Vote for Education
We are approaching a provincial election, and we encourage voters to make education a priority with the governing party. To ensure you are casting an educated vote, please consider asking your candidates about the following priorities.
If elected, will your government....
....fully support Alberta's public schools, which offer programming for all students and make the best use of public education dollars?
We have seen a decrease in public education funding and an increase in funding for private and charter schools. Private and charter schools can choose which students to accept and may not be committed to equity, diversity and inclusion.
....provide funding for new school infrastructure based on rapidly-growing enrollments?
St. Albert Public Schools is a popular school division experiencing rapid enrollment growth. We need a new high school in the northeast, and new K-9 schools in the west. Additionally, about a quarter of our students learn in "temporary" portables, many of which are 30-40 years old. These portables need to be replaced with new modulars or permanent spaces. Older schools need to be modernized to meet new health, safety and accessibility codes.
....eliminate the current funding model which does not fully fund students, as it's based on projected enrollment and the past two years' enrollment instead of the current year's enrollment?
The current funding model punishes growing school divisions like ours, and benefits school divisions where enrollment is shrinking. Our funding is based on enrollment numbers that are outdated - and lower than our current enrollment - EVERY YEAR. At minimum, every new student should be funded equal to existing enrolled students. Please see graphic below for further explanation.
....commit to reviewing the new curriculum and its implementation?
We believe that any new curriculum should be developed, evaluated and supported by educators. The timing of the implementation should be slowed to ensure proper time for evaluation, changes and development of appropriate resources.
....continue to provide resources to support our students' and staff's mental health beyond the election and throughout your term?
The pandemic has resulted in an increase in the need for mental health supports for students, families and staff. We need continued funding, partnerships and equitable access to these supports. Instead of mid-year application grants and funding announcements, this funding should be incorporated into the basic annual funding.
....commit to providing funding and resources to support our inclusive education students?
The learning needs of all of our students have changed, resulting in additional pressures on our families and our schools. We need sufficient funding to ensure we are meeting the needs of all of our diverse learners. This includes our neurodiverse learners, our LGBTQ+ students, our Indigenous students, and our students who have fallen behind due to COVID.
....return autonomy to locally-elected school boards?
Trustees know the unique needs of their community and the local issues. We advocate for a return of control to local school boards on such matters as how to deal with reserves, the use of maintenance funding, and the ability to address local priorities. Local boards know best when to save money and plan for contingencies, which we can no longer do because of new legislative restrictions on reserves. Who better to serve the educational needs of St. Albert students than locally-elected representatives?