The Alberta Government has released the 2012 Budget.
What's in the budget for K-12 students?
■$34 million invested every school day in K-12 students.
■School boards to receive grant rate increases of 1%, 2% and 2% for base instruction and class size grants over the next three years to address enrolment and other cost pressures. Other grants increasing 2% each year.
■14 new schools opening their doors to more than 10,000 students this year.
■45 new schools and 31 major renovation projects in planning or construction.
■$1 billion invested in school infrastructure over the next three years.
You can also glean more information from the Alberta Government news release, From kindergarten to post secondary, Alberta's education systems receive predictable funding.
For greater detail, check out the Education Business Plan 2012 - 2015 and the 2012/2013 Government Estimates - Education.
The Calgary Board of Education in a media advisory released today, shared that Administration will be carefully analyzing the provincial budget and will prepare a report for the Trustees to be presented at their regular public meeting on February 21.
Alberta School Boards' Association press release regarding the budget.
The Alberta Teachers' Association responded to the budget with "Shell Game Budget Disappoints Teachers." The article states that the Alberta Government is projecting a 2.5% increase in inflation for the coming year but is only increasing the base instruction grant by 1% for the corresponding time period - which means boards could once again be cutting staff and/or programs.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Speech from the Throne: Education
What does the Alberta Government have in store for Education? Check out Assembly Online at 3 pm today for the Speech from the Throne.
Update: The text of the Speech from the Throne is now available on the Alberta Government website. Excerpts from the speech that address education appear below:
...It's time for foundational change. It won't be easy, but it is the right way to better manage the annual unpredictability in the budgeting process.
And it begins now. Budget 2012 will bring predictable funding on a three-year cycle to education, advanced education and municipalities. Your government will work with its partners in these areas to allow for greater stability, improved long-term planning and delivery of outcomes...
...Alberta must be able to succeed and thrive in the global knowledge economy, and that means giving every Albertan the opportunity to benefit from a cutting-edge education, from kindergarten to post-secondary, so everyone can reach their full potential...
...It will revamp Alberta's education system so all graduates can hit the ground running and contribute more effectively than ever.
Update: The text of the Speech from the Throne is now available on the Alberta Government website. Excerpts from the speech that address education appear below:
...It's time for foundational change. It won't be easy, but it is the right way to better manage the annual unpredictability in the budgeting process.
And it begins now. Budget 2012 will bring predictable funding on a three-year cycle to education, advanced education and municipalities. Your government will work with its partners in these areas to allow for greater stability, improved long-term planning and delivery of outcomes...
...Alberta must be able to succeed and thrive in the global knowledge economy, and that means giving every Albertan the opportunity to benefit from a cutting-edge education, from kindergarten to post-secondary, so everyone can reach their full potential...
...It will revamp Alberta's education system so all graduates can hit the ground running and contribute more effectively than ever.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Alberta School Councils' Association Webinar
The Alberta School Councils' Association (ASCA) is offering a free School Council Best Practices webinar for school councils. You can choose from one of four break out sessions: Advise/Lobby/Decide; Engaging Your School Community; Fundraising; and School Council Governance. Multiple dates are available for participation.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Alberta Education Newsletter: #AbED News
Alberta Education has circulated its first edition of the #AbED News. There is a message from Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk and articles of interest to parents and others.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Calgary Board of Education Parent Meeting
Mark your calendars!
Meet with your Trustee
Date: Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Place: Multipurpose Room, Education Centre, 1221 – 8 Street S.W.
Parking: free underground parking available
Meet with your Trustee
Date: Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Place: Multipurpose Room, Education Centre, 1221 – 8 Street S.W.
Parking: free underground parking available
Role of the Board of Trustees in the Coherent Governance Model
At our meeting last night, Trustees Pat Cochrane and Lynn Ferguson sat down with members to discuss the new governance model and revised Governance Policies that trustees are hoping to adopt. A hand out was provided for meeting attendees and the text has been copied below:
Role of the Board of Trustees
in one of the world’s best education systems
Citizens of Calgary elect trustees to govern the Calgary Board of Education. The CBE is one of the best education systems in the world.
The CBE is a learning organization. More than 104,000 students learn in our schools and from people who number among the best educators in the world.
Our learning extends to the work of the Board of Trustees as well. In 2007 the Conference Board of Canada recognized the Board of Trustees for its governance excellence. Building on that success, we are committed to continuously learning and improving.
In the spring, the Trustees agreed that we would all work together to review the work that we do and how we work together to oversee, govern and focus the performance of the Calgary Board of Education.
Governance is not management and certainly not micro-management. As Trustees we govern the CBE. That means we set the ultimate objectives for the organization and—of course—our students. Today we call those objectives “Ends.” The new governance model calls these “results.” Doesn’t “results” make more sense than “ends”? Indeed, one reason why we are moving to a new governance model is that it is easier for everyone to understand. Everyone includes trustees, administration, employees, students and parents.
As Trustees, we also set boundaries for how our results can be achieved. In our new governance model, these are called “operational expectations.” Operational expectations are easy to explain.
The Aspen Group created “Coherent Governance.” Aspen is a leader in governance with special expertise in education. The Aspen group defines operational expectations (OE) this way:
“The board wants to remove itself from preoccupation with the day-to-day operation of the organization. But yet, it has concerns about those operational matters that it must express in order to represent and serve the interests of the ‘owners’ of the organization on whose behalf the board does its work.”
In addition to the results and the operational expectations, the governance policies include clear delegation of work to the Chief Superintendent of Schools and governance culture. Governance culture clearly states how Trustees are expected to behave individually and collectively.
Financial Accountability
The new governance policies will improve how the Board of Trustees oversees the financial management and performance of the organization. There are at least four policies directly related to finance. The policies include:
1 financial planning;
2 financial administration;
3 asset protection; and
4 communication with and support for the board.
Together these polices require the Chief Superintendent of Schools to:
1 effectively manage the immediate and long-term financial health of the CBE;
2 ensure the budget balances;
3 protect and maintain assets;
4 provide the Board of Trustees with timely information relevant to the board’s work.
When you read the details of the policies you will see that the board will have effective and thorough oversight of how the CBE manages its taxpayer’s money. Some of the details have changed but the Board of Trustees will have a close eye on the accounts.
Transportation & Other Fees
The same is true for fees. A board could do the job of accountants in Finance by setting the actual fees for things like transportation and noon supervisions. That would not be effective. What is effective—and reflected in the new policies—is that the board will review and oversee how the fees come together as part of the overall budget process. And we will want to know how fees reflect what the community expects of a complex school system.
Community Engagement
CBE Trustees spend a lot of time meeting with parents, students, employees and others who care about public education. Understanding the community is not something else Trustees do, it is integral to everything we do every day.
The governance change will engage the community to gain feedback. When we initiated this work we wanted to improve our governance for students and taxpayers. The School Act says it’s our job to develop our governance policies. We have done that. Soon, when the system starts to work, we will invite feedback to help us understand whether we are achieving our objectives. Based on what we learn, we will move forward.
Collaboration
The governance policies presented at the public board meeting are the result of a lot of work by all seven trustees. It was difficult work. The outcome reflects debate, differences, compromise and, ultimately, agreement about how we want to govern one of the best education systems in the world. We all need to remember that real value of this work is what it means for how we deliver learning as unique as every student.
Update: Please link to the online version of the document and look for the section with further information on Coherent Goverance. Among the items offered, you can read about one board's experience with this model.
For more information about
1 Aspen Group of governance experts http://www.aspengroup.org/home.html
2 Governance policies proposed by the CBE Board of Trustees (page 3 of the PDF) http://www.cbe.ab.ca/Trustees/agendas/a12Jan17.pdf
Role of the Board of Trustees
in one of the world’s best education systems
Citizens of Calgary elect trustees to govern the Calgary Board of Education. The CBE is one of the best education systems in the world.
The CBE is a learning organization. More than 104,000 students learn in our schools and from people who number among the best educators in the world.
Our learning extends to the work of the Board of Trustees as well. In 2007 the Conference Board of Canada recognized the Board of Trustees for its governance excellence. Building on that success, we are committed to continuously learning and improving.
In the spring, the Trustees agreed that we would all work together to review the work that we do and how we work together to oversee, govern and focus the performance of the Calgary Board of Education.
Governance is not management and certainly not micro-management. As Trustees we govern the CBE. That means we set the ultimate objectives for the organization and—of course—our students. Today we call those objectives “Ends.” The new governance model calls these “results.” Doesn’t “results” make more sense than “ends”? Indeed, one reason why we are moving to a new governance model is that it is easier for everyone to understand. Everyone includes trustees, administration, employees, students and parents.
As Trustees, we also set boundaries for how our results can be achieved. In our new governance model, these are called “operational expectations.” Operational expectations are easy to explain.
The Aspen Group created “Coherent Governance.” Aspen is a leader in governance with special expertise in education. The Aspen group defines operational expectations (OE) this way:
“The board wants to remove itself from preoccupation with the day-to-day operation of the organization. But yet, it has concerns about those operational matters that it must express in order to represent and serve the interests of the ‘owners’ of the organization on whose behalf the board does its work.”
In addition to the results and the operational expectations, the governance policies include clear delegation of work to the Chief Superintendent of Schools and governance culture. Governance culture clearly states how Trustees are expected to behave individually and collectively.
Financial Accountability
The new governance policies will improve how the Board of Trustees oversees the financial management and performance of the organization. There are at least four policies directly related to finance. The policies include:
1 financial planning;
2 financial administration;
3 asset protection; and
4 communication with and support for the board.
Together these polices require the Chief Superintendent of Schools to:
1 effectively manage the immediate and long-term financial health of the CBE;
2 ensure the budget balances;
3 protect and maintain assets;
4 provide the Board of Trustees with timely information relevant to the board’s work.
When you read the details of the policies you will see that the board will have effective and thorough oversight of how the CBE manages its taxpayer’s money. Some of the details have changed but the Board of Trustees will have a close eye on the accounts.
Transportation & Other Fees
The same is true for fees. A board could do the job of accountants in Finance by setting the actual fees for things like transportation and noon supervisions. That would not be effective. What is effective—and reflected in the new policies—is that the board will review and oversee how the fees come together as part of the overall budget process. And we will want to know how fees reflect what the community expects of a complex school system.
Community Engagement
CBE Trustees spend a lot of time meeting with parents, students, employees and others who care about public education. Understanding the community is not something else Trustees do, it is integral to everything we do every day.
The governance change will engage the community to gain feedback. When we initiated this work we wanted to improve our governance for students and taxpayers. The School Act says it’s our job to develop our governance policies. We have done that. Soon, when the system starts to work, we will invite feedback to help us understand whether we are achieving our objectives. Based on what we learn, we will move forward.
Collaboration
The governance policies presented at the public board meeting are the result of a lot of work by all seven trustees. It was difficult work. The outcome reflects debate, differences, compromise and, ultimately, agreement about how we want to govern one of the best education systems in the world. We all need to remember that real value of this work is what it means for how we deliver learning as unique as every student.
Update: Please link to the online version of the document and look for the section with further information on Coherent Goverance. Among the items offered, you can read about one board's experience with this model.
For more information about
1 Aspen Group of governance experts http://www.aspengroup.org/home.html
2 Governance policies proposed by the CBE Board of Trustees (page 3 of the PDF) http://www.cbe.ab.ca/Trustees/agendas/a12Jan17.pdf
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Coherent Governance Model
At last night's regular meeting of the CBE Board of Trustees, the board brought forward a report that recommended the adoption of the Coherent Governance Model and the approval of revised Governance Policies. This report was a culmination of work that all seven trustees had embarked on last March through their governance committee. It should be noted that the board has been governing through policy for a number of years.
If you visit the website, be sure to click on the newsletters and articles tab as they have some interesting reading specific to school boards.
Final approval by trustees will take place at the next regular meeting of the Board on Tuesday, January 24. If you have any questions regarding this model and the revised policies, please contact your trustee.
If you visit the website, be sure to click on the newsletters and articles tab as they have some interesting reading specific to school boards.
Final approval by trustees will take place at the next regular meeting of the Board on Tuesday, January 24. If you have any questions regarding this model and the revised policies, please contact your trustee.
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