Bluewater District School Board (BWDSB) trustees are expressing concerns over a possible move by the provincial government to change how eLearning is delivered to students in Ontario, and plans to shift to a permanent framework for remote learning.

In an April 13 media release from BWDSB, if implemented, the delivery of eLearning courses would shift from the current localized approach to a centralized model coordinated through TVO/TFO, as recently revealed by the media in various reports referencing private documents. The proposal is part of a plan by the province to introduce legislation this spring to make remote learning a permanent part of Ontario’s education system. In a letter to Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, trustees requested that public conversations related to the proposed plan involve consultation with school boards and education stakeholders in Ontario. Click here to view the letter. The letter is also posted below.

BWDSB is a member of the Ontario eLearning Consortium (OeLC), which includes 33 school boards from the public and Catholic systems. The OeLC has provided an effective, efficient, and low-cost seat-sharing mechanism for boards to offer eLearning courses to their students, while supplementing course offerings from partner boards. Local educators are responsible for online class content, which is differentiated according to the identified needs of their students. Opportunities also exist for students from other parts of the province to register to attend local classes.

The government’s proposed plan could mark the end of the current consortia-based collaborative approach among school boards by shifting the development, control, and delivery of eLearning courses to TVO/TFO for students to access centrally. Trustees are concerned that the plan could threaten the viability and diversity of course offerings in rural and remote schools. Questions around access to reliable internet for families must be considered within any provincial plan to ensure equity. Additional concerns include reduced staff support for in-school learning, unnecessary duplication and additional expenses, and the ability of school boards to have direct and local influence over online programming.

“We are still gathering evidence from this past year on the full impact of online learning, and believe it is premature for the provincial government to be implementing a permanent framework without adequate transparent consultation with education stakeholders. We want to work with our provincial and education partners to ensure any plan meets the local needs of students, while continuing to honour the firsthand expertise and leadership of school boards,” said BWDSB Chair Jane Thomson.

The following letter, from Jane Thomson, Chair BWDSB; and Jan Johnstone Vice-Chair BWDSB, was sent to Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and carbon copied to MPP Bill Walker, Bruce Grey-Owen Sound, MPP Lisa Thompson, Huron-Bruce and the Ontario Public School Boards' Association April 12.

Dear Minister Lecce:

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we wish to express our concerns regarding your government’s exploration of a province wide approach to the delivery of eLearning through TVO/TFO, as recently revealed by the media in various reports referencing private documents. As we continue to gather evidence related to the impact of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe it is premature for the provincial government to be implementing a permanent framework without adequate transparent consultation with education stakeholders.

In Bluewater District School Board, we belong to the Ontario eLearning Consortium (OeLC), which is comprised of 33 school boards from both the public and Catholic systems. This has provided an effective, efficient, and low-cost seat-sharing mechanism for us to offer eLearning courses to our students, while supplementing course offerings from other boards. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this approach has been especially useful by enabling a variety of solutions in smaller schools, and allowing us to pivot quickly to meet the needs and demands of our students and families.

Our longstanding participation in the OeLC is working extremely well. Online class content is edited, supplemented, and differentiated by local educators for our students, as well as those who register for our classes from across the province. We believe it is imperative that our educators retain control over content and delivery at the local level.

The government’s proposed plan would have significant implications for public education and our local schools, including:

• Threatening the viability and diversity of course offerings in small, rural, and remote schools;
• Reducing support for in-school learning by reassigning student success teachers, guidance counsellors, and others whose current mandate is to support students who require additional instruction to be successful;
• Unnecessary duplication and additional expenses, while still being unlikely to effectively address local needs (School boards and their consortia have developed the infrastructure and level of expertise to support remote learning that reflects the requirements of their specific learners.);
• Undermining the ability of school boards to have direct and local influence over the logistics and programming linked to online learning, as well as associated services and supports in their community schools.

We are concerned that this plan has the dangerous potential of creating a two-tiered education system. As a small rural board, we still have families who live in areas without reliable internet access. There remain questions around access and equity that must be considered with any plan moving forward. In addition, there would be a negative impact on our ability to deliver in-person learning to our rural schools.

We respectfully request that public conversations related to your government’s proposal involve consultation with school boards and education partners in Ontario. This includes the many education stakeholders who comprise the OeLC and the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, who have also been investigating the potential impacts of this proposal.

By working together, we believe that a strengthened and mutually beneficial vision for online learning can be created, which does not undermine school board and consortia leadership, or eliminate the positive online approaches that have long proven effective for student engagement and success.

As always, our commitment remains focused on providing a quality education for every student in a safe, accepting, and caring environment.

Sincerely,
Jane Thomson, Chair
Jan Johnstone, Vice-Chair