The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Investing In Education Enables All Students To Thrive

I believe that my kids are the most amazing, brilliant, special people (as parents tend to feel). When they were young, I marvelled at how unique they were, right from the day they were born. My son Brock has always been a man with a plan. He thrives on routine and clear goals, and I used to tease him that his bedroom looked like a drill sergeant had just inspected it. My daughter Jaclyn is wired completely differently. She loves to go with the flow and is adaptable and creative. Her bedroom, in comparison, perpetually looked like a bomb had just detonated. Now that both are young adults, I am able to reflect on how well they were served through their schooling experiences, despite how different they are as people and as learners.

It’s not easy to teach in a large classroom where there are not only Brocks and Jaclyns, but also a multitude of other students, each with unique gifts. Alberta classrooms today are likely to have students who are learning English as an additional language and have diverse learning styles and needs. Layer into this mix an increasing number of mental health supports that are required and you have a measure of complexity that far surpasses the reality that existed even when my own children were school aged.

This issue of the ATA Magazine highlights some of the most pressing challenges within the public education system: class size, inclusion, early learning and mental health, the same challenges addressed in the Pledge for Public Education campaign that the Alberta Teachers’ Association is encouraging teachers, parents and other concerned citizens to support.

Among the articles that follow, Jonathan Teghtmeyer examines the importance of class size and how governments have attempted to deal with it over the years. Beginning with Alberta’s Commission on Learning (ACOL), which identified specific guidelines for class size, and ending with Alberta Education’s current class size initiatives, he identifies the issues inherent in reporting class size numbers. He notes that, despite ACOL and current initiatives, a generation of students have had much larger class sizes than are optimum.

Nancy Grigg reflects on the Association’s 2014 Blue Ribbon Panel Report on Inclusive Education in Alberta. She notes that since the government changed the focus from special education to inclusive education, resources are becoming more scarce and classroom complexity has been increasing. She hopes that the attention paid to inclusion in the new Teaching Quality Standard will bring renewed attention, professional development and resources to teachers in order to support inclusive education.

A proactive approach is also necessary for success in schools, beginning with early childhood education. Cynthia Prasow notes that early intervention is key in helping students be successful throughout their schooling and in life. Though we do not often think about early intervention in concrete ways, research shows that early learning can impact high school completion rates.

Describing the increasing demands for mental health supports, David Grauwiler urges a move beyond diagnoses that produce formal interventions. He advocates for viewing schools as environments where there can be more proactive measures to encourage mental health. He reminds us of its critical importance by stating, “without mental health, there is no health.”

Though there are challenges within the system, my teaching colleagues work miracles every day to manage the many complexities of today’s classrooms.

As I think about my kids’ journey through the public education system, I couldn’t be more proud. Brock is finishing his last year of law school at the University of Ottawa, and Jaclyn is finishing her last year of a psychology degree at the University of British Columbia. Though they still have such different personalities, each has been able to thrive in post-secondary environments thanks to their experiences with stellar public-school teachers. I am also proud that no matter the constraints that families face—such as time and finances—every student in Alberta has access to an excellent education.

I hope our province will continue to invest in public education so that all students have the opportunity to thrive, as my own children have. I also hope this issue inspires you to reflect on how public education has served you and your loved ones, understand what challenges it currently faces and move you to take action that supports all Alberta students.