Judi Hunter – Ward 5 Trustee
Happy New Year
Wishing you a happy, healthy, and productive 2023.
The Rocky View Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the completion of its Strategic Plan, setting forth the learning vision for the next four years. This culminates extensive consultation with parents, students, staff, and the broader community.
The plan focuses on four key areas:
- Improving student learning
- Strengthening our workforce
- Bolstering our workforce
- Connecting with community
For greater detail, please see: www.rockyview.ab.ca/
Rocky View School Division is experiencing a space crisis. For the past 5 years, the Board has been advocating the need for schools and portables for students. Populations in Cochrane, Airdrie, Chestermere over the past 20 years have grown between 187 and 425 percent. School builds have not kept pace. MLAs in our school division have written letters to the Ministries of Finance, Infrastructure and Education in support of our urgent need. The Board is asking parents to add their voices. More information can be found on the Rocky View School Division website. www.rockyview.ab.ca/
Alberta Education has a taskforce whose mandate is to provide direction for the enhancement of Career and Technology studies. The report is due December 31, 2022.
The government of Canada has introduced Bill C-35 which builds upon the vision and principles of the federal/ provincial/ territorial Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework, as well as the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework that was co developed and endorsed by Indigenous leadership and the Government of Canada. If passed, the bill would respect provincial and territorial jurisdiction and Indigenous rights, including the right to self determination.
For more details see: www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2022/12/government-of-canada-introduces-historic-bill-to-enshrine-principles-of-canadawide-early-learning-and-child-care-system-into-law.html
School Boards across the province have shared concerns around recruitment and retention of educational assistants. The Alberta government has announced changes for the ECE level. See link for full details
www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=8509810E011EB-98B7-3984-E9BA5F43F1AB8978
The legislation includes:
-
- Expanding the paid hours eligible for wage top-ups for front-line certified ECEs. This improvement made all paid hours eligible for the existing wage top-ups, including indirect time and employer-paid vacation.
- Doubling the enrolment capacity for the free Level 1 childcare orientation course, and making the course available to any Albertan, regardless of currently working in a childcare program.
Students currently enrolled in kindergarten 2022 will graduate in 2035. The speed and scope of technological change will impact the world of work they will be entering. Our provincial department of Education and our Board work to imagine that work and provide students will the necessary skills, attitudes and processes needed to navigate in that space. I am attaching some links that give pause for consideration about that future. I would be interested in hearing your views.
ourworldindata.org/brief-history-of-ai
globalnews.ca/news/9347959/canada-housing-labour-shortage-robots-automation/
