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...