By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

SPEAKING FOR THE VOICELESS

Group to rally at education minister’s office for vulnerable students

Aug 14, 2020 | 1:53 PM

A grassroots child advocacy group is taking its message to the Education Minister’s doorstep.

Shantel Sherwood, founder of Hold My Hand Alberta, says they will be visiting Adriana LaGrange’s Red Deer constituency office to get their point across that the province’s return to school plan includes nothing for students with diverse learning needs including neurological issues, mental and physical hindrances.

“We’re going to present LaGrange with a letter which outlines all the things our students will be impacted by given the fact she cut 20,000 support staff from schools,” says Sherwood.

“We’re aware it’s unlikely, but we’re hoping she’ll come talk to us. We’re a non-partisan group, but we’ve noticed her plan has nothing laid out for our students.”

There are nine items the organization wants to see implemented, including early school entry for those with individualized support plans, a similar re-entry plan to B.C.’s, and proper educational assistant levels.

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Hold My Hand Alberta is also asking for a seat at the table with government to stop pitting parents against school boards, effective at-home learning for special needs kids, emotional supports and counsellors, adequate sensory equipment, and individual support plans done prior to entry.

They also want reassurance that per-student funding won’t be impacted next year based on families who chose to keep their children home this year.

Sherwood says her five-year-old autistic son struggled mightily once classes were cancelled in March.

“Our students were forgotten from March onward,” she says. “He would see the computer screen and run. The computer sessions were only 15 minutes long, but for my five-year-old to sit in front of a screen with 18 other kids on there – well it takes five minutes just to have the ability to speak. It was not inclusionary, and the new plan isn’t set up for them either.”

Asked whether the UCP’s current plan undervalues students with diverse learning needs, Sherwood believes so given her own Autism and success in life.

“A lot of these kids aren’t told enough that they’re capable, so when government isn’t saying ‘we see your possibilities,’ parents stop believing and others do as well.’ I believe when you invest in these kids, you’re going to see a far better outcome than what most would think.”

Attendees at the rally, which goes Tuesday starting at 1 p.m., are asked to meet outside LaGrange’s office (202-5913 50 Avenue) with masks strongly recommended.

Earlier this month, the opposition NDP demanded that the UCP rehire the educational assistants laid off this past spring.

Alberta Education tells rdnewsNOW in a statement that, “As the Minister has stated previously, school authorities have been receiving their full allotments of funding since July 1, 2020. The funding adjustments were only a temporary measure to re-allocate funding to support Alberta’s COVID-19 response. If a school authority is not rehiring the staff they chose to lay off, they are doing this despite having their full funding restored and despite receiving an increase in operational funding for the upcoming school year. We would encourage parents and families to hold their locally-elected trustees accountable for the decisions they are making.”

Alberta Education didn’t say whether LaGrange will be at her office on Tuesday.

Meantime, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools is recalling all continuous EAs for the upcoming school year. Acting Superintendent Kathleen Finnigan says funding has been restored to 2019-20 levels.

“Trustees had to make difficult decisions based on 2019-2020 as budget allocations were reduced substantially,” says Finnigan. “We will likely see an increase in student population in this upcoming school year and will not receive additional funding for enrolment increases. Further, we had a cut in our funding in the 2019-2020 school year. However, 2020-2021 still reflects the loss of funding from the prior year.”

Red Deer Public Schools’ rehiring numbers won’t be available until Monday.