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As the first yellow buses filled , a critical window for planning to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in schools has closed. With an eye on the whole school year, and children’s long-term social and academic development, teachers and school administrators continue to .

Some may be glad to know that in Alberta, districts will receive a “.” But educators also know that .

Educators are concerned about how . They are worried about the academic and wellness consequences for students who did not receive adequate special needs supports or did not flourish during emergency remote instruction.

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They want help to care for students  as a result of losses during the pandemic, and to provide support for other children and youth who experienced instability, adversity  at home.

Far beyond September, vulnerable students in particular, such as , will  to cope with the impact of their lost time from school.

Social, academic needs

Teachers and school administrators know that they will spend . But they’ll also need the time and resources to observe and assess their students, keeping a close eye on the needs they are presenting both socially and academically.

They also know that without adequate school staff support, such as ���ǰ���, both children and teachers  and thrive this year.

Addressing children and youth’s return-to-school needs requires more than enforcing basic health practices to minimize the spread of COVID-19, and the efforts of one caring teacher.

Strong systems

�ձ𲹳���������, but from many years working in schools, I know that student achievement also depends on the undervalued, but enormously critical, work of educational assistants, bus drivers, custodians, support staff, librarians and counsellors. .

Teachers and administrators without adequate supports can become tired, burned out and overwhelmed by the effort of providing  to the many children and youth in their care.

Reductions in investments in public education have meant that teachers have become ,�������Ի���, while school administrators have stepped into the role of novice ,�������Ի���.

Team support

Children and youth lack the life experience to see that daily stress is temporary, so in times of mental or emotional distress, they demand immediate support and attention. Having a team to provide support can ensure that students facing adversity .

For 10 years, I taught at a school for  that followed what’s known as a .

When the students came to school, they could access their social worker for social and emotional support, a dedicated nurse for pre- and post-natal care, an on-site infant learning centre and nutritious food from a low-cost cafeteria. As a result of these investments, these students had a  and their children have better health and educational outcomes than similar populations without these supports. The teachers could focus on teaching, not meeting all the social and emotional needs of the students.

Needed: Community of heroes

Investing in on-site supports in all public education schools is a proactive measure that can build resilience and have a positive impact on .

Unfortunately, the  in several provinces has been in the opposite direction,�� and more expectations laid on exhausted teachers and administrators.

Right now, crucial mental health and learning support professionals are shared between many different schools or are . Educational assistants are often , rather than .

To maintain Canada’s reputation , let’s support our over-extended teachers and school leaders by investing in a community of heroes to support children and youth in schools.