Letter from a School Council: A call to action

The budget shortfall the Alberta Government has created will affect your child at ABC School.

You need to speak out to protect your child's education.

Here's why: The 2011-12 budget announced by the Provincial government on February 24 creates a shortfall for the CBE of $61.7 million. The government has given $28.3 million to cover some increases in wage costs but has cut $25.3 million of program costs. Combined with other increased costs of $50.3 million and an existing deficit of $16.4 million, the shortfall of $61.7 million can only be dealt with by cutting jobs.

As a result, your child’s education at ABC School is directly impacted:

• ABC School will be losing 2 teachers and 3 support staff.
• 2 more of our teachers at ABC School will be replaced by “surplus” teachers who have more seniority. “Surplus” teachers are created because of the large reduction in numbers of teachers at head office and other schools. Neither the principal nor the surplus teachers have control over these matters.
• All the remaining teachers will have to add to their teaching load, so there will be cutbacks in extra-curricular activities like sports teams.
• The principal will have to make difficult choices in allocating scarce funds and staffing, therefore field trips and optional trips may be affected.

Is it OK with you that your child’s education program is being cut back, yet the government is spending $340 million on a new museum in Edmonton?

• ABC school is not alone in this, indeed every Public School Board in Alberta is facing similar shortfalls and layoffs. As parents, we need to tell the government that education is a priority and should not be treated as discretionary spending to be cut back in tough economic times.

Is it OK with you that we will lose wonderful teachers and programs at ABC School?

Please send the message to the government that cutting back programs and losing teachers is not acceptable. We need long term, fully funded education and we need to demand that full funding for education be restored for the coming school year.

If we do nothing the government will assume our tacit agreement to their actions.
Please write, phone or fax, or all three, to the Premier, the Education Minister, your MLA, and the opposition leader. The numbers and addresses and a sample letter are all on the reverse.

Your School Council Executive

CAPSC would like to thank the school council for sharing this letter with us, allowing us to share with you, and supporting advocacy efforts system wide. Their letter was sent to government officials including the Premier.