SchoolTalk Alex Battick

The role of local school board trustees are incredibly important, yet many people have no idea of their significance in our communities. Some have suggested that the trustee is perhaps the most influential politician on the day-to-day lives of Ontario families. Why is that? What makes the role of school board trustees so vital? And what are the growing concerns about the role they occupy in Ontario’s Education system?

Students have missed many weeks of school over the past few years. Some have suggested that reintroducing grade thirteen may be a way to ensure students develop skills they need for life after high school. But this touches on a much broader conversation; grade thrirteen has typically been used to prepare students for post-secondary education. With a deficit of people working in trades, how do we promote and encourage students to see the opportunities here? Is there a responsible way to do this that ensure streaming and other biased assessments don’t discriminately funnel students in one direction or the other? Why is this a viable, respectable route and why do we need to promote skilled work in trades in Ontario?

The role of community in schools consists of the connections between schools and individuals, businesses, and formal and informal organizations and institutions that can leverage community resources and assist students in achieving positive outcomes. Is there a need for more community support in Ontario schools? What specific role does the community occupy in the ecosystem of education in this province?

Children who have experienced complex trauma often have difficulty identifying, expressing, and managing emotions, and may have limited language for feeling states. For many young people, Black boys especially, this trauma is caused and compounded by a range of systemic barriers. How does COVID-19 affect students already managing many stressors? What is the impact of school closure and loss of routine on the lives of those typically unburdened? And how do we continue to support students in an environment like this?

Access to meaningful to education is the entitlement of all students in Ontario. When compounding barriers impact a students ability to learn, how are schools challenged to respond — particularly in the middle of a community lockdown?

Apple and Rogers Communications recently partnered with the Ontario government to help meet the need of students and families while they try to ensure home learning is more accessible. School Board across the province have now been tasked with finding the most viable platforms to engage with students remotely.

As there becomes an increased reliance on technology to facilitate the student-teacher relationship, there is significance concern about implications on privacy.