Here’s how teacher job action will affect report cards in Brampton

Published January 21, 2020 at 11:48 pm

Although teachers’ unions have yet to commence full and complete strikes (and may not do so), the fraught negotiations between unions and the province have prompted one-day walkouts and work-to-rul

Although teachers’ unions have yet to commence full and complete strikes (and may not do so), the fraught negotiations between unions and the province have prompted one-day walkouts and work-to-rule job action. 

The Peel District School Board (PDSB) says that current job action being taken by Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) will have an impact on Kindergarten Communication of Learning, report cards and Individual Education Plans (IEPs) in school boards across the province. 

Report cards will be affected by the ongoing job action. 

In an email to parents, Peter Joshua, the director of education with the PDSB, said the Peel board’s production of report cards for more than 100,000 elementary students relies on the electronic inputting of data by teachers. 

“While regular assessment practices continue, this term, per job sanctions, elementary teachers are writing and providing marks, but are not inputting them electronically. After exploring every possible solution, at this time, we are unable to provide parents/guardians with term one report cards for elementary students,” Joshua wrote. 

Joshua also said that marks will not be provided to families or students at this time. 

“Beyond the logistical challenges, providing marks without comments and context would not be considered fulsome feedback on student achievement of curriculum expectations. As always, parents/guardians can contact their child’s teachers to learn about their child’s progress,” he wrote. 

As far as high school students are concerned, Joshua says secondary teachers are inputting student marks electronically, but are not writing report card comments. 

Semester one report cards will be provided for secondary students, with marks only, by Feb. 11, 2020. He says Grade 12 students’ marks will be submitted to the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) and to the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) on time so that students’ post-secondary applications will not be negatively impacted. 

Joshua says IEPs will be updated with goals and expectations. 

“For students who are on alternative expectations, teachers will provide a comment to administrators for each of the expectations. For students with IEPs who have accommodations and/or modifications, a mark will be reported to administration along with an indication that they have an IEP for that subject. IEPs will be updated, but will not be provided to families at this time. As always, parents/guardians can contact their child’s teachers to learn about their child’s progress.”  

Joshua also says that during this phase of work-to-rule, Kindergarten teachers will write, but not electronically input, a brief comment for each section of a student’s Kindergarten Communication of Learning. 

Given this challenge, families will not receive a Kindergarten Communication of Learning for their child 

“We know how important progress reports are to families and students, and that marks, learning skills and teacher comments are valued. At the same time, report cards are not the sole nor are they the most important records of achievement data we have for your child/teen. They are simply one update on progress,” he writes.

Parents are urged to contact their children’s teachers to learn more about their academic progress. 

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