Early June is an optimistic time. Along with the arrival of summer weather, university graduates across the province celebrate their convocations, and look to what the future might hold. With all the recent talk about teaching reductions, graduates from Bachelor of Education programs and other teacher education programs may hear or wonder if there will be teaching positions for them this fall. Without a doubt, there will be teaching positions for new teacher graduates this...

The following are Minister Hancock's remarks at the Alberta School Boards' Association's Spring General Meeting. Check against delivery.   Good morning. This may be my last opportunity to speak with you in the capacity of Minister of Education. Before I begin my remarks, I would like to acknowledge the good work you do for education in Alberta and thank you for the support you have shown during the Inspiring Education and Inspiring Action initiatives. As...

The following are Minister Hancock's remarks at the Public School Boards' Association of Alberta's Spring General Assembly "Designing Our Future: Surviving and Thriving in Permanent White Water". Check against delivery. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you once again. I have no idea what the future holds for me or if I will ever address you in this capacity again. So I just wanted to start by thanking you for your...

  In recent weeks, several school boards have announced preliminary budgets for the next school year which include reducing the number of teachers and support staff they employ. A representative from one stakeholder group suggested that this will "lead to larger class sizes, less attention for students and more difficulty improving graduation rates." Others have made inflammatory predictions about student safety!   It's easy to make these sorts of dire predictions and out of context...

Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's with great pleasure that I ask for leave to introduce Bill 18, the Education Act, for second reading. The course of history turns on events both large and small. Often no one can truly understand the significance of what has been achieved in the past until long after events have occurred. For example, more than 570 years ago Johannes Gutenberg perfected movable type, and we are all...

Mr. Bhullar: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As someone that is concerned about the effects of Budget 2011 and the effect it may have on the classroom, my questions to the minister are whether or not the following ideas, that could possibly prevent cuts that affect students in the classroom, have been explored. First of all, Minister, have you considered reducing from 4 per cent to 3 per cent the amount of money school...

Mrs. Forsyth: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. When asked about reports, pilot projects, and program reviews, the government is notorious for answering with, "Soon," "Very soon," "As soon as we can," or "It's forthcoming." Albertans are tired of being delayed and denied real answers to serious questions about their government and their vital programs. My first question is to the Government House Leader. When will your government stop the delay tactics and dodges...

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, after talking to school trustees, parents, students, teachers, and support staff alike, it is apparent to everyone that these cuts to education funding will have a detrimental effect on our children's future. In my view, balancing our current budget on our province's future prosperity is foolish. Accordingly, here are three solutions that could provide our children with the future they deserve. Will the Premier allocate an extra $110 million, the amount...

Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. While the Education minister struggles to perfect legislation that may never see the light of day, in Calgary hundreds of teachers will be laid off thanks to this government's budget cuts. Catholic schools in Fort McMurray are cutting out one day of instruction per week to save money. Will the minister explain why his priority is an Education Act which may never be passed instead of making sure...

Mr. Rodney: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't think there is any doubt that parents have the greatest stake in the success of their children. That's why it was a little bit of a head-scratcher last week when Calgarians learned that parents who serve as trustees for the Calgary board of education are not permitted to participate in that school board's budget debate. Considering that budgeting is a significant part of a school board's work,...

Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. For several months now the Greater St. Albert Catholic regional division has been refusing to provide a secular education program to students in Morinville despite being a public school division with a constitutional obligation. My questions are to the Minister of Education. Why is it taking months to solve this problem? Mr. Hancock: Well, Mr. Speaker, I don't think it's fair to say that GSACRD has refused...

Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. This provincial government's financial policy is forcing school boards to cut hundreds and hundreds of staff across the province. Calgary is being forced to cut up to 400 positions. Edmonton will have to cut $23 million - that's hundreds more staff - and rural boards are looking at making long bus rides even longer. My question is to the Minister of Education. Why has this PC government failed...

This afternoon in the Legislature, I tabled Bill 18, the Education Act. This replacement of our existing School Act updates the legislative framework that shapes and guides our province's education system from early childhood through high school. You may ask, why a new Education Act now? After all, there's arguably little wrong with the School Act - that framework has served us well. However, I don't believe the work of government is simply about solving...

Mr. Hehr: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A budget nightmare, said one Calgary paper. Layoffs in Lethbridge. Tough times ahead, says the Vauxhall Advance. It's déjà vu all over again, and what advice does the minister give boards in response to his grand cutting? He says: use reserves to pay teachers and support staff. Then next year when the reserve funds are depleted across the province, what does the minister expect school boards to do to...

Ms Pastoor: Mr. Speaker, in the latest in a string of announcements from across the province the Lethbridge public school board has now had to announce as well that it will lay off 60 teachers and staff because of budgetary constraints. The school board's hands are tied because of this government's short-term planning and cuts to education. To the Minister of Education: is the minister's only response to the latest announcement of teacher cuts in...

Mr. Hehr: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Public and Catholic school boards across the province are all saying the same thing. Because of this provincial budget teachers and support staff will need to be let go. Furthermore, they're all saying that the minister's suggestion of dipping into reserve funds is simply, in a word, ridiculous. Accordingly, will the minister come clean and tell this House approximately how many front-line teachers and other staff Alberta school...

Mrs. Leskiw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Alberta has been the first and only province to recognize Métis people with a governance structure and land base. However, it is also important that education curriculum in our province recognizes the accomplishments of the Métis people. My first question is to the Minister of Education. Are the contributions and history of the Métis people covered in Alberta's curriculum? Mr. Hancock: Well, the short answer, Mr. Speaker, is yes....

Mr. Hehr: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This weekend I had the pleasure of attending an open exchange with the education stakeholders at the School Councils Connection 2011. Actually, the Minister of Education did as well. At this event we both heard concerns about teachers and essential sports staff being laid off because of this year's Education budget. I've also heard from the minister himself at recent public events that this may be a time we...

Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few months ago the National Task Force on Financial Literacy released its final report. While our provincial financial situation is in good shape as a result of sound financial planning, household debt in Alberta is a growing concern. Does the minister of finance have any plans on how his department might assist in stemming this growing crisis of household debt? Mr. Snelgrove: Well, Mr. Speaker, it's interesting because...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The high school completion rate for youth in Alberta is 72 per cent, among the worst in the country. About 9,000 students drop out of high school in Alberta each year. To the Minister of Education. Calgary United Way's new study on vulnerable youth recommends raising the age cap for publicly funded high school from 19 to 24. Can the minister explain why the opportunity for a high school...

Mr. Bhullar: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. One of the areas facing a reduction in funding to the Calgary board of education is the relative cost of purchasing adjustment, which is being reduced by almost $6 million. This funding appears to be meant for the purchasing of goods and services in inflationary times. That $6 million reduction should not have any impact on the classroom. What can the minister do to ensure that this...

Mr. Drysdale: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recently met with the parent advisory council for l'école Parkside school in Grande Prairie. This excellent school is attracting large numbers of students to their high-quality education. At this time the school is already overcrowded, and there are concerns as new enrolment for next fall is significantly higher. To the Minister of Education: what is the plan to provide necessary classroom space for l'école Parkside school? Mr. Hancock:...

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, I opened the Calgary Herald today, and I nearly fell out of my wheelchair as I read that - get this - the Premier is urging the Calgary board of education trustees not to lay off people despite the fact that their budgets have been significantly cut. Really, if this isn't the height of hypocrisy, I don't know what is. To the Minister of Education: given that the CBE is facing...

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, again I rise to ask the Education minister about cuts to our education system. Willow Creek composite high school, Pembina Hills school division continue on the list of organizations cutting because of the minister's budget. The minister knows that the change in per-pupil funding barely covers the salary deal the minister signed with the teachers. Will the minister acknowledge that school is more than just teachers and students and includes...

Mr. Hehr: Well, Mr. Speaker, the Education budget reads like an insurance agreement in that what the large print giveth, the small print taketh away. A 4.7 per cent increase in the top line looks impressive until cuts to the school board grants are factored in. To the Minister of Education. School boards have indicated the result of cuts. Teachers will have to be let go, and this will lead to higher student-to-teacher ratios...

Mr. Cao: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. A recent press release from the Calgary board of education states an estimated $61.7 million shortfall for the coming school year. Young teachers and those involved with education are finding it more and more difficult to secure a job. My question is to the hon. Minister of Education. What explanation can you give to those in the education field who are either looking for work or presently...

Mr. Rogers: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My constituents are concerned that despite all the money that this province has invested in capital projects, school space in communities such as Beaumont is not sufficient to meet the needs of growing communities, forcing the local school board in Beaumont to reconfigure grades in various facilities to the dissatisfaction of parents. To the Minister of Education: why do school projects lag so far behind the need when...

Mr. Chase: Mr. Speaker, in 2003 this government accepted the Learning Commission's recommendations to fund optional full-day kindergarten and half-day junior kindergarten but never did. This government abandoned the commission's reduced class size initiatives, froze special-needs funding for the past three years, eliminated enhanced ESL funding, halved innovation support, and now the minister is pressuring boards into bankruptcy by suggesting they drain what little remains of their surpluses. To the minister: why is your...

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, like I indicated yesterday, the Education budget reads like an insurance agreement in that what the large print giveth, the small print taketh away. A 4.7 per cent increase in the top line looks impressive until cuts to school board grants are factored in. To the Minister of Education. School boards have indicated the results of cuts to the rural sustainability initiative and cuts to AISI. Teachers will have to...

Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today many Calgarians are wondering why they thought they were getting a cut in property tax only to find out the city of Calgary is moving in on the available tax base. This has many people scratching their heads, from taxpayers to school boards. My question is to the Minister of Finance and Enterprise. Has the government changed its policy on the collection of revenue via property tax...

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, this government's recent Education budget reads something like an insurance policy. What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away. At first blush what looks to be a slight increase to the Education budget is just smoke and mirrors. The real picture is significant cuts to grants provided to school boards, that will end up affecting children's future. To the Minister of Education: the minister of health likes to...

Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, but in Alberta we seem to be sending mixed messages. Last Friday evening in Calgary we honoured strength in diversity at the immigrants of distinction awards while on Saturday a small but vocal group of people celebrating racism again marched through our streets. To the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit: other than slogans and...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government claims that education was protected in the budget this year, but parents, teachers, and school boards have been crunching the numbers, and they are saying that that's simply not true. To the Minister of Education: are struggling school boards, larger classes, and staff layoffs what the minister had in mind when he talked about Inspiring Education for the past three years?...

Mr. Rogers: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The town of Beaumont is one of the fastest growing communities in Canada, with about 25 to 30 per cent of the population being of school age. The schools are bursting at the seams. To the Minister of Education: why was nothing included in this year's budget to rectify this situation, and when can the parents and the students of Beaumont expect some relief?...

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, you'll be happy to know that I won't be asking questions today about the county of Barrhead using taxpayers' dollars to send people to an event organized by the local Barrhead Progressive Conservative association. Instead, I listened to the advice of the Justice minister and will forward these concerns to Elections Alberta. My question today is for the Minister of Education. Given that high school completion rates are 10 points...

Mr. Benito: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Through the School Act the Government of Alberta delegates much of its authority for the governance of education to locally elected school boards. Schools boards rely on funding from the government of Alberta to operate. My first question is to the Minister of Education. Can your ministry provide adequate, sustainable, and predictable long-term educational funding in order for the school boards to properly plan years ahead?...

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, parents in Morinville have no choice but to send their children to schools permeated by religious theology. That's because in Morinville the Catholic board is a public school board. When I asked the Minister of Education if this situation is acceptable, he simply replied: no. To the Minister of Education: how can the minister acknowledge that the situation in Morinville is unacceptable, then choose to do nothing about it?...

Ms. Woo-Paw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Alberta students have diverse needs, and charter schools provide an education which responds to the needs of about 7,500 students in our province. Some of the students reside in my constituency of Calgary-Mackay. One of the requirements for charter schools is that they must have their contracts renewed every five years. All my questions are to the Minister of Education. What importance does the minister and your ministry...

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, for the past five years Alberta Education has been providing enhanced English as a second language programs for children of refugees, many of whom do not speak a lick of English. In my view, it was a valuable program that provided refugee children with the opportunity to succeed, but this government announced last week that this program will be cut. My question today is for the Minister of Education. Does...

Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. From 2008 to 2009 we consulted with over 6,000 Albertans regarding their concerns with special education through the Setting the Direction initiative. During those consultations we heard an overwhelming majority of Albertans who wanted a different funding formula than the current system of coding and labelling. My questions are to the Minister of Education. Given that you accepted the recommendation of the Setting the Direction framework...

Ms. Calahasen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All my questions are to the Minister of Education. I recently met with some of my school boards, and they're reeling over the 50 per cent funding cut to the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement program. Given that this program has been recognized all over the world for its innovative approach to education research and best learning practices, Albertans are grappling with what this means to the future...

Mr. Hehr: Mr. Speaker, earlier this year Alberta Education quietly posted a survey on the idea of converting charter schools to so-called innovation centres for educational researchers. Some of the questions in the survey such as allowing private corporations to operate charter schools deserve significant public debate. My questions are to the Education minister. Is the ministry using a rushed survey to claim public support for rewriting the mandate of charter schools in the...

Mr. VanderBurg: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are all to the Minister of Education. Recently in my constituency office we're pretty well overwhelmed with cards regarding Catho­lic education, and in talking to my colleagues, I understand that their offices are starting to get these same cards. Minister, I've never heard the Premier, I've never heard you, I've never heard our caucus talk about removing the rights of Catholic education, but somehow this...

Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All my questions are to the Minister of Education. Many of my constituents, parents of special-needs students and teachers alike, have expressed concern over the government's stated desire for inclusive education. Many of them either have failed to understand what this direction means or flatly oppose the direction because of what they think or per­ceive it to mean. Can the minister once and for all provide this House,...

Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some residents of my constituency have raised concerns about the safety of Wi-Fi in schools. To the Minister of Education: has your department investigated the safety of the use of Wi-Fi networks in the school environment?...

Mr. Boutilier: Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Albertans are questioning the government's priorities, for instance on infrastructure. Old schools overflow and our new hospitals stand empty. It was interesting that on Monday on Alberta Primetime the Minister of Education made a startling admission, that they actually have a priority list. My question to the minister is simply this: will he make this secret priority list public to all Albertans?...

Mr. Hehr: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Parents in Morinville have no option but to send their children to Roman Catholic schools, where religion informs every aspect of what they learn. A group of concerned parents want a public secular education option in their town. To the Minister of Education: does the minister think it's acceptable that there is no option for secular public education for parents and students in an entire town?...

Mr. Bhullar: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This Assembly has heard me speak on several occasions about innovation in education, ideas like dual credit and real-world learning opportuni­ties. I have gone further and found a postsecondary institution willing to offer high school students in Forest Lawn and Lester B. Pearson free postsecondary courses. Will the Minister of Education assure me that these students will receive high school credit for these postsecondary courses?...

Mr. Chase: Mr. Speaker, to its credit the newly elected Edmonton public school board placed a two-year moratorium on school closures. The government's combined failure to update its school space utilization formula to reflect learning commission class size reductions and its ongoing refusal to either repair aging schools or build desperately needed new ones has contributed to overcrowding, unnecessary school closures, and school shortages in rapid-growth areas like Airdrie and Leduc. To the minister:...

Mrs. McQueen: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. A former education minister, David King, has launched a website and a petition calling for a referendum on abolishing publicly funded Roman Catholic and Protestant schools in the province of Alberta in favour of a single public system. The president of the ACSTA, and I'm proud to say a constituent and good friend of mine, has con­tacted me, asking the minister for his position. To the...

Mr. Vandermeer: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions this afternoon are to the Minister of Children and Youth Services and also the Minister of Education. Children and youth in care are a particularly vulnerable group of students who often have extraordi­nary needs due to their life circumstances. Significantly more children and youth in care drop out of school, do poorly on achieve­ment tests, fall farther behind in school as they get older, and are...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Monday, November 22, the Minister of Education informed the House that it's, quote, not his problem. But school boards were not able to budget properly because of this government's mixed signals on funding staff wage increases. However, the Auditor General has been saying for four years that the department needs to provide trustees with more timely, accurate financial information. To the minister: why is this govern­ment still...

Mr. Weadick: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The school utilization formula is creating challenges across Alberta in both rural and urban areas alike. Last year the Edmonton public school board voted to close five of its schools, which was hugely upsetting to the affected students and their community schools, which are the hub of these communities. My question is to the Minister of Education. Given that schools are a vital component of a community, why...

Mr. Rogers: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over a week ago a group from Airdrie had a rally at the Legislature calling for new schools to address the needs in that community. Airdrie is not alone. There are many other communities in this province needing new schools, such as Beaumont in my constituency. My question is to the Minister of Education. How does the Ministry of Education determine its priorities in the capital planning process...

Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Constituents of mine have been advised that the funding for the Arts and Education program has been cut completely from the budget of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts effective March 31, 2011. Could the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit please advise if this is true?...

Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Education uses the results of provincial achievement tests for grades 3, 6, and 9 as a key indicator of progress in achieving the admirable goal of attaining excellence in student learning outcomes. I'm interested in what appears to be the minister's curious definition of the word "progress" because his ministry's targets for both acceptable and excellent levels of achievement in the tests in 2012-13 are...

On November 23, Minister Hancock spoke at the 2010 Fall General Meeting of the Alberta School Boards' Association. His remarks follow below (check against delivery). Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you again. I would like to start by congratulating those of you who are newly elected trustees, those of you who have been reelected and those of you who have been acclaimed. I would also like to wish outgoing president...

Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Highly motivated grade 10 students are eligible to enter the pre International Baccalaureate program at many high schools in Alberta. Eligible courses for IB include French and Spanish. To the Minister of Education: I agree that learning other languages is very, very important, but why only specific languages like Spanish and French?...

Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Inspiring Education set a high-level direction for what education in Alberta will look like in the future and what it will mean to be an educated Albertan 20 years from now. Albertans told us that the education system must reflect the growing changes of both our local and global communities. To the Minister of Education: with the high-level direction set, my trustees would like to know how the...

Mrs. Leskiw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the spring of 2009 I brought forward Motion 503, which called for the government to do away with grade 3 provincial achievement tests in favour of an alternative assessment for learning. The Legislature voted in support of this motion, but 18 months later nothing has changed. My question is to the Minister of Education. Can he tell us when he is going to heed the advice of...

This past week. November 14th through 20th, was National Bullying Awareness Week. Today, Alberta students participated in a worldwide bullying prevention discussion, and watched Stitches, a film about an Alberta teenager who faces ridicule and social exclusion in his community that was produced by students and staff at Victoria School of the Arts with funding from the Government of Alberta....

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The child well-being initiative was launched three years ago in reaction to a dramatic increase in the number of children accessing food banks and housing programs. Sadly, this government's refusal to make child poverty reduction a priority has meant that the situation is no better today for the 78,000 Alberta children living in poverty. Affordable housing, a living wage, food security, and quality child care are essential pieces...

Alberta Views magazine's September 2010 issue featured a story by writer Mike Sadava entitled "More Choice, Less Education" (unfortunately, the story is not available online, but the magazine can be found in most libraries and in the EBSCO database). Minister Hancock's response to the story is printed in the November issue, and is also published below. I read with interest Mike Sadava's article "More Choice, Less Education" in the September edition of Alberta Views. I...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Education has created governance confusion regarding appointing school trustees. Over the past decade this government has undermined local school authority by firing the Calgary public board, formerly chaired by the sitting MLA for Calgary-Mackay, which included Danielle Smith, who was hoping for better electoral luck second time out. Most recently the entire board of the Northland school division was fired by this minister. To the...

Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The results of the provincial achievement tests and diploma exams were recently released, and in most cases the news is very good. However, there are some results that cause me and the parents in my constituency a great concern. My questions are to the Minister of Education. Can the minister tell us why these more troublesome results, particularly for language arts 30, continue to decline? This...

Ms Woo-Paw: My questions are also to the Minister of Education. On June 11 I was honoured to attend the announcement made by the ministers of Education, Health and Wellness, and Children and Youth Services on the Setting the Direction Framework: Govern­ment of Alberta Response, which addressed how government would work together to support children and youth through the implemen­tation of an inclusive education system. I know this will take some time, but Albertans...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Parents, students, and teachers have been anxiously waiting for a better way to provide special education in Alberta, but the government's review of special needs has been two years in the making with another year to go. Meanwhile special-needs grants have been frozen, parents are facing the same delays getting supports for their kids, and the government's plans are at best unclear. To the Minister of Education: what...

Mr. Bhullar: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In 2009 this Legislature passed my Motion 508 urging the government to develop programs to offer real-world learning opportunities like dual enrolment, which is enrolment in postsecondary courses while in high school. My questions are to the Minister of Education. What has your ministry done to implement recommendations made by Motion 508, specifically postsecondary instruction while in high school?...

Mr. VanderBurg: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Within Whitecourt-Ste. Anne my constituents are concerned about the challenges facing home-schooled students as they seek admittance to Alberta's postsecondary institutions. While government approves and even regulates home-schooling, my constituents find that postsecondary institutions are less open to the idea and lack consistent policies for accepting home-schooled students. My questions are to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technol­ogy. Minister, it's easy for every foreign student across...

Mr. Chase: Mr. Speaker, the system for recognizing and supporting special-needs children in this province is not working. There is, however, a better way through stronger ministerial co-operation, which would involve the first ministry contacted overseeing the provision of services to ensure that the needs of children and their families are met. To the Minister of Education: with coding on the way out how will the minister guarantee that special-needs children are identified and...

John Carver, the creator of the "Carver model" of governance, read and responded to Minister Hancock's blog post The Informed Transformation of Trusteeship. I wish the leaders of every province and state would focus on boards that govern public education as forcefully as does Mr. Hancock. Despite their sterling intent, boards are victims of decades in which governance and management are confounded, activities are given more attention than outcomes, and community involvement in setting expectations...

Over the past several months, as trustee candidates have campaigned for election, there have been many excellent discussions about the future role of school trustees. Now that the results are in, I want to thank everyone who put their name and ideas forward in the service of our students and our communities. To the candidates who won election, congratulations. To the candidates who did not receive the public's nod this time, I hope you...

Today, October 5th, is World Teachers' Day. I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the exceptional work that Alberta's teachers do, not just today, but each and every school day. One of Alberta's great blessings is the thousands of highly skilled, professional teachers who devote their talents and passions to developing our students' talents and passions. Without these capable professionals, our young people would not have the benefit of one of the best educations...

The following article is being published in the forthcoming edition of the ATA Magazine, which will focus on technology in schools. “What a computer is to me is the most remarkable tool that we have ever come up with. It's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.” —Steve Jobs, cofounder and CEO of Apple The promise of technology has always been to do things bigger, faster and stronger. This promise seems to hold...

The following message was distributed to the education sector earlier this afternoon. For the past eighteen months, the education sector has engaged in many conversations about the future of learning in our province. The five year agreement between the Government of Alberta and the Alberta Teacher's Association, subsequently effected in part by collective agreements between school boards and ATA locals, created a clear time frame where work like Inspiring Education could happen without the...

The Edmonton Journal recently ran an editorial by Paula Simons about Bill 44, the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Amendment Act, 2009. The editorial claims "Catholic schools threatened if Bill 44 opting-out rule enforced." I have sent the Journal the following letter in response, but it has yet to be printed....

In recent weeks, as school boards have been preparing and debating their budgets for the coming year, there has been a lot of public discussion about whether government is fulfilling its agreement to fund teachers' salary increases. To repeat what I have said many times to school boards, teachers, reporters, and anyone else who will listen: government made a commitment in the five year agreement and we are not backing away from that commitment....

Thank very much, President Henderson. I certainly appreciate the invitation to join you this morning, and the invitation to join you last night. I appreciated the opportunity to meet with so many of you and to have a chance to talk frankly about what's important to us in education. It is a pleasure to be here with you today with my Parliamentary Assistant, the member for Edmonton-Decore, Janice Sarich. If you have any tough...

Recently, many people have been writing my office with concerns about the diploma exams that were written at the end of January 2010. I asked the department to thoroughly investigate each of the issues that were raised. The diploma exam program in its present form is a significant milestone in students' formal education. These tests are designed to be exit exams that assess students' knowledge of the Alberta programs of study. Like the courses...

Today, Minister Hancock and Minister of Infrastructure Ray Danyluk announced that construction will soon begin on ten new schools in Edmonton and the Calgary region. Three will be constructed in high growth areas in Edmonton, five in Calgary, and one each in Okotoks and Langdon. All of the schools will open to students in September 2012....

Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was driving into the city the other day, and I saw a Strathcona county school bus with a big sign on the back advertising Elk Island school division. I've seen other school divisions advertising on billboards and TV. To the Minister of Education: given the need for accountability why in these tight fiscal times are school boards spending precious educa­tion dollars on advertising rather than on students...

Mr. VanderBurg: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Within Whitecourt-Ste. Anne Northern Gateway school division spans nearly 375 kilometres from end to end, further than the distance between Edmonton and Calgary. Each day 4,000 students in this division are transported over 12,000 kilometres. My questions are all to the Minister of Education. Pembina Hills school division receives $64 per weighted passenger more than Northern Gateway. They have fewer square kilometres, fewer weighted passengers, fewer routes, and...

Mr. Chase: Mr. Speaker, funding cutbacks are causing boards to eliminate segregated programs for special-needs students. This government's flawed school closure process has targeted a school for complex learners in Calgary-Varsity. With concerns growing, the government can only gesture to a review of special education two years in the making. Parents, students, teachers, and staff need answers now. To the minister: what does the minister have to say to parents concerned that special-needs students...

A year after construction was completed, a school on the Peavine Metis Settlement is finally home to students of Northland School Division. The province provided $12.5 million to build a new school in Peavine because the existing school was in very poor condition. While construction was completed in April 2009, the new school sat empty because of a land transfer issue and the students were unable to move in....

Mr. Bhullar: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Many of the world's leading educational thinkers believe that education systems around North America are systematically draining creativity out of our children by focusing on standardized curriculum, standardized instruction, and standardized testing. To the Minister of Education: what is your department doing to ensure our system is developing and building upon the natural ability and passion of our students? Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A...

Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. The town of Beaumont is rapidly growing, and their school can't keep up. They've lost their music and computer rooms to provide more classroom space, and they have one portable, but their school still is far too small. Now, grade 3 students carry their desks across the street every day to a fully liquor licensed facility, Club Beaumont, which they are using as classroom space. Why has...

Dr. Swann: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This government constantly boasts about how much better off Alberta is in weathering the recession while refusing to honour teacher contracts, repair aging schools, or adequately support special-needs education. To the Minister of Education: if this government isn't willing to carry out its educational obligations such as bargaining in good faith with our teachers, will you at least provide greater autonomy to locally elected schools boards...

Mr. Anderson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Rocky View school division and especially the city of Airdrie are at a crisis point with regard to school infrastructure. Airdrie students are holding math classes in the library, the gym, and in some instances in the hall­ways. Trustees are even considering busing kids into soon-to-be­closed inner-city Calgary schools. The division is now begging for $5 million for 20 new portables to make a secondary temporary portable...

Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. After engaging over 7,000 Albertans, the Setting the Direction for Special Education final report was submitted to the minister over 10 months ago, yet we still have not heard any response from the government. To the Minister of Education: is the delay in the government response an indication that you're backing away from a commitment to a truly supportive and inclusive education system that Albertans obviously...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government abandoned its commitment to fund a five-year agreement with teachers. Now, with the 2010-11 academic year approaching and no extra money for teachers' salaries on the table, school boards, students, and families are about to feel the crunch. To the minister: with the Calgary board of education considering eliminating 150 positions to cover its $21 million shortfall, what plans does the minister have to prevent layoffs?...

Mr. Boutilier: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wasn't sure if . . . [interjection] To the person across the way who said, "Quack, quack," you look like a duck. Having said that, I spoke to students today from my constituency, three high school students. We've heard the government say that education is an investment, not an expense. As a follow-up, schools are being closed, programs are being cut, yet there's a contradiction: the government...

Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Parkdale, McCauley, Eastwood, Fulton Place, and Capilano schools are five schools that are on the chopping block tonight. At the same time, the Edmonton public school board is not getting any new resources to support the six schools that they are opening this September. The government is forcing school boards to shift resources from older schools to new ones. I want to ask the Minister of Education...

Several school boards around Alberta are presently considering closing schools. As Minister of Education, I have been asked by several parties to place a moratorium on school closures, for a variety of reasons. Some people suggest that the processes used to discuss school closures are flawed. Others say that a high-quality educational program requires schools in the communities where children live, whether rural or urban. And others point out that schools should be a...

Mr. Allred: Mr. Speaker, one of the best ways to enhance Alberta's competitiveness is to maintain our world-leading standing in education. Other countries recognize the extraordinary importance that education will play in their economic future, and their students are leaping ahead of Alberta students. I was pleased the other evening to go to hear an educational consultant from Finland speak in St. Albert. To the Minister of Education. Finland has what is, very simply,...

Ms Woo-Paw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Statistics Canada is projecting rapid changes to our population over the next 20 years. Major growth areas would include the aboriginal population, and it's projected that about one-third of Canada's population would be a visible minority. Learning about effective integration and develop­ment of inclusive communities speaks to the need for two-way integration. My question is to the Minister of Education. You have initiated the Inspiring Education visioning process,...

Ms Pastoor: Mr. Speaker, in 2007 this government signed an agreement with the Alberta teachers. At the time the Premier wrote to ATA, "I pledge to seek the Legislative Assembly's support for the necessary funding to enable the Memorandum of Agreement's full execution." Now the government is sending mixed signals about its willingness to live up to the agreement on teachers' wages, and school boards are more than concerned that they soon will be...

Ms DeLong: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Education has spoken publicly in this Legislature of the importance of having community services integrated in schools and schools being integrated into the community, yet schools are still being closed in the inner city. The school boards are saying that it's the province that's pressuring them to close. My question is to the Minister of Education. What Alberta Department of Education legislation or...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again the Minister of Education has catered, cratered to the competitive ideology of the Fraser Institute by releasing standardized test scores from across the province, which have a more punitive than celebratory effect. To the minister: what motivational value or educational relevance does publicizing test results given at the end of the previous year for students who have left their division have for either students, teachers, or...

Mr. MacDonald: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Early in May officials from Alberta Education will present to school board chairpersons and school superintendents the province's new provincial school utilization rate. These changes are a very long time in coming, and I would like to thank the hon. Minister of Education for coming forward with these new provincial utilization rates. [some applause] It's certainly about time. Now, my first question is to the Minister...

Mr. Benito: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education. There is a large backlog in deferred maintenance of schools, and with classroom space becoming critical in some areas of the province, what is the minister planning to do to address the student space issue and the maintenance backlog when there are no new projects in the 2010-11 budget?...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Waves of potential school closures are washing over communities in Edmonton and Calgary, but this government is looking the other way, claiming that the decisions are for the school boards to make. The truth is that, yes, city core neighbourhoods are losing students to the suburbs, but provincial policies are making the situation worse. To the minister: how are municipalities supposed to keep families in the city core...

Mr. Benito: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are paying interest on top of the principal on the first ASAP project, which will provide 18 new schools in Edmonton and Calgary by September 2010. To the Minister of Education: is our government actually saving any money over the 30 years of this agreement?...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unlike their public school counterparts, private schools and religious charter schools exclude students by charging tuition or by applying faith-based restrictions. Recently MLAs were recipients of a letter dated February 12, 2010, from Don Zech, public board chair of Palliser regional schools in which he suggests, "The timing is indeed ripe for a discussion about formerly private schools joining the public system as alternative programs." To the minister:...

Mr. Bhardwaj: Alberta Education appears to be moving away from separate schools for elementary students and junior high, or middle schools, and replacing them with larger K to 9 combined schools. My constituents are concerned that their younger children will not receive the attention they need in a larger facility. My questions are to the Minister of Education. What is the rationale behind combin­ing the schools?...

Dr. Swann: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Government utilization policy is forcing school boards to drain the city core of schools in favour of the suburbs. At the same time, cities like Edmonton and Calgary, in keeping with the government's own land-use framework, are trying to reduce urban sprawl and revitalize their cores, which is hard to do without good schools to attract people to the core. To the Premier: will the Premier commit to an...

Mr. Allred: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The St. Albert Protestant school board has been working with a private developer to provide a new school in Erin Ridge North, a new subdivision in St. Albert, for three years now. The developer is proposing a P3 where there would be no government capital required and would follow the standard 30-year payback. My question to the Minister of Education is: what seems to be the delay in...

Mr. Rogers: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The town of Beaumont is recognized as one of the 20 fastest growing communities in Canada. With a population of approximately 12,000 people, 25 per cent are under the age of 14. [interjections] The Speaker: Leduc-Beaumont-Devon has the floor. Mr. Rogers: Mr. Speaker, the school-age population is exploding so much that one elementary school has a classroom across the road in the community hall. The separate and public...

Mr. VanderBurg: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. School boards in Whitecourt-Ste. Anne are concerned about education funding, not just the dollars that go into the schoolrooms but dollars that are scarce and that are needed for their transportation departments to get the students to and from their homes and schools. My questions are to the Minister of Education. With the price of oil on its rise, last year you reduced the subsidy for fuel. You...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last month the government announced a memorandum of understanding on aboriginal education with treaty chiefs and the federal government. Motion, however, should not be confused with progress. On aboriginal education this government is standing still and in some areas is actually going backwards. To the Minister of Education. The partnership memo­randum seems to be an agreement to come up with a strategy later, an IOU rather than an...

Mr. Marz: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday we heard in the Assembly that the number of teachers has increased in the province by 10 per cent while at the same time the student popula­tion has only increased by 1 per cent. My question to the Minister of Education is: have student achievement test results seen a corresponding rate of increase during that same time frame?...

Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After doing a little bit of research, it came to my attention that from 2004 until 2009 there was an increase of 3,300 teachers in Alberta's school system, but there was only an increase of 12,000 students. That represents a 10.5 per cent increase in the number of teachers, but the student population only went up by 1.4 per cent. To the Minister of Education: what would drive...

Mr. Jacobs: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our rural school board in my constituency is facing an $850,000 shortfall in the 2010-11 school year despite the announcements by the Minister of Education that school boards will receive a zero per cent increase. I don't know if zero per cent is an entirely correct figure as I have heard that school boards will in fact receive an overall budget decrease of over 4.17 per cent, 1.17...

Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Education is shortchanging students by deliberately underfunding Alberta's public education system. By the time September rolls around and teachers are due for a salary increase, this minister will have racked up at least $175 million in an education funding shortfall. Why is the Minister of Education taking resources out of the classroom instead of doing what's right and providing sufficient funding up front to ensure...

Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have heard many of my constituents tell me that if you close down a school, you damage the community. Well, there have been lots of rumours about school closures, not just in the teachers' lounges but right here in the Legislature. My question is to the Minister of Education. What are you doing to keep schools open and keep Alberta's communities from further damage?...

Ms Woo-Paw: Mr. Speaker, government is using different ways to fund its new school buildings, including P3s. I've heard concerns that they are taking a cookie-cutter approach to the design of schools. I'm especially concerned that the government's plan, which includes four new high schools for Calgary, Edmonton, Sherwood Park, and Spruce Grove, will not meet the diverse learning needs of students. My question is for the Minister of Education. Did school boards have...

Teachers across Alberta are encouraged to participate at the 2nd Annual Speak Out Conference to be held in Edmonton from May 14-16, as part of the Speak Out – Alberta Student Engagement Initiative. Launched in 2008, the Alberta government has heard from thousands of Alberta students through the Speak Out website, student forums, the annual conference, and the Minister of Education's Student Advisory Council. Through Speak Out, students have consistently asked for the opportunity...

Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Approximately $572 million have been put into the Alberta Initiative for School Improve­ment since 2002. What I've heard from a lot of teachers and students and parents is that this money takes teachers out of the classroom and puts them into administrative or management-type roles. I'm curious as to what value taxpayers and students are receiving through this program. To the Minister of Education: are there any quantitative...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Thursday a provincial arbitrator finally resolved an ongoing dispute over the correct wage increase teachers should be given this year. However, the fact that we are still dealing with this issue almost a year later is symbolic of this government's inept management of our public education system. To the Minister of Education: why did the minister choose to leave school boards in the lurch yet again by...

Today, the Government of Alberta announced Budget 2010. This is an important budget for our province, given that we must manage a difficult fiscal situation while protecting the programs and services on which Albertans depend. In Education, this means putting the best interests of students ahead of other desires. I am pleased to inform you that we are investing $6.3 billion in education this budget year, a $52 million increase over last year. This...

Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since 2002 15 public schools in the Edmonton public school division have been closed, resulting in 6,900 student spaces disappearing from central Edmonton neighbourhoods. My first question is to the Premier. Given that Alberta Education and the government project that we are going to have 80,000 more students in the system in the next 15 years than we presently have, does the government not think that these school...

Ms Calahasen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. "Paternalistic," "heavyhanded" are words I have heard used to describe the Minister of Education's actions in firing the corporate board of the Northland school division. Many of my constituents have children who attend schools run by the Northland school board, and they're worried and hurt and concerned about the future of their children's education and their fundamental right to elect local school board trustees. My question is to the...

On Tuesday, post-secondary institutions from around Alberta joined with the Government of Alberta to launch ApplyAlberta, a single place for students to apply to post-secondary programs. The new web-based application and transcript transfer system makes it simpler for students to apply to one, two or even more of Alberta's publicly funded post-secondary institutions....

Alberta's First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) leaders and the Government of Alberta have established a First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education Partnership Council to guide the future direction of FNMI education in Alberta. The Partnership Council's efforts will identify and complement the work already being done in FNMI education in our province and is Alberta's next step stemming from discussions at the Summit on Aboriginal Education hosted by the Council of Ministers of...

On January 21, Minister Hancock announced the appointment of an official trustee and an inquiry team in Northland School Division. The official trustee, Dr. Colin Kelly, replaced the 23 members of the Northland board, while the three-person inquiry team has been asked to examine how student outcomes and governance in the school district can be improved....

Do you know a great teacher? Students, parents, teachers, principals and community members are encouraged to nominate a teacher or principal for their exceptional work with K-12 students in Alberta classrooms. Nominations for the 2010 Excellence in Teaching Awards must be submitted to Alberta Education by February 5. English and French nomination packages, which include details of eligibility and selection criteria, are available at this page: http://www.education.alberta.ca/teachers/excellence.aspx...

This month's Atlantic has a provocative article posing the question, "What Makes a Great Teacher?" The author looks at work that the Teach for America project has done since 2002 to answer this question. The findings suggest that students' socioeconomic status may not matter as much as is sometimes believed:...

Speak Out is Alberta Education's way of ensuring Alberta's youth have a voice in the decisions that affect their learning and their futures. It's an opportunity for students to tell us how we can offer education programs that are supportive, flexible and consistent with their needs....

The Calgary Herald recently published an article misleadingly titled "Calgary-area school bids to save cafeteria" that goes well beyond the challenges of operating a rural high school to discuss several other current concerns about education in Alberta. The article also covers concerns about what the spring budget will mean for education (read more here), the Stop the Cuts campaign (read more here), Inspiring Education and Setting the Direction, a potential school closure (which is the...

Today's Edmonton Journal has an outstanding article on the coming budget for education in Alberta. The article clearly lays out some of the possibilities that are under consideration. Your views are always welcome — you can post on this article using the comments section below, or contact the Minister. The article is divided into three parts: Murky education road ahead worries Albertans What's likely to be cut and what isn't Other Options...

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the government considering massive cuts, stakeholder groups have been speaking out for public education, only to receive a scolding by the Minister of Education. But teachers, school trustees, and parents are not to blame. They're not to blame for creating a climate of fear around education. The actions of the minister are creating a climate of fear. To the Premier. School boards and trustees are fighting for...

I want to thank those of you who have taken the time to write me about how you value education. I have always encouraged thoughtful advocacy for education and have no desire to ever discourage it, especially at this critical time. Indeed, over the past year, we have had several broad public discussions about the value and future of education (including Inspiring Education, Setting the Direction for Special Education, and Speak Out Alberta). We've...

This morning Minister Hancock spoke at the Fall General Meeting of the Alberta School Boards' Association. His remarks follow below (check against delivery). Thank you very much, Heather, and thank you for the invitation to speak with you again....

Mrs. Sarich: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. School divisions across this province are facing some significant workforce planning challenges over the next few years. A high number of teacher retirements, growing high student enrolment, and a decreasing supply of qualified teachers in specialized subject areas as well as in certain areas in the province are all leading to the need to plan for our teaching workforce. In northern Alberta these challenges are magnified 10-fold....

Today, the Obama administration launched a new program called "Educate to Innovate," which President Obama described as "a nationwide effort to help reach the goal this administration has set: moving to the top in science and math education in the next decade."...

On November 17, a small group of students from the University of Alberta Education Students' Association gathered on the steps of the Legislature as part of the Alberta Teachers' Association's "Stop the Cuts" campaign. Minister Hancock met with representatives from the students' association, and then spoke to the students about their concerns. Minister Hancock: So what is it you want me to know?...

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government seems content to leave wasteful spending on everything from executive bonuses and slick public advertising untouched. Instead, again they turn to health care and education as the first targets for cuts. My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier make a firm and unshakeable commitment to Albertans and to future teachers who were demonstrating on the steps today that he will protect public education from...

The draft K-12 Arts Education Curriculum Framework proposes a unified vision for arts education in Alberta across the four arts disciplines — drama, dance, visual arts, and music — from elementary through senior high school. It outlines opportunities for learning in, about and through the arts. This means retaining the traditions and rigour of each discipline, while exploring opportunities to infuse the arts across subject areas. I have heard concerns that the draft framework proposes...

Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The fine arts contribute so much to our society, economy, and the development of our young people. However, this government is using a curriculum review to deliberately weaken valuable fine arts programs in our schools. Students, parents, and teachers are outraged. My questions are to the Minister of Education. If the government truly believes in the importance of our fine arts programs, why is this minister dramatically cutting...

Mrs. Leskiw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last spring I brought forth private member's Motion 503, which urged the government to "eliminate provincial achievement tests for grade 3 students and consider alternative assessments for learning." On March 16, 2009, Motion 503 was carried. Teachers and parents across Alberta are wondering what action the government has taken pertaining to the elimination of grade 3 PATs. Mr. Speaker, my question is the to Minister of Education. What...

Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. On October 20 I attended an information session put on by Terra, a centre for pregnant teens, helping teenage mothers to complete high school. I must say that they're doing a wonderful job. My questions are to the Minister of Education. What steps is your ministry taking to help these young women complete high school? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Hancock: Thank you, Mr. Speaker....

The Harvard Education Letter has a lengthy and provocative piece called "'Platooning' Instruction" that discusses the benefits and detriments of organizing elementary schools so that teachers specialize in particular subject areas, much as junior and senior high schools presently do. As Inspiring Education looks at the future of education in Alberta, this is a good example of the kind of bold change that could improve student outcomes without requiring major new spending....

Today's Edmonton Journal has a great editorial about Inspiring Education called "We must get the big picture right in Alberta's classrooms." It describes the essential importance of focusing on the future of education despite whatever other challenges we may presently be facing. Two documents cited in the article have been considered extensively by both the Steering Committee (composed of Albertans who have wide perspectives, but no one particular focus on education) and the Working Committee...

Ms Woo-Paw: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Having a knowledgeable and skilled workforce is key in meeting the future needs of our economy. Between 1988 and 2008 the number of identified English as a second language students in Alberta has tripled from about 15,000 to 50,000, yet those students in Alberta are faced with one of the highest dropout rates in our province. In a recent study by the Coalition for Equal Access to Education...

[Note: see the October 5 entry "Examining Change – Changing Exams" for more information on the change to the exam format. The revised exam schedule that moves chemistry and math to different days is available here.] Mrs. McQueen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Education announced that the grade 12 diploma exams in math and science will no longer include a written response but will only include multiple choice numeric responses. Given that...

Today, the Government of Alberta announced it has finalized contracts to design and construct four new high schools in Alberta, including a 750 student Grade 10-12 Catholic school in Terwillegar. Construction on the schools will break ground later this fall, and they will open for class in September 2013. "These new schools will serve to inspire student learning and provide exciting environments for learning," said Minister of Education Dave Hancock in a news release. "Schools...

Mr. McFarland: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've been hearing from three of the school boards in our riding about recent cuts of some $80 million to school board budgets. In addition, I think many of us have seen the ads where the ATA and the ASBA have expressed their interest in this issue. To the minister: if investing in our education is really so critical to the economic prosperity and recovery of this province, why...

Nominations are now open for the 2010 Excellence in Teaching Awards, which recognize outstanding teachers and principals for the exceptional work they do with K-12 students across the province. A nomination package, including details of eligibility and selection criteria, is available at Alberta Education's Excellence in Teaching Awards page. Nominations can be submitted to Alberta Education until February 5, 2010. This year, 134 semi-finalists will be selected. Twenty of those semi-finalists will receive Provincial Excellence...

The following message was sent by Minister Hancock to education stakeholders this afternoon. Since the end of August, we have talked very openly about some of the very difficult fiscal challenges facing Alberta over the next few years, and this evening Premier Stelmach will talk about the future of our province. In this message, I want to speak to our short and long-term challenges and opportunities. To address our immediate pressures, I informed school jurisdictions...

Today, Minister Hancock, along with his ministerial colleagues Doug Horner (Advanced Education and Technology) and Gene Zwozdesky (Aboriginal Relations) signed an agreement with five First Nations and Métis leaders to establish an Education Partnership Council to guide the future of Aboriginal education in Alberta. The Council will provide a forum to address shortcomings and roadblocks in the delivery of education to Alberta's Aboriginal peoples. Its membership includes the three ministers; the Grand Chiefs of Treaties...

Education watchers in Alberta will be interested in a story in today's Edmonton Journal headlined Minister seeks aboriginal education funding boost. The negotiations the article describes are part of Alberta Education's ongoing efforts to improve First Nations and Métis student achievement across the province....

Since announcing changes to the Math and Science diploma exams (and in fact even before), there has been a wide damnation and derision from the public media and significant concern expressed by the ATA, some teachers and students. Interestingly, the e-mails I get from students tend to be in class or school groups. There is also a significant size Facebook group which I will visit regularly. As well there is some discussion on our...

I am receiving a significant number of e-mails regarding the government position on the average weekly earnings adjustment.    In fall 1997 the Government of Alberta and the ATA reached an historic agreement providing that the Government would take full responsibility for the pre 1992 unfunded liability for teacher's pensions.  Prior to that agreement the government paid 2/3 and teachers 1/3.  The total liability was in the nature of $6 billion.  As part of the...

As July started, I was travelling half way around the world at the invitation (with a significant contribution to the cost) of the Minister of Education of Singapore to meet with six other jurisdictions considered to be leading edge in education. The invitation was an opportunity arising out of a McKinsey report on leading educational jurisdictions to discuss how we got to where we are and how we continue to take the necessary steps to...

There's an interesting article (and a quick read) in this month's Atlantic about Baltimore's recent experiences improving student nutrition. Take the junk food out of vending machines, build central kitchens, and source local produce — while finding the money within the current system. A good lesson for Alberta's school boards?...

On June 8 and 9, nearly 1000 Albertans gathered in Edmonton to learn about and discuss a proposed new policy framework for inclusive education in our province (read the news release). The gathering was the third phase of public consultation on the Setting the Direction for Special Education in Alberta process. The feedback will inform further revisions to the framework which will be considered by government in coming months, and implemented beginning in September...

Minister Hancock spoke today at the Alberta Teachers' Association's 92nd Annual Representative Assembly. Excerpts of his remarks are reproduced below. Thank you very much for your kind invitation and warm welcome. And I want to start, Frank, by saying thank you to you. It's been a pleasure working with you over the past year for the good of education in the province. And I have to say more than the past year, because actually we've...

A blog called "Catalytic Conversations" has an interesting and thought-provoking post called "We Want YOU . . . to Learn: The Education Imperatives". The blogger writes that there are three reasons that education exists — for the individual, for the community, and for the country. Exploring the purposes of education is one of the tasks currently being undertaken by Alberta Education's Inspiring Education project. What do you think? Why do we educate our students, and...

Mr. Fawcett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today the Minister of Education announced a number of ways in which citizens of this province can participate in Inspiring Education: A Dialogue with Albertans. In addition to daylong sessions around the province, Albertans can also join the conversation online or use conversation kits to host a discussion in their own community. My question is to the Minister of Education. What is he doing to ensure that disadvantaged...

The following is excerpted from Alberta Hansard on the afternoon of March 10. Mr. Amery: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 1995 as a strategy to improve education, the Alberta government introduced charter schools. Each of these schools, of which there are 12 in Alberta, has a unique charter mandate providing innovation and choice to parents in our education system, but because of the charter terms these schools have no guarantee that their charter will be...

The following is excerpted from Alberta Hansard on the afternoon of March 10. Information on achievement testing in Grades 3, 6 and 9 is available from Alberta Education. Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Fraser Institute recently released their rankings of Alberta schools based on the province's achievement test scores. Commenting on the ranking, the Minister of Education stated, and I quote: "In my view, it is a totally inappropriate way to measure whether...

Linda Lantor Fandel, the Des Moines Register's deputy editorial page editor, has won first place in the opinion category in the 2008 National Awards for Education Reporting for her series, "World Class Schools for Iowa?" As part of her series, Linda visited Alberta to discover what makes Alberta's schools among the very best in the world. Her in-depth article "Alberta keeps pushing to improve its schools" is well worth reading and sharing....

Over the past six weeks, teachers from around the province have gathered for teachers' conventions. These two-day sessions of professional development afford teachers the opportunity to refine their skills and explore leading trends in education. Minister Hancock spoke at several of these conventions, as his schedule permitted. His remarks focused on the future of education in Alberta, with a particular emphasis on technology....

Alberta Education is presently undertaking a consultation called Setting the Direction for Special Education in Alberta. This project is examining and re-thinking how supports are currently provided to students with special needs. Today's Edmonton Journal has an article about Setting the Direction that outlines where the initiative is taking special education in Alberta. As Minister Hancock notes in the article, "We don't want kids falling through the cracks. At the end of the day, I...

As part of its 21st Century EdTech Spotlight on Alberta, the MindShare Learning Report, an online educational technology magazine, did an interview with Minister Hancock to discuss where technology and education are headed in Alberta.Among the topics discussed are the Minister's participation in the Learning and Technology World Forum in London in January 2009, the importance of leadership in school technology use, trends and funding for information and communications technology, and the changing role of teachers in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, am pleased to have the opportunity to rise today in response to the speech delivered by His Honour the Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Governor showed considerable emotion in starting his speech and noted that it was his fifth. I can only say in starting a response that we have been well served by this particular Lieutenant Governor and that he has done well for both the institution and office...

Dave recently visited the Green School at the University of Alberta's Devonian Botanic Garden. An article about the visit was published in the University of Alberta's Folio newspaper.From the story:School-age children participating in a new program at the Devonian Botanic Garden designed to help them connect with nature had a surprise visitor earlier this month. Dave Hancock, the provincial minister of education, dropped by and chatted with the children about what they were learning."It was...

Lots going on at Alberta Education with a strong focus on the future.  I will be writing about several projects like "Setting the Direction for Special Education" and "Inspiring Education: a Dialogue with Albertans" in later blogs.  I would encourage interested people, particularly students, to go to www.speakout.alberta.ca. and participate in discussions by students on what is important to them about education.  But today I want to focus on a topic that is probably one of...

Today the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) met in Saskatoon.  We typically meet twice per year to share views on a number of issues we have in common.  A focus of CMEC over the past few years, and continuing, is literacy.  This has been and continues to be a very important issue for me personally.  I have tried to be very supportive to community and provincial organizations who work in the field.  The...

The start of a Legislature Session seems a good time to relaunch into the blogosphere.  Time is always the serious constraint so best intentions coming out of the election last March to keep up with the public discourse on the digital media were relegated to following discussions as I could and when blogposts were sent to my Facebook site or otherwise brought to my attention.  Often the topics bear response, but thoughtful critique is not...