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Student Voice

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 03:27 PM

The TDSB is launching a Student Equity Collective, an initiative centred and led by students to address injustices, racism and hate in our school communities. We cannot make meaningful,focused and sustained change without their voices at the table. All voices are important when dealing with issues around racism and hate and students are a critical part of the solution.

The Collective is a new type of leadership opportunity here in the Board and we are excited about its potential. This is an opportunity for students to not only sit at the table, but to design what the table looks like, drive the conversation, and bring ideas, solutions and recommendations forward that address what students want to address.

All students Grade 7 to 11 are invited to apply. We’re looking to hear from a variety of diverse voices and identities from all across our system. Students don’t have to have any previous leadership experience, only have a voice and an interest in sparking change to address injustices and eliminate racism and hate.

Please view the website -- www.tdsb.on.ca/studentequitycollective 

 

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Why can’t I access the virtual class when I am absent from school?

Simple question. Not-So-Simple Answer.

 

Context:

·     In August, the TDSB asked all families to commit to one delivery model: fully virtual or fully in-person. A fully virtual option was offered to TDSB students as a response to COVID-19.  

·     Currently, there are 52 Malvern students who are fully virtual.

·     Approximately 66% of our classes have a handful of virtual students who stream the in-person class.

·     Approximately 100 in-person students (about 10% of the class/school) are absent daily.

The Simple Question:

If there are already students who stream the class, why can’t my child access the link when they are absent so that they can participate in the class virtually?

The Not-So-Simple Answer:

If there were the option for students to stream a lesson when they are absent from class:

·       We would not be following the TDSB’s 2 Program Delivery Options; instead Malvern’s model would become an In-Person Model with a Drop-In Virtual Option.

·       We would not be able to report and track attendance accurately. We are required to report student attendance twice daily, and the attendance status is connected to the student’s pre-selected program options: in-person or virtual.  While this is seemingly insignificant, it can become an accountability issue when the school does not have the ability to track and accurately report student attendance.

There are other factors to consider.

Teachers who are delivering a hybrid program are planning a program that serves the needs of students who are fully in-person and they are planning an accommodated program for select students who are fully virtual. They are not simply delivering a lecture-based program. 

They are managing all in-person activities, group work, quizzes, and tests, supervising 25-30 students in their class, and sometimes managing behaviours. They are also navigating technology and various applications (with varying levels of expertise and experience). Finally, they are spending one-one-one time with select virtual student(s) to make accommodations to their program; there are many aspects of the in-person program that do not “translate” to the virtual program.

If students could log into the class when they are absent, the quality of our in-person program would suffer as more students, every day (and for a myriad of different reasons) would opt to stream the class. Teachers would be limited in their ability to manage their students and to deliver and plan their programs effectively as they would never know, on any given day, who is logging in, and who is attending in-person.

We understand that the parents and students are not necessarily suggesting a "drop-in" virtual option and that students just want to stay on top of things when they can’t be here.  It makes sense.  Unfortunately, if the school were to allow for this level of flexibility, we would be setting up an expectation that the school cannot support or sustain at this time.

Thank you for your understanding,

Sandy Kaskens, Principal