Both the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board and the Greater Essex County District School Board plan to try to keep schools open to as many students as possible if CUPE goes on strike Monday.
CUPE represents about 500 employees of the Catholic school board, including Educational Assistants (EAs), Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECEs), Child and Youth Workers (CYWs), and other paraprofessionals such as Psychologists, Sign Language Interpreters, and Psychotherapists.
All students from grades 1 to 12 who do not have complex learning needs will be expected to attend school in person according to their regular schedule.
Junior and Senior Kindergarten students will attend school using an alternate day schedule in the event of a service withdrawal by CUPE members. This schedule will be communicated through each individual school.
Principals will be contacting families of students with complex learning needs to discuss alternative program arrangements as a result of the withdrawal of CUPE support services.
All updates to the school board's contingency plans can be found here.
At the public board, CUPE represents secretaries, clerks, IT technicians, custodians, maintenance staff, couriers, and media services personnel.
All classes will continue as planned on Monday and Tuesday. If the strike goes beyond Tuesday, students will be given work that can be completed at home (asynchronously) on Wednesday, November 23rd, and Thursday, November 24th. Classes will then switch to interactive, teacher-led remote learning (synchronous) on Friday, November 25th.
Updates to the public board's plans can be found here.
The French Catholic board, CSC Providence, will be moving all classes online for the duration of a strike.