Julia Wong Profile picture
Sep 15, 2020 12 tweets 4 min read Read on X
I sat down with @AdrianaLaGrange today for a 45-minute chat about back to school. We discussed a lot, here are some bullet points:
With outbreaks and hundreds of students in isolation, can we really say this school year has been a success? LaGrange says it's just the start of the school year and the cases in schools were not contracted in schools, they were from the community. #ABEd
Why not just hire more teachers to reduce class sizes, isn't that cost worth it? LaGrange says it isn't about the cost, it's about whether there are tens of thousands of teachers out there. She says school divisions have been enabled to do what they need to do. #ABEd
One sticking point is funding not being the same as years past, shouldn't you be spending to keep kids safe in a pandemic? LaGrange says the province has spent money on masks, hand sanitizer, etc. #ABEd
We then drilled down into funding per student and how it's less than years prior. LaGrange says the funding formulas can't be compared bc they're apples and oranges. She says there is $120 million more (but that's only more than last year, it's down from 2 years ago) 1/2
She then said there's capital infrastructure maintenance dollars and they added $263 million from the feds (to which I pointed out that's federal money, not money from the province). Her response was "there's only one taxpayer". #ABEd
As for the perception then that the province doesn't want to spend money on students in a pandemic? LaGrange says that isn't true and points to how school boards can use their reserves. #ABEd
At what point then will the province step in with more funding? She says school boards feel they have the adequate resources they need at this time. #ABEd
Thoughts on photos showing packed hallways in #yyc? LaGrange says students are wearing masks when they can't distance. (But Dr. Hinshaw says crowded environments should be avoided even if wearing masks) LaGrange says there are occasions where masks are required. #ABEd
So would you feel comfortable with your grandkids being in an environment like that? LaGrange doesn't answer the specific question but says she's comfortable with children following health guidelines to mitigate risk and transmission. #ABEd
As for whether she's been inside a school? LaGrange says no because of restrictions from school divisions. (But you're the education minister, shouldn't you?) She says she would go if invited (which she has been before) and says it's up to the school board to offer that to her.
An Angus Reid poll shows 35% of Albertans approve of the back to school plan (compare that with 45% across the country). How responsible are you for these numbers? LaGrange says school divisions are doing everything possible and the numbers that matter are down the road.

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More from @JuliaWongCBC

Feb 8, 2022
And coming up at 5 pm MT: cbc.ca/news/canada/ed…
Kenney says it's clear #AB passed peak of omicron infections weeks ago. He points to England, Scotland, Denmark lifting restrictions and states like CA and NJ removing mask mandates.
He says active cases, rolling 7-day avg of new cases has dropped steadily from 7k to 2k/day with total active cases falling from 55k to about 30k now.
Read 38 tweets
Feb 8, 2022
Meanwhile, biggest takeaways from press conference on Coutts blockade: cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…
1. RCMP insist there are very "definite actions" taking place
2. But police don't have a way to remove vehicles, trucks from the scene (towing companies have told them they don't want to get involved) - this appears to be their biggest challenge & it isn't clear what the plan is
3. RCMP say there are illegal activities taking place that violate Criminal Code and provincial laws. Police say charges will be laid. Timeline TBA.
4. Situation has become intolerable and it has to end: Acting Justice Minister @sonyasavage
Read 5 tweets
Feb 8, 2022
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Stephanie Smith says she thinks it may be "a little bit early" from a hospital perspective to lift #COVID19 restrictions. She says hospitalizations have plateaued, not declined. 1/4 #ABCOVID
2/4 However, she says the REP program (#AB's vaxx passport) gives us "the least bang for our buck." She says vaccines can prevent severe disease but they are not as good at preventing infection. She says it makes sense if REP program is 1st to go. #ABCOVID
3/4 However, she says relaxing restrictions could help promote spread. Those who are more vulnerable could get COVID19 and hospitalizations could increase, Smith says. #ABCOVID
Read 4 tweets
Apr 1, 2021
Coming up in 15 minutes: globalnews.ca/news/7733440/a…
New numbers from @jkenney:
-875 new cases
-of which 322 are variants of concern
-292 in hospital including 59 in ICU
-4 new deaths
Today marks the second day where cases are over 800, Kenney says.
Read 28 tweets
Nov 24, 2020
Operator just told us the call will be taking place "shortly." The waiting continues...
Kenney starts by saying yesterday's meeting was 8 hours long.
There is no one single way through this pandemic, Kenney says.
Read 38 tweets
Nov 23, 2020
@CMOH_Alberta says there's a backlog of cases for contact tracers. Positive cases have received results but AHS has not been able to do contact tracing investigation.
Effective tomorrow, if 10 days have passed since you received a positive test result, AHS will no longer call you to do a contact tracing investigation.
Hinshaw says she's asked AHS to start with the most recently diagnosed cases and work backwards through the backlog.
Read 15 tweets

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