Parents, trustees and teachers were surprised this week by the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board’s decision to dissolve their virtual school and move to a hybrid learning model at the end of November.
On Wednesday night, the Catholic school board announced it would be dissolving its virtual elementary school and moving all students to the new model as of Nov. 23. Secondary students of the board will also be adopting the hybrid learning model as of Nov. 12.
Peter Fracassi, trustee and vice chair, told BarrieToday that trustees weren’t involved in the process of making a decision on switching to a hybrid model, and were only informed of the decision via email on Sunday.
“This was a complete surprise to me. I don’t recall any decision being made by the board of trustees,” said Fracassi. “I can’t formulate an opinion one way or another whether I'm in favour of the hybrid model.”
As switching to a hybrid model is an operational decision, typically trustees would not be involved in the making of those decisions, although Fracassi said he would have liked to be involved in some capacity.
Many local teachers haven’t yet been given direction or details on exactly how the programs will work.
Kent MacDonald, president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association’s Simcoe Muskoka elementary unit, called the change an “epic transition” that is going to require the investment of significant time, training and preparation.
“The acknowledgement of the struggle and hard work of teachers is welcome from the board, however, these are just words,” said MacDonald. “We are demanding that these words, these thanks, this recognition are accompanied by action. The expectation that teachers can move from either teaching in a virtual environment or face-to-face, into a hybrid environment with one full day to prepare is unsatisfactory.”
According to the school board, one additional professional development (PD) day on Nov. 20 will be allotted for teachers to transition to the new model.
MacDonald says teachers need time to both engage in training and conceptualize what their classroom and courses will look like under the hybrid model.
“Boards have the ability to expend their reserves. There is money. Choices are being made about the allocation of those monies to budget lines that are not meaningfully addressing the current crisis we are facing,” he said.
Kim Weishar, superintendent of elementary education with Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, said Thursday there were many pieces that went into the decision-making about switching to a hybrid model.
“A question did come up at one of our last board meetings from one of our trustees about hybrid models as the York Catholic District School Board has made the move to that model,” said Weishar.
The school board had put out a survey to parents last week asking about the possibility of switching from in-person to online and vice versa, and the results from that survey also helped inform the decision.
Other reasons provided by the board in their letter to parents include a high volume of parent requests to switch their children, providing stability for students, the hybrid model making it easier to accommodate students with special needs and consistency for when students eventually transition all being back in class.
“We had so many parents who wanted to switch, it just wasn’t sustainable,” said Weishar. “We made a decision through our senior leadership team last week. Trustees were informed on Sunday.”
Weishar said the teacher’s unions were also informed in advance.
“We have a number of resources we will reach out with to support teachers. They will not be left there out on their own to figure this out,” said Weishar.
In a letter sent to parents on Wednesday night, interim director of education Catherine McCullough explained the change.
To read the full release from the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, click here.
“Moving to the hybrid model will provide stability until the end of June so that we don’t have to restructure classes again in January and April,” wrote McCullough. “In addition, the board is unable to adequately staff the virtual school, which currently has more than 3,300 students. This hybrid model will relieve these pressures.”
Very few details have been provided by the board on how the hybrid model with work day-to-day.
According to their website, virtual learners will continue to have real-time instruction via video conferencing and will not be watching a live stream of the classroom teacher instructing the in-class students.
Instructional time will include the classroom teacher instructing all students (both in-class and virtual, using a variety of technologies) at the same time, working with small groups (both in the classroom and online) and students working independently.
A Change.org petition has started opposing the Catholic board’s decision switch to a hybrid model, addressed to the province and school board, and has garnered more than 400 signatures so far.
To view or sign the petition, click here.
For more information on the hybrid learning model from the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, click here.
