Feb. 08, 2022
The following statement was read by Board Chair Laura Hack at the beginning of the Feb. 8 public board meeting.
Thank you to everyone watching or listening in today. I’d like to share with you this Board’s continued advocacy in relation to the provincial government’s K-6 Draft Curriculum. We know that parents, grandparents, caregivers and educators have been loud and clear in what they want in relation to the curriculum. We hear you, and we continue to listen and advocate on behalf of Calgarians.
In December, the Board of Trustees met with the Minister of Education. We outlined CBE’s concerns regarding the content of the draft and followed up this conversation with a letter to the Minister. For those wishing to view that letter as well as a one-page summary, please visit the Board of Trustees’ advocacy page on our website.
The CBE’s position, given the timelines ahead of us as well as where the pandemic has put us, is to have no new subjects be implemented in the fall of 2022.
The ongoing pandemic and recent Omicron wave continues to have significant impacts on teaching and learning. We need to see things stabilize before changing expectations for students with the implementation of a new curriculum. We need to put students first.
The delay we are asking for would ensure the government has time for a robust pilot to strengthen the curriculum, to create and execute a plan to acquire and develop quality resources, as well as time for the Ministry to develop a comprehensive provincial communication toolkit that addresses the needs of all educational stakeholders. The Calgary Board of Education needs time to build capacity through in-depth staff professional learning, and to account for the new curriculum within the framework for accountability and assurance, as outlined in the Requirements for School Authority Planning and Results Reporting.
We, as the Calgary Board of Education, look forward to working collaboratively with the government to ensure the needs of students are being met. By working together, we can advance education where Alberta remains ranked among the top education systems in the world.
For those looking to get involved in giving feedback, Alberta Education is hosting virtual curriculum sessions from now through the end of February. Please visit Alberta.ca (curriculum have your say) or there is a link in the news centre on our website that will take you there.
Thank you to everyone for your continued interest in curriculum for public education.
