education

Thursday August 27, 2020

August 27, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 27, 2020

Doug Ford praises appointment of ‘amazing’ Chrystia Freeland as federal finance minister

“Amazing.”

“Incredible.”

November 21, 2019

Those were just two of the adjectives the Progressive Conservative premier of Ontario used to hail the new federal Liberal finance minister.

“I absolutely love Chrystia Freeland. She’s amazing. I’ll have her back, I’ll help her any way we can,” an elated Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday.

As first revealed by the Star’s Susan Delacourt in April, the COVID-19 pandemic has forged a close friendship between Ford and the deputy prime minister.

The premier was visibly delighted that Freeland, who represents University-Rosedale in the House of Commons, is succeeding departing Toronto Centre MP Bill Morneau as federal treasurer.

December 11, 2019

“I want to congratulate my good friend Chrystia Freeland. An amazing person. I actually texted her this morning to say congratulations. I don’t know how she’s going to do it. She’s working around the clock now,” Ford told CityNews’s Jamie Tumelty in Scarborough.

“There’s no one that would be better in that role than Chrystia Freeland,” he said, pointedly declining to comment on the WE Charity scandal that triggered Morneau’s resignation.

“I’m not going to get into that federal politics. That’s up to the prime minister to deal with. We’ve been working very collaboratively together.”

The premier predicted Freeland would be a good partner for Queen’s Park, which is seeking additional federal funding for infrastructure projects.

“If there was one person, I have confidence in, it is Chrystia Freeland. She’s going to do an incredible job,” said Ford. (Toronto Star) 

March 27, 2020

Now this just in: With less than two weeks to go before most schools are set to welcome back students for the fall term, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced more than $2 billion in funding to help provinces and territories re-open their schools and economies safely.

The announcement comes as some provinces are reporting increases in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The funding is meant to allow provinces and territories to work with local school boards to implement measures to protect students and staff from COVID-19. The money can be used to help adapt learning spaces, improve air ventilation, increase hand sanitation and hygiene and buy extra personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies. (CBC) 

Thursday August 6, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 6, 2020

Audit Finds Most American Public Schools Need Major Repairs

July 25, 2020

The majority of public school districts in the U.S. are focusing their budgets on security to prevent shootings instead of widely needed building repairs, a federal watchdog found in a new report.

The Government Accountability Office, an independent federal agency that monitors how tax dollars are spent, said in a report released Thursday that school districts’ highest priorities for their facilities were improving security, expanding technology and addressing health hazards.

The report, based on a survey of hundreds of districts, shows that about half of the school districts in the U.S. need to update or replace multiple systems like heating, ventilation, air conditioning or plumbing.

April 30, 2020

One-third of schools need HVAC system upgrades, which could result in air quality or mold problems if not addressed, according to the watchdog. Additionally, one-quarter of districts reported a need to repair or replace lighting fixtures in at least half of their schools. A similar number of districts need repairs to roofing, security, plumbing or windows in most of their schools.

The GAO report shows images of crumbling schools around the country, including some that hold standing water, are full of asbestos or require bottled drinking water.

“Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, outdated and hazardous school buildings were undermining the quality of public education and putting students and educators at risk,” House Education Committee Chairman Bobby Scott, D-Va., said in a statement responding to the report. “Now, the pandemic is exacerbating the consequences of our failure to make necessary investments in school infrastructure.”

Life in a Pandemic

Schools that serve low-income communities are especially affected. Local government funding in more affluent areas made up 72% of overall funding for building costs, while in schools in low-income areas only received about 35% of their facilities funding from the local government. (Courthousenews) 

 

Saturday July 25, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday July 25, 2020

Announcement coming next week for plan to reopen Ontario schools

January 31, 2020

Education Minister Stephen Lecce says that the government is “finalizing the health protocols” for the resumption of school in September and that an announcement could be coming as soon as next week on what it will look like.

Back in June the Ford government asked school boards to prepare three separate plans for the resumption of classes – online learning only, a hybrid model with children attending classes in-person on alternating days or weeks and the fulltime resumption of in-person instruction.

The boards still have until Aug. 4 to submit those plans but Lecce revealed on Thursday that an announcement could be coming before then on the various regulations and rules that schools will have to follow.

April 30, 2020

A spokesperson for the education minister later clarified to CP24 that the announcement will pertain to “consistent standards” that will be put in place at schools across Ontario on things like seating arrangements and the wearing of masks.

The decision as to which model a particular board follows will still be left with local public health officials, the spokesperson said.

“We are finalizing the health protocols and working very closely with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and some of the best pediatric minds in the nation that are informing the plan,” Lecce said during a press conference in Brampton. “We believe we will be able to unveil it next week. That will include additional supports and resources to enable our boards to succeed.”

May 26, 2020

Lecce initially said that individual school boards would be able to choose which plan they want to follow based on the risk posed by COVID-19 to their communities.

Premier Doug Ford has since said that he wants students to return to school fulltime in September provided it is safe to do so.

Yesterday, Ford said the public should be open to unorthodox ideas to keep kids safe, such as holding class outdoors.

Life in a Pandemic

“The premier and the government continue to be focused on a safe, conventional, day-to-day return to school,” Lecce said Thursday. “Maybe a new conventional where kids still can go to school five days a week.” (CTV) 

 

Wednesday July 8, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday July 8, 2020

Ontario plans to stop Grade 9 students from streaming into applied or academic tracks

Series: Young Doug Ford

The Ontario government plans to stop its Grade 9 “applied” and “academic” track streaming, a spokesperson for the ministry of education confirmed Monday.

High school students in Ontario typically have to choose between more practical, hands-on applied courses or more theoretical academic courses in core subjects.

“Students, families and staff deserve an education system that is inclusive, accountable, and transparent, and one that by design, is set up to fully and equally empower all children to achieve their potential,” Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce said in a statement on Monday afternoon.

December 5, 2019

“This government will move quickly and decisively to combat systemic racism so that every child – irrespective of colour of skin, heritage, faith or ability – can have a fighting chance at success.”

The streaming process was developed in the late 1990s as a way to cater to students with different learning styles, but experts say that streaming has disproportionately impacted racialized and low-income students, affecting graduation rates and test scores.

Advocacy group People for Education has long been calling for an end to the streaming process. They argue that it ends up dividing students rather than providing them with more options.

January 25, 2019

“There as a high disproportionate amount of kids in the applied stream who were Black, who were Indigenous, who came from low-income families,” Annie Kidder from People for Education said. “All of the research, every single year when it was looked at on who goes to applied found a disproportionate portion of kids from certain backgrounds.”

Kidder said that while eliminating the practice is the right thing to do, she wants to know more about how students with different learning styles will be supported during the transition as well as teachers.

“You can’t just flip a switch,” she said. “You have to be willing to do the other part of the work.”

Five years ago People for Education called on the Liberal government to merge the two levels of Grade 9 math classes after a survey found that students in the applied version of the course were less successful on EQAO tests, less likely to graduate and less likely to go on to post-secondary education. (CTV) 

 



 

Thursday June 25, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday June 25, 2020

Students find new ways to celebrate graduations and prom

After months of remote learning due to COVID-19 the school year officially comes to end this week, but for many students there will be no graduation or prom to celebrate the milestone.

Life in a Pandemic

“Prom would have been tomorrow and commencement the day after, so there is really no sense of closure in a way,” said Nelson Lee, who is graduating from Marc Garneau Collegiate .

Nelson is the student council president at his Toronto high school and had been planning the end-of-year celebrations long before the pandemic.

“It doesn’t feel as fulfilling,” he said about missing out on so many school events, graduation and other extracurricular opportunities.

He has been accepted to the University of Toronto’s Engineering program. He’s excited about the next chapter, but acknowledges it won’t be normal. 

“The university has sent out a lot of information about they will proceed in September, for the larger classes they will be online and smaller seminars will be in person,” he said. “I think it’s a great combination for the best of both worlds at this time.”

In the meantime, with limited options due to the pandemic, he’s taking courses offered by UofT to prepare him for his first semester. 

“Just to keep myself engage and push myself to learn new things during this time.”

Some schools are hosting virtual graduation ceremonies to celebrate their students achievements. 

Bayview Middle School is hoisting a virtual graduation Tuesday evening, giving staff and students one last opportunity to connect.

“It means a lot to me because I will see my teachers talk one last time, just knowing I’m going to be present there with all my classmates and peers,” Grade 8 student Nadine Al-Junaidi said. 

Nadine’s classmate Pradyumn Jha is equally excited about the opportunity to see friends one last time before going their separate ways to different high schools.  (CTV)