VP Jacquie Hansen interviewed re labour

Review of ASBA annual report

Please distribute to trustees, superintendent and the secretary-treasurer. For more information contact
at 1.780.451.7122

What should ASBA focus on?
Board of directors asks for advice
School boards are asked to review the ASBA’s strategic plan to identify initiatives that should be a priority in the 2009 budget. The deadline for board submissions is January 9, 2009. Please send your ideas to Heather Rogers. The board of directors will consider these suggestions and budget implications at its strategic planning session.

Chinook’s Edge Superintendent Jim Gibbons named to steering committee
Jim Gibbons, former president of the College of Alberta School Superintendents and current superintendent of Chinook’s Edge, is one of a 21-member steering committee that will guide the department of education’s public consultation about public education. Former Edmonton Catholic trustee and current Edmonton MLA – Janice Sarich – is also on the steering committee.

Report on bargaining online
2008 saw a sea change in teacher bargaining in Alberta. In a major shift from past practice, the provincial government signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the provincial Alberta Teachers’ Association that covered a $2.1 billion pension liability; teacher salaries and a $1500 signing bonus for teachers. All other contractual matters were dealt with by school boards negotiating at the local level with teachers.

With the current contract set to expire in 2012, the ASBA contracted Patricia Mackenzie of Mackenzie Management Consulting to review the last round of bargaining and to write a report about school boards’ perspectives on how things went.

Beyond collating school boards’ views, Mackenzie describes options for how bargaining between teachers and school boards might occur in the future. Read the Bargaining for a Better Future report (PDF–1.5 MB) and Mackenzie’s PowerPoint presentation (PPT–656K).

Wrap-up of ASBA Fall General Meeting
A summary of the policy positions approved by school boards; the media release describing  Horizon School Division’s Premier’s Award winning project and a summary of the 13 projects were in contention for the $3000 award are posted on the website. As we receive workshop presentations, we are posting them on the website.

Education in the news
See the ASBA website for media stories about education.  In this week's headlines:
School boards back away from call for full-day Kindergarten
Medicine Hat Catholic votes to withdraw from bargaining group (SBEBA)
Student suspended for website targeting teacher
Start work on new bargaining model now says consultant
Minister announces public discussion about education at school boards meeting
14 charged under Red Deer’s anti bully bylaw
Connect with your communities urges ASBA President Heather Welwood
Minister of education meets with school boards in southern Alberta

Also in the media…
ASBA Vice-president Jacquie Hansen was interviewed November 19 with ATA President Frank Bruseker about the “perfect storm” in labour. See the CBC 1 website for an audio file of this interview.

What's new @www.asba.ab.ca?
Heather Welwood’s challenge to AISI