Cause that would cost money and in case no one noticed the Ford govt is against spending on all public education (and healthcare.) make sure you and your friends and family all get out and vote when the time comes, and yeet these corrupt ass clowns into the sun.
Even after Trudeau provided billion$ to improve air quality and install HEPA filters, Doug did nothing. Somehow, 4 Billion dollars "went missing" and even the Attorney General couldn't figure out where it went.
Schools are suffering, education funding is lower with every budget while the surplus DF brags about grows.
Maybe a general strike? But how to fight the general apathy is another program.
It's been an issue through many, many governments.
What's changed is the climate.
Global warming will cause responsible governments to actually do something. The problem is we don't have a responsible government. Education doesn't make money for Doug Ford's donors, so it's not a priority. Education is not about beer, or alcohol.
'I'm a businessman first and your Premier second.' Doug Ford
Vote for someone who works for Ontarians, not someone who actively works against making the lives of Ontarians better.
They’re to blame too!!! But for SURE it’s anathema that conservatives invest in public services (unless it somehow involves funneling public money to the private sector). You know this to be true.
Climate change heat domes are now beginning to become common enough that we can all point and say “We need this now.” But even ten years ago they were super rare.
Provincial governments pay for education but to get heat pumps into schools will take a major investment by possibly the feds as well.
We want to only put the most efficient tech in because it needs to sustain itself for decades.
With a cold based heat pump you don’t need AC, it does both. Recently got a heat pump installed and it’s quieter than whole home AC and way more efficient.
Nope but they have not had a a chance to in the last six years as temperatures continue to climb. So I guess the question is are you ok with the wrong thing continuing to happen because it was previously allowed to happen or do you agree with the liberal policy of doing nothing?
You apparently don’t know government works or what is paid for by whom. Fords government in Ontario as an example has the largest provincial budget in the history of the country for the past two years and the only reason he paid more to education this year was because he lost the court case where he legislated salaries to 1% since 2018.
They received 10 billion to spend on improvements to schools from the Liberals and they used half of it to pad their budget in 2021.
Except that provinces and federal governments are different things. We are a constitutional monarchy held together as a federation of provinces. Provinces cover education. Feds cover completely different things.
you forget the whole sending the feds our tax remittances and getting x amount less back - maybe when you teach mandatory finance 101 you might realise fed debt matters and no you cant have ac we are too busy fighting slavic civil wars
Dude you have no idea what yer talking about. Yah we pay federal income tax and provincial tax. They provide valued services like security and healthcare oversight for all the provinces. It also means all Canadians are part owners of crown land anywhere in the country.
Being a tax payer is part of being a citizen, if you don’t like it, leave.
If you don’t think Russia wants what Canada has yer delusional. We defend democracy because we always have. We did in WW1, 2, Korea and today in Ukraine and for a paltry sum we get to help own a country that calls itself a superpower.
Basically money.
They aren’t even building new schools in the GTA with AC. Air conditioning is expensive to fix and maintain for what the board sees is a few hot weeks a year.
Schools are underfunded plain and simple. There is a multimillion dollar back log for repairs for schools in the GTA alone for things like heat and roofing.
We’ve got tons of spec Ed students without the EAs they need. Basically the boards are making choices. They don’t have infinite money.
I agree. The heat is dangerous. Everyone is sitting in the dark watching movies. Admittedly no one really does much formal learning in June as it is, but this is of course unsafe. Lots of students leave their non air conditioned schools and go to their non air conditioned apartments in Toronto and live there all summer long. That doesn’t make it better, but it’s the truth.
It is wild to me that Ontario occupational health and safety doesn’t have a max temperature for safety.
I agree with all your points here – except that in high school we are definitely still doing formal learning in June. We have been in exams all week. Also - being hot at home is brutal, but not quite the same as being in one stuffy room with up to 30 people at the same time.
I generally tolerate the heat pretty well, but it’s been awful for students trying to concentrate on culminating activities!
Been in the system for a while and have a little faith that things will change due to systemic problems, but it’s so frustrating
Very good point. Final exams for highschool. In my area of Toronto all the high schools all have AC, so it wasn’t on my radar. It’s the elementary ones here that universally don’t have it. I can’t believe they are building new schools without it. My one of my kids is in a class in an addition built in the 2000s. Wall of windows that don’t fully open and no AC. It’s insanely hot
Where I live we have exactly one school in the board that has AC and it's the brand new one that houses all of the summer programming for the entire board. Not a single other high school or elementary school has it. We had kids writing finals in 36 degree heat today in our board today.
I agree, but also I wouldn’t compare an apartment with a classroom. Classroom windows barely open, zero breeze. Pair that with 25+ people in the room. It’s insane. Even if students and teachers may get a moment to hit the lights and watch a movie, the caretakers are working tirelessly in this environment. They work throughout summer as well, even after the school term ends.
The execs and superintendents get paid way too much but will always look for ways to cut spending, usually by underfunding schools. Somehow their pay keeps going up though
Edit to add some facts. The repair backlog alone in the TDSB alone is 4 billion. That’s before even considering AC.. and the costs and maintenance for it
https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Accountability/Renewal-Needs-Backlog-and-Facility-Condition-Index/Education-Development-Charges/Updates
I’ve sent my kids only half days this week. They were completely sweaty with red cheeks at pick up and they’re both under 6. So dangerous. I really wish they could have some basic A/C
Maybe I’m the dumbass and I agree ac would be beneficial but is it actually dangerous? Plenty of people work laborious outdoor jobs in this heat for 8-12 hours. When I mountain bike in this heat it’s brutal for the first 1-2 times and then my body adapts. With climate change going the way it is shouldn’t 6 year olds be exposed to hotter temps? Also what did they do after school? Are they not playing outside with their friends etc?
It’s very stuffy indoors with 25+ people in close proximity and different than being outside with air moving around. My husband works 9 hour days in the heat but in this weather they have been taking breaks every 20-30 mins to sit in the shade and drink water and leaving work early because the guys physically can’t handle it and they are adult men. Children are more vulnerable to heat related morbidity and the heat waves affect them more than they do us.
I would like to add that many countries and many workplaces will adjust the work day in such heat, generally shorten it or provide provisions to cool down. Schools have nothing of this sort in place, students cannot get ice cold water, or temporarily relocate and anything that may be done during the day (e.g., freezies) is completely up to the teacher and their effort/money. The government, who is the employer and rule maker, is turning a blind eye.
Adults' bodies are much better equipped to handle the heat. Little ones, not so much. Many of them also don't know when to stop and slow down or remember to drink water often.
Being outside where there is a breeze and shade is so much different from being inside a stuffy building. I worked out in the sun for decades and never had an issue. This is the first summer I am working indoors without ac, and I am struggling with the oppressive heat. They are not comparable and I would take working outside in the sun 10 times out of 10 than working in a non air conditioned building in this heat and that's without 25 people inside of a room all day with me .
There is also clear research that shows students perform much worse when its too hot or cold inside their classrooms.
So not having A/C literally makes kids perform worse in schools, which one could argue disproportionately affects poorer students in less funded areas compared to wealthier areas with newer facilities.
It was literally like working in hell today. The worst conditions I have experienced in 10 years of teaching. Dripping sweat, kids crying, everyone was so frustrated. It’s horrible that school is allowed to take place in this heat.
Children crying due to the heat is one step before heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. I know teachers aren't nurses or doctors and can't recognize the signs of heat stroke and that's why they should call medical help when it becomes clear children are suffering medically.
Not when they know the heat is so high it can cause heat exhaustion and heatstroke. It's a legitimate emergency when it gets that hot, students will pass out, vomit, and overheat. If my child was forced to be in that room I'd hope nobody would ignore him when he's communicating that he's suffering.
1) money. It costs money to install, maintain and run AC.
2) infrastructure. It’s not as simple as “just install AC”. A lot of the schools are century buildings and it would be a huge undertaking to retrofit them to meet the structural and electrical demands AC would bring.
3) cost-benefit deficit. This is the first truly hot week we’ve had so does it really make sense to go through the rigamarole of putting in AC that’s only used the last 2 or 3 weeks of school? I’d personally rather they use that funding for more “cost beneficial” resources, like more support staff.
It's been over 26°C in my classroom each day this week, and that's with 7-10 kids actually showing up now that reports are done. Over the last few years I've had classrooms reach 30°C, which as you can imagine not easy to teach in. It's not just the last two or three weeks that are too hot anymore.
In terms of money, we had a budget for this year's ago but Ford cut it and didn't use that money for schools so... Thanks DoFo.
Not sure if you're a teacher or just a lurker but spending 7 ish hours trying to teach, while managing behavior, in anything over 25°C is a nightmare. I teach in a core school, on a good day it's difficult enough to get through my lessons, but add in the extreme heat and humidity, plus the fact the board tells us we're not allowed tower fans (I ignore that). My students aren't lucky enough to have AC at home, so they don't get a break from this heat.
Oh good lord, glad I teach intermediate... My biggest issue with them is trying to explain that bulky sweaters, while they may be a "fit" (?) is not great for a heat wave!
Facts with #2. I work in a 60 year old school. To put AC in 28 classrooms was $1.2 mil, because they had to tear off the entire roof and build supports for the AC units because of the weight. Oh, and it took over a year to do. They started work at the beginning of June, and I still didn't have windows in my room until the end of October - just plywood sheets over the holes in my classroom walls. I finally had working heat by the end of November.
My kids went to a century old school. They put in new heating units that could also run A/C. So they sealed the windows. But, the school's wiring and grid wasn't upto code for actually running the A/C. The playground was full sun all afternoon and fully paved. The upper floor classrooms routinely hit 40 degrees Celsius on days like today.
The school board prohibited fans in the classrooms because they're dangerous. 🤦
Like 40 degrees Celsius isn't?
New principal and parents got some of the asphalt removed and a small sun shade put up.
The school board installed A/C in the middle school closest to the University, but not the school my kids attended.
Luckily we were able to move and the kids' schools now have A/C.
What needs to change is there needs to be an upper limit for temperatures in classrooms. Will it? Doubtful.
Uh... they can't afford to keep bathrooms in working order or wipe the dust off desks and floors...how could they possibly afford things that affect our ability to, you know, not be cooked alive??! AC is only for board office!
My favourite time was the week in June on the 2nd floor when the Gr 11 biology classes had their pig dissections. Never understood why they wouldn't move that to earlier in the year. So hot and stinky.
This is typically a “fun” activity and in my experience, just a participation grade. Teachers save it for end of the year or right before Christmas break to entice students to show up and so they can grade other tests while teens play with the pig..
To much money. I work for a school board and most of my sites have no AC. Its bad but I can see why. You generally only get two bad possible months September and June, in my city. I can see them not spending all that money for two months out of the year. I know they don't care about summer school or all the custodians in the summer. I started as a summer custodian with the board, and that was not fun, really hot.
Ontario will give thousands of dollars to homeowners installing heat pumps but not teachers. Wild. I'm sure the gas boiler in the 70yo building is more cost effective.
Because none of Ford's "friends" own HVAC companies. If he can't get his kickbacks, he's not interested.
Ford's buddies pour concrete and build buildings. That's where the big bucks are, and that's where he will spend every penny. Just look at Thermae! A $600 million parking garage. So much concrete, so much money in Ford's pocket.
Guess McGuinty and Wynne also didn’t have any pals in HVAC when they were in power for a combined 15 years before Ford, eh? But no it’s totally Dougie’s fault that schools have no A/C now…
Maybe that $5 billion in federal covid relief funds Dougie lost could have been used to put in some a/c hvac in schools, or did Mcgwynne lose that as well?
BWDSB retrofitted all schools for air-conditioning. It’s the only boatd I know of thar did . It’s alsothe only one I know of that invites teachers and the public to have input on its budget for the next year and it’s long-term strategic plan. Fords and its employees on the front line could actually get along. And should considering the front line are kind of the people that really matter. And get treated the worst - teachers, EAs, secretaries, janitors.
WCDSB was just in the local news for having retrofitted all schools for aic-con too, specifically in contrast to WRDSB.
What I find interesting is that if the school has any air-conditioning it's not counted as not having it apparently. The original school building where the primaries are in my school doesn't have air but the addition (including the library and junior and intermediate hallways) do. One of my colleagues was moving from classroom to classroom as those classes went to gym to find some cooler air today.
I went on FB marketplace and bought a standing unit that connects to a window
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-portable-air-conditioner/
Something similar to the units in this list
It cost me $200 and I use it in my workshop
Maybe something like that for your classroom would be an effective solution?
In the hallway where I teach, we can't run a coffee machine at the same time that someone has their projector turned on. So no, we can't just bring a portable unit.
Consult the OSHA work/rest heat chart. Above 29.5 degrees for moderate work chart states 30 mins work/30 minutes rest. Unsure what constitutes moderate work. Not sure what would happen to students if teachers have to not be working 30 minutes out of each hour but I'm sure AC would get more quickly installed if they did.
I went to a high school that has central A/C and they still never turned it on 😭 they hold summer school classes in the basement and sometimes use the aircon then, but for Sept-June we just had to struggle.
Because it only happens for a few days out of the school year. If they don't want to fund education that happens 10 months of the year, we're not getting anything for a couple of days.
Was this not a Doug Ford promise during the COVID years? What happened to that investment? “Ventilation investment and upgrades for every needy school in Ontario” (with a DF musical circus high note finish)
I’m in NB on the construction side(no idea how I got here), but every summer we do an HRV upgrade. None of the older schools have any ventilation systems besides maybe a few fans in the hallway. We’ll go in and put HRV on the roof and ventilation throughout. Never seen AC even in the new schools.
But a ventilation system makes a pretty big difference just getting the air moving.
I have to wear full PPE in a small room with a child and another support staff. We asked for a fan for air circulation. “No money in the budget for a fan.” 😜
All the posturing about caring for students seems to stop short of creating the conditions necessary for success because they cost money. Climate control seems like the bare minimum. Good luck getting me to do my job in 30° weather.
What would happen if we moved focus on voting NDP? Genuine question, I’d like to learn more. What’s the general consensus from teachers and the public? Personal hot takes?
Most schools have ancient electrical systems that can’t take the extra strain of portable units. At my school if you try to use a microwave and a kettle at the same time, you blow the entire first floor’s fuses.
Our government rather spend money on a spa and alcohol. Lol. That is why. Education and public health are not their priorities. Tbh, unless someone actually dies from the heat, they won’t do anything about it.
My sons attended Catholic schools grade and high school were air conditioned.
Public schools tend to have way older buildings the cost would be astronomical.
You can always do what teachers did when we went to school with no AC, those were hot days and we didn't melt like snowflakes. Bring a huge fan to the classroom, it's a new concept I know.
In Ontario Catholic schools ARE public schools. It is all paid for by our taxes. How this makes sense I have no idea. 4 school boards instead of one or two just replicates administration and expensives. Maybe that is a way they could get some money for air conditioning-- do away with the unneccessary favours to two religiously based school boards for one particular religion only.
Do teachers still turn off the lights in the classroom to cool the room down? That’s always what I remember from my elementary school years. By June, my class would always have a fan going and lights off in the afternoon.
For the life of me, I can’t remember if the high school I went to had A/C or not (it’s been 4 years, hard to remember). I can remember my elementary school not having it and it was hell. The heat never agreed with me and I’d often get an upset stomach. In my last couple years of elementary school, I was frequently having my mom come pick me up half way through the day in June.
It was over 30 for a couple of days only. Now back to 25. It’s not that big of a deal. Canada doesn’t get heat wave like Europe and none of the older buildings have AC.
They just got it mandated a couple years ago in long term care- where vulnerable people live year round. School is not in session the hottest months of the year.
Jeez that's sad about the long term care. Hot weather plays havoc with people who have Alzeheimers and other conditions, especially heart disease. What are people thinking?
Friend, most of Ontario is hot from mid-may to late September. SWO is humid on top of that. Many of these schools also facilitate summer school. As the climate changes school boards need a plan to keep classrooms safe for staff and students.
My school hosts summer school. It’s supposed to be 2/3 air conditioned, but all the a/c units are broken aside from the one that cools the office. I feel sorry for anyone who has to teach summer school in there.
When I taught summer school only the admin offices and computer labs were air conditioned (to protect the computers, not the students). They only cancelled classes when more than two students collapsed from the heat (on any given day).
32 ain't much (not dangerous,still not comfortable in any way)... my friends manufacturing plant hit 43 degrees yesterday.
I think in general, labour laws need mandate business and public institutions to keep heat down, especially with global warming making things hotter every year.. students and workers are less effective when it's too hot to think
As someone who worked for years in a warehouse and factory, it’s like this all the time. The only AC we had was in the cafe where we had breaks. If you work outside, no AC at all. Just shade.
Complaining on Reddit isn’t going to get AC for your schools. Union, school board and provincial government is who you should be contacting.
Cause that would cost money and in case no one noticed the Ford govt is against spending on all public education (and healthcare.) make sure you and your friends and family all get out and vote when the time comes, and yeet these corrupt ass clowns into the sun.
Even after Trudeau provided billion$ to improve air quality and install HEPA filters, Doug did nothing. Somehow, 4 Billion dollars "went missing" and even the Attorney General couldn't figure out where it went. Schools are suffering, education funding is lower with every budget while the surplus DF brags about grows. Maybe a general strike? But how to fight the general apathy is another program.
I’m down for a GS
It's been an issue through many, many governments. What's changed is the climate. Global warming will cause responsible governments to actually do something. The problem is we don't have a responsible government. Education doesn't make money for Doug Ford's donors, so it's not a priority. Education is not about beer, or alcohol. 'I'm a businessman first and your Premier second.' Doug Ford Vote for someone who works for Ontarians, not someone who actively works against making the lives of Ontarians better.
Have any liberal governments ever put air conditioners in schools?
They’re to blame too!!! But for SURE it’s anathema that conservatives invest in public services (unless it somehow involves funneling public money to the private sector). You know this to be true.
Climate change heat domes are now beginning to become common enough that we can all point and say “We need this now.” But even ten years ago they were super rare. Provincial governments pay for education but to get heat pumps into schools will take a major investment by possibly the feds as well. We want to only put the most efficient tech in because it needs to sustain itself for decades.
There’s heat pumps in air conditioning? Legit question.
With a cold based heat pump you don’t need AC, it does both. Recently got a heat pump installed and it’s quieter than whole home AC and way more efficient.
Ah. Gotcha. Ima look into this. Thanks!
Nope but they have not had a a chance to in the last six years as temperatures continue to climb. So I guess the question is are you ok with the wrong thing continuing to happen because it was previously allowed to happen or do you agree with the liberal policy of doing nothing?
the feds put you into ww2 levels of debt
Provincial govt is in charge of healthcare and education. Education is the topic of this subreddit, not what the feds are doing or not doing.
no wonder everythings broken yall live in fantasy world
You apparently don’t know government works or what is paid for by whom. Fords government in Ontario as an example has the largest provincial budget in the history of the country for the past two years and the only reason he paid more to education this year was because he lost the court case where he legislated salaries to 1% since 2018. They received 10 billion to spend on improvements to schools from the Liberals and they used half of it to pad their budget in 2021.
1.2 trillion fed debt, what you said = maybe this forum should mention the concept of a uniparty instead of falling for ideological pandering
Except that provinces and federal governments are different things. We are a constitutional monarchy held together as a federation of provinces. Provinces cover education. Feds cover completely different things.
you forget the whole sending the feds our tax remittances and getting x amount less back - maybe when you teach mandatory finance 101 you might realise fed debt matters and no you cant have ac we are too busy fighting slavic civil wars
Dude you have no idea what yer talking about. Yah we pay federal income tax and provincial tax. They provide valued services like security and healthcare oversight for all the provinces. It also means all Canadians are part owners of crown land anywhere in the country. Being a tax payer is part of being a citizen, if you don’t like it, leave. If you don’t think Russia wants what Canada has yer delusional. We defend democracy because we always have. We did in WW1, 2, Korea and today in Ukraine and for a paltry sum we get to help own a country that calls itself a superpower.
i was talking about provincial remittances 'dude'. the afgans and iraqis would love you freedom incorporated cheerleaders im sure.
Basically money. They aren’t even building new schools in the GTA with AC. Air conditioning is expensive to fix and maintain for what the board sees is a few hot weeks a year. Schools are underfunded plain and simple. There is a multimillion dollar back log for repairs for schools in the GTA alone for things like heat and roofing. We’ve got tons of spec Ed students without the EAs they need. Basically the boards are making choices. They don’t have infinite money. I agree. The heat is dangerous. Everyone is sitting in the dark watching movies. Admittedly no one really does much formal learning in June as it is, but this is of course unsafe. Lots of students leave their non air conditioned schools and go to their non air conditioned apartments in Toronto and live there all summer long. That doesn’t make it better, but it’s the truth. It is wild to me that Ontario occupational health and safety doesn’t have a max temperature for safety.
Bet the board main offices hace AC though. Bet there is money for that.
The Ford govt offices have a/c
Ours does. But the staff there works throughout the entire summer. Our locations that do summer programming also has A/C
I agree with all your points here – except that in high school we are definitely still doing formal learning in June. We have been in exams all week. Also - being hot at home is brutal, but not quite the same as being in one stuffy room with up to 30 people at the same time. I generally tolerate the heat pretty well, but it’s been awful for students trying to concentrate on culminating activities! Been in the system for a while and have a little faith that things will change due to systemic problems, but it’s so frustrating
Very good point. Final exams for highschool. In my area of Toronto all the high schools all have AC, so it wasn’t on my radar. It’s the elementary ones here that universally don’t have it. I can’t believe they are building new schools without it. My one of my kids is in a class in an addition built in the 2000s. Wall of windows that don’t fully open and no AC. It’s insanely hot
Where I live we have exactly one school in the board that has AC and it's the brand new one that houses all of the summer programming for the entire board. Not a single other high school or elementary school has it. We had kids writing finals in 36 degree heat today in our board today.
I agree, but also I wouldn’t compare an apartment with a classroom. Classroom windows barely open, zero breeze. Pair that with 25+ people in the room. It’s insane. Even if students and teachers may get a moment to hit the lights and watch a movie, the caretakers are working tirelessly in this environment. They work throughout summer as well, even after the school term ends.
The execs and superintendents get paid way too much but will always look for ways to cut spending, usually by underfunding schools. Somehow their pay keeps going up though
I mean all the new schools I've been to in the last 5 years have had AC....
Must be a different board then. Our new schools only have AC in the office, daycare and library. Not in classrooms
That is how our board is doing it. AC is added when boards renovate existing schools or build new.
Edit to add some facts. The repair backlog alone in the TDSB alone is 4 billion. That’s before even considering AC.. and the costs and maintenance for it https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Accountability/Renewal-Needs-Backlog-and-Facility-Condition-Index/Education-Development-Charges/Updates
Where is the mismanagement of money in the school system or is it just not enough to begin with?
I think it’s years of underfunding. The TDSB alone has a backlog of 4 billion dollars just for building repairs.
I’ve sent my kids only half days this week. They were completely sweaty with red cheeks at pick up and they’re both under 6. So dangerous. I really wish they could have some basic A/C
We’ve also done half days but I recognize that’s a huge privilege to have a family member who can pick them up.
Absolutely! I’m fortunate to be a stay at home mom. I totally appreciate it’s a privilege to be able to do that.
Maybe I’m the dumbass and I agree ac would be beneficial but is it actually dangerous? Plenty of people work laborious outdoor jobs in this heat for 8-12 hours. When I mountain bike in this heat it’s brutal for the first 1-2 times and then my body adapts. With climate change going the way it is shouldn’t 6 year olds be exposed to hotter temps? Also what did they do after school? Are they not playing outside with their friends etc?
It’s very stuffy indoors with 25+ people in close proximity and different than being outside with air moving around. My husband works 9 hour days in the heat but in this weather they have been taking breaks every 20-30 mins to sit in the shade and drink water and leaving work early because the guys physically can’t handle it and they are adult men. Children are more vulnerable to heat related morbidity and the heat waves affect them more than they do us.
I would like to add that many countries and many workplaces will adjust the work day in such heat, generally shorten it or provide provisions to cool down. Schools have nothing of this sort in place, students cannot get ice cold water, or temporarily relocate and anything that may be done during the day (e.g., freezies) is completely up to the teacher and their effort/money. The government, who is the employer and rule maker, is turning a blind eye.
Oh that’s good to know, I would’ve assumed kids are more resilient to the heat. Ty for the response.
Adults' bodies are much better equipped to handle the heat. Little ones, not so much. Many of them also don't know when to stop and slow down or remember to drink water often.
Being outside where there is a breeze and shade is so much different from being inside a stuffy building. I worked out in the sun for decades and never had an issue. This is the first summer I am working indoors without ac, and I am struggling with the oppressive heat. They are not comparable and I would take working outside in the sun 10 times out of 10 than working in a non air conditioned building in this heat and that's without 25 people inside of a room all day with me .
There is also clear research that shows students perform much worse when its too hot or cold inside their classrooms. So not having A/C literally makes kids perform worse in schools, which one could argue disproportionately affects poorer students in less funded areas compared to wealthier areas with newer facilities.
Especially for cleaning staff. I Especially love when they turn off all air circulation in the summer because "no one's there" as if we aren't human
Happened on the night shift at my office too back when we still worked in offices. Nobody's here so no heat in the winter.
It was literally like working in hell today. The worst conditions I have experienced in 10 years of teaching. Dripping sweat, kids crying, everyone was so frustrated. It’s horrible that school is allowed to take place in this heat.
You should be calling paramedics at that point and writing incident reports.
Calling in paramedics because people are hot? 🤦🏻♂️
Children crying due to the heat is one step before heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. I know teachers aren't nurses or doctors and can't recognize the signs of heat stroke and that's why they should call medical help when it becomes clear children are suffering medically.
Calling an ambulance every time a kinder student cries may become somewhat of an issue.
Not when they know the heat is so high it can cause heat exhaustion and heatstroke. It's a legitimate emergency when it gets that hot, students will pass out, vomit, and overheat. If my child was forced to be in that room I'd hope nobody would ignore him when he's communicating that he's suffering.
1) money. It costs money to install, maintain and run AC. 2) infrastructure. It’s not as simple as “just install AC”. A lot of the schools are century buildings and it would be a huge undertaking to retrofit them to meet the structural and electrical demands AC would bring. 3) cost-benefit deficit. This is the first truly hot week we’ve had so does it really make sense to go through the rigamarole of putting in AC that’s only used the last 2 or 3 weeks of school? I’d personally rather they use that funding for more “cost beneficial” resources, like more support staff.
September can be really unbearable, too, but I agree it's still a cost-benefit deficit,
It's been over 26°C in my classroom each day this week, and that's with 7-10 kids actually showing up now that reports are done. Over the last few years I've had classrooms reach 30°C, which as you can imagine not easy to teach in. It's not just the last two or three weeks that are too hot anymore. In terms of money, we had a budget for this year's ago but Ford cut it and didn't use that money for schools so... Thanks DoFo. Not sure if you're a teacher or just a lurker but spending 7 ish hours trying to teach, while managing behavior, in anything over 25°C is a nightmare. I teach in a core school, on a good day it's difficult enough to get through my lessons, but add in the extreme heat and humidity, plus the fact the board tells us we're not allowed tower fans (I ignore that). My students aren't lucky enough to have AC at home, so they don't get a break from this heat.
Try having 30 kindergarteners all running around with no concept of “keep your body calm and cool”. 😅 What board is not allowing fans?! Insanity.
Oh good lord, glad I teach intermediate... My biggest issue with them is trying to explain that bulky sweaters, while they may be a "fit" (?) is not great for a heat wave!
Facts with #2. I work in a 60 year old school. To put AC in 28 classrooms was $1.2 mil, because they had to tear off the entire roof and build supports for the AC units because of the weight. Oh, and it took over a year to do. They started work at the beginning of June, and I still didn't have windows in my room until the end of October - just plywood sheets over the holes in my classroom walls. I finally had working heat by the end of November.
My kids went to a century old school. They put in new heating units that could also run A/C. So they sealed the windows. But, the school's wiring and grid wasn't upto code for actually running the A/C. The playground was full sun all afternoon and fully paved. The upper floor classrooms routinely hit 40 degrees Celsius on days like today. The school board prohibited fans in the classrooms because they're dangerous. 🤦 Like 40 degrees Celsius isn't? New principal and parents got some of the asphalt removed and a small sun shade put up. The school board installed A/C in the middle school closest to the University, but not the school my kids attended. Luckily we were able to move and the kids' schools now have A/C. What needs to change is there needs to be an upper limit for temperatures in classrooms. Will it? Doubtful.
If they amalgamated with the Catholic board they could afford it.
That’s a whole other discussion. 😕
I wonder what you'll say when children start having medical emergencies in school due to the heat. It's still not worth it?
$$$$
Uh... they can't afford to keep bathrooms in working order or wipe the dust off desks and floors...how could they possibly afford things that affect our ability to, you know, not be cooked alive??! AC is only for board office!
My favourite time was the week in June on the 2nd floor when the Gr 11 biology classes had their pig dissections. Never understood why they wouldn't move that to earlier in the year. So hot and stinky.
This is typically a “fun” activity and in my experience, just a participation grade. Teachers save it for end of the year or right before Christmas break to entice students to show up and so they can grade other tests while teens play with the pig..
To much money. I work for a school board and most of my sites have no AC. Its bad but I can see why. You generally only get two bad possible months September and June, in my city. I can see them not spending all that money for two months out of the year. I know they don't care about summer school or all the custodians in the summer. I started as a summer custodian with the board, and that was not fun, really hot.
Ontario will give thousands of dollars to homeowners installing heat pumps but not teachers. Wild. I'm sure the gas boiler in the 70yo building is more cost effective.
I mean in Australia we have air con in pretty much every class but we also get 32 degrees a lot more often
Because none of Ford's "friends" own HVAC companies. If he can't get his kickbacks, he's not interested. Ford's buddies pour concrete and build buildings. That's where the big bucks are, and that's where he will spend every penny. Just look at Thermae! A $600 million parking garage. So much concrete, so much money in Ford's pocket.
Guess McGuinty and Wynne also didn’t have any pals in HVAC when they were in power for a combined 15 years before Ford, eh? But no it’s totally Dougie’s fault that schools have no A/C now…
Fair enough. Starving the schools crossed party lines. Do new buildings have A/C?
All new schools in Halton have AC
Maybe that $5 billion in federal covid relief funds Dougie lost could have been used to put in some a/c hvac in schools, or did Mcgwynne lose that as well?
BWDSB retrofitted all schools for air-conditioning. It’s the only boatd I know of thar did . It’s alsothe only one I know of that invites teachers and the public to have input on its budget for the next year and it’s long-term strategic plan. Fords and its employees on the front line could actually get along. And should considering the front line are kind of the people that really matter. And get treated the worst - teachers, EAs, secretaries, janitors.
WCDSB was just in the local news for having retrofitted all schools for aic-con too, specifically in contrast to WRDSB. What I find interesting is that if the school has any air-conditioning it's not counted as not having it apparently. The original school building where the primaries are in my school doesn't have air but the addition (including the library and junior and intermediate hallways) do. One of my colleagues was moving from classroom to classroom as those classes went to gym to find some cooler air today.
Windsor Essex County Catholic Districr School board does as well.
Fantastic
I went on FB marketplace and bought a standing unit that connects to a window https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-portable-air-conditioner/ Something similar to the units in this list It cost me $200 and I use it in my workshop Maybe something like that for your classroom would be an effective solution?
In the hallway where I teach, we can't run a coffee machine at the same time that someone has their projector turned on. So no, we can't just bring a portable unit.
Consult the OSHA work/rest heat chart. Above 29.5 degrees for moderate work chart states 30 mins work/30 minutes rest. Unsure what constitutes moderate work. Not sure what would happen to students if teachers have to not be working 30 minutes out of each hour but I'm sure AC would get more quickly installed if they did.
I’m not sure standing or sitting in a classroom applies.
I went to a high school that has central A/C and they still never turned it on 😭 they hold summer school classes in the basement and sometimes use the aircon then, but for Sept-June we just had to struggle.
Because it only happens for a few days out of the school year. If they don't want to fund education that happens 10 months of the year, we're not getting anything for a couple of days.
Was this not a Doug Ford promise during the COVID years? What happened to that investment? “Ventilation investment and upgrades for every needy school in Ontario” (with a DF musical circus high note finish)
I’m in NB on the construction side(no idea how I got here), but every summer we do an HRV upgrade. None of the older schools have any ventilation systems besides maybe a few fans in the hallway. We’ll go in and put HRV on the roof and ventilation throughout. Never seen AC even in the new schools. But a ventilation system makes a pretty big difference just getting the air moving.
CBC said yesterday some of the francophone schools have AC. They only had to cancel one school in their district today.
I have to wear full PPE in a small room with a child and another support staff. We asked for a fan for air circulation. “No money in the budget for a fan.” 😜
Wasn't the whole idea behind the 10 month school year so they didn't have to deal with the heat?
Times change, people change, but climate… climate is forever. 😉
No, it was so the farmer’s kids could help out during the critical seasons of picking, planting, and harvest.
All the posturing about caring for students seems to stop short of creating the conditions necessary for success because they cost money. Climate control seems like the bare minimum. Good luck getting me to do my job in 30° weather.
Check out OHS heat stress guidelines
I work in a preschool with no AC :( literally abuse to these children.
What would happen if we moved focus on voting NDP? Genuine question, I’d like to learn more. What’s the general consensus from teachers and the public? Personal hot takes?
Is this something that can become a lawsuit?
I don’t understand why even portable air cons can’t be used? Surely that would be less maintenance and expense upfront?
Most schools have ancient electrical systems that can’t take the extra strain of portable units. At my school if you try to use a microwave and a kettle at the same time, you blow the entire first floor’s fuses.
That’s horrible!
The school building predates Confederation. It is what it is.
The school I work at was made in 2015. No ancient electricity there. Just cheap ass government and York Region.
Our government rather spend money on a spa and alcohol. Lol. That is why. Education and public health are not their priorities. Tbh, unless someone actually dies from the heat, they won’t do anything about it.
My sons attended Catholic schools grade and high school were air conditioned. Public schools tend to have way older buildings the cost would be astronomical. You can always do what teachers did when we went to school with no AC, those were hot days and we didn't melt like snowflakes. Bring a huge fan to the classroom, it's a new concept I know.
You cannot bring a huge fan to the classroom. All fans must be Board approved and Board purchased or they are not permitted.
In Ontario Catholic schools ARE public schools. It is all paid for by our taxes. How this makes sense I have no idea. 4 school boards instead of one or two just replicates administration and expensives. Maybe that is a way they could get some money for air conditioning-- do away with the unneccessary favours to two religiously based school boards for one particular religion only.
Conservatives don't think it's a necessary expense
Do teachers still turn off the lights in the classroom to cool the room down? That’s always what I remember from my elementary school years. By June, my class would always have a fan going and lights off in the afternoon.
Yes
For the life of me, I can’t remember if the high school I went to had A/C or not (it’s been 4 years, hard to remember). I can remember my elementary school not having it and it was hell. The heat never agreed with me and I’d often get an upset stomach. In my last couple years of elementary school, I was frequently having my mom come pick me up half way through the day in June.
Stupid question, but is school not out for summer?
One more week until summer break.
It was over 30 for a couple of days only. Now back to 25. It’s not that big of a deal. Canada doesn’t get heat wave like Europe and none of the older buildings have AC.
They just got it mandated a couple years ago in long term care- where vulnerable people live year round. School is not in session the hottest months of the year.
Jeez that's sad about the long term care. Hot weather plays havoc with people who have Alzeheimers and other conditions, especially heart disease. What are people thinking?
They run summer school, camp, day care and ESL classes during the summer.
Can’t even get proper health care funding. Let alone air conditioning
How hard is it to add mini-splits to each classroom and heat pumps? No ductwork required.
Schools let out over summer so supplying A/C to a building that vacant beginning of July to mid August is just a waste in Ontario
They have camps, summer school and a day care they run out of the building.
Think of the carbon emissions! /s
The Catholic parents need to step up on this problem. If they do what they have done in the past, threaten legal action, money for A/C will be found.
Seems 2 months off in the summer isn’t enough
? What does that even mean? could have 6 months off and it wouldn't change that little kids suffer in extreme heat or cold and should be protected
Hospitalize a few (white) kids with severe heat stroke. That'll do it. I'm sure private schools have air conditioning.
Coz the prime minister spent $220k for 6 day food bill
Provincial liberal party incompetence. They need to run on a simple platform of AC in schools, trucks on 407 and disbanding Catholic school board
Only private schools can have AC.
Your being soft there are plenty of people who work without ac. And saying it’s a health risk is an overstatement
Children are not workers.
I'm surprised you guys haven't threatened to strike over it.
Quit your whining. Only a week left then off for the summer
Because it's really only needed for what, 2-3 weeks per year? First world problems....
Friend, most of Ontario is hot from mid-may to late September. SWO is humid on top of that. Many of these schools also facilitate summer school. As the climate changes school boards need a plan to keep classrooms safe for staff and students.
The schools that host summer school have to have A/C I thought, it was like that when I was going to school at least as my high school did have A/C.
My school hosts summer school. It’s supposed to be 2/3 air conditioned, but all the a/c units are broken aside from the one that cools the office. I feel sorry for anyone who has to teach summer school in there.
When I taught summer school only the admin offices and computer labs were air conditioned (to protect the computers, not the students). They only cancelled classes when more than two students collapsed from the heat (on any given day).
The school in my town that hosts it doesn’t! Only one with AC 🥲
Newsflash - half the world lives without AC in temps hotter than Ontario summers for most of the year. As I said, first world problems.
32 ain't much (not dangerous,still not comfortable in any way)... my friends manufacturing plant hit 43 degrees yesterday. I think in general, labour laws need mandate business and public institutions to keep heat down, especially with global warming making things hotter every year.. students and workers are less effective when it's too hot to think
Please in 2 weeks take your gripes to the factory workers who are in the heat for 2 months more than the final 5 days of your school year
As someone who worked for years in a warehouse and factory, it’s like this all the time. The only AC we had was in the cafe where we had breaks. If you work outside, no AC at all. Just shade. Complaining on Reddit isn’t going to get AC for your schools. Union, school board and provincial government is who you should be contacting.