1999 Canada Labour News (10326 bytes)

ALBERTA LABOUR NEWS
EDUCATION CRISIS IN ALBERTA

Also see the 1998 ARCHIVE OF EDUCATION NEWS STORIES

And for original articles by Eugene W. Plawiuk see:
THE CRISIS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION PRIVATIZATION OR DEMOCRATIZATION

For News Across Canada see EDUCATION CRISIS ACROSS CANADA

ONLINE PETITION TO SAVE PUBIC EDUCATION
We the undersigned residents of Alberta, petition the Government of Alberta to provide short term financial solutions to alleviate school board debts and deficits, and then to commence to fully fund public education in Alberta according to the value and priority that Albertans place on education and the needs of Alberta children.
SPEAK ("Support Public Education-Act for Kids")
School Council Members Advocating for Public Education Providing the information you need to advocate for Public Education TWO TIER EDUCATION IN EDMONTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS JUNE 1999
Campaign opposing Dutch Refom Church Private religious schools being integrated into Edmonton Public Schools

  • Alberta New Democrat Opposition Public Education Hearings: "Voices for Schools"


    CALGARY EDUCATION NEWS

  • PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD BY-ELECTION NOVMEBER 99
  • GOVERNMENT FIRES CALGARY PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES AUGUST 1999
  • CATHOLIC TEACHERS LOCK OUT ENDS SEPTEMBER 1999
  • Calgary Public Schools Are Becoming Dirty and not a study by CUPE Local 40

  • PUBLIC TEACHERS PREPARE TO STRIKE MAY-JUNE 1999


    PROVINCIAL REVIEW OF SCHOOL COUNCILS

  • Alberta Home and School Councils' Association

  • Alberta teachers say, "Don't fix what isn't broken"
    In general, the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) applauds the recommendations contained in the report on the Minister's Forums on School Councils; however, a recommendation to exclude teachers and principals as voting members of school councils should be soundly rejected, says Larry Booi, ATA president. Booi made these comments in response to an MLA task force report that calls for teachers and principals to become ex-officio or non-voting members of school councils.

  • School councils tired of fund-raising
    Mirroring the sentiments of other parent groups, area school councils say they're getting stuck with too much fund-raising. Meanwhile, council members complain they have too little influence in how their schools are run. Those are the messages councils have been giving a provincial review. Some council members at a forum Saturday said cutbacks in education are part of the reason they lack influence -- since there's nothing for discretionary spending, there is little room to advise school administrators on where to spend. Brenda Brindle, chair of Edmonton's Lendrum council and a member of the Avalon council, said the province gave school councils a role in such areas as staffing and programs. "But when we meet and review a budget and talk about the issues, ultimately we come back to money. "You can't have the programs you want, and fulfil the dreams you have for education, if you don't have adequate funding." Saturday's forum was part of a series across the province to review the way councils have functioned since the government called for their formation in 1994 legislation. As part of the review, the government has asked councils, council members, parents, teachers, boards and others to fill in so-called workbooks. So far, the workbooks indicate that while councils want to cut back on fund-raising, they don't want to eliminate it, says Dick Baker, a consultant who is overseeing the workbook responses. In particular, the review shows councils want less involvement in finding money for playground equipment, as well as school lunch programs, Baker said. They also want a smaller part of raising funds for technological equipment and field trips. Instead, councils are calling for more of a role on school programs, student achievement and discipline, said Baker.

  • Association of school councils is struggling
    The organization which speaks for parents to the provincial government is struggling to get by on a shoestring budget and the work of too few volunteers, says its president. The Alberta Home and School Councils' Association has power, but getting parents and schools involved is a constant problem, president Christine Ayling said in an interview during the association's annual conference in Edmonton Saturday.


    NEWS STORIES

    OCTOBER 99