Xander Frame was really looking forward to the brand new school year in September.

But the excitement of being a senior kindergarten student quickly soured for the five-year-old and his family.

As a special needs student with Down’s syndrome, Xander was assigned an EA (Educational Assistant). His mother, Toni Olsen of Gilford, says the two were inseparable and Xander was thriving at school.

One day a few weeks ago, Xander’s EA came out of the school, almost in tears. She had to tell Toni and her son she had been transferred to another school, immediately, and Xander would now be placed with the school’s two other EAs, already busy with other special needs kids.

The Simcoe County District School Board employs approximately 800 EAs but budget constraints caused 50 permanent EAs to be terminated in February 2009.

Toni tried to seek help from the school but was told, “the board’s decision was final and there was no hope of appeal” in terms of getting Xander’s EA back.

While she understands the financial crunch facing schools, Toni is upset there’s been little communication from the school since the EA’s departure.

“Xander’s EA would tell me what was going on everyday,” she says. “Last week, he came home with a big bruise on his arm, and no explanation. I’m getting gut-rock sending him to school.”

Gord Jackson of Sandy Cove Acres, a driver who takes Xander to school, adds Xander and his EA “had a very special bond and were very close.”

Also distressing to Toni is a report she received shortly after the EA was transferred that read, “Xander isn’t giving us verbal or oral language this week. I was also told I could pay to get extra services for Xander. The thing is, I stopped working to stay home with Xander. If I had stayed working, we probably could have got help.
“Basically, I’ve been told I have no option. I can’t get help because we’re on a two-tier system and I can’t transfer Xander to the school where his EA went.”

Silvanna Petersen, president of OPSEU Local 330, the union that represents EAs, says Xander’s experience is being replayed many times across Simcoe County.

The good news is the majority of EAs returned in September and Petersen said “we are looking at posting 14 new positions. The funding, coming from a Special Incident Portion (SIP) grant from the Ministry of Education, means that students with higher needs with get one-on-one help.

However, the 14 new EAs have already been assigned to students, Petersen says.

 Debbie Clarke, manager of communications for the Simcoe County District School Board says the number of full-time EA staff did not change from June 2009 to September 2009.

“There have been no EA layoffs since September, but there have been 29 transfers, most on location changes based on student needs and student moves. A smaller percentage are as a result of the voluntary transfer process according to the terms of the staff group’s collective agreement.”
Clarke noted there are now approximately 30 postings for full-time, or part-time EA jobs on the board’s Web site.

Dealing day-to-day with a school’s most challenging students is a daunting task, one complicated by the fact EAs are also expected to take on schoolyard duties during recess and lunchtime, taking the time away from their young charges.

There can be gaps in coverage since the number of EAs has decreased while more students are being designated as having special needs, Petersen says.

“Somebody’s losing somewhere,” Petersen says. “It’s stressful for the EA, and of course the student and their families. It’s happening across the board and it’s very frustrating for everyone. The funding formula is flawed and we have to find a way to fix it and find the money somewhere.”

Little consolation to Toni and Xander.
“Every day he goes to school, I get ill,” Toni says. “The trust was there and he liked to go.”