Tags: Alberta Education, budget, Education Act, engagement, inclusive education, Inspiring Education, school boards, transformation
Good morning.
This may be my last opportunity to speak with you in the capacity of Minister of Education.
Before I begin my remarks, I would like to acknowledge the good work you do for education in Alberta and thank you for the support you have shown during the Inspiring Education and Inspiring Action initiatives. As I have said on numerous occasions, we may not have always agreed on what needs to be done or how it should be done, but we have always shared the common objective of ensuring Alberta's children receive the best education possible.
I would also like to congratulate you on the speakers you have at this meeting. I appreciate the importance you have placed upon hearing from those who can speak for communities that are often marginalized when it comes to education. That is exactly the kind of community engagement we will need to truly transform our education system. And I want to acknowledge the leadership you are showing in that regard.
During the past three years, we have often talked about the changing nature of the 21st century learner. We have had lengthy discussions about how their access to technology, social media and a world of information has changed their profile. I think most of us have agreed that a new kind of student requires different kinds of teaching and learning modalities, and we must transform our education system as a result.
We are not alone in arriving at this conclusion. Later you will hear from Keray Henke about what other jurisdictions have learned and what they are doing to respond to a changed world.
But rather than talk about the student and the classroom today, I want to talk about what I see for the future of boards in a transformed education system.
At the media conference I conducted after tabling the proposed Education Act, a reporter asked me what I thought at the time was a very strange question. She asked if granting boards natural person powers - and enabling them to make decisions at the local level that best meet the educational needs of their communities - would "politicize" the role of trustee.
I thought that the question was strange because a trustee is already a political position. Trustees run campaigns and ask the public to elect them, the same way that every other politician does.
But upon further reflection, I began to understand why the reporter posed the question. Historically, politicians at the federal, provincial and municipal levels have been subject to far more scrutiny than school trustees. I believe that the often low turnouts for school board elections and the number of trustees who are acclaimed indicate that in the past, the public has not being paying that much attention to the activities of their local boards.
The number of letters and e-mails the department and I get asking questions about transportation issues, school fees, school closures and the like also indicates to me that much of the public does not understand what the powers and roles of boards are.
I believe that is going to change significantly with the transformation of our education system.
We are already seeing signs of that now with some boards, where parents are demanding to know just how decisions that affect their children are made, how budgeting decisions are arrived at and how much money is being spent on administration rather than being directed to the classroom.
As we work toward the transformation of our education system, that kind of public scrutiny and desire for involvement is only going to increase. Transformation will not only change our schools and our teachers, it will require significant change on the part of boards as well.
Boards will be required to be much more transparent in their activities. As part of the communications around transformation, the public will be made more aware of what they can and should expect of their trustees. As a result, parents and the general public are going to call into question every decision about their children's education that was made in camera or without real engagement and public consultation.
Simply inviting the public to a meeting is not going to cut it. Inviting someone to come and listen to what you have to say isn't engagement. Engagement is going out to the community and having a dialogue about what you are going to do together - just as you are doing with this meeting.
It is important for all of us who are politicians to acknowledge that the political landscape at all levels has changed. People are no longer willing to listen to a decision of their elected representatives and then simply acquiesce. We have seen pushback for that kind of approach at the public level, and it is likely we will see more of it at all levels of government and governance. Tweets, blogs, texts, e-mails and Facebook posts that challenge what we do will be the order of the day.
So I believe that during the next few years, you are going to become increasingly aware of what it is like to walk a mile in my shoes and those of my cabinet colleagues.
I can tell you that intense public scrutiny isn't always a lot of fun. It is time-consuming, and often frustrating, to have to justify every decision you make or do not make and every dollar you spend or do not spend.
However, public accountability comes with choosing to occupy political territory. As challenging as it can be, transparency, accountability and engagement will produce real benefits for boards. The better you communicate, the more you engage with your communities and the more you embrace generative governance, the less what you do will result in negative debate and acrimony.
The proposed Education Act will provide you with the opportunity to help design an education system in which boards rightly play a highly visible leadership role. The proposed Act is posted on Education's website, and I hope all of you have had a chance to look at it. It is a spare document because we want to create a system that is flexible enough for boards to do what is best for education in their communities.
The time for an exhaustive list of rules and regulations that tell boards everything they can and cannot do is over. Prescriptive legislation in education was part of the 20th century, and enabling legislation will define education in the 21st.
There is still lots of work to be done before the Act becomes law, and I want you to know that you will be directly involved in the rules and regulations that will become part of it.
Before I end today, I would just like ask board chairs and superintendents to keep an eye on your email this week. As you know, Budget 2011 included $12 million to further support special needs students through our policy of inclusion. In Alberta, inclusion is about ensuring that each student belongs no matter their language, cultural background, ability, disability, gender, or age. This requires school authorities, government and communities to shift their thinking and practice to create environments that are accepting, and provide a sense of belonging and value for all. No amount of funding will ensure attitudinal shift, which requires us to make decisions differently.
The funding provided in Budget 2011 will support you as your jurisdictions make attitudinal shifts and empower individuals with the confidence to move forward and work in a more inclusive manner. This will ensure that individuals are equipped to change their current practice to align with the concepts of an inclusive education system.
The details of how school boards can access this additional funding will be sent out this week.
I will end my remarks by reiterating my thanks for your support during our journey toward transformation and being as committed as I am to ensuring we create a model for the best in 21st century communication.
Thank you.
Could someone please tell me what the role of trustee is if it is not to "politicize" education at a local level? I'm assuming our trustee goes to more meetings than the average parent and should have some idea about what is going on in education but when I as a parent ask my trustee a question she seems to have no clue. At our last student advisory meeting I asked our trustee a question in regards to the Education Act. Her response was that she was "frustrated" with people asking her questions that pertain to the school board and not to herself. I realize that she may not have all the answers to all of the parents questions at these meetings but isn't it her job to look into such matters and get back to us so that parents are able to stay informed as to what is current in education?
In my view the most important role of a trustee is to engage the community in education. An informed involved public which creates a societal value for education drives government to invest at levels which ensure every Albertan has the opportunity to maximize potential. Trustees should be well informed and be able to direct the public to appropriate information, should engage the public, parents and pothers, in a discussion about both the broad aspects of education as well as the local needs of the students and community. It is not all about buildings, buses and budgets. The needs of our children are changing. Inspiring Education was and is about how we ensure that our education system is ahead of the curve. One of the most difficult aspects of education is that we are all experts because we all went years ago. We seem to think the classroom should be exactly as it was when we were there. Trustees must be prepared to lead the local discussion - the why and where of the future not the protectors of the past. We have many trustees and boards across the province who are actively embracing this role.