The Alberta Teachers’ Association

The following are excerpts from newspapers throughout Alberta. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the ATA.

Justice for those with FASD

“Alberta has a cross-ministry committee made up of representatives from various departments including justice, health, [education], and children services to diagnose FASD [Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder] and counsel those who suffer from the syndrome. It is a never ending struggle. ... ‘If you just recycle people through the justice system and you don’t deal with whatever their underlying problems are, it’s not good for them, it’s not good for the community, it’s not good for the justice system and it’s not good for the health system,’ says Alberta’s Justice Minister Alison Redford. … Nobody knows how to solve the FASD conundrum, but Redford is hoping the justice ministers [from across Canada] will get the ball rolling … What she doesn’t want is the ministers punting the ball off to a committee to report back in several years. She wants a commitment to find solutions in time for the next ministers’ meeting in Calgary next spring that will look at the larger issue of offenders who have mental health problems.”

—Graham Thomson, Edmonton Journal, October 14, 2010
 

Give ‘em hell, Henderson

“In Alberta, it’s another year, another round of high school diploma exams showing Grade 12 graduates are gradually losing their ability to communicate clearly. … But the head of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, Carol Henderson, says teachers aren’t to blame. Though retirement has meant a changing of the guard, Henderson says rookie teachers are just as capable of teaching writing skills, so long as the province-mandated curriculum demands it. … The top teacher questions [Education Minister Dave] Hancock’s commitment to critical writing, when only last fall, he slashed the written portions of the math and science diploma exams. … ‘By removing that written portion, the minister has diminished the centrality of how important communication skills are, not just in English, but across the curriculum.’”

—Michael Platt, Edmonton Sun, October 13, 2010

Education for Aboriginals has come a long way, but not near far enough

“The superintendent of the Wildrose school division in the Drayton Valley area told the Senate committee [investigating aboriginal education] he was shocked at a recent public forum in his community. When aboriginal kids were asked what kept them from doing better in school, Brian Celli said he expected to hear about a lack of cultural awareness, feeling isolated, etc. Instead, he said, the kids listed things like sexual assault, physical assault and substance abuse. … But [Driftpile Nation Chief, Rose] Laboucan, a teacher by trade, said things are slowly getting better. … ‘I think (the change from) 50,000 children dying in residential schools to 30,000 graduates is money well invested,’ she said. ‘Those people are now employed and in roles of leadership and doing greater things.’”

—Andrew Hanon, Edmonton Sun, October 8, 2010

Morality meets reality

“It was easy to sympathize with the Archdiocese of Edmonton when it forbade the city’s Catholic School District from accepting money from gambling sources. ... Alas, while the spirit of the edict was laudable, it’s a sad fact of temporal life that many noble intentions simply run up against the steep cliff face of reality. The district’s 87 schools receive roughly $6 million every 18 months from gambling revenues. ... With this in mind, Catholic School District chairwoman Debbie Engel was correct to petition the church leadership for an indefinite reversal of the ‘tainted funding’ decision until someone comes up with alternative funding methods. Common sense has prevailed and the board will be given time to seek out alternative sources. We won’t hold our breath for an early remedy.”

—Editorial, Edmonton Journal, October 7, 2010