hundreds of teachers seek accommodations for back-to-school

hundreds of ottawa public elementary teachers are seeking work accommodations because they’re concerned about returning to the classroom.although the number has not been finalized, it is likely to be more than 300 teachers, said susan gardner, president-elect of the ottawa carleton elementary teachers’ federation of ontario. firm numbers are expected from the school board by the end of the week.michele pierce, president of ottawa catholic teachers, said she doesn’t have numbers, but the union has fielded many questions about accommodations and leaves of absence without pay over the summer.under ontario labour legislation, teachers can seek accommodations for a medical condition or because of “family status,” such as a vulnerable family member. accommodations may range from specialized personal protective equipment to working remotely, such as teaching online classes.while the numbers are still trickling in, it is clear that matching teachers to assignments this year will be even more complex and chaotic than usual.both the public and the catholic boards are also grappling with making changes to their secondary school schedules to respond to a provincial memo released last thursday that requires boards to offer high school students more time in the classroom.“i think there’s a lot of re-staffing that will happen in the coming two weeks. and it’s usually not a two-week process,” said pierce.david wildman, who represents about 1,450 occasional teachers at the ottawa unit of the ontario secondary teachers’ federation, said there may be more opportunities for short and long-term supply teachers in the current scenario.however, he is aware of some occasional teachers who won’t be able to work because they are immune-compromised or have a family member who is at risk.some occasional teachers tend to work on long-term contracts. others work at one school. but those who have assignments at different schools every day have concerns about more potential exposure, said wildman.he points out that while teachers have sick leave, occasional teachers do not.“some members might just take a leave of absence and take another job for a year.”at a july 30 press conference, premier doug ford said teachers have the right to not go back to the classroom when schools reopen due to health concerns but said province needs the teachers to come to class “when possible.”education minister stephen lecce added that there is an expectation that teachers will teach online.last week, the province’s four largest education unions, representing 190,000 teachers and education workers, requested a meeting by this friday with labour minister monte mcnaughton and officials with the education ministry, arguing that the province’s plan to reopen schools does not meet the requirements set out in the ontario occupational health and safety act.the unions said the ministry’s guide to reopening schools fails to provide adequate health and safety protections, including limiting class size to allow for necessary physical distancing, setting out minimal measurable standards for ventilation in schools, providing a mask requirement for children under age 10, and providing adequate screening for students and adequate safeguards for student bus transportation.the plan also fails to adopt the concept of “cohorting” in a manner consistent with research — especially by allowing cohorts of up to 100 students in high schools, said the unions.according to a spokeswoman for the ontario secondary school teachers’ federation, there has been no response to the request for a meeting.a spokeswoman for lecce said parents expect educators to return to work in september “knowing that if they are sick, they benefit from the most generous sick leave program in canada for teachers and education workers. we lead canada with the most comprehensive masking, testing screening and cleaning protocols, along with the largest investment to ensure our schools are safe for staff and our students.”gardner said the elementary teachers’ union has also received questions about leaves of absence and early retirements.“to us, it’s the last thing people should be looking for,” she said. “it should be the last resort.”gardner believes the requests for accommodations will keep on rolling in for the entire school year.“right now, it’s hard for people to get in to see their doctors. they haven’t even had that conversation with their doctor.”