The Alberta School Councils' Association (ASCA) posted a media release in response to the Education Minister's announcement:
Education Plan Identifies Significance of the Parents’ Voice
The release of Minister Lukaszuk’s 10‐point plan for education in Alberta includes creating a stronger voice for parents in the system to supplement the work of school councils.
Alberta School Councils’ Association (ASCA) is identified in the plan to work with the department on new initiatives to strengthen parental input and develop supports for online interaction with parents.
“We are pleased that the voice of parents is recognized for its value in education and is incorporated into the plan,” said ASCA President, Marilyn Sheptycki. “Strengthening the role parents play in student success will benefit education and we look forward to implementing strategies with the Minister.”
A result of extensive consultation, including conversations with parents on school councils, produced the plan to affect an immediate difference for students and will form the basis for future legislation.
The 10‐point plan also captures the Association’s perspectives on full‐day Kindergarten, student travel times, provincial achievement testing, supporting First Nations students and parental choice.
Promoting parental involvement in public education through school councils, ASCA appreciates the commitment to opportunities reflecting parents as partners in the education system.
Showing posts with label 10-point plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 10-point plan. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
CBE Board of Trustees responds to Education Minister's 10-point plan
The Board of Trustees have released a response to the Education Minister's 10-point plan. The text of the media advisory follows:
Calgary Board of Education welcomes the provincial 10-point plan
CALGARY – The Board of Trustees for the Calgary Board of Education welcomes the 10-point plan for Alberta’s education system announced today by Minister of Education Thomas Lukaszuk.
“Minister Lukaszuk is fulfilling his promise to advance education in Alberta,” says Pat Cochrane, chair of the Board of Trustees. “The CBE has been involved in a process that invited every Albertan to contribute to the vision for education. We are excited that listening is turning into action so quickly.”
The plan follows a province-wide consultation process. The initiatives, which the Minister indicated will roll out in the coming months, include “philosophical approaches that are best addressed in legislation and practical solutions to the challenges students face every day.”
The 10-point plan involves many areas of education including school design; transportation; preparing students for learning after high school; learning for First Nations, Metis and Inuit students; transparency; and the voice of parents.
“We have been looking forward to the Minister’s plan and to the legislation that will follow.” Cochrane added, “As the largest school district in Alberta, we appreciate having a Minister who understands that initiatives have many possible implications so predictable, sustainable funding is crucial for our students.”
Calgary Board of Education welcomes the provincial 10-point plan
CALGARY – The Board of Trustees for the Calgary Board of Education welcomes the 10-point plan for Alberta’s education system announced today by Minister of Education Thomas Lukaszuk.
“Minister Lukaszuk is fulfilling his promise to advance education in Alberta,” says Pat Cochrane, chair of the Board of Trustees. “The CBE has been involved in a process that invited every Albertan to contribute to the vision for education. We are excited that listening is turning into action so quickly.”
The plan follows a province-wide consultation process. The initiatives, which the Minister indicated will roll out in the coming months, include “philosophical approaches that are best addressed in legislation and practical solutions to the challenges students face every day.”
The 10-point plan involves many areas of education including school design; transportation; preparing students for learning after high school; learning for First Nations, Metis and Inuit students; transparency; and the voice of parents.
“We have been looking forward to the Minister’s plan and to the legislation that will follow.” Cochrane added, “As the largest school district in Alberta, we appreciate having a Minister who understands that initiatives have many possible implications so predictable, sustainable funding is crucial for our students.”
Education Minister Introduces 10-point Plan for Education
In a news release today, Education Minister, Thomas Lukaszuk, announced a 10-point plan for education. This plan came out of the Education Act consultations that were open to the public from late November to early January. The Minister hopes to move ahead on these initiatives in the coming months.
The 10-point plan for education includes:
Practical improvements to enhance students’ experiences
-Reducing travel times for students who spend more than one hour on a bus will help improve the school experience. A trial project in one school division will identify bus route efficiencies and improve transportation services. Another trial will look at enabling students to better use technology when they travel.
-Creating more opportunities for students to earn credits in high school and post-secondary programs at the same time will help them be successful in their chosen career. A provincial dual credit strategy will be developed to help school boards develop stronger programs. Separately, a new project will provide apprenticeship training to teachers so they are better equipped to teach advanced dual credit courses in Career & Technology Studies.
-Updating design specifications will mean government can better support communities when we build new schools. New school design specifications will better accommodate health-related services, community sports programs, and wheelchair access.
-Developing a better process for building playgrounds at the same time as new schools will mean that children can be active sooner.
Stronger partnerships to set the right foundation for the future
-Reducing the administrative burden for established, effective charter schools will mean that they can focus on their students.
-Working with the federal government will better co-ordinate support for First Nations students. Our focus will be on enhancing literacy and numeracy skills, with a focus on students in Northland and band schools adjacent to Northlands.
-Creating a stronger voice for parents in the education system will supplement the work of school councils. Working with the Alberta School Councils’ Association, new initiatives will be developed to strengthen parental input and new materials will support the department’s online interaction with parents.
-Providing better information about what the school system is doing, accomplishing, and spending will increase transparency, clarity and accountability. More efficient and relevant reporting from school boards will help identify information and ways to present it that are useful for Albertans.
Reviews to set the stage for future decisions
-Reviewing provincial achievement tests, first so that we can find better ways to understand how students, schools, and the system are doing and then so we can use that knowledge to improve students’ success. The review will be launched by spring 2012, and provincial tests will continue for students in grades 3, 6 and 9 until the review is complete and any resulting changes are made.
-Reviewing the learning benefits of full-day kindergarten and identifying operational issues will help us better understand the implications of a possible future programming change.
The Education Act will be reintroduced at the spring sitting of the Legislature.
The 10-point plan for education includes:
Practical improvements to enhance students’ experiences
-Reducing travel times for students who spend more than one hour on a bus will help improve the school experience. A trial project in one school division will identify bus route efficiencies and improve transportation services. Another trial will look at enabling students to better use technology when they travel.
-Creating more opportunities for students to earn credits in high school and post-secondary programs at the same time will help them be successful in their chosen career. A provincial dual credit strategy will be developed to help school boards develop stronger programs. Separately, a new project will provide apprenticeship training to teachers so they are better equipped to teach advanced dual credit courses in Career & Technology Studies.
-Updating design specifications will mean government can better support communities when we build new schools. New school design specifications will better accommodate health-related services, community sports programs, and wheelchair access.
-Developing a better process for building playgrounds at the same time as new schools will mean that children can be active sooner.
Stronger partnerships to set the right foundation for the future
-Reducing the administrative burden for established, effective charter schools will mean that they can focus on their students.
-Working with the federal government will better co-ordinate support for First Nations students. Our focus will be on enhancing literacy and numeracy skills, with a focus on students in Northland and band schools adjacent to Northlands.
-Creating a stronger voice for parents in the education system will supplement the work of school councils. Working with the Alberta School Councils’ Association, new initiatives will be developed to strengthen parental input and new materials will support the department’s online interaction with parents.
-Providing better information about what the school system is doing, accomplishing, and spending will increase transparency, clarity and accountability. More efficient and relevant reporting from school boards will help identify information and ways to present it that are useful for Albertans.
Reviews to set the stage for future decisions
-Reviewing provincial achievement tests, first so that we can find better ways to understand how students, schools, and the system are doing and then so we can use that knowledge to improve students’ success. The review will be launched by spring 2012, and provincial tests will continue for students in grades 3, 6 and 9 until the review is complete and any resulting changes are made.
-Reviewing the learning benefits of full-day kindergarten and identifying operational issues will help us better understand the implications of a possible future programming change.
The Education Act will be reintroduced at the spring sitting of the Legislature.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
