Hamilton school board chairs cool to province’s permanent online learning plan
Hamilton News, Mar. 31, 2021
The chair of Hamilton’s Catholic school board says he has “deep, deep concerns” about the province’s proposal to make online and remote learning permanent options for all students, once the COVID-19 pandemic threat ends.
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Public school board pressures province to vaccinate education workers during April break
Northumberland News, Mar. 31, 2021
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board trustees have joined boards from across the province asking to have education workers moved up the queue when it comes to vaccinations.
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Doug Ford Wants School Boards To Pay For Signs Promoting Education Spending Even Though He Cut Education Funding
Press Progess, Mar. 29, 2021
Doug Ford’s Ministry of Education sent Ontario’s school boards a memo informing them that they will be paying the full costs for signs to promote the government’s school construction projects, something they haven’t done in the past.
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Provincial payouts to parents of students spark debate
Ottawa Citizen, Mar. 27, 2021
Ontario plans to spend nearly $1 billion of pandemic-related cash this year to help children by giving money directly to their parents, a controversial choice for some critics who say the money would be better spent on schools.
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Trustees a link to communities
The Brandon Sun, Mar. 26, 2021
We join our colleagues and partners at the Manitoba School Boards Association (MSBA) in denouncing the Manitoba government’s plan to abolish school boards.
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Educators are not giving budget a passing grade: Cathy Abraham of the OPSBA tells us why (skip ahead to about 28-minute mark)
CBC Metro Morning, Mar. 26, 2021
Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association talks about what was missing for schools in the provincial budget.
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Cathy Abraham on CBC Ontario Morning regarding the provincial budget (skip ahead to about 48-minute mark)
CBC Ontario Morning, Mar. 26, 2021 – Part 2
Ontario school board group calls for teachers to get vaccinated over spring break
The Canadian Press, Mar. 26, 2021
The group that represents Ontario’s English public school boards is calling on the province to vaccinate education workers against COVID-19 over the upcoming spring break.
The Ontario Public School Board Association says the measure would help keep kids in classrooms, as fewer teachers would have to miss work due to COVID-19 exposure.
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Online learning could be here to stay as Ontario considers plans to offer it to all students post-pandemic
The Toronto Star, Mar. 25, 2021
The Ontario government is looking at offering full-time, online learning to students in all grades — even after the pandemic is over, says a consultation report that has prompted an outcry from educators and critics.
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Virtual learning plan gets poor grade from teachers, school boards
Toronto Sun, Mar. 25, 2021
Ontario teachers are opposed to a plan under consideration by the Doug Ford government to make virtual learning an option for students even after the pandemic ends.
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Doug Ford’s 2021 Budget Confirms Over $1 Billion in Cuts to Education, Ontario School Boards Say
PressProgress, Mar. 24, 2021
Ontario’s 2021 budget confirms Doug Ford’s government is cutting $1.6 billion from education.
As PressProgress reported earlier this month, a Ministry of Education memo to Ontario school boards warned that a $1.6 billion funding cut was in store for schools heading into September 2021.
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Province boosts Support for Learners payout to $400 for each child up to Grade 12
The Toronto Star, Mar. 24, 2021
Ontario families are getting double the credit, as the province boosts its support for learners benefit to $400 per child.
In January, the Ontario government opened up the second phase of the payout to include families with teenagers in high school, after targeting kids up to age 12 in the first round.
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