1/Couldn't stop thinking about the contradictions regarding the policies on school opening from March 15 (the day the province cancelled classes) compared to yesterday's school announcement. So I decided to watch that presser again.
#abed #ableg https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/covid19-alberta-need-to-know-march-15-1.5498465

2/On March 15 @CMOH_Alberta and @jkenney brought in "aggressive new public health measures," including suspended classes - "regardless of class size" - because 17 new cases of Covid, 56 total cases and 2 people in hospital warranted concern about community spread.
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3/"I made the recommendation after extensive discussion with school boards and in consideration of the cases of community transmission," @CMOH_Alberta said March 15.
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4/"The guidance provided by Health is proving extremely difficult to put into practice at the front lines due to product shortages, challenges with staffing and other operational issues." @CMOH_Alberta said March 15.
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5/"It has become clear that it would be challenging to implement health recommendations like social distancing, and proper cleaning protocols. The safety of our students, teachers and staff is the number one priority for all of us," @AdrianaLaGrange said March 15.
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6/"We all have a role to play to keep the students and staff that work in our schools safe and healthy. This is, and always will be, our number one priority." said @AdrianaLaGrange (she clearly wanted to emphasize this last part, as she mentioned it twice.)
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7/"We know that children are often in close contact with each other in ways that adults aren't, typically, so we are focusing on children at this time because this is a particularly high-risk group with respect to spreading the virus." @CMOH_Alberta, March 15
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8/So my question, @CMOH_Alberta, @AdrianaLaGrange & @JKenney, is what has changed? If 56 cases was alarming enough to cancel classes because - in your words -"it would be challenging to implement health recommendations," what of the current 1,251 active cases?
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9/What's changed about the challenge "to implement health recommendations like social distancing and proper cleaning protocols" when there's been no additional money allocated to schools for extra space, cleaning supplies, PPE, or staffing? And no cap on class sizes?
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10/Anyone able to think beyond the talking points your government spewed yesterday knows that you have been creative (polite term) with your budgeting numbers and per student funding has actually decreased from last year.
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11/We also know that the "reserves" you're "allowing" school boards to dip into, presumably to pay for PPE, or hire custodial staff, or purchase desks instead of tables, etc., are depleted significantly due to your government's pre-pandemic cuts to education.
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12/What's changed that's made a "near normal" return to school, in the midst of unquestionably higher rates of transmission, possible now when it was deemed unsafe in March? What's changed about the "safety of students and teachers" being your "number one priority?"
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13/You keep trying to assure parents that this plan is well thought out, safe and of the best interest to the province. But how can it be when it goes against your own recommendations and advice just a few short months ago?
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14/Asking parents to choose between sending their kids to school and risking their health and safety, or the health and safety of those around them, is unconscionable. Asking teachers to choose between their jobs and their health is unconscionable.
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15/It does not have to be this way. As @jkenney said March 15, "we're all responsible for each other's health at this time." So why do you now have zero regard for the health of students, school staff, teachers, caregivers and the broader community?
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16/Why can you not recognize the blatant problems with this return to school plan? Why will you not come up with a plan that actually serves to benefit children, respects the work and health of educators, and protects the communities we all live and work in?
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17/How can you justify going with scenario 1 when Alberta is recording the most new cases per capita? Why are you off-loading responsibility on to the already strained school boards? @CMOH_Alberta, @AdrianaLaGrange, @jKenney...what was wrong with other scenarios?
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