York region group to 'chalk the sidewalks' in Newmarket to voice opposition to hybrid learning model

Grassroots group planning protest July 24 at Newmarket Farmers Market and Riverwalk Commons

Yorkregion.com
July 23, 2021
Dina Al-Shibeeb

A York region grassroots group is planning to put chalk to the sidewalk to say no to the hybrid-learning model on Saturday, July 24 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Newmarket Farmers Market and Riverwalk Commons.

“We invite all of you and your families to join us as we chalk the sidewalks to let everyone know that we say NO to the hybrid model,” York Communities for Public Education, a coalition of parents, students, education workers and community allies, said in a news release.

Next year, York Region District School Board is planning to implement the hybrid model in elementary and secondary schools. The York Catholic District School Board, on the other hand, has eliminated the model for elementary schools, but is continuing to implement the same model in secondary schools.

Hybrid learning puts in-person learners with virtual learners in the same class, simultaneously under the instruction of the same teacher.

“We will continue to fight for better for our students and teachers because the hybrid model is not sustainable and should not be normalized in our public education system for children and teens,” the group added.

“Our students deserve a dedicated public education teacher for every in-person classroom and every virtual classroom.”

In June, the group held a virtual meeting to discuss the hybrid model.