Grades 7-12 to move online for two weeks
Edmonton's public and Catholic schools are moving grades 7 to 12 online for two weeks beginning Thursday as rising COVID-19 cases put pressure on teaching resources.
Edmonton Public Schools superintendent Darrel Robertson told media Tuesday the division asked the province Monday for the “circuit-breaker” closure, timed with the move to Quarter 4 and following a professional development day Wednesday.
Robertson said a rise in COVID-19 cases has made it difficult for the divisions to fill teachers' spots when they are forced into self-isolation. Moving junior and high school students online will protect the supply pool for elementary, he said.
“Right now (supply shortages) are in the seventies ... and so that could easily be 90 to 100 on Thursday. We wanted to pivot as soon as possible,” he said.
Board chairwoman Trisha Estabrooks said the division had to demonstrate there was a significant supply teacher shortage, a high number of staff and students in quarantine, that some schools or classes had already been forced to go online, and there was a high number of cases.
“(When) you look at the trajectory that we were seeing, both in terms of the number of COVID cases in our city and our classes ... those four factors combined is what made up what really was quite a strong request to the ministry to shift students online.”
By Tuesday there were 130 active cases in public schools, and 3,200 students and 403 staff in quarantine, Robertson said.
All classes at Kenilworth School moved online Tuesday after more than 80 students and nearly 20 staff were forced to isolate because of a COVID -19 exposure, according to a news release.
Asked about the impact on students who have struggled with online learning, Robertson said he understands learning face-to-face is the best option but staff will help each student meet their needs.
Sandra Palazzo, Edmonton Catholic Schools Board chairwoman, was not available for an interview, but said in a statement Tuesday the division was seeing the same issues as the public schools.
“As we implement this temporary shift in learning, we are committed to maintaining a strong and consistent learning environment for all students,” she said.
Schools will be open in both divisions by appointment if parents need to speak with administrators, and for children who may need access to specialized supports, according to letters to families.
Both divisions expect students to return to in-person classes May 6.
CLOSURES THROWING FAMILIES INTO CHAOS
Alberta NDP education critic Sarah Hoffman told media Tuesday school closures are throwing families into chaos and signal an “appalling failure by (Premier) Jason Kenney and the UCP.”
She criticized Education Minister
Adriana Lagrange for painting a rosy picture of the situation in schools.
“This minister must act. We've given her a plan: we need to reduce class sizes, spread students out, bring widespread rapid testing to schools and provide an Alberta learn-from-home fund to support families.”
Lagrange arranged a news conference last week after grades 7-12 moved online in Calgary but did not offer availability Tuesday, nor did Kenney mention it during the COVID-19 update.
But in a statement Tuesday evening, Lagrange said the temporary shift is necessary.
“The safety of students and staff will continue to be my top priority as we finish the school year. I want to give my sincere gratitude to teachers and administrators for their continued dedication to Alberta's students throughout the pandemic,” she said.
ALBERTA REPORTS 1,345 NEW COVID-19 CASES
The district's announcement to temporarily move classes online Tuesday came as Alberta reported 1,345 new cases of COVID-19 and five more fatalities across the province. There were 476 people in hospital, of which 105 were in intensive care.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said 816 more COVID-19 cases were variants of concern and 57 per cent of the province's 18,481 active cases were variants. Edmonton Zone had 4,899 active cases while the Calgary Zone had 8,098.
Meanwhile, city bylaw staff handed out four tickets and 28 warnings to people flouting mask bylaws and 14 warnings over Public Health Act violations last week, according to municipal data provided by the city Tuesday.