Lori Ann Pizzolato: Latest News

London, Ont., will be learning remotely on Friday due to “operational concerns related to staffing.”The Thames Valley District School Board says the temporary closures at Lambeth Public School and Sir Isaac Brock Public School are intended to ensure “the safety of students and continuation of learning for all students.”The two schools are set to resume in-person learning on Monday. COVID-19 in the classroom: Concerns linger as Ontario schools weather sixth wave Few other details were shared about Friday’s temporary closure, but soon after the news was shared, TVDSB Trustee Lori-Ann Pizzolato posted on Twitter that the board sees 400 staff positions unfilled daily due to absences.“Superintendents & administrators are filling every type of role — admin assistant, teacher, yard duty supervisor — and school staff are working tirelessly to ensure schools do not close,” Pizzolato said.“This is not sustainable.”Thank you, @jgoldik, for the correction.

Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Board of Trustees suggests that masking is still required by staff and students unless local health units intervene.Lori-Ann Pizzolato tweeted at 6:50 p.m. Friday that “out of an abundance of concern for the health and safety of all… masking in TVDSB building is required until the Local Public Health Units in TVDSB explicitly advise otherwise.”During a meeting Tuesday, trustees voted to approve a motion put forward by Trustee Corrine Rahman to enact a masking requirement.It came in response to a growing number of staff absences at TVDSB that have been linked to illness amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.pic.twitter.com/rdgqZ5gTKl— Lori-Ann Pizzolato (@lapizzolato) April 22, 2022However, TVDSB general legal counsel Ali Chahbar told trustees that while they had the right to pass the motion, TVDSB would not be able to enforce a masking requirement.“When the government of Ontario decided to lift that mask requirement as of March 21 of this year, the end result of that was that it served to remove the enforcement mechanism that existed,” Chahbar said at the time.Pizzolato’s tweet recognizes that the masking requirement is separate from that of the province’s, stating, “We recognize that this may be a challenge for some and is a safety measure above provincial mandates, exemptions will be provided to all students and staff who choose to opt-out.”Speaking with 980 CFPL, Pizzolato specified that the TVDSB is not enforcing a mask mandate, but instead, a mask requirement.“The Trustees just wanted ‘required.’ They’re not saying we have to ‘mandate’ it,” she said.

Thames Valley District School Board voted to implement a masking requirement for indoor spaces on Tuesday night, however the TVDSB’s legal counsel noted that such a requirement is not enforceable.The motion from Trustee Corrine Rahman was originally presented during a special meeting held last Tuesday in response to a growing number of staff absences at Thames Valley that have been tied to illness.During that meeting, trustees voted that the motion was out of order after Trustee Meagan Ruddock voiced concerns that the group lacked the authority to pass such a motion, meaning Rahman’s motion could not be voted on. Trustee motion to reinstate indoor mask mandate fails at TVDSB meeting On Tuesday, the Board of Trustees met for another special meeting and board chair Lori-Ann Pizzolato informed the group there may have been a miscount on the vote that resulted in Rahman’s motion being deemed out of order.The vote was held again, with trustees instead voting Rahman’s motion was in order, paving the way for another round of debate on the matter.The motion requires staff, students and visitors to mask in all TVDSB buildings “until such time as Public Health Ontario updates this guidance or the Local Public Health Units in TVDSB explicitly advise otherwise.”“Students will not be required to submit medical documentation for exemptions,” the motion added.#BREAKING: TVDSB Trustees passed a motion from Trustee Corrine Rahman to implement a masking requirement for indoor spaces during a special meeting tonight.