Teachers often ask me how I come up with ideas to write about. The answer is, it really depends on what is happening. Some of my Off Script columns are about timely issues, others focus on issues that are more systemic, and some are based on random thoughts about teaching. Since we just started another school year, I thought I would hit on all three.
Under the timely issues column, I have recently done a number of media interviews on two topics: class size and trustee Monique LaGrange’s social media post. Trustee LaGrange’s social media post undermines the trust and care that school trustees are supposed to foster for all students and staff in our public schools. Instead of promoting acceptance and diversity in our schools, she is promoting discrimination and bullying—this is not what we want for our students and each other in schools. That is why it is important to call out hate when we see it.
With respect to systemic issues, my other recent interviews have focused on class size and the enormous growth many districts have seen this fall. The government stopped collecting class size data in 2019, and for several years has failed to fund for growth and inflation. Class size is a systemic issue that must finally be addressed by the government and school boards. Our students deserve better, and so do we. As I mentioned to the minister at a meeting the other day, the government can no longer kick the class size issue down the road. Teachers, school leaders and students need solutions as soon as possible.
This leaves me with a random thought about teaching. One of the biggest adjustments I experienced when I became president was not being in my classroom at the start of the school year. I love teaching, working with students and being at school. Once again, this September I was a bit sad about missing the excitement that comes with the start of another school year. But no matter how nostalgic September may be, I know we have a lot of work in front of us, and our desire to make public education better for our students and classrooms is timeless.❚
I welcome your comments. Contact me at jason.schilling@ata.ab.ca.
ATA President
