My children have been attending St. Andre for a few years now and I have to say this is probably the worst year they have had under this new principal (***) she is absolutely horrible. The lack of diversity and representation for black children in this school is crazy. I was told there is one black staff at this school an EA who my kids called *** (I wish I knew her full last name) and she won't be returning this coming September and a big part of me is asking why? From what I heard families and their children adore her including mine. She was so good at connecting with our children and really the only representation they had, they seemed to love her. Sad to see her go. However, I am not surprised because *** seems to have a huge issue with people of colour especially our black students hopefully they get it together.

I’m a supply Ea and I took this school off my list. Didn’t feel safe or welcome.

I have to say I’ve never experienced such a staff low as in the past two years working in this school environment. It doesn’t seem anybody walking the halls is happy (with management). Although staff is very supportive to each other, I see EAs working hard every day to support their students with shortage of staff and high level of students that need support. Support is taken away from some students and given to others & students are clustered in areas because of shortages. Overall, staff morale is very very low. Us teachers, and EAS are struggling, not getting support that is needed in the classrooms resulting in burnout! We can all pretend to a certain point , but this is actually ridiculous!

Disappointing experience. Safety concerns don’t always get addressed.. Would not recommend.

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.

I work at St Christopher Elementary CS. There are supposed to be 10 EA s on any given day. We have been running at 7-9 since December. We have lost 3 EAs to some sort of medical leave during the school year. All of those EA s have 1.8 full time years with the school board. We are tired and burning out having our schedules changed daily. We are watching kids go without coverage, seeing them lose months from their education. In every classroom we have kids "bundled" together so that 1 EA can work with all of them. Some classes have up to 4 high needs kids in them for 1 EA.
The amount of sickness that has arisen in this school year beats any year I've worked as an EA. (19 yrs including supply). So everyone is always sick.
We have a medically sensitive needs wheel chair bound child in a class with a highly volatile child with autism. The child with autism is getting next to no help causing him to lose a whole year of school. We have two children in one class that both have autism, one is echolelic and the other is highly volatile. The one who is echolelic has now started copying the other one dangerous outbursts. That's not even the half of it.
We have an old closet that is used for a movement room. Room enough for a pressure canoe, mini trampoline a tiny tent and a little tykes basketball net. We have no program support area to take the kids other than the library if it's available. No classroom of our own for resources and such. Our lunch bunch happens in the library along side of the musical rehearsals. This is the hardest year I've ever worked in this job. Mainly because there is no where to go.
However, the EA s we have are not very motivated either. The supplies we get are warm bodies that know nothing of the profession! I have a college certificate in this profession and feel quite insulted that I had to wait 2 years after graduating to be considered to be hired, then another 3 years of supply before becoming full time. Now the profession is treated like garbage.
I love what I do, I hate what is being done to my career.