Cuts felt in the classroom

Dear Editor,

My daughter is an educational assistant with the Durham District School Board.

She has just been informed that her fellow EA and teammate has been surplussed. My daughter spent her days this past school year in full Kevlar gear with a radio in her hand running from crisis to crisis, but the one thing she could count on was her partner if she needed assistance. At this point she will be the only EA responsible for 30 high needs children and those numbers may increase depending on enrolment over the summer months.

To Premier Doug Ford, I understand your need to live up to your campaign promises sir, but at what cost. As a father, hopefully you can understand my heartbreak and concerns for my daughter’s physical and mental health, as well as for her special needs students.

My daughter has just re-certified in her BMR training and she asked her instructor how will she deescalate a child in crisis with a two person hold when she doesn’t have a partner? Since the instructor didn’t have an answer, maybe you do.

Mr. Ford you promised no job losses but you didn’t warn us you would spread our workforce so thin, you would break the people doing their jobs, and damage our school system to the point it will take years to recover long after you are gone.

To the parents reading this letter, do you really know what your child is experiencing in their classroom? I do, my daughter has the injuries and the bruising to prove it, and my granddaughter is an EA walking in her mother’s footsteps. And each day I hold my breath waiting for that phone call.

Shirley Spicer