Please join us for @tdsb Committee of the Whole beginning at 4:30 - click here tdsb.on.ca/stream/boardme… Agenda includes Reports From Trustees Appointed to @opsba and @TOPublicHealth, Profiles of Administration Sites and an Update on School Reorganization - will live tweet
Trustee @Steph4schools reports on @opsba election results and provides summary report from last Board of Directors meeting including a motion requesting EDU immediately disburse federal funding to public school boards and restore school board reserves spent to open schools safely
And a second motion to advocate to the Minister for an immediate mechanism to address the deficiencies and inequities in funding across school boards to fund safe school opening - @opsba boards united in advocacy
Next on the agenda is a staff update on school reorganization @TDSBDirector - sharing virtual school updates based on reorg as of October 13, secondary school update and overall update on regorg as well as adult learning and budget as well as ventilation & school council election
37% of all @tdsb elementary students have chosen virtual school
Demographics of Students Enrolled in Virtual School and In-Person School
Staff speak to the need for resources to go to #TDSBVS - as more students from lower socio-economic background have chosen virtual
Now AD @kgfalcon summary of @tdsb decline from in-person school overall (elementary and secondary) based on March projections when staffing was assigned
Elementary and secondary decline by Learning Centres and Learning Network
AD @manonjgardner now speaking to issues with proposed November elementary transition - date is cancelled - due to a number of concerns - student & staff mental health and well-being - I know many will be glad to hear this news
Staff are exploring options for virtual learning transitions in January - hope is this will bring stability
For secondary - pausing October 15 switch date - need to adapt to the realities of the pandemic - focus on students achieving their credits and be successful - need to ensure courses in bricks and mortar schools remain to support students graduating through their courses
In secondary, staff working with principals, superintendents and unions to determine options - to be effective November 23rd - should know next week
Update with regard to Adult Day School students
Now AD Gold speaks to update on elementary organization - 440 FTE teachers redeployed to Virtual Schools
We were not able to meet our target of 570 teachers - left the prep compliment intact - small number of adjustments were made
Looking at further redeployments of staff to Virtual Schools - need to strengthen the supports there
Now AD Snider speaks to impact of enrolment changes - budgets will be adjusted - $100K provided to virtual schools for curriculum and will be monitored
Although @TOPublicHealth did not recommend HEPA filters we are now procuring
Fundraising
More details from staff on the HEPA units - working with schools - all donations need to be specified by @tdsb
AD Snider speaks more re fundraising
Last slide - AD @kgfalcon speaking to School Councils and how we have updated regulations and election procedures
Twitter now back up I will tweet Qs and As later from today’s meeting... after my next meeting!
Question re clarification of HEPA filter donations - staff have softened their stance - more details to come but should a should wish to donate to their school there would be a requirement to also donate to the Equity fund - staff would provide details of make and model
Staff have determined approximately 6000 classrooms without mechanical ventilation or fresh air flow - as per @TOPublicHealth trying to improve ventilation in rooms - first order of 100 units delivered Oct 19 - 1000 units/week after that - staff will prioritize distribution
Please join us at 4:30 for our FBEC Meeting - log on here - tdsb.on.ca/stream/boardme… - agenda includes contract awards, updates on two school builds, and an update on emergency purchasing during the Pandemic - will tweet and share information as I can
Staff are updating on the provincial and federal funding received to date - and how @tdsb has spent
Join us for Committee of the Whole beginning at 4:30 - among agenda items an update on school reopening as well as a discussion of the Director Search criteria tdsb.on.ca/stream/boardme…
Meeting begins with a timed item on the Toronto Lands Corporation - extension of terms for Citizen Directors to allow continuity of its processes
The next TLC item is really interesting about negotiating for a new elementary school on the former Christie Cookie Factory site tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boa…
Staff will work quickly to deploy funds as quickly as possible and will keep trustees informed and seek direction as appropriate - @TDSBDirector confirms some funding is flexible and will be back to Board with process for determining priorities
AD Witherow speaking to registration - began today at 3pm - out in cycles - 2 grades at a time - JK/!2, SK/11, etc - open until Saturday; phone calls for those without e-mail - tdsb.on.ca/Return-to-Scho… lists to be generated by August 31
Proud that @DavisvillePS opens the @TDSB Board Mtg with their recording of O’Canada!
.@TDSBDirector in her Directors report speaks to Federal funding - we have now received high-level details - more details will be provided later in the meeting - additional funds will help - commends the Board, Unions, Federations, parents and communities for advocacy
.@TOPublicHealth reviewed their methodology - identified 80 @tdsb schools in neighbourhoods deemed at a higher risk for COVID-19 - see the map below.
Based on the revised information from TPH @tdsb staff revised analysis of class sizes based on the number and grades of students in those schools - highlighted in yellow the numbers that changed
.@TOPublicHealth did a composite index score to rank neighbourhoods in terms of their risk for increased COVID19 transmission when schools reopen. The composite score based on neighbourhood level data - case information in combination with select socioeconomic indicators.