Thread: I've just heard from a friend working in a COVID-19 hotspot, with a concerning update on their return to school. Because many students have chosen to learn online, their school has collapsed classes, leaving some empty. 1/ #onpoli

When I hear that, I envision opportunity for that school to keep class sizes small by using the empty classrooms and hiring some more teachers to make use of them. 2/

Unfortunately, Doug Ford didn’t provide the needed funding that I - along with experts in education and healthcare - called for in July, and schools don’t have money to hire educators to make use of the classrooms. 3/

Doug Ford’s refusal to take Ontario’s return to school seriously and provide the needed funding to make sure it’s safe was and is a monumental error. Parents and those working on the front line are terrified - he just isn’t listening to them. 4/

What I heard tonight isn't new news. I've heard from educators in communities like Windsor, Barrie, Peterborough, Hamilton & Ottawa express these concerns over the past few weeks. 5/

I urge you all - parents and those working on the front line - to report stories like the one I heard about on our website: http://KeepOurSchoolsSafe.ca . #KeepOurSchoolsSafe 6/

And I will never stop working as hard as I can to make sure our kids excel because their public schools are second-to-none. 7/7