May 15, 2020
“Back to school”: what will “the new normal” look like?
This week marks a cautious “phase one re-launch” of some aspects of the Alberta economy, including retailers, barber shops, restaurants and museums. We all know the road back to a “new normal” will be long and careful, but it’s reasonable to ask the question: what could a re-launch look like for K-12 students in Alberta? When can they actually return to the classroom, and under what circumstances? The Alberta government…
April 28, 2020
Education Week during The Great Pause
Education Week in Alberta is coming up – and it’s a very different celebration this year. A year ago, no one could have imagined we’d be in the throes of a global pandemic today. Public school board trustees have always been singularly focused on creating the best possible learning environments for K-12 students, to make sure they have the resources in the classroom to thrive. Yet suddenly on a Sunday…
March 23, 2020
On the importance of community in uncertain times
Albertans are gradually adapting to a new reality – for themselves and their families. Last Monday morning, the day after the announcement that classes were cancelled at all K-12 schools, and all licensed child care facilities, out-of-school care and preschool programs were closed indefinitely, many parents were scrambling to make other arrangements at work and for child care. By Tuesday, they were just starting to adjust when there were further…
March 13, 2020
On embracing change
John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life, and those who only look to the past and present are certain to miss the future.” These days, it seems like the only constant is change. Just in the past 12 short months, we have had a new provincial government and a new federal government. Many are concerned about the arrival in Alberta of the coronavirus pandemic or the…
January 31, 2020
On accountability, responsibility and trust
In a previous blog post, I shared my thoughts on the passion and purpose of locally-elected public school board trustees. In that post, I promised I would come back to something called “fiduciary responsibility” and why that’s so important in the public school board context. Essentially, the job of trustees is three-fold: advocacy (passion), governance (purpose) and relationships (trust). So what exactly is governance, and why is it so important…
December 19, 2019
Celebration and Gratitude
Starting tomorrow, our students and teachers will begin a well-deserved, two-week holiday. When they return to their classrooms in January, it will be to welcome not only a new year but also a new decade. As I look over the past year, I am so thankful for our wonderful public schools and our dedicated leaders and teachers. And PSBAA had a great deal to celebrate in 2019. First and foremost,…
December 12, 2019
PSBAA President Cathy Hogg responds to MLA Drew Barnes’ Twitter post
A recent Twitter post by MLA Drew Barnes brought attention to a Dec. 10th article in the Financial Post entitled, “A tale of two Alberta towns...”. The reporter contrasted the economic growth of Grande Prairie and the downturn on Medicine Hat. The reporter wrote of the vitality and growth in Grande Prairie resulting in the construction of a new hospital and the attraction of expanding retail operations and the constant…
November 25, 2019
On passion and purpose
Public school board trustees are passionate about a lot of things. We are passionate about our students and making sure they have the tools and resources to achieve their academic goals and reach their full potential. Our public schools embrace all children of the province. We are passionate about our teachers, staff and leaders in our schools and school jurisdictions. We want to make sure they have the training, tools…
September 8, 2019
Welcome back!
There’s nothing like the first week back at school! As I see students head off to class, their new backpacks over their shoulders, there’s an excitement in the air that I see at no other time of the year. Our teachers have been hard at work already – setting up their classrooms, putting the final touches on their lesson plans, and organizing a thousand big and little details to set…
June 28, 2019
Reflections ahead of summer break
As the school year comes to a close and students and staff head out for the summer and a well-earned break, I want to take a couple of moments to reflect on the past school year. First, thank you to all our public school boards – members and non-members alike – for the wonderful work they do on behalf of all students in Alberta. Indeed, every school board trustee and…