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 of confusion these days about the difference between public schools and publicly / provincially funded schools.
With that in mind, our member public school board trustees collaborated on a set of belief statements for the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta (PSBAA) that would help people know who we are and what we stand for.
The PSBAA advocates for a strong public school system of education for K-12 students in Alberta. We also provide ongoing training and professional development for public school board trustees, who are responsible for making decisions about each jurisdiction’s share of the $8.3 billion in annual operating funding from Alberta Education.
A lot of people don’t know that there are several other school systems operating in the province: separate, francophone, charter, home school and independent. Or they think that all systems are publicly-funded, and therefore are also public schools.
That isn’t the case, so our members developed a list of fundamental belief statements that we all share, passionately believe in and want to talk about in the months leading up to this fall’s elections.
Our belief statements are based on a number of fundamental principles, each of which are guided by our commitment to putting students / children first. Public schools are inclusive, diverse, supportive, welcoming places that are equally open to all students, regardless of ability, income or background. Here are our seven belief statements:
- Public schools are the first choice of our communities. We believe all children can learn and live the values of democracy together, reflecting our hope and shaping the future of our communities.
- Public schools are intended to be the first school built in any new community.
- 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.
- Public schools nurture each student’s education and well being within a supportive learning community.
- Public schools support cooperation and collaboration among all provincially funded school systems, to best serve all students.
- Public schools most closely reflect, embody, embrace and promote the diversity within today’s Alberta.
What do you think? Which of the seven belief statements is most important to you, and why?
In the coming weeks, I will talk more about these belief statements, and why they differentiate locally-elected public school board trustees and public schools from other types of education systems in Alberta.
Cathy Hogg,
President