In May 2008, Minister of Education Dave Hancock officially launched "Setting the Direction for Special Education in Alberta" at the College of Alberta School Superintendents Special Education Symposium.
The project will engage Albertans in developing common language and understanding around vision, principles, policy, and accountability and funding, that is based on continuous improvement for education of students with special education needs. "Setting the Direction for Special Education in Alberta" will touch all public, separate, francophone, charter and private schools.
In July, Minister Hancock appointed a project steering committee. Committee members, who sit as individuals and not representatives of organizations, bring a wide range of personal perspectives and experiences to the table. As well, stakeholder organizations, including the Alberta Teachers’ Association, were invited to name representatives to sit on the stakeholder working group. The ATA’s representative is Jacqueline Skytt, coordinator of Professional Development.
Albertans will have many opportunities to have input into the project. The steering committee, working group and project team are pulling together research and planning for broad-based public consultations this fall. These initial consultations will engage Albertans in a dialogue about a vision and principles for special education in Alberta.
Information about dates, times and locations of consultations is featured below. Teachers can participate online or by attending community consultation sessions. Attendees should RSVP by visiting the project’s website (www.settingthedirection.alberta.ca) or calling 780-643-0834; toll-free in Alberta at 310-0000.
The second phase of consultations will take place in February and March 2009, and will see Alberta Education seeking input on options for special education policy, accountability and funding. The third and final phase of the consultation will take place at a minister’s forum scheduled for June 8 and 9, 2009, in Edmonton.
Recommendations from this project will be implemented in September 2010.
For information about your organization’s role in this project, please contact Jacqueline Skytt, ATA coordinator of Professional Development. Telephone: 780-447-9469 in Edmonton and area or toll free at 1-800-232-7208; e-mail: jacquie.skytt@ata.ab.ca. More information on consultations is available at www.settingthedirection.alberta.ca. If you’d like to be added to the project e-mail list to receive project updates, please e-mail your contact information to setting.direction@gov.ab.ca.
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