February 18, 2010

Dates set for candidate info sessions in six communities
School board election materials online
The School Board Election Info section is posted on the ASBA website. There is information for school boards who want to promote the election locally and for potential candidates. Materials include a handbook for school boards, newsletter articles, advertisements and speeches. A “hard-copy” kit will be mailed to jurisdiction offices shortly. Those who want to get a jump on planning and promotions – may access the materials online.

candidate information sessions
The ASBA is offering info sessions in six communities. These sessions feature retiring trustees talking about what it’s like to serve on a school board and touch on basic eligibility requirements. The dates, times and locations are on the website. Please share this information with your local communities.

Campaign school June 9 in Red Deer
We are offering a campaign school which will be open to all candidates running for school board office. This day-long workshop will give participants a template for organizing a local election campaign and include skill building sessions. Watch the website for information, fees and registration information.

Minister Dave Hancock talks about how to deal with teacher salary increases
Minister of Education Dave Hancock’s blog is worth a visit because he and his staff regularly post to the site. In this February 9 posting, Hancock commented on the teacher salary increases:

“Today's budget does not include funding for additional increases to teachers' salaries. Last week, an arbitrator ruled that teachers' raise for the 2009-10 school year should be 5.99 per cent, not the 4.82 per cent that was budgeted for in 2009. This further increase requires an additional $23 million in fiscal year 2009-10, and continued annual funding of $40 million. However, the arbitrator's ruling came too late for this funding to be included in Budget 2010.

One of the quirks of our Parliamentary system is that a budget cannot be modified until it has been passed by the Legislature. Therefore, I am not able to seek additional funding to cover this increase until the budget passes, which I expect will be near the end of March. School boards, as the employer, are obliged to immediately implement the arbitrator's decision.

With the arbitrator's decision, we now need to deal with the increases scheduled for September 1, 2010 and September 1, 2011. Budget grants to school boards will not be adjusted beyond the changes outlined above. I will work with the Alberta Teachers' Association, the Alberta School Boards' Association, and school boards on how we will deal with budgeting for increases, while maintaining the all-important focus on having teachers in our classrooms. There is no question that higher wages and limited resources would lead us to fewer teachers, unless we can find a long term solution which recognizes the fiscal reality while meeting our commitment to teachers.

I have been clear with school boards that they should not be planning layoffs as a way to pay for this. We know we will need all the teachers we have, and more, in coming years. It makes no sense to balance the books in the short term by taking a step that will affect our students in the long term. I, like you, would like to be able to focus on improving students' classroom experiences today and on the long-term future of the education system. I do not want what is a relatively small problem with wages to distract us from the bigger picture. After all, we are here to put children first.”

New report card ranks Alberta high schools
Another player has joined the Fraser Institute in the business of ranking high schools. The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies which has produced a report for Atlantic Canadian High Schools for the past eight years released its first report on Western Canadian High Schools (PDF–604K) February 1, 2010.  Calling it an interim report, AIMS invites parents, students and teachers to review the information and make comments.

Canada West report calls for more funding/buildings for Charter schools
Noting, “Charter schools have not, however, been a resounding success. They have not been as innovative, or as influential, as possible,” the Innovation in Action: An examination of charter schools in Alberta report (PDF–2.52M) published in January calls for changes to legislation 1) to give charter schools permanent status and 2) clarify charter schools’ position in the education system.

Author Shawna Ritchie writes, “Giving charter schools permanent status will enable them to access the funding and facilities they need to fulfill their mandates and relieve some of the administrative burden of the charter renewal process. There is a need, however, to continue to manage charter schools with respect to growth, and to hold them to high levels of accountability. If charter schools become too prevalent, or if the criteria for demonstrable innovation and success are not ensured, charter schools may cease to fulfill their mandate. Clarifying charter schools’ position in the education system will prevent them from falling through loopholes that restrict their access to education resources and municipal reserve lands; it will also alter their relationship with other school authorities.”

• Budget assumptions that will guide development of ASBA 2010-11 budget
• Board of Directors governance policies (PDF–262K) for board of directors includes code of conduct and outlines new policy development process
• ASBA not captured by Lobbyist Act
• Board of directors to consider new relationship with Charter schools
• Call for members for task force focused on FNMI achievement
• Task force to identify best practices in governance for school boards
  

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In the news....
See the ASBA website for the latest headlines related to education. We post the latest education headlines from across the province each day. Top headlines include:
Funding needed to pay for arbitrator’s ruling: Column Calgary Sun
Challenges facing Northland School Division
Heather Welwood talks budget on Alberta Primetime Video
Minister Hancock asks boards to raid reserves/run deficits to avoid cutting jobs
Grande Prairie area boards look to reserves to cover salary increase – hope government antes up
Zero increase in grants puts squeeze on Lethbridge area boards (PDF–99K)

Read more>

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What's new @www.asba.ab.ca?
Agenda Board of Directors
February 11-12 (PDF–91K)

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