Windsor-Essex parents face 'impossible' decision to switch learning models amid 2nd wave

As Windsor-Essex continues to see a sharp rise in community COVID-19 cases, parents with the region's public school board are expected to decide by Wednesday whether they want to switch their child's learning model. 

For parent Jane McArthur, who has two elementary-aged children, the looming deadline amid the height of the second wave has put her in a tight spot. 

"I am not at all comfortable with my children going back to the in school learning environment given what COVID cases are, but I'm also not comfortable to keep them out should that situation change," she said.  

It's been three weeks since schools in Windsor-Essex were ordered to close by the region's medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed due to an increase in cases and multiple outbreaks. At the time, Ahmed said schools would be closed until Jan. 4, but students still did not return back to class Monday as per a provincial announcement that delayed in-person learning until Jan. 11 for elementary students and Jan. 25 for secondary students. 

It's unclear if Ahmed will extend this further. 

In the last week, 147 COVID-19 cases were reported among children aged 0 to 19, according to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's website. And in the three weeks since students have been off, the same age bracket saw 374 cases. 

Despite what the community is seeing with COVID-19 cases, parent Lora Christensen said she will likely have her daughter return to in-person classes once schools reopen. 

Christensen, who is a pediatric nurse, says she is confident in the health and safety protocols that schools have implemented and knows her daughter benefits from being physically at school. 

"I believe my daughter will do well in school, I know she's going quite well online learning, but she'll do well in school," she said. "But I think for a lot of parents a lot of things are subjective to their own children." 

For this reason, she said parents should be given more time to decide and be able to take into account Ahmed's perspective. 

As of Monday, the region has more than 2,500 active COVID-19 cases. 

Parent wants more time to decide

McArthur said she has sent a letter to the school board to let them know that they are asking parents to make an "impossible" decision. 

"There is no good answer right now," she said."I would like our school board to recognize that given where we are right now with COVID-19 in the community we can't be asked as parents to make a decision for the remainder of the school year." 

For now, she said she would like to see the provincial government and local school boards implement better strategies to prevent the spread of the disease, specifically around staffing levels and space for children. 

To help her and others come to a decision, McArthur said she would like to see flexibility on the date to decide their learning model and additional time frames for them to make a switch. 

At this time, the board said that the decision parents make on Wednesday will be their final time to switch learning models for the rest of the school year. 

Alicia Higgison, chairperson of the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB), said the board is keeping that deadline as is.

"It is a massive undertaking to adjust these things," she said, adding that switching affects staffing.

As a parent within the board, she understands the concerns and frustrations, and acknowledged the circumstances are not ideal.

"I wish that it was different for all of us, myself included, and everybody who has these same anxieties," she said.

The deadline for GECDSB students to switch their learning model is Wednesday at 4 p.m. 

For elementary students, who may switch from their current learning model to in-person, online or paper packaging (remote) leaning, the first day of their new learning model will be Feb. 1, 2021. 

Secondary students also have the option of switching from their current learning model to in-person or remote/virtual learning, which will take place on Feb. 3. 

For families under the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, the deadline for elementary students to switch learning modes is Jan. 18 with a return date of Feb. 1. At the secondary level, the switch deadline is Jan. 20 with a return date of Feb. 3.