The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Three Alberta Liberal Party candidates are vying for the position of provincial party leader. Featured here are the ­biographies and education platforms of candidates Mo Elsalhy, David Swann and Dave Taylor. The leader will be selected on December 13, 2008, in Calgary.

Mo Elsalhy earned his BSc in pharmacy from the University of Alberta in 1994.

Elsalhy served as an MLA for Edmonton-McClung between November 2004 and March 2008. Aside from his involvement in politics and his commitment to public service, Elsalhy is active in his profession and in his community, volunteering as a soccer coach with community leagues in Edmonton.

He and his wife, Marwa, have been married ten years and have three children.

Education Platform

As a parent, I’m interested in strengthening our education system to ensure that students reach their full potential. In these changing economic times and the increasingly competitive global market, we have to focus on knowledge and education.

I am proud to have been nominated a Friend of Public Education in 2006, and appreciate the interactions I have had with all the hard-working members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association.

I support the recommendations of Alberta’s Commission on Learning, including reducing class sizes and expanding English as a second language programs.

I see a need for revamping the criteria for school closures and for more parent input in the process. The funding and space utilization formulas for schools have to be modernized to reflect the important role our schools play in their communities.

I support the establishment of a school nutrition program, especially for at-risk students. I also support junior kindergarten and full-day kindergarten.

Let’s move away from the assessment model currently in place in Grade 3 and adopt a diagnostic approach that emphasizes success and that recognizes the authority of teachers and the unique qualities and strengths of each student.

School fees and fundraising for instructional essentials must be eliminated.

I want to see an immediate reduction in postsecondary education tuition fees, followed by a five-year freeze. New scholarships and bursaries should be made available, especially to underrepresented groups. The entire student loan system must be overhauled.

Government must partner with the educational community on a long-term basis. We must also maintain close relationships with students across the province to ensure that their concerns are addressed.

Elected to the Alberta legislature in 2004, David Swann, MD, has served as both the Alberta Liberal Party’s environment critic and its sustainable resource and Aboriginal affairs critic. As a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal party, Dr. Swann is working hard for a renewed centrist party that reflects the changing face of Alberta.

Throughout his career, Dr. Swann has been actively involved in advocacy for health, human rights, peace and environmental protection in northern Canada, eastern Europe, Nepal, the Philippines and South Africa.

He delights in working with people and communities to address key challenges and work toward solutions.

Dr. Swann is married to Laureen Ross, a ­family ­physician, and has three adult children and three grandsons. He enjoys outdoor pursuits, especially in the mountains, and is an amateur musician.

Education Platform

Education is an investment that pays huge dividends. Therefore, accessible, affordable and appropriate support for lifelong learning is fundamental to a healthy and prosperous Alberta.

I am particularly passionate about protecting and ­enhancing public education, beginning in preschool.

Healthy children—physically, emotionally, nutritionally and socially—are in a better position to learn, and I will, therefore, ensure appropriate assistance where these basics are deficient. Where learning difficulties exist, early diagnosis and intervention is critical and will be a priority for our party.   

The final report of Alberta’s Commission on ­Learning made appropriate recommendations on a number of “threats to educational excellence.” The recommendations—including those related to class size, teacher ­resources and regular physical activity—must be ­advanced.

Dave Taylor is the second-term MLA for Calgary-Currie. As deputy leader of the Alberta Liberals and shadow minister of health, housing and advanced ­education, he has fought hard on issues that matter to everyday people. Taylor is an unapologetic, commonsense liberal.

Before entering politics, Taylor built a career listening to Albertans as a public affairs reporter and talk radio host. A straight-talker, he understands that Alberta needs a balance between community supports, a healthy ­environment and a strong economy. He’s running for leader of the Alberta Liberal Party to promote the politics of inclusion, the politics of respect and the politics of opportunity.

Taylor has been married to Martha for 24 years and is the proud father of two children.

Education Platform

Whether it’s calling for smaller classes for all students or more funding and support for students with special needs, I’ll never lose sight of the purpose of Alberta Education—educating our children.

Funding for our schools has to be tied to inflation and growth. Financial information has to be accurate, timely, credible and available to all Albertans.

School boards and teachers must be given a meaningful seat at the table in provincial government decisions that affect them.

Full-day kindergarten and junior kindergarten must become provincial priorities. We must also remember that a school is more than bricks and mortar; it is the heart of the community and has to be more than a disposable line item on a budget.

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