Notes from the Campaign Trail

Hello everyone!

I thought it was about time that I gave you all some updates from the campaign trail.

Edmonton Public Schools Budget Reviews and Board Meetings

I have been spending June following the Edmonton Public Schools budget review process. This has included both the central administration budgets and reviews of the schools by trustees.

I’m a big believer that if you want to know the priorities of your organization, you have to follow the money. Unfortunately they were timed to be during the mornings and afternoons, making them hard to attend for parents and members of the public. Luckily, I was able to attend two of these meetings in person. Also, there is very limited information available online at this time.

I also went to the last two school board meetings, and I am still baffled that they are not video-streamed online or minuted in MP3. City Council does it. Even the University of Alberta’s Students’ Union has audio minutes available and sometimes audio/videostreams their meetings. I suggested the idea to someone on Edmonton Public Schools’ communcations staff, and they told me that it is something they are looking into. It’s not always easy for parents and the public to spend their entire Tuesday evening (sometimes until 11pm) at the Edmonton Public Schools building. Audiovisual streaming is a great solution to this problem, and we have the technology so let’s use it!

Special Education Public Update Session for Parents and Community Members

Last Thursday evening I attended a consultation session with Alberta Education and Edmonton Public School Board. The topic was upcoming changes to special education in the province. Dianne McConnell and Anne Davidson from the Special Education Branch presented and answered audience questions about a new provincial report called “Setting the Direction for Special Education“. What these changes will mean in practice is yet to be determined. I have been in touch with the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta, and I have been reviewing the comments on their website and in their Facebook group.

Door knocking

I have started going from door to door to talk with Edmontonians about their public school system. I am meeting a lot of passionate people, and the response has been fantastic! Already, people have told me that they want one of my signs on their lawn this fall. If you would like one of your very own, please contact me here and I will set one aside.

A lot of people are concerned that the last round of school closures in April were shortsighted and conducted unfairly. People are also concerned about the 70 schools that are still up for review in the core of our city and the school board’s decision to lay off teachers.

The comments haven’t all been about education however. People have offered me their thoughts on other issues, like a downtown hockey arena, and even speculation about Mayor Mandel’s competition! Luckily, the weather has been fantastic, and If you would like to come along for the walk, I would be happy to have the company. You can contact me here.

The Future of Libraries

As one of the trustees for the Edmonton Public Library and as Edmonton’s representative on the Alberta Library Trustees Association Board of Directors, I have had some amazing opportunities this past month to engage in discussions regarding the future of libraries and their role in the communities of tomorrow.

If you have a second, take a look at this very thought-provoking blog of links and presentations from Stephen Abram, a digital guru and Library futurist. Stephen was the dinner speaker at EPL’s strategic planning session. Collaboration between public libraries, public schools and digital resources need to become a priority as our communities race towards a major digital revolution.

Inspiring Action

The provincial government has just released their Inspiring Action blueprint for a new Education Act. This builds off the recommendations made by the Inspiring Education report. There are a lot of good suggestions in both of these documents, and I’ve talked with a lot of Edmontonians that share my optimism about them. Some popular suggestions include:

• Community integration and support for community schools
• Preparing a system for greater emphasis on learner-focused schooling

At the same time, I’m anxious to see what the actual Education Act looks like. The reports are very vague when it comes to detail about who will make decisions for our students, our schools, and our communities. And neither report indicates the current funding model will be improved upon. It will be interesting to see how the provincial government proceeds over the summer, and I encourage you to read these reports for yourself.

Edmonton Community Challenge

June is bike month in Edmonton, and it is also a great opportunity to get out and engage our neighbourhoods in friendly competition. This is what the Edmonton Community Challenge is all about. I have been attending some of the events to support my employer, the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, and the city’s NextGen Committee. It’s great to see so many young adults developing a sense of ownership for our city – after all, we are inheriting it so we’d better get involved!

Michael