Thread by @CBevensLeblanc

Day 440 of isolation. Perfectly healthy child attending virtually because @Sflecce & @fordnation refused to adequately fund #onted to ensure @ONThealth & @GovCanHealth recommendations were met in schools.
Why weren't these same experts advocating for ALL students in the fall? 1/

Our most vulnerable not provided a safe place to learn; otherwise healthy children sacrificing their own #mentalhealth, bearing the burden of protecting the lives of their vulnerable/high-risk loved ones... 2/

Why did these experts permit schools to open in the first place without adequate safety measures in place? 3/

@sfleece claims 20% of students "chose" virtual this year. One in five students have been in isolation for over a year. 4/

I am no expert, but am inclined to believe that if 6 wks of remote learning is as detrimental to the #mentalhealth of the 80% of students who were able to attend in-person as @capaedsociety claims, 5/

surely the situation is much more dire for the most vulnerable children & those with high-risk loved ones who were not provided adequate safety measures to protect their lives & have been in isolation for over a year. 6/

Where is the concern for these children? Why is there not public outcry for #mentalhealth supports for virtual learners? Why are these same experts not insisting schools are funded adequately to ensure schools are safe for ALL students? 7/

@LimestoneDSB has done an incredible job keeping students safe, and has led #onted in the development, implementation & delivery of @LDSBVirtualElem & @LDSBVirtualSec 8/

but if #mentalhealth & #equity were actual core values of #onted, #CodePINK wouldn't be trending right now & @fordnation & @sfleece would have ensured parents & guardians weren't forced to "choose" imminent physical safety over their childs #mentalhealth. 9/

My heart is so heavy for the parents/guardians/caregivers of the 20% of students who in reality did not have a choice & are feeling abandoned by @CHCOntario. Prioritizing children's physical health should not have to be to the detriment of their #mentalhealth. 10/

Two weeks of in-person learning will not negate the long-term impacts of the #mentalhealthcrisis students are facing & is a bandaid solution to painfully obvious systematic gaps & deficiencies. 11/

@fordnation & @Sflecce should be directing their focus on:
Capitol investments in #onted to ensure classrooms have proper ventilation; smaller class sizes, not only for physical distancing, but so educators are more able to support students & their increasingly complex needs; 12/

Meaningful educator training; Significant investments in #mentalhealth supports & community resources for students, caregivers & educators & full time #mentalhealth workers in schools; 13/

& a pedagogical approach to #onted that genuinely prioritizes #studentwellbeing in meaningful consultation with all stakeholders & #partnersineducation /14

to begin working towards building an #equitable public education system and ensuring a #SafeSeptemberON. 15/

To the caregivers of the 400,000 students whose #mentalhealth seems to be rendered irrelevant to @CHCOntario, I see you.
The students of #Ontario deserve better. #onted #onpoli /16

As a side note, given @CHCOntario's position on the impacts of e-learning & the important role local educators play in students' #mentalhealth and #Wellbeing, /17

I look forward to working together in advocating for students, opposing @sfleece's changes to the Ed Act in the privatization of #onted via a centralized provincial e-learning model w/@TVO. #partnersineducation #onted /end