Today at 4pm @tdsb Special P&P re COVID-19 issues - please join us here tdsb.on.ca/stream/boardme… For those who can't join, I will be live-tweeting from the meeting 
Today's agenda - the deck to be presented is now posted tdsb.on.ca//Leadership//B…
Director @TDSBDirector expresses gratitude to cross-staff team - from 9000 students - less than 500 in Q1 and Q2 not placed - proud of the work implementing with an equity perspective SO @tdsbMsP presenting elementary switch update - grades are full in virtual school at this time
Completely supportive of local hub model - modeling for September 2021 re local hubs for virtual school
EO Gowdy updating on asymptomatic testing - 11 hub sites this week - 8 TDSB, 2 TCDSB and 1 City of Toronto with 64 schools invited to the hubs - in collaboration with @TOPublicHealth and the local testing hospitals - goal to assist with early case identification
Before we get to survey results - EO Gowdy confirming that enough HEPA filters have been acquired to ensure one is placed in all occupied classrooms across @tdsb
Director @TDSBDirector introducing results from the winter consultation - schools are shaped by the families - there are commonalities and differences - 89% of parents felt children protected in schools; 9 out of 10 students feel their teachers care about them
Director @TDSBDirector Staff have been inspiring - what our staff are accomplishing is extraordinary and how supported students feel tells us how very much of a difference staff make - however, staff are experiencing issues - we need to leverage these results to improve outcomes.
Dr David Cameron presenting the survey results - from the ThoughtExchange and surveys - staff, parents and students from grade 6-12
3 different ThoughtExchange provided to staff - on three main themes
Slide breaks down staff participation - unions were consulted re questions
Between 25-30% of system responded from parents and students
Representation across the entire city
Almost a third of all students participated from Grades 6-12 - broad representation
Ethno-Racial Breakdown of student participants
Parent and student breakdown - 89% of parents and 81% students felt protected from COVID at school; 70% of families coping well or extremely well...
Preliminary results - Students are struggling with mental health - stories that students provided echoed results of anxiety, depression, boredom, loneliness... there are slight differences between Ethno-Racial groups
Comparing student census from the Spring - students feeling less happy and more anxious
Questions re learning experiences - 70% families felt their students had the right amount of work; 50% of students felt pace of instruction was right; 70% of students satisfied with work and quadmestered system- but families and students worried...
9 out of 10 students believe they are doing their best - 60% indicated they enjoyed school - compared more favourably than 2017 census - 84% of students felt in-person learning was better
Interesting data re synchronous learning - 70% feeling they were receiving the right amount; 94% elementary students felt they could navigate with ease
About half of secondary students felt they had the right amount of synchronous - 60% felt they had the right amount of asynchronous and in-person - almost all felt they could navigate virtual space
Students are building connections and feeling supported - this is further testament to the great work of staff - changes from 2017 data
Families seem to be supported and connected - less in virtual school - important data re student with special education needs - 73% families and 80% students felt supported while 60% of families satisfied with IEP in virtual school
Unfortunately staff tell a different story as their energies are all focussed on students - they are stressed
Staff feel underappreciated
Concerning numbers - staff are doing an amazing job in spite of how they feel and their concerns - we must be more responsive to educators in-school
Staff indicate they need resources and information- only 30% felt trust from their employer
ThoughtExchange provided suggestions for improvement - expectations, mental health supports, communication, class size, connections - key - seek and listen to the advice of educators
Important Takeaways
Next Steps Within Research and Development - working now to disaggregate and analyze the results - how to use the data to do better
Qs and As now - will we get results of asymptomatic testing? Best information is we will get it at the system level re positivity rates - hoping for 5% of school and 2% of students (we would like to include staff)
Every occupied classroom - elementary and secondary - will receive a HEPA filter - staff have confirmed
Re initial data - Director @TDSBDirector confirming that we are digesting re planning for September 2021 - Director and Communications creating check-in sessions for staff and seeking feedback to provide better support and resources
Good questions re translating the surveys to ensure all parents can access - and supporting "normalizing" getting asymptomatic testing to support more taking advantage - and then if there is little up-take, we need to work on why?
Q re access to mental health supports - there is no wait list for social workers - how do we help students connect with social workers? Most difficult piece right now is that a lot of young people and parents don't have the personal connection within the virtual world
Social workers have met families outdoors to try and make the connections - increasing the number of drop-in sessions for parents and teaching staff - (side note - mental health and well-being is the topic of the Ward 8 Forum on March 11th!)
Q re student voice - question re curriculum expectations - how do we support? Bust the myth of "learning loss" - how do we support our youth - working in partnership with universities and colleges - they will be "differently ready"- we need to prioritize #studentvoice
Looking at ways to shift from students as "empty vessels" to partnership opportunities to leverage and listen - seeking more information to share on "Youth Action Research"
Q @TOPublicHealth still suggests opening windows a couple of times through the day - information has not changed - staff confirmed elementary HEPA filters will be delivered by mid-March followed by secondary - 1500/wk starting with Q5
Q Are the asymptomatic testing centres restricted to the schools listed? No - anyone will be served... but communication is only sent to the schools on the list
Moving on to Written Notices of Motion - Item 12.1 March 9 meeting and Item 12.2 at the March 10 Board - That's a wrap!
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