April 15, 2021
Diversity is truly a lesson plan for life
Diversity, equity and inclusion matter more than ever before – here in Alberta, and especially in our K-12 public schools.
That’s why the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta’s 7th and final belief statement is so important.
“Public schools most closely reflect, embody, embrace and promote the diversity within today’s Alberta.”
That’s a bold statement, but we passionately believe we need to do more than just reflect and embody diversity: we need to embrace and promote it. To do so is to be actively intentional, seeking out opportunities to be inclusive and take an equitable approach to all our relationships. Here’s why that matters.
In June 2015, the Alberta government introduced a series of resources on how to create Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Learning Environments (WCRSLE) in K-12 public schools. These resources include how to create a Student Code of Conduct, video conversation guides, bullying prevention tools and the positive impacts of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in schools.
These weren’t the first resources, of course, but they were created to help support changes to the former School Act when it was amended in 2015. While there have been changes to education legislation since then, one thing has not changed: students need to feel supported and included in order to grow and thrive.
Instinctively we know the value of peer support, of diversity and inclusion and these kinds of resources in helping promote understanding and allyship amongst students. GSAs/QSAs help LGBTQ2S+ students overcome feelings of isolation and alienation and help create a sense of belonging in their school. Feeling safe and welcomed is critical to student success in school, which brings us full circle back to why diversity, equity and inclusion matter so much in our public schools.
Other school jurisdictions are also inclusive, but we believe that public schools most closely reflect, embody, embrace and promote the diversity that exists today within Alberta. Our province is home to more than 4.2 million Albertans who speak one or more of 100-plus different languages and represent just as many world cultures. Since the majority of K-12 students find their place in one of our 1,515 public schools in Alberta, we want to do our very best to ensure each one of them is able to achieve their full learning potential.
With local school board trustee elections taking place this fall on Monday, October 18, 2021 it’s so important that you know the issues before you vote, so you can choose the trustee – or trustees – who best represent you, your values and your concerns.
I hope our series on PSBAA’s belief statements has helped you know more about who we are and what we believe.
Keep watching this space for future blog posts that take a deeper dive into some of these belief statements, and why they are foundational to who we are as public school board trustees and as an Association.
Cathy Hogg
President