THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
Sept. 11, 2020
School funding is needed for student well-being, not only coronavirus safety rules
As the first yellow buses filled聽, a critical window for planning to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in schools has closed. With an eye on the whole school year, and children鈥檚 long-term social and academic development, teachers and school administrators continue to聽.
Some may be glad to know that in Alberta, districts will receive a 鈥.鈥 But educators also know that聽.
Educators are concerned about how聽. They are worried about the academic and wellness consequences for students who did not receive adequate special needs supports or did not flourish during emergency remote instruction.
Read more:聽
They want help to care for students聽聽as a result of losses during the pandemic, and to provide support for other children and youth who experienced instability, adversity聽聽at home.
Far beyond September, vulnerable students in particular, such as聽, will聽聽to cope with the impact of their lost time from school.
Social, academic needs
Teachers and school administrators know that they will spend聽. But they鈥檒l also need the time and resources to observe and assess their students, keeping a close eye on the needs they are presenting both socially and academically.
They also know that without adequate school staff support, such as聽听辞谤听, both children and teachers聽聽and thrive this year.
Addressing children and youth鈥檚 return-to-school needs requires more than enforcing basic health practices to minimize the spread of COVID-19, and the efforts of one caring teacher.
Strong systems
罢别补肠丑别谤蝉听, but from many years working in schools, I know that student achievement also depends on the undervalued, but enormously critical, work of educational assistants, bus drivers, custodians, support staff, librarians and counsellors.聽.
Teachers and administrators without adequate supports can become tired, burned out and overwhelmed by the effort of providing聽聽to the many children and youth in their care.
Reductions in investments in public education have meant that teachers have become聽,听听补苍诲听, while school administrators have stepped into the role of novice聽,听听补苍诲听.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
Team support
Children and youth lack the life experience to see that daily stress is temporary, so in times of mental or emotional distress, they demand immediate support and attention. Having a team to provide support can ensure that students facing adversity聽.
For 10 years, I taught at a school for聽聽that followed what鈥檚 known as a聽.
When the students came to school, they could access their social worker for social and emotional support, a dedicated nurse for pre- and post-natal care, an on-site infant learning centre and nutritious food from a low-cost cafeteria. As a result of these investments, these students had a聽聽and their children have better health and educational outcomes than similar populations without these supports. The teachers could focus on teaching, not meeting all the social and emotional needs of the students.
Needed: Community of heroes
Investing in on-site supports in all public education schools is a proactive measure that can build resilience and have a positive impact on聽.
Unfortunately, the聽聽in several provinces has been in the opposite direction,听聽and more expectations laid on exhausted teachers and administrators.
Right now, crucial mental health and learning support professionals are shared between many different schools or are聽. Educational assistants are often聽, rather than聽.
To maintain Canada鈥檚 reputation聽, let鈥檚 support our over-extended teachers and school leaders by investing in a community of heroes to support children and youth in schools.