Jason Schilling

Today's comments regarding the announcement by government to address class sizes:

The government’s announcement this afternoon recognizes what Alberta teachers, parents and students have been saying for years and what was central to the reason why teachers went on strike last October: class size and classroom complexity matter.

Teachers will take some satisfaction that years of advocacy culminating the largest strike in province’s history created a consensus of opinion that left government with no choice but to take this concrete action to reduce class sizes and address growing classroom complexity.

What remains to be seen is if the spending commitment announced today will succeed in delivering real and significant change by the time that students are back in school this September.

Understanding that Alberta’s public school system is massive, diverse and very complicated, we appreciate that finding, hiring and deploying the teachers need to deliver on this promise is no small task.

We are particularly encouraged that the teachers hired by this funding will be engaged in directly instructing students and will be targeted to those schools that are in greatest need, particularly in urban areas.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association will be monitoring implementation of the government’s announcement closely. We will be seeking from our members direct reports of their experiences and intend to hold both the Ministry of Education and individual school boards accountable for delivering improved teaching and learning conditions.

Moving forward, it is important that the very different challenges faced by schools serving rural communities are not disregarded. In many smaller towns, the continued viability of local schools, which are very much the hearts of their communities, is under threat. Government must also finally begin to address the class size and complexity needs of grades 10-12.

We expect this announcement to be just the first incremental step in creating the sort of schools, classrooms and public education system that Albertans expect and deserve.

This then needs to be sustained and maintained as a government priority in the years ahead.

By their actions and their considerable personal sacrifices, the teachers of Alberta have demonstrated their own commitment to ensuring that this province’s schools will enable the next generation of Albertans to reach their full potential, safe and fully supported as they proceed in their learning and personal development.

Teachers welcome progress and are prepared to collaborate with the to see improvements continue. The announcement has been made and now the real work begins.

In case you missed it, here is an op ed piece that appeared in papers regarding Bill 25.

Children need to be taught how to think, not what to think.

This is how Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides justified Bill 25, the kitchen sink-laden legislation that claims to remove politics and ideology from classrooms by addressing everything from the national anthem in schools to which flags can be displayed to who decides school names.

Much has already been said and written about the many potential negative consequences of this legislation, such as a chilling effect on meaningful discussion of current events in schools; the devaluing of diversity through the removal of important language from the Education Act, like “welcoming,” “diversity” and “sense of belonging;” and a loss of autonomy for school boards. We’ve also expressed our concern about the lack of consultation with teachers.
What strikes me most about this bill is the sheer irony of it. While suggesting that we need more critical thinking in classrooms, this legislation itself provides so many angles to develop and practise this very skill.

When it comes to stimulating critical thinking, one of the techniques that teachers use with students is to pose open-ended questions that invite analysis rather than yes-no answers. Why don’t we walk through an example with Bill 25 as our discussion item? Here’s a simple questioning sequence:

1. What problem is this policy trying to solve?
2. How serious is that problem, really?
3. What evidence supports the government’s claim?
4. What evidence seems to be missing?
5. Who benefits from this approach?
6. What real problems remain unaddressed?

Not all questions have clear-cut answers, but here are some factors to consider.

The government would have you think that student indoctrination is rampant in schools. It’s not. Besides, there are several mechanisms in place to rein in overzealous teachers, such as the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers and Teacher Leaders and the Teaching Quality Standard.

An example that’s being used to justify this bill is a recording that went viral earlier this year. It shows a Fort Saskatchewan teacher adopting a caveman persona while playing the role of a right-wing radical demanding pipelines and ranting against Trudeau. What’s missing in this story is the fact that the teacher in question also conducted a lesson in which he adopted an opposite stereotype with just as much fervour. Ultimately, he was investigated and exonerated by his employing school board.

Teachers are professionals. They already teach the prescribed curriculum in a balanced, thoughtful and age-appropriate way.
On the question of who will benefit from this legislation, I can assure you that it won’t be the majority of students, their families, the public or teachers.

Finally, the issues that remain unaddressed are the same as they’ve been for years: We need more teachers, smaller class sizes and better supports to help with classroom complexities.
Often, when constructing a question list to stimulate critical thinking, a teacher will start with a broad view of the issue and gradually get more focused. However, when I consider this bill, my inclination is to back away and contemplate the bigger picture. This is where critical thinking really kicks into gear, as
there is no shortage of open-ended questions to ponder.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list:

1. Why is a government that proclaims to value freedom and decentralization taking control of school issues such as the playing of the national anthem, the display of flags, the naming of buildings and the sale of school property?
2. Why would a government that is taking control of so many aspects of school life also be relinquishing its oversight over teaching resources that deal with gender and sexuality within the context of religious instruction?
3. Whose interests do you think are being served?
I could go on, but let’s fast-track to the real issue here, the huge, overarching, elephant-in-the-room question that is continually sucking the life out of Alberta, from Milk River to Fort Chipewyan: Who is really governing this province?

Jason Schilling is president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association.

Today is International Workers’ Day, globally known as “May Day”. May Day is a time when trade unionists and workers around the world celebrate their collective power as working class peoples.

Take a moment today to sign CTF-FCE's petition that opposes the use of the notwithstanding clause.

I wrote this for the latest edition of the ATA News and given how our Ontario colleagues are wearing red for ed to highlight the importance of public education in their province, I thought I'd share this in case you missed it.

Public Education is underfunded across Canada, and teachers and education workers across the country stand together in our demands to our students and classroom needs met.

From April 21 ATA News:

I wrote this issue’s column while sitting in the Ottawa airport awaiting my return flight to Edmonton after a Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF-FCE) board of directors meeting. I am grateful for these meetings and the CTF-FCE, which provides a national voice to issues facing teachers from coast to coast to coast.

As I participated in the meetings, I was once again struck by how many of the challenges faced by Alberta teachers are shared by our colleagues across Canada. Teacher retention and recruitment issues plague every region, with many of our colleagues reporting substitute teacher shortages, large class sizes and a lack resources for their students. Aggression and violence are also a national concern, with governments responding with a variety of approaches that range from temporary fixes to sincere efforts to work with teachers on solutions.

The meeting also reminded me that bad ideas travel quickly across provincial borders. For instance, this week the Ford government in Ontario tabled Bill 101, which looks to reduce the power of school trustees and put that power in the hands of the minister of education. Sounds a lot like Alberta’s Bill 25. Ontario is also looking to fast-track teacher credentials, just like what we will be seeing in Alberta, as the government here will be looking for ways to certify new teachers. The conversations around the CTF table allow us to share situational awareness and the approaches the other member organizations are taking to address current and emerging issues. Like every great teacher, we learn from one another, and the collegiality at the table is immeasurable.

During our meeting we also talked about the upcoming negotiations that many other provinces are about to begin. Many member organizations will most likely experience a difficult round of bargaining. As Alberta teachers know, governments are not so keen to fund public education in the way it should be funded.

During the teacher strike last October, I was immensely grateful to our colleagues across the country and their unions for the unwavering support during and after our job action. As our colleagues enter their own difficult negotiations, I know that Alberta teachers will be there in their Red for Ed gear to show that public education matters no matter where you live in Canada and that we will stand in solidarity with them, just as they did with us.