(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

$128M decision

Critics say students will suffer from education support staff layoffs

Mar 30, 2020 | 8:42 PM

People involved in Alberta’s education system say they were blindsided by the provincial government’s announcement that K-12 funding for May and June is being scaled back and redirected to fight against COVID-19.

The result of the $128 million decision is that as many as 25,000 support staff, including substitute teachers, school bus drivers and educational assistants who work with special needs students, will be laid off.

The announcement by Education Minister Adriana LaGrange came less than two weeks after she said on March 15 that, “school authorities will receive their full allotment of funding for the 2019-2020 school year.”

In announcing the cuts on Saturday, LaGrange said, “COVID-19 has changed both how we provide student learning, and the operational needs of the education system. I want to stress that this is a temporary arrangement as schools focus on at-home learning. I have full confidence the system will continue to be equipped to successfully deliver our education continuity plan.”

Educational assistant contracts must be concluded by the end of April and reduced use of substitute teachers is to begin Wednesday.

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“Funding will return to regular levels when in-person classes resume. Staffing impacts will be determined on a school authority-by-authority basis,” education spokesman Colin Aitchison told The Canadian Press.

rdnewsNOW has learned that Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools has told its staff “The Ministry has been clear that the reductions need to be made through educational assistants, substitute teachers, bus drivers, and other staff not directly related to student learning with anticipated temporary layoffs taking effect no later than May 1.”

One local educational assistant says students will suffer due to the cuts.

“The way our society is with so many broken homes and parents struggling to communicate with each other, we spend a lot of our time having to socially and emotionally support our kiddos,” she told rdnewsNOW, asking that her name not be published. “Relationships, nurturing and having a safe space are the first things we offer these kids. Academics often do come second because if you are socially and emotionally dysregulated, you can’t learn.”

The woman says not being in a classroom since in-person classes were cancelled hasn’t affected her ability to help students.

“There is one kid in my class whom I spend a lot of time with because they need one-on-one support, and the teacher doesn’t have the time. Now we’re online, and I’ve got the teacher’s plans, I can specifically target my kiddo by adapting those plans to something that works for her.”

Chris Carr, whose son Skyler has High-functioning Autism and is a Grade 4 student in Red Deer, believes EAs are nothing short of essential.

“Last week, Skyler did video chats like other students, but it was the EA doing a one-on-one call,” says Carr. “His EA does 100 per cent of the curriculum because everything is modified for him. He doesn’t normally do a lot with his actual teacher.”

Carr added, “It’s very frustrating because they are the ones getting him through even this COVID-19 situation. With my wife at home teaching our four other kids, this will just mean extra stress on parents.”

Falan Hollman, a Grade 5 student in Red Deer, has Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which can lead to severe impairment of the ability to eat, speak, walk and breathe.

“The EAs have so much connection and they’ve known each other for years in some scenarios, so it’s imperative the EA is part of her life,” says Sean, Falan’s father. “You’re taking, at minimum, months of a learning curve and throwing it all away.”

Falan Hollman is a Grade 5 student with Rett Syndrome who does her learning through help from an educational assistant (Photo supplied).

Kelly Aleman, president of Alberta Teachers’ Association Local 60 (Red Deer Public) calls the province’s decision “disrespectful, at best.”

“Teachers understand we’re in unprecedented times where other people are losing their jobs, but this is just adding to the problem,” says Aleman.

Alberta NDP Opposition says LaGrange needs to start fighting for students or quit and make way for someone who will.

“This is the job of the education minister, to put the resources and supports in place for kids to learn,” NDP education critic Sarah Hoffman said Monday.

(With file from The Canadian Press)