A group of parents predominantly from student council but growing ( and please join our group) will be walking over to Mr. Chase's office on Tuesday, June 7, 2011,at 2;40, where he has graciously agreed to meet with us and our children. Mr. Chase is a former teacher and strong advocate for education in Alberta. We will leave Varsity immediately after school ends to present our letters and let the children take part in our actions.He is located in the office building across from 7-11 on Valliant Drive This is a parent driven activity. It is not affiliated with the school. .
I am including a draft of our letter to our MLA, Harry Chase but please feel free to alter it in any way. Emailing letters directly to your MLA is terrific, but I would also request that a signed copy of this or a similar letter make it's way back to the school.
Please pass this letter on to all of your contacts we are happy to involve as many families as possible. I am more than happy to take any suggestions on how to make a stronger impact.
Thank you
Tara Ramsey
| Honorable Dave Hancock Minister of Education #224 Legislature Building 10800 97 Ave NW Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2B6 | Mr. Lindsay Blackett #29, 735 Ranchlands Blvd. NW Calgary, AB Canada T3G 3A9 Phone: (403) 216-5444 Fax: (403) 216-5442 | Ms. Alana DeLong 6307 Bowness Road NW Calgary, AB T3B 0E4 Phone: (403) 216-5400 Fax: (403) 216-5402 | Mr. Harry Chase #108, 4616 Valiant Drive NW Calgary, AB Canada T3A 0X9 Phone: (403) 216-5436 Fax: (403) 216-5438 |
No doubt by now you and your colleagues have received numerous communiqués from parents regarding the serious nature of concern about the state of education and its future in Alberta. Education is always amongst the top items whose funding gets cut anytime there is a down turn or the threat of such in economy of this province which over the past several years seem to be riding a roller coaster of uncertainty. The latter is because unfortunately, despite historical facts, the governors of this province continue to be focused on primarily one resource as its most important source of revenue. Given this it should not surprise anyone that we continue to see the same cuts made to our social services during every cycle of economical turmoil.
As a group of extremely concerned and frustrated parents we would like to once again remind this government that education and healthcare are the two most fundamental pillars of any society that wishes to have any hope of having a sustainable future with a competitive edge in an ever growing, complex and competitive world. Canada and Alberta continue to be behind many other countries when it comes to the strength of education starting from primary school which should lay the most solid foundation for the children’s future. A solid access to education for the citizens of a province and a country has consistently shown to be the most important defense against poverty, crime and discrimination. When there is continued unrelenting pressure placed on the front line workers (teachers, teacher assistants, special ed assistants, principles) to cut costs any which way possible, please do not assume for one moment that this approach will not adversely affect the core education of the pupils and fundamentally challenge their future potential for any success. The people of this province will not be able to accept this as yet another sacrifice their children would have to make in order for the government to come out in the black.
Children come from all walks of life with all types of abilities, potentials and disabilities. They all have the fundamental right to a competitive level of education in Canada. Alberta with all its vast resources must strive to be in the leadership position for education not take the low road and bail out any time the opposite winds begin to blow. To support the system, Albertans need to prioritize education with strong and sustainable funding. Funding that is dependent on the economic cycles of the day is unsustainable and will ultimately erode quality. In countless jurisdictions around the world, excellent educational systems have produced economic growth, social cohesion, and fewer expensive social problems such as crime. In representing Varsity, I strongly urge you to consistently support and prioritize Alberta's public education system.
We write today to ask for your support in building a sustainable education system in Alberta. I firmly believe that a system that educates all Albertans to a high standard, regardless of their place of residence, is one of the surest ways to maintain our high standard of living and a society in which we want to live. I believe the model of public education in Alberta is one that must be improved and then maintained and be shielded from the ups and downs of economic changes.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincere Regards,
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