A Holiday Message from your Chief Superintendent
December is upon us, and as we gather together throughout this month to celebrate with those closest to us, we take time to reflect on the year that has passed, and look forward to the future.
I am sincerely grateful for the dedication of our staff, our students and our families; together, we work to ensure that each child at the Calgary Board of Education can grow, learn and succeed.
Best wishes for a warm, safe and happy holiday season.
David Stevenson
Chief Superintendent of Schools
Updates from your Board of Trustees
As we near the end of 2017, we’d like to thank you for your commitment to your children’s education.
We are committed to ensuring that the education your child receives at the Calgary Board of Education is the best it can be. As a board, we have begun meeting with government to advocate on behalf of our system, including with the Minister of Education and MLAs in our city. As we begin to build strong relationships and solidify our priorities as a board, we’d like to hear from you about what is important to you. You can connect with your trustee or all of the trustees at boardoftrustees@cbe.ab.ca.
Proposed Changes to the School Act
On Nov. 15, the Minister of Education tabled Bill 28: The School Amendment Act.
The School Act sets out the goals, roles and responsibilities of Alberta’s Early Childhood Services to Grade 12 (ECS-12) education system. If passed, Bill 28 will amend the School Act to better reflect what is in the best interest of current and future students.
The bill includes proposed changes to:
- Enable the Minister to set certification requirements for principals and superintendents
- Authorize the Minister to establish standards for education service agreements
- Establish a common age of entry to kindergarten of five years of age by December 31
- Revise the process for establishing a separate school district
- Ensure the government can provide clear and updated transportation eligibility criteria prior to the 2018/19 school year
If passed, some of these changes will take effect immediately, while others will be phased in. For more information, visit Alberta Education’s website: https://education.alberta.ca/legislation-and-regulations/school-act/
K – 12 Math Strategy Rolling Out
The CBE’s K-12 Mathematics Strategy rolled out to the system this fall. Many schools have incorporated a focus on math in their School Development Plans. Some of the ways the strategy is being implemented on a system level include:
- The CBE’s participation in two research partnerships in math teaching and learning including one with the Werklund School of Education around game design in mathematics. The other involves 50 elementary mathematics teachers participating in a learning series on improving mathematical content knowledge for teaching and analyzing student work for assessment and next steps.
- Professional learning opportunities for individual teachers and schools are being offered
- 25 math learning coaches are working with selected K-9 schools on enhancing mathematics teaching and assessment
