Hello, Further to a previous email I sent you about the harm that your podcast is causing to families who want desperately to believe that all of the information you are sharing is true (Subject: Some Food for Thought)...| can't believe the way you have doubled down on unproven nonsense by devoting an entire podcast episode to Suzy Miller's ridiculous claims. No, no, no. No. It is not true that all non-speaking autistic individuals can learn to spell. No, Spelling is not the only way to find out what your autistic child wants to communicate to you (for the love of god learn about other types of AAC!!!). No, it is not the case that devoting yourself to being well (though a great idea!) Will be the thing that opens the door to telepathic communication between you and your child. I can NOT believe you are helping this woman with her business. The way she lays claim to

with her business. The way she lays claim to previously being a pediatric speech-language pathologist (how long has it been since she was registered as such???) is so misleading for families. I mean, this woman sells a workshop about 'Unwinding Vaccine Injuries' for god's sake. I was continuing to listen with a grain of salt and hoping you would potentially address concerns from listeners through these 'Talk Tapes' but after listening to this episode (and the last, where there was an insistence that an autistic individual was not disabled, disregarding the importance of that identity for a quarter of the population in accessing supports and human rights), I can't in good conscience continue. Please consider doing better by owning the harm you may have caused and providing disclaimers about the dangers of not consulting actual professionals when trying to help your autistic child, Meaghan Open-minded but science and vaccine-loving parent to a disabled teen Registered Speech-Language Pathologist (in Canada)

All of this. I’d love to get back the hours of my life I spent listening to this nonsense. I sent two emails to the producers (screenshot of the second email below). I was hoping the hype had died down but recently saw that Elizabeth Gilbert had Ky on her Substack…😑

Perhaps, but also I heard a message of wanting to link services to “where kids are” in the community, including schools, which could be an opportunity. For those that never had access to direct funding, and now will, it’s a dramatic departure from what was proposed in 2021. And I also get your take.

I’m seeing lots of valid big emotions about this announcement and am doing my best to understand all of them while also holding my own. Curious…what do you see the same about the hub model that was proposed in 2021?

How do we cultivate belonging for all students in an education system intent on sorting humans based on ability?

For more thoughts and questions that have plagued me as my developmentally disabled daughter has moved through her years of schooling, please read my latest essay:
justtyping.blog?p=431

Trustee Chien made a statement and amended his motion significantly so that DPAC wasn’t specifically mentioned and the issue of “respectful communication” was referred on to the Policy and Governance committee. The meeting was recorded and can be viewed at this link: www.youtube.com/live/1JCMPfb...

Unfortunately I can’t be there but I know folks who will attend and hopefully will find out the outcomes promptly!

VSB is opening up this meeting for the public to submit questions to the trustees. Link is now live but will close during the meeting. It's a great way to connect with trustees with any concerns you have. survey.vsb.bc.ca/TakeSurvey.a...

Thank you Marie!!

Text of a proposed motion: THAT the Board direct the Chair to write to the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) | Executive to express concerns over disruptions caused by the manner of communications being sent from DPAC to trustees, including the sending of mass form-letters from the administration emails; AND FURTHER THAT the Board direct the Chair to write to the DPAC Executive with respect to the Board's gagement processes with DPAC within the scope of DPAC's statutory mandate; AND FURTHER THAT the matter of developing and/or updating guidelines for respectful and non-sruptive stakeholder communications be referred to the Policy and Governance Committee for consideration.

In April, hundreds of parents wrote to VSB trustees about the lack of funding for inclusive education, as part of a DPAC letter campaign. In response, ABC trustees are trying to shut down DPAC’s ability to communicate with them. No wonder parents in Vancouver are so disheartened. #vsb #bced

Jaclyn "Cool Gamer Mom™️" Ferreira - 😷 (She/Her) on X: "It's impt for @alfredchien1 and @vote4abc and ALL residents of Vancouver - who helped to elect these people - to understand that behind the 270+ emails complained about in this week's mtg agenda, are at least 270 KIDS being failed by this district. cc @lisabeare @bcndp @Dave_Eby" / X It's impt for @alfredchien1 and @vote4abc and ALL residents of Vancouver - who helped to elect these people - to understand that behind the 270+ emails complained about in this week's mtg agenda, are at least 270 KIDS being failed by this district. cc @lisabeare @bcndp @Dave_Eby

Making a thread here, too.

It's impt for VSB ABC Trustees and ALL residents of Vancouver - who helped to elect these people - to understand that behind the 270+ emails complained about in this week's mtg agenda, are at least 270 KIDS being failed by this district.

OG is here: x.com/jaclynmacrae...

The meeting is tomorrow evening at the VSB office 7-9pm www.vsb.bc.ca/page/5022/ca...

Trustee emails can be found here: www.vsb.bc.ca/page/26692/t...

In the interest of parents and caregivers having a strong voice in our kids’ education, please tell them to drop the motion or vote against it.

If you take issue with the way this trustee is conducting himself and are offended by the DPAC-limiting motion he has put forward that will be voted on at a board meeting tomorrow evening, please consider making your voice heard by emailing trustees, attending the meeting, and/or sharing this info.

No - his post showed the names in full. The blackouts are mine.

1. After decades of involvement with @VSB39, I’ve tried to tune out. It’s just too disheartening to watch the breakdown in relationships between the board, parents & staff — and the cost to students is enormous. #vanpoli #bced #bcpoli /2

And since this is Bluesky, where local issues get zero traction, let’s try tagging: @pattibacchus.bsky.social @reddyforchange.bsky.social @richardsonyvr.bsky.social @bcsta.bsky.social @bceducationmatters.bsky.social @lisabeare.bsky.social @vancouverdpac.bsky.social
#vanpoli #bced

Guide to voting Get information on who can vote in Vancouver city elections and more.

I hope the people of Vancouver will take care when voting for trustees in the 2026 election. Start preparing now to get rid of the ABC figure heads that sit on the board (literally just sit), and let’s elect some change makers who actually want to do the job. vancouver.ca/guides/votin...

This letter campaign was supported by the Vancouver DPAC Inclusive Education Working Group, of which I am a member. Many of the parents and caregivers who used the accessible letter template added stories and statements of their own and every one of those deserved to be read. They were not “spam”.

Image of the motion put forward by Trustee Chien. Full wording can be found at the website https://media.vsb.bc.ca/media/Default/medialib/open-board-meeting-agenda-2025-may-05.cec37080088.pdf on the last two pages of the document - pages 158 and 159.

He has since deleted the post, but not before revealing these names of advocates to 5000 or more people who viewed it. He has also put forward a motion that this kind of accessible advocacy (letter template campaigns facilitated by the district PAC) be discontinued.

X post that says “Alfred Chien @alfredchien1 Apr 23 As a VSB Trustee, I expect emails — it's part of the job. But getting 160+ identical emails from the same DPAC admin account, just with different names, isn't advocacy — it's spam. Let's raise the standard of communication. Our schools deserve better.” With an accompanying image of his inbox revealing the subject line “Budgeting for Inclusive Education” with some names of people who sent the emails (blacked out in this screenshot for privacy purposes).

What is the job of a school board trustee if not reading emails from interest holders and being responsive to them? One ABC trustee in @vsb39.bsky.social decided to treat advocacy emails from over 200 parents/caregivers as “spam”, and to post his grievance on X, compromising parent privacy.

@vanfirerescue.bsky.social I would love to see updates here like you do on X - it would be great to build up Bluesky’s capacity to be a go-to for local issues/news.

East Vancouver fire closes East Hastings Street in both directions A massive blaze in East Vancouver has closed East Hastings Street between Nanaimo and Lakewood Streets on Wednesday morning.

For anyone else who came to Bluesky hoping for news about the smoky skies in Vancouver this morning…it’s this fire a couple blocks away from me at Hastings and Nanaimo (between Templeton and Garden). vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/04/23/e...

The Ripple Effect of Exclusion How denying childhood belonging shapes a life.

Where does the isolation and loneliness of a developmentally disabled adult originate? Does it start with the growing exclusion of children from what their non-disabled peers partake in as they become pre-teens, teens, young adults? It’s a solid hypothesis.

open.substack.com/pub/katiejam...

Nice! Thanks for sharing!

As a parent in the district I would love to know more about the learning you facilitated!