What to expect this week in Waterloo region schools as contract negotiations continue

It will be another week of job action by teachers and education workers as unions continue to negotiate new contracts with the provincial government.

Here's what parents in Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County can expect this week.

Elementary teachers plan local strikes

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) will hold one-day strikes on Monday in Waterloo region and in Guelph and Wellington County on Tuesday.

The Waterloo Region District School Board says if a deal isn't reached between the union and the province before Monday's strike, it will mean elementary schools will be closed.

Before and after school programs run by the school board are also cancelled; however, EarlyON and licensed child care centres located in the schools will be open.

A full list of programs that will go ahead can be found on the school board's website.

In the Waterloo Region District School Board, ETFO represents elementary teachers, elementary occasional teachers and designated early childhood educators.

Schools in Guelph and Wellington County will be closed on Tuesday if the strike goes ahead.

Community use of schools and third-party operated child care centres will remain open, the board said. Also, some before and after school programs may be operating, but each operator will communicate directly with families. 

"Parents/guardians of elementary students are strongly encouraged to begin making alternate arrangements for your children prior to the one-day strike," the board said in a release.

The Upper Grand District School Board also has a PD Day on Friday, Jan. 31.

Public high schools open, exams continue

While elementary schools will be closed on Monday, the Waterloo Region District School Board says all secondary schools will be open and exams are expected to continue as scheduled.

The same goes for high schools covered by the Upper Grand District School Board. Buses will also run as they usually would for high school students on Tuesday.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation has said it will not strike again until after high school exams are done.

No strikes at Catholic schools

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers do not have a strike planned as of Friday afternoon.

Teachers have scaled back some administrative duties, including that they will not prepare report cards, take part in EQAO, and they will not take part in staff meetings.

French teachers escalate job action

Teachers at French-language schools represented by the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) are escalating job action as of Tuesday.

The job action will be mostly administrative duties and the union has not yet given notice of going on strike.

The next bargaining sessions between AEFO, the government and the employer bargaining agency are scheduled for Jan. 29 and 30. A mediator has been appointed by the province's ministry of labour.

No report cards for public elementary students

The Waterloo Region District School Board, Upper Grand District School Board and Avon Maitland District School Board all announced last week that they will not be distributing term one report cards.

Instead, parents are being told to talk to teachers about their child's progress.

The reason there are no report cards is due to job action. Teachers are not inputting grades electronically or providing comments.

As well, local school boards will not be taking part in EQAO testing.