Parents call WRDSB’s plan to switch to remote learning at Elizabeth Ziegler Public School ‘lazy’

A Waterloo elementary school will remain closed for at least another two weeks, and as CTV’s Colton Wiens reports, parents aren’t happy.

Parents and guardians of students attending Elizabeth Ziegler Public School are sharing their concerns about the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) keeping the school shut for another two weeks.

Elizabeth Ziegler Public School was closed on March 3, over concerns about the safety of the building’s façade. The school board originally planned to inform parents by March 14, if the school would reopen after March Break. Instead, the board announced on Tuesday that the school will remain closed until at least March 28.

“Stressed if it extends into April. Now we’re out of school for, you know, four, five, six weeks,” Sarah Long, a mother of two kids that attend the school said.

The board has asked families and caregivers to stop by the school to pick up a Chromebook or iPad, so students can participate in class from home. Students also have the option of asynchronous learning or reviewing old material.

“I have a five-year-old who’s in kindergarten and he doesn’t even have access to a Chromebook, nor know how to use a Chromebook. He’s five. So he needs a lot of attention. Leo’s in grade 2, so I think he’ll be able to manage the Chromebook for a certain period of time. But by no means is he going to be able to sit there from 9 to 3 on a Chromebook,” Long said.

The board said it understands parents and guardians may have concerns, but it is working tirelessly to return to in person learning.

“I don’t feel that anybody is working tirelessly on the situation. I understand these safety concerns happen, and I’m very supportive of the school being closed for safety reasons, for however long it takes. However, I think it’s a lazy solution to say, now we’re going to go to remote learning,” Long said.

Long works from home, so she will be physically in her home when her kids are learning. But she doesn’t have time to be a teacher while she’s working her fulltime job.

“The conversations I’m having with my management right now is not, ‘Don’t worry about it. You work from home.’ It’s, ‘You’re supposed to be online from 9 to 5 without interruption. So do you need to take a leave of absence for these days? Do you need to use your vacation for these days?’” Long said.

On Wednesday, workers could be seen removing additional pieces from the building and installing wood above the broken facade. According to the City of Waterloo, the school board has retained a structural engineer and is awaiting the engineer’s final report. The city said its role is to ensure buildings are safe and to ensure the school board gets the permits needed to proceed.

The board did not make anyone available for an interview on Wednesday, but in a statement, Associate Director of Business Services, Bill Lemon, said in part, specific findings from the testing and evaluations are still being assessed

“As Elizabeth Ziegler PS has more than 500 students, alternative spaces that supported the needs of students were not immediately available and a great deal of planning was required to accommodate the student population,” Lemon said in the statement.

Long thinks more should be done.

“That is the school board just wiping their hands of the problem. We have community centre. We have churches. We have other schools. If there are 20 classes in Elizabeth Ziegler -- find 20 rooms. It just it feels like they didn’t try hard enough to come up with a contingency plan here,” Long said.

Parents tell CTV News the school also has programming for children with special educational needs and supports French immersion students.

Other parents that reached out to CTV said they have also been scrambling to figure out how to be home when their kids are not at school.

“My child is in kindergarten; this is her first year of school and requires before and after school care related to my essential healthcare employment as an RPN. I am also a 100 per cent single parent who is the sole provider for my child. It is absolutely baffling and appalling that school-aged children and their families are getting zero help in all aspects of school, especially in regard to childcare from the board when an event like this occurs,” Chandra Lemieux said in an email.

“How was this allowed to happen? Why are there no solutions to the issue other than on-line learning which is ineffective for many students? Why are parents being asked to scramble for childcare repeatedly on ever changing timelines as elementary aged children cannot be left at home alone? Why is no one taking responsibility for the structural issue and ensuing school closure?” Carol Culhane said in an email.

“As a parent, under the overall priority of student safety, my request is that the board and board of trustees emphasize the continuation of in-person learning until the summer break when more extensive investigation and/or repair could be completed,” Ian McDonald said in an email to the Board that was also sent to CTV. “What alternatives to virtual learning are being proactively pursued?” McDonald asked.

On the school’s website, the school board said it anticipates providing a further update about the next steps by or before Friday.

“Staff and contractors continue to work tirelessly in an effort to open the school as quickly as possible,” the school board said online.