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Laura Harris
ATA News Staff
David King was never a teacher and, admittedly, was at times a foe to those who were. However, teachers will honour him when he is presented the ATA’s Public Education Award at the Annual Representative Assembly on May 22, in Calgary.
The Public Education Award recognizes those who provide outstanding support to public education through ways other than teaching—and King’s credentials fit the bill. He was elected to the Alberta Legislative Assembly in 1971 and from the start was active in public education policy. He was one of Alberta’s longest serving ministers of education, holding the post from 1979–1986. During that time, he was responsible for major initiatives, including the computer technology in schools program, the teacher internship program and the designated community schools program.
Since 1990, King has served as executive director of the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta (PSBAA). He has put endless energy into advocating for the adequate funding of public schools. In addition to providing an authoritative voice for the PSBAA, King has supported the Association in various matters of education policy. He joined with the Association to request that the provincial government review its approach to accountability and has spoken at a number of Real Learning First symposiums.
King has also made many contributions to the
ATA Magazine and other Association publications over the years, most recently to “The Democratic Challenges for Albertans: Supporting Real Learning First Through the Fourth Way” (
Real Learning First in the 21st Century, July 2009).
