St. Albert's Protestant school board hasn't had taxation powers since 1994, which has limited their autonomy. Public interest in board activities also seems to be on the decline. So why should we have public boards?
Eight people are running for five seats on the Protestant board in this year's election. We asked them how they felt the board was still relevant, and how they would make the local education system more engaged with the public.
Boards are essential to ensuring that the local needs of students are met in our district. School trustees do not have to accept the Alberta government's position on issues such as taxation and negotiation of collective agreements without raising concerns and advocating for a return to a greater degree of involvement in these areas. School trustees must be more vocal in presenting the case for greater local autonomy, and this means looking for opportunities to raise these issues with Alberta Education and to communicate the many positive ways local teachers, schools and boards are enhancing the education of students. Communication with our students, parents, staff and community is essential. I will be exploring a variety of ways to interact with all of our stakeholders including making my home phone number available to our community. Many of our best courses have come from stakeholders advocating for locally developed programs and activities.
Absolutely school boards are relevant. Otherwise, there would be a one-brush approach to how schools are run. Our programs reflect what our local community wants. As a result, we have one of the finest school systems in Canada. Board meetings are open. We encourage parents, staff and community members to attend and give input. Communication will spark interest. Linking community members with the Inspiring Education report would help everyone understand the level of community involvement that will be necessary if our children are to compete on the international stage. This report says that our students must be innovative, creative and skilled as never before in managing knowledge as a resource. To become reality, issues and ideas must be discussed with all stakeholders. I'm committed to sharing issues, plans and successes. We'll do this through school newsletters, local papers and community meetings. We'll use our webpage and email to enhance our ability to get relevant feedback.
As a board of trustees, we will always need to have a role in the education system. Part of this role is to carry out mandates and policy of the School Act. It is very important to meet the interests and needs of our local communities. We need to have very clear goals, policies and strategies in place to ensure quality education for our students. To help engage the public, we must continue attending parent council meetings and being active leaders in our local communities. We must keep our parents involved by sending newsletters home, and I would like to see a small column for what is new at the school board level. When I am elected, I would like to see a larger turnout at both board and parent council meetings. I would also love for the community to contact its board members in regards to their concerns.
Despite losing the ability to tax as was the norm prior to 1994, school boards remain relevant and accountable to the citizens who elect them and are committed to delivering quality education to students that attend their schools. School boards develop district policies, advocate for district capital projects, and scrutinize and approve district budgets. They are the “boots on the ground” in their communities and are aware of what it is the district requires and needs. Locally elected school boards that reflect the expectations of their communities are one of the strengths of local democracy. Educating adults concerning education policies and challenges is as important as educating students. If adults don't demonstrate their commitment to education, what message is sent to our young people? One cannot force involvement, but we can continue to encourage it.
Students are diverse and we need to reflect that in our schools. The local school board offers a closer connection to the community and allows for changes to positively represent the population. Without a local school board, there would be less accountability for the vision and direction of the schools, and the educational needs of the students could become lost in a large, faceless system. Our local education system needs to continue to encourage its students and staff to become involved in their community.
The need for local government and local democracy is vital so that residents in St. Albert can elect local school trustees and hold those trustees accountable for decisions at the local level. In St. Albert Protestant Schools, many programs are in place because parents wanted them for their children. Some examples are: Logos Christian, Cogito, International Baccalaureate, French Immersion, Advanced Placement and most recently full-day every-day kindergarten. None of these programs are provincially mandated. Trustees and citizens must constantly engage each other in conversation about the contributions public education can make to the kind of communities we envision. Effective school trustees listen to and work for the whole community. As school trustees, we need to encourage greater participation on school councils — not only parents, but also the 70 per cent of the population that do not have children in schools. Can school trustees do a better job? Absolutely — our children's future depends on it.
School boards represent grassroots democracy in action and their continued existence is vital for the well-being of publicly funded schooling in Alberta. It is no accident that Alberta has one of the finest publicly funded education systems in the world. That is a direct result of our long history of local schools governed by locally elected boards that reflect parental wishes and community values. We must not assume there is low public interest in boards. People today have very busy lives and limited free time, and they trust their elected board to look after schooling in their community. They know that when they have an education issue, they can bring their concerns to the board that they elected to represent them. However, boards would welcome more public involvement and must always be looking for new ways to engage the public. Strategies such as stakeholder meetings, annual surveys and reports, and going into the schools and community are effective.
Although the role of the school board has changed since 1994, I believe it still plays an important part in our community and education system. The school board is the public face of education, and, through the board, the community has access to a great deal of information. The role of monitoring district progress and receiving information, such as achievement results, satisfaction surveys and financial updates, in public makes the operation of the district transparent. In my opinion, school boards are a key element of public education as we know it. I am excited about a concept called generative governance, which proposes meeting with various groups to discuss issues and gain input. My hope is to develop this concept. We currently meet with stakeholders, but this would provide more in-depth discussion. I believe that connecting with the community is an important part of the work of a trustee.
