March 15, 2021
Student education AND well-being – an important balance
I have been writing about the importance of the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta (PSBAA) belief statements. Our belief statements are especially important in 2021 – a school board trustee election year in Alberta. Our fifth belief statement is: Public schools nurture each student’s education and well-being within a supportive learning community. This is a critically important statement. I am passionate about student learning and making sure we as…
February 28, 2021
Why is it so important to have democratically elected public school board trustees?
This is an election year for locally-elected school board trustees. I have been writing about the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta (PSBAA) belief statements, and why they are especially important this year. Our third and fourth belief statements are: Public schools are governed by democratically elected trustees, accountable to communities and the province. Public schools offer world-class education through innovation, diversity and equitable learning experiences. Together as a board,…
February 15, 2021
Why public schools are the first choice of our communities
In my last blog post, I talked about the importance of belief statements, and why they are especially important for the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta. With public school board trustee elections coming up on Monday, October 18, 2021, I’d like to start talking about why each of our seven belief statements matter. Today, I’ll talk about the first two: Public schools are the first choice of our communities.…
January 29, 2021
The importance of belief (statements)
As locally-elected public school board trustees, it is important to us that the people who voted for us know what we believe. That knowledge is especially important in 2021 for two reasons. One, municipal and school board trustee elections are coming up on Monday, Oct. 18, and we hope everyone is planning now to research their local candidates so they can make an informed decision. Two, there is a lot…
January 15, 2021
What’s ahead for our public schools in 2021?
This week, our public schools welcomed back K-12 students to the classroom for in-person learning. Our top priority remains protecting the health and safety of every single student and staff member in our classrooms, recognizing that students learn better in person. We also know that it’s been hard for them not to see their friends, even though they must continue to be physically distant for at least the next several…
December 15, 2020
Real gratitude in the midst of a virtual Christmas
This Friday, our students, teachers, administrators, public school board trustees and school communities start two weeks of Christmas break. For many of us, this year will look different. We’ll have smaller in-person celebrations with immediate family, and virtual celebrations with extended family. Many of us will do more home cooking and baking, perhaps do take-out meals or order in more, and do less shopping in crowded stores and malls. Others…
November 30, 2020
2020: Anything but normal
Here we are, in the last few weeks of 2020. It’s been a year unlike any other. January started off with such promise. It was the start of a new decade, and our PSBAA had wrapped up its 30th anniversary celebration year. We heard about a new coronavirus half a world away, but we were focused on balancing our budgets even as class sizes increased, watching the provincial curriculum redevelopment,…
November 17, 2020
Provincially-funded versus publicly-funded schools: what’s the difference, and why does it matter?
Public schools in Alberta have a rich, enduring history. Before Alberta was a province, the first public school was established in 1881 in what was known at the time as the Hamlet of Edmonton. According to the City of Edmonton archives, newly-arriving families in Edmonton “desperately needed” a “regular educational option”, as there wasn’t one conveniently located to serve the children of the area. At a public meeting, a new…
October 21, 2020
PSBAA’s AGM: More than just a business meeting!
Last Thursday was an inspiring, informative and productive day for the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta (PSBAA) – it was the day we held our Annual General Meeting (AGM). Our day began with Deborah Lloyd, an Elder with a long history with the Medicine Hat Public School Division and the Alberta Teachers’ Association, who brought a blessing for our deliberations. Diana Bacon, a Professional Registered Parliamentarian, provided oversight for…
September 30, 2020
Concerned about the expansion of charter schools in Alberta? You should be
Recently, the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta called on the province’s Auditor General to conduct a to conduct a full review of the educational, administrative and financial benefits of charter schools. The PSBAA has also released a discussion paper entitled Privatizing Public Choice: the past, present and future of charter schools in Alberta. The paper was written by Ph.D. candidate Curtis Riep and commissioned by PSBAA. We released this…