The foster mom of a child in Manitoba’s Hanover School Division says she’s “extremely disappointed” by a funding loss that has forced the layoff of 93 educational assistants, putting her son’s ability to function in the classroom at risk.
“It was very shocking. I received an e-mail yesterday just before noon,” said the woman, who CBC is not naming to avoid identify her 12-year-old son.
To be productive and part of the classroom, he requires full-time EA support, which he just received within the last year, she told CBC Manitoba Information Radio guest host Cory Funk on Friday.
That’s made “a huge difference” for him, and she’s “extremely disappointed” by the layoffs.
“The work of the EAs is so critical in the classroom. It’s really how the modern school system functions.”
Joe Thiessen, superintendent and CEO of the division, which manages public schools in Steinbach, Niverville, Landmark, and the rural municipality of Hanover, said the EAs have to be let go due to a funding shortfall related to changes in the application process for Jordan’s Principle programming.
The division announced the layoffs on Wednesday. The final day for the EAs is Dec. 11.
Named after Jordan River Anderson, a five-year-old Norway House Cree Nation boy who died in 2005 in the midst of a two-year battle between Manitoba and the federal government over who would pay for his care, Jordan’s Principle offers funding for First Nations students to help with a range of health, social and educational needs.
The aim of Jordan’s Principle is to reduce delays, helping First Nations kids to access supports when they need them, with questions about which jurisdiction pays for them to be worked out afterward.
All 93 EAs being laid off were specifically working with Indigenous kids, Thiessen told CBC Manitoba Up To Speed guest host Emily Brass on Thursday.
He blames the situation on miscommunication from the province. Recently, the funding model shifted from a provincial one to a federal one, which the Hanover division was not aware of.
“We’re extremely disappointed,” Thiessen said, echoing the foster mom. “As a division, we acted in good faith on information we received from the provincial branch of Jordan’s Principle.”
Looking for answers on funding: superintendent
Asked how the funding snafu could happen without the division being aware, he said, “I don’t have any good answers for that right now.”
This is the third year the division has been part of the program, “and the provincial branch has given us directive to continue on the path that we have,” he said.
But on Oct. 31, the division was notified its September invoice, submitted for wages already paid to EAs, would not be covered.
“We have been proceeding for the last few weeks to explore all avenues for an explanation and clarification, and the only advice that we’ve been given at this point is to reapply,” Thiessen said, adding the total wages spent on EAs by the time Dec. 11 rolls around will be approximately $1 million.
“So we were kind of put in this situation where we had to make this move.”
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Indigenous Services Canada spokesperson Sylvain-Nicolas Bourgeois said the division’s new request for EA support is still under review.
In the meantime, the division is working to minimize disruptions to students impacted by the loss of the EAs, Thiessen said, but he didn’t elaborate on the plans.
“That’s going to be the challenge. We just are always looking at how best we can do that,” he said.
“We still have 246 EAs in our employment and very highly qualified teachers, learning support staff, principals. Their goal of helping students and caring for students, that hasn’t changed. We’re going to continue to move forward with that.”
Thiessen did not immediately know how many students will be directly impacted.
The foster mom who spoke to CBC News said her son, who has been with her since the age of one, is aware he’s losing his EA and is “quite upset.”
“I know that they are going to be putting something in place, but I don’t know what that is just now,” she said.
“What I do know is that it won’t be his EA, the person that he has bonded with, that he has a direct relationship with … and has really been a key to the success that he’s actually having in school right now.
“That relationship can’t be simply replaced. There’s a level of trust there and support there. My son will directly be impacted. It won’t be the same.”
