TeachersStrike
The bad news is that teachers have decided to strike.
The good news is that the government has adopted our idea to give money to parents to help out during the strike.
Let's dig into the details:
The Strike
Teachers have overwhelmingly rejected a deal with the Government of Alberta in which the Province seemingly met every demand the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) made to improve classroom conditions.
Both sides of this negotiation are now treating a teacher strike as inevitable.
The ATA has claimed that a strike is no big deal, because teachers are professionals and can catch students up in the event of a learning disruption.
But if that’s true, why are students still suffering from the effects of the COVID school closures on their learning?
The ATA also insisted that they would not strike over wages, but only classroom conditions.
But the Province had already agreed to fund every publicly disclosed proposal related to classroom conditions - including the addition of 3,000 new teachers and at least 1,500 new educational assistants.
Teachers themselves seem to still be concerned about class sizes and classroom complexity, but the ATA is speaking primarily about wages.
So, we appear to be heading into a teacher strike over wages, after all.
This, despite the offer including a 12.5% across-the-board raise for all teachers and a more generous long-service allowance that will increase wages even further for the most experienced teachers.
Parent Payment Program
In response to the strike, the Government of Alberta announced today that they will be implementing a “Parent Payment Program” to help parents respond to their children's needs during the strike.
Eligible parents will be able to register to receive $30 per child per day of labour action.
The payments will be made by e-transfer, starting from October 6th and continuing through the end of any labour action.
To be eligible, children must be:
- Twelve years old or younger
- Enrolled in a public, separate, or francophone school
- A resident of Alberta (as the parent must also be)
The money for these payments will come from per-student instructional grants that go unspent during a teacher strike.
This looks a whole lot like the “Education Continuity Allowance” that we proposed earlier this year!
The Alberta Parents’ Union was the first organization to suggest that unused education money follow the child to help parents in the event of a teacher strike - all the way back on June 11th!
We pointed out, more recently, that this was especially needed, since the strike would take place after the September Count Date that determines so much of educational funding.
This kind of expert knowledge and timely recommendations to the government to help parents is an example of why your support of the Alberta Parents’ Union is so important.
When we can count on parents, grandparents, and taxpayers having our back, we can spend our time innovating ideas to support families that are too good for the government to ignore.
But unlike the Alberta Teachers’ Association, we don’t force anyone to join.
Unlike the ATA, we will never take taxpayer money because you should get to decide whose voice you want to amplify with your money!
Unfortunately, you’re already funding the ATA, while they work to disrupt children’s educations to extract even more money from your pocket.
But today, you can join the tiny team that works the hardest to fight for students and parents:
Working Ahead So Kids Don’t Fall Behind,
The Alberta Teachers’ Association has announced their intention to begin “job action”, otherwise known as a strike, on October 6th - just three and a half weeks from now.
Alberta has not had a full teacher strike since 2002, so many Albertans may not be aware of just how extremely disruptive they can be.
A strike would have a severe impact on students, families, and the economy - especially given such a high proportion of our population in Alberta is school-aged children, more so than any other province.
Academic studies of the impact of teacher strikes have found that they:
- lower immediate test scores,
- increase absenteeism,
- reduce the life-long education students attempt to receive,
- harm life-long earnings for students, and
- hurt immediate earnings for the family of the student.
So, obviously, we are all hoping a strike can be avoided.
But, we also need to tell you something important about the way Alberta’s funding model currently works in relation to this strike, which many other commentators are likely to miss.
In Alberta, September 29th is “September Count Date”.
When we talk about funding following the child to the school of their choice, this is the day that determines how much will follow them!
So, if a work stoppage would prompt you to make other arrangements for your children’s education, you should strongly consider moving your child to that arrangement by September 29th:
- Charter schools are non-union, though you probably cannot find a seat, since they all have long waiting lists already.
- All but one independent (or private) school is also non-union, but many of them are also fully subscribed.
- Reimbursements for home education expenses (and provincial transfers to the supervising school authority) also have a September Count Date of September 29th!
We encourage you to share this information with other parents and inform as many as we can.
We will continue to mention it in major media appearances, as well.
Ultimately, though, we understand that some parents won’t know about the September Count Date, and even more parents won’t want to make alternate arrangements, in hopes that a settlement is reached.
We also hope that will happen!
But if it does not, we need a backup plan.
In the past, we have advocated for a more dynamic funding model that responds to mid-year changes more seamlessly.
And, as you all know, we think funding should always follow the child.
But, during a strike, it’s even more vital that it does.
That’s why we’re calling on the Government of Alberta to introduce a temporary program that would see their child’s share of provincial education funding to follow them to whatever alternative education arrangements parents can make to continue their learning during a strike.
We have called this idea an Education Continuity Allowance.
This allowance could be used towards a school that is open and willing to take the child, towards tutoring, temporary home education materials, an online course, hands-on training in a profession, or any combination of these.
If a student's school is closed, the money should follow that child to any education their family chooses to fill the gaps!
With the money that would already be spent on a given child, families should decide how best to replace the education opportunity torn away from the child by squabbling adults!
If you agree and want to tell the Government of Alberta to introduce these Education Continuity Allowances, please sign the petition to Strike-Proof Alberta Students:
After you've signed, please send it to your friends, family, and every Albertan!