I was in Edmonton last week, along with Wildrose leader Danielle Smith to release our education policy for Albertans. It feels good to focus on solutions; on our Moving Alberta Forward plan.
First and foremost, Wildrose is committed to building schools, and building them now. The PC government promised to build 50 schools and renovate 70 more this term. Here we are, more than two years into their mandate, and they haven’t broke ground on a single project. Shameful, isn’t it!? A Wildrose government will build 100 schools in 4 years, and complete all projects announced by the PC’s. We will do it by making school construction a priority and opening up the bid process to include small and medium sized construction companies. We have been pressuring the government to abandon its P3 model for school construction, At the end of the day, this model is nothing more than a way for the government to hide debt, which we all know they are addicted to. Well, surprise, surprise. Last week, they finally did what we have been telling them to and abandoned the P3 model. Too bad they’ve set us back another year on the construction front.
We also committed to doing what Albertans want us to by focusing on mastering the fundamental skills in language, math, science and social studies. For the life of me, I can’t understand why the Minister of Education, and his educrats at Alberta Education, decided mastering times tables was a bad thing for kids. We have been telling them for months that they should reinstate times tables as well as standard algorithms into the curriculum. If students need multiple strategies to learn, give teachers that option, but don’t force them to teach the convoluted methods to mathematics. Well, low and behold, late on a Friday afternoon, the PC’s slip out a press release calling for times tables, other basic math facts, and language changes to the math curriculum to stop disparaging memorization. Time will tell if they actually plan on implementing these changes, as Wildrose has advocated for, or if it’s merely a case of a desperate government trying to quash criticism by bowing to public pressure. It should be noted, for some strange reason, they still haven’t included standard algorithms in the curriculum.
And here’s a novel concept for the Government. The next time tens of thousands of parents sign a petition telling you there’s a problem in the classroom, and the next time the Official Opposition respectfully asks you repeatedly to address it, do your job and listen. It’s what you are elected to do. Being cajoled into doing the right thing is not principled, it’s feeble.
In our Moving Alberta Forward education policy roll out we also called for percentage or letter grades to be given to students from grades 5 – 12. I have heard complaint after complaint from parents about report card changes from school districts right across the province. School boards are doing what Alberta Education asked them to do by changing the assessment process. At the end of the day, we in the Wildrose believe the same thing the great majority of parents believe: our kids need to be measured. An actual percentage shows us all where they are at and allows them to strive to improve. After all, life requires us to be accountable. We are rewarded for the work we put in, and that’s a message our kids should get in school.
If you would like to see our education policy in its entirety, please visit my website at BruceMcAllsiter.ca or check out my Facebook page at BruceMcAllisterWildrose.
It’s been great connecting with so many people at the numerous events in Chestermere, Langdon and area lately too. Hopefully, with the weather warming, we will get the chance to soak up a little more sunshine and take in what this beautiful area has to offer.
As always, feel free to contact my office anytime if there’s an issue I can help you with. Enjoy the summer!
Bruce
