If you ever needed a flashing neon sign that the government doesn’t give a rat’s ass about your kids, here it is.
With the Omicron variant ripping through Ontario, classrooms all over the province are lacking the HEPA air filtration systems. The Ford government keeps praising themselves for providing them, yet many classrooms are going ahead without.
While the return to in-person learning has been delayed by the snow, Ontario is ready with a nation-leading plan, fully supported by the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kieran Moore, and local Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lawrence Loh.
Read more:https://t.co/UqqgvVdEgr pic.twitter.com/MUVdYKNOHa
— Rudy Cuzzetto, MPP ๐จ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฆ (@RudyCuzzetto) January 18, 2022
Parents & Staff Step up and are Turned Away
Sadly, over the last few days, I’ve heard from parents all over the province of Ontario. They have spoken out about being denied the ability to donate or start fundraisers to finish the job that the Ontario government failed to do by various school boards.
ONTARIO PARENTS: Does your child's classroom have a HEPA Filtration System in it?
Please Retweet
— Ryan Lindley (@ryanlindley) January 20, 2022
Parents & Staff Speak Out
I asked yesterday for you stories anonymously from parents. I received a bunch of messages with mixed reasoning for refusals. One parent said every class was outfitted with donated systems. Another parent said their board hasn’t purchased a single unit. All of this leads me to believe there is ZERO legislation or direction on the matter. Shocking, right?
๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ค๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐จ๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ก๐'๐จ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐จ๐ง๐ค๐ค๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐: If you have details, pls DM me to be used anonymously. #ONTED #ontarioschools
— Ryan Lindley (@ryanlindley) January 20, 2022
Equity Issues
While it is understandable under normal circumstances to limit donations/gifts in the spirit of fairness and equity, that doesn’t fly here. We aren’t talking about flat-screen televisions or fancy volleyball uniforms. We are in the midst of a health crisis. To not even entertain ideas around this is dangerously myopic. Parents in that tweet thread above suggested doing a 1-for-1 fundraiser, where their child’s class and a class in need would receive one. It was denied. A crowdsource across an entire board was also rejected. Why? It levels the playing field and removes the equity problem. Educators themselves are being told they cannot equip their OWN classrooms. We allow them to buy supplies on their own dime all the time. We let (hell, expect) them to volunteer their time for extra-curriculars. There is no reasonable answer to this.
Bureaucracy and inept leadership on all accounts are to blame here. It seems the harder this pandemic shoves it’s foot up our ass, the more our leadership just throws in the towel. This is not leadership. This is cowardice.
