“In my seven years as president, I have not witnessed such a significant investment into our schools, one that is a meaningful step forward towards addressing the challenging learning conditions that have hindered our students and teachers for far too long.”
That’s how Alberta Teacher Association president Jason Schilling reacted to the Alberta government’s announcement that next year’s budget, to be tabled in the legislature on Thursday, will include $143 million to hire 1,600 teachers and 800 support staff “in the coming years” to help combat the classroom overcrowding and complexity issues.
“Alberta has one of the best school systems in the entire world and we are determined to ensure that it has what it needs to keep it that way,” said Premier Danielle Smith, during a Wednesday morning press conference in Edmonton.
“Budget 26 will provide a record $10.8 billion for our education system. That is a $722-million increase or a 7-per cent increase from last year,” added Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides.
“Over the next three years, education funding will reach $11.5 billion by 2028-29, helping to hire more than 5,000 teachers, educational assistants, and support staff.”
While Schilling called the announcement “a historic investment in our classroom,” he also cautioned that success will be measured not just by dollars on paper, but “by the number of new staff and new supports that arrive in our classrooms.”
“A top priority must be the expansion of complexity teams across all schools, including junior and senior high schools, and ensuring that the 1,600 new teachers can begin to address large class sizes,” added Schilling.
“Promising to uphold Alberta as a world-class education system means nothing unless government and school boards deliver these resources and more.”
The Alberta NDP, however, is skeptical. “Where are these teachers going to come from? This is a profession that is struggling to retain and attract new people,” said NDP shadow minister for education, Amanda Chapman.
“If you talk to teachers — and I talk to a lot of teachers these days; they stop me literally wherever I am — it is a profession that is feeling disrespected, it’s feeling a lot of concern about the rates at which they’re losing new teachers.” said Chapman.
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“We know that the sub shortage is real across this province,” agreed Schilling. “We do not have enough teachers who are working in that capacity. So what I also expect to see from government in their announcement (Budget 26) is to build the capacity of programs in universities to provide the funding that has been cut to universities over the years so that they can expand their programs, get more people who are interested in being teachers, so that we can graduate more people within the province who will be willing to work within our schools.”
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Despite Wednesday’s announcement, Schilling’s skepticism remains high.
“There was no direct conversations between the ATA and the government to direct this funding. We’ll need to see some more specifics in terms of what the funding increases are for certain envelopes, for example, targeted funding for special needs students,” added Schilling.
Schilling pointed to last October’s three-week-long strike by Alberta’s 51,000 teachers and the public support it generated, as key to convincing the provincial to increase education spending — a suggestion the premier responded to by saying, “I think they’re tied.”
The issue of education in Alberta came to a head in October when the province’s 51,000 teachers went on strike for three weeks. The strike ended when the UCP government passed back to work legislation and invoked the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause, preventing the teachers from challenging the legislation in court.
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But the ATA president is also still angry about the UCP government’s decision to legislate an end to the strike.
“My cynicism around the use of the notwithstanding clause in the way that government approaches labour is very high,” said Schilling.
“Until we actually see them do something different, act in a way that is different, act in the away that is more authentic, that is engaging, then maybe I’ll change my mind.”
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