OCDSB to cut Alternative schools. That will fail neurodiverse kids

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The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board proposal to eliminate the Alternative program, impacting five schools, prioritizes bureaucratic streamlining over student success. This proposal, under the guise of “efficiency,” will have dire consequences for neurodiverse and alternative learners, their families and the community at large.

As proud mothers of two neurodiverse boys who struggled in a “traditional” OCDSB school but are now thriving in the Alternative system, we ask: Efficient for whom?

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Our stories are different in details, but similar in impact. More importantly, they are not just our stories, but those of two bright, curious and energetic boys who became hollowed out, miserable and full of shame in their OCDSB community school by Grade 2.

One family was in regular communication with the school about “problematic” behaviours and academic struggles; the other was in the dark about their child’s struggles in the classroom. Both homes were in disarray. Each sought outside resources — mental health supports, learning strategies, tutors — all at significant cost. Little improved. Despite access to outside resources (which are inaccessible for many others), our boys remained disengaged, anxious and falling through the cracks.

Psychologists and health-care professionals — again, most at a cost — confirmed what we as parents were living: the traditional school environment our boys spent most of their days in was not conducive to their learning, or their well-being. No individual education plans (IEPs) or external resources could solve the real issue: an education system fundamentally misaligned from their needs.

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The problem in the community school wasn’t the teachers, who were stretched thin trying to accommodate too many students. It was the environment and school system as a whole: one-size-fits most learning; long hours at a desk; prioritization of very specific and regimented ways of completing tasks that did not work for either child. Worse, both boys received implicit, heartbreaking messaging from peers and their parents that neurodiverse children were “less than.” Our boys weren’t failing. The traditional school system was failing them.

Alternative schools exist because traditional schools don’t work for every child. The OCDSB claims that community schools can offer similar environments, but our experiences tell a different story. We have lived the difference.

Alternative schools exist because traditional schools don’t work for every child.

Moving our children to the Alternative system changed everything. Our once-anxious, disengaged kids are now thriving: curious, confident and surrounded by a strong social network that values their uniqueness. Our family units, once in chaos and strained, are now stable because our children are in an educational environment that fits them, rather than one that forces them to mask who they are.

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The Alternative program prioritizes holistic well-being, flexible learning and hands-on experiences that foster inclusion and celebrate diverse strengths. Again, eliminating these schools in the name of “efficiency” raises the question: Efficient for whom? This plan will hinder the future of children who don’t “fit” into the traditional system. The board’s suggestion that IEPs will allow different learners to integrate was disproven by our experiences. While of course important, IEPs cannot fix a system that doesn’t work for some learners.

If students are placed in environments that don’t support their diverse brains and learning needs, will there not be increased disengagement and absenteeism? Increased strains on our mental health services across the city? Further, when schools don’t work for children, it affects their entire family unit — including parents’ ability to maintain employment when their children lack a stable school relationship. These short-term “efficiencies” ignore long-term costs, including increased strain on teachers already stretched to their limits.

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While we recognize the financial pressures the OCDSB faces, sacrificing the educational experiences of neurodiverse and alternate learners is short-sighted. We urge the board to listen to the families, educators and students who know firsthand the value of the Alternative system and who do not see their voices represented in the current proposal to eliminate the program.

Don’t sacrifice student success on the altar of efficiency.  Keep Alternative schools. The future of neurodiverse and alternative learners depends on it.

Sarah Boardman and Katherine Occhiuto are proud parents of 10-year-olds who attend Churchill Alternative. Sarah is an executive and leadership Coach. Katherine is an assistant professor at the School of Social Work at Carleton University.

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