And I don't take offense to your comment either
It's quite true when you really think about it. Just about nothing mandated or strongly suggested has been adopted without some push back.
I think that has a large part of it.
In my county that's what most of the parents want. They want the ability to access the situation and decide what works best for their child. In my area at least they do get a choice on whether they are virtual or in-person BUT that choice for in-person can and has been removed for the beginning of the school year for at least most students due to gating criteria for at least a time. And the school districts in my county keep going back and forth between following the County's gating criteria for learning modes or the state's guidance as they include different things.
There's been protests, even a lawsuit now regarding golf, to allow students to be in fall sports and that has worked to change the school districts' minds. Just Friday one of the districts that previously announced no fall sports now will allow fall sports (it's also one named in a lawsuit regarding the golf). Mind you school starts Tuesday (which was already pushed back from mid-August)!
I appreciate the information about Alberta. I do like that the exact same curriculum is being used. It makes it much simpler for everyone. It just sounds like things are going much smoother overall in Canada even across the multiple provinces (and other countries already mentioned by a few other posters) regarding instructional learning. Here it feels like a pinball machine