As a teacher and a mom, I was heartbroken when I heard that remote learning might remain a permanent option in Ontario, post-COVID. Of course I’m grateful for virtual learning right now?it’s the safest option for our kids and our educators when we?re suffering through this scary third wave, with the highest COVID numbers yet. But that doesn?t mean we should keep online schools open indefinitely. 
If that sounds alarmist, or anti-choice, so be it. My fellow parents should know this: Maintaining remote learning post-COVID is an attempt to use a pandemic to defund public education long-term. I can’t stop thinking of the community, and social and emotional development, that our children risk losing. 
Taking desperately-needed dollars (already $1.6 billion less for the 2021-22 school year, according to a Ministry of Education memo) and using them to provide virtual school?instead of investing in making our public schools safe?is a disservice to our kids, and a slap in the face to all the hardworking teachers I know.  As we?ve read, ad nauseum, for the past pandemic year, in-person learning is irreplaceable, for older kids and little kids alike. We know children aren’t meant to sit at a computer for hours upon hours of Zoom school all day. Even the most engaging teachers?those who started incorporating online workouts and cooking demonstrations into their lesson plans?saw students struggle and melt down. I teach high school English and Drama, and remote...