CBE Survey: Where should restored education dollars go?

The CBE just posted a link to their survey asking stakeholders to provide input on priorities for restored funding to education pledged by premier-designate Alison Redford.

Diversity and Assessment: Learning It/Sharing It

At our last CAPSC meeting, Jenny Regal, President - Calgary Public Teachers' ATA Local 38, invited parents to attend their symposium on Diversity and Assessment: Learning It/Sharing It. The Symposium is being held Monday, October 17 from 6 to 9:30 pm. We have included an excerpt from the brochure below:

Amidst Calgary’s growing diversity, how can we create schools where students are engaged in their learning in order to live purposeful lives? The temptation to confuse learning with achievements, and the rush to measure the results of these achievements, can cloud our vision of creating the schools we really desire. How can we nurture the important relationships between students, parents, and teachers, which is what forms the backbone of meaningful learning and assessment?

This symposium presents a unique opportunity to discuss a vision of how we know our children are learning. It is meant to bring forward the best values and attributes for being forward-thinking members of the next Alberta.

Calgary Public Teachers Local 38 and The Alberta Teachers’ Association wants you to be part of the exploration that awaits Alberta’s next generation as our province defines its place in the world.

The keynote speaker is Dennis Shirley who is a highly respected researcher and author with an international reputation. He will be joined by Dr. Dennis Sumara, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the U of C, Jenny Regal, President of Calgary Public Teachers' Local 38 and Eryn Kelly, Co-President of the Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils.

World Teachers' Day is October 5th!

Every year on October 5th, the world celebrates teachers! Organized by UNESCO and Education International, this day is also dedicated to promoting international standards for the profession. While the majority of teachers world-wide are women and many countries declare their support for equality, the reality for many women is inequality. To encourage action, the theme for this year's World Teachers' Day is Teachers for gender equality.

Check out the World Teachers' Day website to learn more about this special day and for ideas to celebrate your teachers.

STOP the CUTS

At last night's CAPSC meeting, parents expressed interest in connecting with STOP the CUTS. This is a joint advocacy effort supported by the Alberta Teachers' Association, the Alberta School Boards' Association and the Alberta School Councils' Association.

The website offers information, advocacy tips and an opportunity to tell your school's story.

CAPSC Update

Welcome back to the 2011/2012 school year. CAPSC Executive have met and we are getting organized for what we expect will be an eventful year!

After sorting through seventy job applications and narrowing the field down to four interviews, we are pleased and excited to introduce our new Communications Coordinator, Leanne Long. She is getting up to speed and will have the website updated shortly.

In the meantime...

Our first meeting of the school year will take place Thursday, September 22.

We are pleased to be hosting special guests:

Jonathan Teghtmeyer, Executive Staff Officer - Alberta Teachers' Association, who will be travelling down from Edmonton to attend our meeting. Jonathan is a former teacher who taught High School Math, Drama and Physics

Jenny Regal, President - Calgary Public Teachers' ATA Local 38

CBE Trustees Pat Cochrane, Pamela King and Sheila Taylor

CAPSC 2011/2012 Meeting Schedule
Thursday, September 22
Wednesday, October 19
Wednesday, November 16
Wednesday, January 18
Wednesday, February 22 (AGM – 4th Wednesday)
Thursday, March 22
Wednesday, April 18
Wednesday, May 16
Note: We will be meeting in the Library at AE Cross School from 7 to 9 pm.

Class Size

An article in this morning's Calgary Herald, "Parents fear impact of fewer teachers, support staff in Calgary schools," included some interesting comments from Sharon Friesen, an associate professor of education at the University of Calgary. According to her, studies have demonstrated that class size does not have a significant impact on K to 12 learning and that other factors need to be considered as well.

In a letter to the editor responding to this article, Gordon Thomas explains why "Smaller classes make for better learning."

The Hon. Dave Hancock, Minister of Education, also talks about class size research in his blog posting, "Money Matters: Let's focus on what improves student outcomes." He states that, "there are, no doubt, students who benefit from smaller classrooms beyond grades K-3, but the research is clear that small class sizes are not the best way to improve student outcomes for most students."

Back in 2003, Alberta's Commission on Learning made recommendations around class size guidelines. Although there have been many more studies done on the topic since then, the rationale makes for an informative read (page 67).

What are your thoughts? Comment on this post or drop us a line at info@capsc.ca.

Schools need stable funding from province

Although this editorial "Schools need stable funding from province" appeared in the Edmonton Journal last spring, it is worth reading as we embark on the 2011/2012 school year.

Back to School Information

For great back to school information, check out the Calgary Board of Education's Back 2 School Website and Alberta Education's Back to School Information Kit 2011/2012.