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Today at 4pm @tdsb Special Planning & Priorities Committee where staff will present preliminary analysis of September 2021 Guidance and Funding Announcements from the Ministry of Education. If you can, join us. Will be live tweeting. https://www.tdsb.on.ca/stream/boardmeetings/livemeeting.html
Director @TDSBDirector begins - these are the topics going to be covered today - proud of the work since Tuesday in order to bring as detailed information as possible
Beginning with remote learning options and those details - and we have been in touch with @TOPublicHealth on vaccinations for children within the next week or two - cohorting in elementary will continue
In secondary panel cohorting must continue - limiting to two classes per day - planning has to continue to plan to fully remote
There will be an #equity focus @tdsb - supporting our mandate with equitable distribution of staff and programs
Further direction needs to come on safety guidelines from @TOPublicHealth
Staff now speaking to high-level GSNs related to COVID funding
FIrst grant for staffing - instructions are to only plan for the first half of the year
In these grants need to plan for half a year as well
Staff explain the next set of grants are now for full-year - technology is a permanent change to the GSNs - one of the changes is secondary teacher staffing - with the rollout of on-line credit learning - ministry is updating model assuming 8% secondary taking on-line - reduces $
The dark blue areas report the number of COVID cases
This map shows cases by school - larger the dot, larger the cases
Mental Health funding is similar - for the 2021 school year funding is being provided for re-engagement and learning support - plans will be developed to re-engage and ease students into school routines
We will absolutely need to be mindful of the effects the last year and more has had on students
EDI will resume in 2021 - will help us understand where kids are at
EQAO is resuming - slight differences
OSSLT is still exempted for 2021-22
Still not clear on the on-line learning requirements or the opt-out process
Community Involvement Hours continue to be reduced to 20 for 21-22
There remains flexibility for assessment
There is funding for implementing new math strategy
Continued funding for ASSD - there will be funding in 21-22 to assist with staffing and learning resources and support for students in ESL/ELD Programs
Looking to engage parents in registering for in-person or virtual learning - key milestone dates have been provided - all virtual school students will be transitioned back to home schools - Trillium transfer back to bricks and mortar schools
Key communication dates - selection form for 2021-22 - plans for the fall
Only one switching date in February 2022
In the selection form there will be a series of questions and contact and student information
A plan is now is being developed to retrieve devices back to schools - for students attending summer school they will keep their devices
Device return dates will begin in the middle of June through the summer - plan to return devices to schools beginning August 30
Next steps - @TDSBDirector sums it up - a lot of advocacy has been successful re impact of the pandemic - looking forward to understanding the funding details at FBEC
Now Qs&As - is there a significant change re virtual - intent not to have virtual school but cognizant that there are choices of courses that may be required in secondary but need clarity on virtual school for elementary - there is no central virtual school for elementary
Request to be crystal clear on instructions on the selection form especially with response to switch date; February switch day will cause some changes. Q - local school will redistribute technology back to students when needed
Q - will we be doing simultaneous learning in elementary? A - no commitment right now - will depend on numbers - Note I will need to follow that up when it is my turn. Secondary model will continue - can't guarantee outcome on specialized programs
Q - is hybrid continuing for secondary - is it the same model? A - Ministry direction is students in only two cohorts at a time - planning for adaptive model and looking at flexibility around structure of a school day - plea to relook at structure
Staff answer that Ministry has said we will not know the source of funding for the whole school year until the fall - will be based on a number of factors - will understand more about this at FBEC on May 12.
Q Will @TOPublicHealth provide information for parents prior to them having to make a decision? A Staff agree and will do their best to ensure TPH informs parents re vaccines, community spread, etc. as close to June 1 as possible
Q What will elementary virtual school look like? A Because we want to keep kids connected to local school can't fully answer questions - option for simultaneous learning has not been discussed at the primary level now - but committed that all kids will have teachers
Q Why not central VS? A Staff wants kids reconnected to local schools in as concrete a way as possible - we need data school by school, LC by LC - if hubs exists they will exist within max of 4 schools - reintegrate kids into local community to address well-being concerns
Q Again, why abandon central VS? A Schools are now staffed for in-person school and VS was never staffed appropriately - it wasn't sustainable - hopeful not as many students will choose VS - Ps and Ts effective in building relationships
Q Any information by @TOPublicHealth re the second vaccination for teachers and community? A Still waiting to understand vaccination rollout - connected to September
Q Do we need ministry approval for the models? A No - we have flexibility Q $2,2M ? is it enough? A Agreed that it sounds insufficient re reading and reengagement- seems to be a small amount
Q $6.4M for equity across the province - A amount for @tdsb not determined as yet - equity work will be embedded in all funding
Q Plea to ensure schools are as safe as possible for September - keeping classes small, everyone double vaccinated, etc to give parents confidence prior to the selection form process Q if we can rearrange the elementary school day to ensure smaller classes? A working on options
Q By 2023-24 how many secondary teachers will be lost to 2 mandatory virtual courses A 52 teachers would be gone from the system - students can opt-out and stay in-person
Q Disappointed - asking parents and families to make choices 90 days before school starting - think this will be important 90 days and that Sep will be light at the end of the tunnel - are we not concerned that local VS will be split classes - reflective of school staffing models
A continues - connection to schools is fundamental to this process - back to bricks and mortar is critical - school start up in September is critical to health and wellness of students and staff - need to make it safe for parents to opt for in-school learning
Q Understand we need the numbers quickly, but concerned with parents making decisions now - can we ask them again in August? A Staff respond - not willing to consider an August change - this is not the same September start-up
It seems to me that we have a responsibility to do whatever we can to ensure @tdsb schools are safe to reopen in September with as small as class sizes as possible - and @TOPublicHealth supports us with ensuring education staff, community in hot spots and students are vaccinated
Q What specific support is in place to reengage students? A PSS staff will be making direct phone calls and reconnecting to invite students back into a space with conditions that they will know they will be welcome and safe
Comment - appreciate the rational for selection forms June 1 - agree with timelines but concerned with communication - need clarity
Heading now into private session. Thanks all. That's a wrap.
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