The pandemic is long over. One advocate says parents still can’t go in some schools

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The COVID-19 pandemic is long over and all restrictions lifted, but the head of the Thames Valley Council of Home and School Associations says some principals are still prohibiting parents and volunteers from going back into London-area public schools. LFP reporter Heather Rivers spoke with Ashley Billedeau about the frustration some parents are feeling.

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THE BIG PICTURE

During the pandemic it was policy that parents would not enter school buildings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But even though that ban is long gone, some schools are still not allowing parents back inside, says Billedeau, a London-area education advocate.

“It’s very school-specific. Some principals are very welcoming and some things are pretty much back to normal, while with others it’s very much like: No one comes in this building,” Billedeau said. “It’s happened to me personally.”

Billedeau is also president of the Ontario Federation of Home and School Association.

Billedeau said she complains to the Ministry of Education during monthly meetings about the shutout. “It’s something I bring up with them every time, but we still have parents struggling.”

WHO’S AFFECTED?

Billedeau said out of 158 schools across the Thames Valley District school board, there are about 80 home and school associations, mainly at elementary schools.

While she won’t say which schools, Billedeau said she has heard complaints from at least a third of those groups.

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“Parents are not being welcomed back in to do volunteer work, but some of them take extremes – that even if you have to pick up your child every day, you can only speak through a speaker at the door and you have to wait outside,” she said.

WHY IT IS HAPPENING?

Mass shootings like the one that happened at Sandy Hook in 2012 “caused a lot of angst and panic all across North America,” says education analyst and former principal Debbie Kasman.

“The feeling was that if something that horrific could happen in a small town like Newtown, Connecticut, it could happen anywhere,” she said. “So schools in Ontario became locked up pretty tightly after that in order to keep kids safe while at school”

Now, fast forward to 2024, with provincial officials telling schools to open their doors to parents, she said.

“It’s pretty challenging for many schools to do,” she said. “The principals of those buildings don’t want parents seeing the on-the-job challenges they’re dealing with every day.”

FRUSTRATED PARENTS, FALLOUT FOR KIDS

Not being allowed in the school can be “stressful for parents,” especially ones who have children with special needs, Billedeau said.

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“You want to get in and access them and talk to their teachers or support workers and not stand outside the door in a crowd to do so,” she said.

Before the pandemic arrived in Ontario in March 2020, Billedeau said it was common for volunteers to be frequently helping out in a classroom and reading with kids. Not any longer in some schools, she said.

“It not only affects the parents and volunteers who have been in there helping but it also affects the students,” she said.  “That’s more support for the students that isn’t happening. It’s a resource not being tapped to its full potential.”

Educators know it’s better for kids when their parents are actively engaged in their kids’ school community, Kasman said.

THE SCHOOL BOARDS’ VIEW

Bill Tucker is the interim education director for the Thames Valley Board. He said he’s “not aware of any specifics” regarding schools remaining off-limits for parents.

“It’s tough for me to talk generalities,” he said. “If there are specific issues related to home and school (associations) and specific schools I’m more than happy to take a look at it.”

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He said he recently talked to the Ontario Principals Council about the issue.

“They’re not aware of anything like that,” he said.

Parents and volunteers are welcome in London District Catholic board schools, provided they’ve undergone background checks and are following school guidelines, said spokesperson Mark Adkinson.

“There was a period during COVID when restrictions were in place, but it’s been back to normal for a couple of years now,” he said.

WHAT DOES A HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION DO?

Billedeau says the organizations act as “a bridge” between parents and the school board, offering an independent voice.

“We bring issues that have been brought to our attention within the school board,” she said. “We advocate with the Education Ministry to give feedback.”

Representatives are often invited to Ministry of Education policy-setting and decision-making events, she said.

HRivers@postmedia.com

@HeatheratLFP

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