often been the only place they've had access to for respite so that they can feel supported.

And when schools close, that support disappears.

RATHER THAN invest in supports for disabled children with high support needs in their homes, the Ministry of Education has chosen to keep these school programs open.

This was never about the education needs of these students.

Parenting *any* child is hard and stressful work, especially without support.

None of us were meant to do this alone.

I know a lot of education workers are feeling afraid & frustrated and some may be lashing out at parents who "don't want to" parent their kids.

Please try to have compassion for the enormity of the work they do, and go after the people truly responsible for putting you at risk.

Disabled kids w/rested parents are safer.

Do you think parents are resting, knowing the only way they take a breath right now is by risking their children's lives to do so?

If you *genuinely* care about meeting the needs of disabled students, you'll increase respite resources.

The thing is, this is outside the bounds of the Ministry of Education.

The person you need to talk to about this is the Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services, Todd Smith.

[email protected]
416-212-7432

I haven't heard ANYTHING from you about this yet, @ToddSmithPC.

Do you not understand that children and youth (under)supported by your Ministry, their education workers, their families, can be kept so much safer with at-home respite care?

Their bus and cab drivers, their classmates and their classmates' families?

The larger the groups of people one person interacts with, the harder the virus is to contain.

Personal support workers and other respite providers are also at risk, yes. But ONE respite provider bubbled with ONE family and paid a school day's worth of wages dramatically reduces risk for all of us.

Education union leaders: @osstf, @ETFOeducators, @OECTAProv, @AEFO, @CUPEOntario, @OPSEU, and anyone I missed -- we need to hear your voices on this.