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Cuts threatened across the province
The following are excerpts from newspapers throughout Alberta. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the ATA.
Less than one year ago, Education Minister Hancock was encouraging all Albertans—teachers, parents, students and community members—to dream about how to achieve our preferred future for education.
It’s likely that no one’s dream included million-dollar deficits for boards, layoffs of teachers and support staff, increased bussing fees, slashed kindergarten programs, larger classes and dismantled professional development programs.
But times and circumstances have changed. Since the provincial budget was released on February 24, 2011, all those things are being talked about in newspapers across the province. Just take a look.
Fort McMurray Public and Catholic School Districts
Public schools decide to keep five-day calendar
“Fort McMurray Public School District board [FMPSD] voted Monday to stay with its current calendar after feedback from parents and teachers favoured keeping it. That’s a stark contrast from the Catholic school district which previously voted to switch to a condensed calendar of four-day weeks in the school year. … This move will save the Catholic district about $600,000—a huge help to its $1.7 million deficit next year.
At [FMPSD’s] meeting, it approved a three-year phase down route to try and balance its budget for the next three years, labeling it a flexible budget. …
School principals have been asked to prepare budgets that will cut a total of $1 million through reduced spending on teachers by about $500,000, support staff by $300,000 and supplies/services by $177,000.
FMPSD also approved a hike in bussing fees. For students living more than 2.4 kilometres from their designated school, whose fees are government-funded, they have to pay $150 a year, up from the current $95. For students living closer to school, the cost will be $400 per child, up from $360.
Trustee Angela Adams was hugely opposed to this move, calling it the province’s way of downloading responsibility to everyday individuals.”
—Shirley Lin, Fort McMurray Today, April 13, 2011
http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=3071249
Calgary Catholic Schools
Catholic schools to cut 90 jobs
“A $22-million shortfall in provincial funding is forcing the city’s separate school board to consider eliminating 90 teachers for the coming school year. …
Under the plan to be debated by trustees Wednesday, [chief superintendent Lucy] Miller said she’s confident the board can avoid layoffs through retirements and redeployment of staff. …
Still, there would be 22 fewer teachers in classrooms next year. With enrolment predicted to rise by about 750 students system-wide, classes that are now above provincial targets at the elementary level are bound to grow bigger.
‘There are already 34 kids in my daughter’s Grade 6 class. It’s getting a little ridiculous,’ [Karin] Fantin said.”
—Matt McClure, Calgary Herald, April 12, 2011
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Catholic+schools+jobs/4598412/story.html
Lethbridge Public
Public school teachers warned of possible cuts
“Staff in the Lethbridge public school district were alerted to the possibility of 30 to 35 fewer teaching positions next year in an email Friday.
A copy of the email from Superintendent Barry Litun was anonymously leaked to The Herald. … The public school district would face a shortfall of about $5 million next year if it attempted to maintain the same level of services and staffing.
‘I think it’s important to understand with that nature of financial deficit, given that 75 per cent of all school jurisdictions’ budgets are spent on staffing, there is going to be a negative impact in terms of the number of staff we are going to be able to maintain for the upcoming year,’ Litun said.”
—Caroline Zentner, Lethbridge Herald, April 2, 2011
http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/front-page-news/public-school-teachers-warned-of-possible-position-cuts-next-year-4211.html
Calgary Board of Education
Calgary education board cutting staff again
“The Calgary Board of Education has been forced to make deep staffing cuts for the second consecutive year to make up for a funding shortfall by the province. …
The Calgary board will save $24.9 million with the cuts, which largely affect support staff including psychologists, learning specialists, speech therapists and other employees, many of whom work with students with special needs.
Teaching positions will also be lost as 60 of the layoffs come from the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement, which was cut in half by the province. Some of the senior staff working under that program will be returned to the classroom dislodging younger teachers.
‘Our youngest teachers will be the ones to go first because last in first out is the way that works,’ said board chairwoman Pat Cochrane.
Another $24.8 million will still need to be found in Calgary, about $100,000 per school.”
—Sean Myers, Calgary Herald, March 23, 2011
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Public+school+board+axing+jobs/4488102/story.html
Battle River School Division
Provincial budget cuts expected to make things tough
“Cuts to education funding in the recent Alberta budget are not getting high marks from school boards around the province. …
‘The loss of $1 million is significant to BRSD [Battle River School Division] and we are anticipating further funding losses attached to our declining student numbers,’ [board chair Cheryl Smith] said. … ‘Realistically, we were hoping that the education budget would not be completely devastated, and it was not. …
‘However, together with our declining enrolment issues, the grant funding decreases will impact our students and our classrooms in the coming year.’”
—Vince Burke, Camrose Canadian, March 17, 2011
Prairie Rose School Board
Rural schools cut full kindergarten
“In a unanimous decision Tuesday, the board of the Prairie Rose School Division voted to revert back to a half-time kindergarten program next fall, in light of the harsh financial new reality it is facing. Trustees appeared visibly shaken as superintendent Doug Nicholls and secretary-treasurer Pat Cocks filled them in on the details of February’s provincial budget announcement, which was particularly hard on Prairie Rose … Prairie Rose is facing a shortfall of $2.4 million from last year.
Melissa Gogolinski—principal of I.F. Cox School in Redcliff, which currently has 81 students enrolled in the four-day kindergarten program—said reverting back will be toughest on children with special needs.
‘It’s unfortunate that the government talks about the importance of early learning and early intervention, and then they don’t fund the services we need,’ Gogolinski told the News.”
—Amanda Stephenson, Medicine Hat News, March 9, 2011
Budget cuts put Alberta teachers’ jobs on the line
“In Thursday’s budget, the government slashed funding for the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) in half, from $80 million to $40 million. …
AISI grants pay for a wide variety of projects, including projects to improve students’ health and nutrition, encourage at-risk kids to finish high school and boost literacy and math skills.
… Edmonton Catholic Schools board chairwoman Debbie Engel said she’s very concerned about the loss of the program. It provided for such things as high school completion coaches in all of their schools.
‘We were the envy of the world with our AISI,’ Engel said. ‘It allowed you to go outside the delivery of the curriculum and look at innovative ways to deliver learning.’
Edmonton Public Schools is also sorting out how the province’s announcements about education spending will affect budgeting. That could include looking at layoffs, said spokeswoman Cheryl Oxford.
Edmonton Public Schools relies on the AISI money, especially for literacy programs, she said.”
—Archie McLean and Andrea Sands, Edmonton Journal, February 27, 2011
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Budget+cuts+Alberta+teachers+jobs+line/4354381/story.html
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So fiscal reality has set in and now it seems that the province is stepping back. As Premier Ed Stelmach stated to the Calgary Herald (February 26, 2011): “I know the school boards will find a way of working through it. ATA, boards will come together and try to resolve these issues over the next year or two.”
No more dreaming, time to wake up!
