On this Teachers Appreciation Day, the Alberta Party wants to discuss how teachers have unfortunately been treated by the UCP government when it comes to the development of the new curriculum. Teachers have a vested interest in the wellbeing of our education system and their students, and are in the classrooms seeing first-hand how our children learn. 

When the UCP excludes teachers from helping shape the very material they will be teaching they turn their backs on experience and common sense that is applied every day in the classroom.

If in government, the Alberta Party would engage in a transparent, public process and work with the people that have to deliver the curriculum - teachers, school board officials, and parents, to redesign the curriculum and how it is implemented. There also must be far less political interference in how a curriculum is designed and examining options such as an independent agency or commission should be on the table. 

The world is also moving faster than ever before, so Alberta can no longer afford to wait 10+ years between curriculum changes. Teachers will need better resources and training to teach an evolving curriculum that sets our students up for success. The Alberta Party is committed to working with the Alberta Teachers Association, school boards, parent groups, and other stakeholders to bring about learning materials and resources that prepare us for an unpredictable future; one where the ingenuity of those coming out of Alberta’s schools is needed for the success companies, government, and not-for-profit employers. 

Teachers: we hear you, we value you, and we welcome you to join the Alberta Party to help shape the future of Alberta’s education.