Boards delay time to pick kids' learning model for '21

The Greater Essex County District School Board is giving parents with children in elementary school more time to decide on a learning model for the balance of the academic year.

The public board announced it was extending the timeline to request a change in learning models just hours before the previously announced deadline of Wednesday at 4 p.m.

“The delay for families of elementary students allows them to make a more informed decision whether to switch or remain in their current learning model,” the board said in a statement.

The deadline for secondary students to request a change in learning models remains Jan. 6.

The Windsor-essex Catholic District School Board had already extended its timelines for requesting changes in learning models.

Originally, Catholic board elementary students had to request a change by Jan. 18 and secondary students had until Jan. 20.

“As soon as we have landed on new dates, we will post a declaration form to our website and send out another voice message to the system letting parents know that the change in learning mode form is available and what the new deadlines will be,” said Stephen Fields, the board's communications coordinator.

Parents of public board elementary students had expressed concern around having to decide now on a learning model for the balance of the school year while the Windsor-essex region remains in the throes of a major COVID-19 surge.

“I know we've heard from our elementary parents about the return and we understand the concerns,” said Erin Kelly, the board's director of education.

Elementary students for in-class learning are scheduled to return to school for five days a week on Jan. 11.

“The GECDSB will continue to consult with local health officials to determine the most appropriate time for parents/guardians to make any desired change,” the board statement said.

Kelly said daycare issues for younger students and larger class sizes at the grade school level were among the concerns parents expressed to the board.

“No time is going to be good to make switches, but we're trying to respond to that until we get more direction,” Kelly said.

After the year's opening quadmester, parents and students in both boards had their first opportunity to change the learning model. In October, just over 5,000 students between the two local boards made a change.

Elementary students have the option of in-class learning, remote learning or paper package models.

Secondary students have the option to learn in an adapted model that rotates between in-class, with small cohorts of 15, and remote learning, or strictly remote learning. The winter deadline was not extended for public secondary students because those families don't face the same pressures around child care as stay-at-home learners, Kelly said. Students are not scheduled to return to in-class learning at high schools until Jan. 25

The board said when a new deadline is established for elementary students, the online form will be reposted on the board's website and families will be given notice.