I have been an EA for 20 years. This job is not the same job it was 20 years ago. Over the last 5 years or so it has taken a downward turn. My stress level has skyrocketed! Just going into work is stressful because I never know what the day will hold. Less and less, I am helping students with academic needs. More and more I am facing students with extreme violent behaviors. Behaviors that not only impede their ability to learn, but also impede other students' ability to learn. Every day I go into work I hope I can leave the same way I came in, but it has gotten to the point that leaving with "only" a scratch or bruise that will heal quickly is a good day, in what other job do you say that. Since 2019 I have had 3 concussions and 1 count of whiplash at the hands of students I work with, before 2019 I had never had a concussion or been seriously injured on the job. I am currently off work recovering from a concussion and now am facing seeing a neurologist to ensure there hasn't been any brain damage from all the trauma to my brain. This violent behavior not only takes a physical toll on my body, but also a toll on my mental health. Daily my co- workers and I are faced with being spat at and on, sworn at, kicked, punched, and bit. You can only endure so much of that. I am in tears and I see them in tears too. I feel these incidents are not taken seriously enough; every child has a right to an education, I would never argue that, but I have the right to feel safe coming to work. I have the right to have something left in the tank at the end of the day so my own kids get some of me too. So often I have nothing left to give after being at work. I struggle constantly to reconcile loving this job and being so passionate about it, but also legitimately wondering how much longer I can do this for.

Multiple current and former staff have spoken out about the ongoing issues at this school, yet nothing has been resolved. The fact that so many staff have left to work at other schools is telling. The toxic culture was felt from day one and observed by many staff.

It often seemed that certain team members were deliberately trying to undermine others or make them appear incompetent in front of colleagues, despite the fact that everyone was meant to be equals simply trying to do their jobs. The work of an EA is already challenging enough, dealing with high-needs students and frequent violence. But when staff don’t have a supportive team to back them up, it becomes deeply discouraging. On top of that, being micromanaged and constantly monitored by program support made the day-to-day experience feel tense and exhausting. Staff were under a microscope from the moment they walked in.

It takes a toll on mental health. Coming in every day stopped being enjoyable and became mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. These are very real and very concerning issues that lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction. Nobody should be treated this way.

Something needs to change. There needs to be some accountability and honest self-reflection at all levels. Good staff are being driven out due to unchecked negative behaviour, and that should concern anyone who truly cares about creating a safe, supportive, and professional environment for the safety and wellbeing of both students and staff.

My experience with the school, we have very supportive staff that work with students (EA team is fantastic and very supportive of each other)
Custodians and secretaries are very welcoming and extremely helpful when dealing with the school.
There is a lot of behaviours and the team tries to manage them the best they can, but there’s no discipline. I’ve seen way too many staff being injured by students they are supporting and lots of destruction of property from these students. Custodians work their behinds off and constantly try to clean the school as good as possible but with these behaviours and no consequences being given, sometimes school is in disrepair.

Kindergarten Classrooms Are in Crisis—and No One Is Talking About It

I work in a kindergarten classroom with 26 children, one teacher, one ECE, and myself—the only Educational Assistant. Two of those children have special needs that require constant, individualized support.

But there’s only one of me.

Every day, we face moments of chaos and crisis. Children are being hurt. Educators are being hit, bitten, scratched, and spat on. Staff are going on medical leave from stress and injury. ECEs are being pulled away from their role to fill gaps meant for a second EA. The classroom becomes unstable. Learning is disrupted. The environment becomes unsafe—for everyone.

We are not okay.

In the past, EAs were assigned one-on-one to students with high needs. Today, we are being stretched thin—expected to do the work of two or three people without backup.

This is not just my story. This is happening in schools across the province.

The system is failing our children and burning out our educators. I am calling on the media, the public, and the government to pay attention. We need:

One-to-one EA support for children with special needs

Safe classrooms for students and staff

Respect for the professional role of EAs and ECEs

A system that protects—not exploits—the people who care for our youngest learners


This is a crisis. And silence is no longer an option.

Our children have attended this school since 2019. There is an exceptional team of educators and support staff at this school. The ECEs and teachers that we have dealt with have been incredible, with special mention of Campbell, Chapman and Ranieri for being the gold standard. The office staff have changed over the years but current ladies are very responsive and friendly. Our family personally has not had any experience dealing with the EA/SERT team. The custodial team is friendly and attentive, the school always looks clean and safe. The school is bursting at the seams with students to the point where the staff room has become a teaching space and the staff are now to use the stage as their break room which often also is the site for things like dance practices leaving them with no dedicated break space away from students. Parking around the school is a massive headache. Unfortunately, the atmosphere in the school has been negatively impacted this year by the arrival of a new principal. The entire school community has been gravely affected by this. New protocols that seemingly exclude parents from the school community, it feels like we are barred from the school and they are hiding things. The principal is combative and doesn't seem supportive. Progressive discipline doesn't seem to be happening and it has been a very disruptive year behaviour wise in our child's class. Other changes the principal has made have really disappointed the students (ie. removing the birthday shoutouts from the morning announcements, not permitting students to play with balls on the pavement, closing the playgrounds to students from Thanksgiving until Victoria Day).

Our experience has been nothing short of deplorable and dehumanizing. *** is often dismissive, the language used by staff to describe the behaviors of children is unacceptable and the way that black children are OPENLY treated by some of the staff is very concerning. We have reached out to the superintendent and have not received a response so, our next step will be to go to the Board Trustee. I believe this school needs a complete overhaul and the staff, including the principal, need to be educated on how to communicate with (black) parents and children effectively.