Latest news with #JasonSchilling
Edmonton Journal
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Demetrios Nicolaides: Alberta investing in education to meet booming enrolment
Alberta's government and the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) share the same goal: providing a world-class education to Alberta's next generation. It's a goal I am proud to work on alongside the ATA. Article content Yet in a recent op-ed, ATA president Jason Schilling says he believes Alberta's government is 'playing politics with education rather than focusing on what matters.' I strongly disagree with that characterization, as I believe our investments into Alberta's education system present a much different reality. Article content Article content Article content Many of the challenges our education system is facing today stem directly from the dramatic increase of people who moved to Alberta in recent years. In 2020-21, Alberta had roughly 735,000 students, and some school boards were even looking at closing schools due to lack of enrolment. As of today, there are nearly 826,000 students and counting. Article content Article content Our solutions: $8.6 billion to build and renovate more than 130 schools, creating 200,000 more student spaces. Thirty-three of those school construction projects have been sped up through our new innovative funding model. This is on top of the millions we have invested to build prefabricated classrooms to address the need for more classroom space now. I find it hard to characterize these investments as a 'failure to fund public education for growth,' as Mr. Schilling put it. I have heard loud and clear that something needs to be done to ensure the growing needs of students are met in classrooms, such as tailored programing for students with increased learning needs or supports for students that are learning English as a second language. My response: an historic $9.9 billion for Alberta's education system. This generational investment includes $1.6 billion for schools to address increasingly complex classrooms and will help ensure each student is supported as they engage with Alberta's world-class education system. Article content Article content Alberta's government is making significant investments in education to support student success. We're expanding school spaces and addressing the complex learning needs of students. To reduce distractions, we've banned cellphones in classrooms. We're also responding to the concerns of parents and protecting young students by ensuring they aren't exposed to inappropriate sexual content in school libraries. Article content Our updated funding model ensures school boards receive the resources they need, and we're refocusing the curriculum on essential skills like reading, writing, and financial literacy. But rather than just talk about it — let's have the results speak for themselves Article content In a recent Programme for International Student Assessment report, Alberta's students excelled in all areas of testing in math, reading, science and creative thinking. In Canada, Alberta ranked first in reading and science, and second in math. Internationally, Alberta ranked second in reading and science, and seventh in math. In financial literacy, Alberta students received the highest score in Canada and internationally. In creative thinking, Alberta students received the highest score in Canada. Internationally, Canada was only outperformed by Singapore.
CTV News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Still no deal for Alberta teachers as school year comes to a close
Sign outside of the Calgary Board of Education main offices in downtown Calgary. (file) As the school year comes to an end for many Calgary students, negotiations between the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) and the province remains in limbo. Earlier this month, the ATA released the results of a strike vote, showing 94.5 per cent of teachers were in favour of striking. Nearly 39,000 teachers voted virtually between June 5 and 8. Only 1,522 voted against strike action. According to ATA president Jason Schilling, the latest deal teachers were offered was turned down for a variety of reasons 'They didn't think that it went far enough in terms of addressing working conditions, class size, the complexity of the students needs that we have in our classrooms, but also for wages as well,' he said. In terms of class sizes, for the 2012-13 academic year, there was an average of 19.4 students per Kindergarten through Grade 3, 23.5 students for Grades 4 to 6, 24.7 for Grades 7 to 9 and 26.1 for Grades 10 to 12, according to the ATA. The province stopped collecting class sizes in the fall of 2019. The ATA says it has continued to try to track the numbers. 'Since then, we have seen our classrooms explode in terms of the number of students in our schools,' Schilling said. 'Our latest pulse survey showed 69 per cent of teachers indicating their class sizes are larger than last year, with 40 per cent of respondents indicating they had more than 30 students in their classes.' 'Of those who responded to the pulse survey (in 2025) 90 percent have seen an increase to the complexity of their students needs while also reporting a 58 per cent decrease to the resources to support students with special needs.' In the deal that was struck down by ATA, the province committed more than $400 million in classroom improvements, which would have started this fall. That deal also included 12 per cent increase in wages over four years. Taking a look at numbers, wages have fallen well below inflation. A teacher with six years of university experience entering their first year with the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) would have made $64,905 entering the 2012-13 academic year. The latest school grid on the CBE's website for a teacher with the same education and experience was $68,995 for the 2023-24 academic year. The deal rejected by the ATA members would have included a three per cent increase retroactive for the 2024-24 academic year, and a three per cent increase for the 2025-26 academic year. The $64,905 salary a first-year teacher with six years of university education was paid in 2012-13 would now be valued at $87,337 when adjusted for inflation, according to the bank of Canada. After inflation, the now-rejected deal would have provided that same teacher $73,196. The deal also included a grid harmonization which could result in a further five per cent wage increase, depending on the teachers' current wage grid. 'Teachers have received essentially a six per cent raise over the last 12 years,' Schilling said. 'There has been a loss of purchasing power to inflation and they're looking to make gains in terms of that as well.' In response to the ongoing negotiations between the province and ATA, Alberta's Minister for Finance and president of Treasury Board Nate Horner issued the following statement: 'Since the ATA teacher strike vote, nothing has changed. The ATA (Alberta Teachers Association) was offered a fair deal, made in good-faith and I am disappointed that the ATA members did not accept the mediator's recommendation for a four-year agreement. Education remains a top priority of this government. Budget 2025 contained one of the largest budget increases ever for K-12 education, bringing the total spending over $10 billion.'
Calgary Herald
24-06-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Alberta Teachers' Association says class sizes, supports are priorities in negotiations
The president of the Alberta Teachers' Association says while wages are important, teachers' top concerns in negotiations with the provincial government are growing class sizes and a lack of support for increasing classroom complexities. Article content 'We've been the least-funded school jurisdiction in terms of student expenditure for a while,' Jason Schilling said. 'The cracks in the system are wide open, and teachers are worried about kids falling through.' Article content Article content Article content Earlier this month, 95 per cent of Alberta teachers voted in favour of strike action. The vote followed a recommendation from a mediator in early May, which 62 per cent of teachers voted to reject. Article content Article content 'We need more teachers in the system,' he said. 'We need more education assistants. We need to reduce class sizes so that teachers have more one-on-one time with their students to address their needs.' Article content Schilling said supports for students with special needs and English language learners are also lacking, as well as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, teacher-librarians and counsellors. Article content 'There's a variety of ways that we can look at supporting our classrooms,' Schilling said, 'but it really boils down to funding, and the fact that we don't see the Government of Alberta making education a priority.' Article content Article content 'Next year, the government was only looking to put in $125 million into a system that has been starved billions of dollars for well over a decade,' Schilling said. 'Teachers saw that as a very small drop in an ocean of need.' Article content The mediator's recommendation included a 12 per cent wage increase and $405 million for classroom improvements over the course of the collective agreement. Article content 'Alberta's government has tremendous respect for teachers, principals, system leaders and school divisions for their ongoing hard work inspiring and guiding students,' Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner said in a statement. Article content 'This was a fair deal, made in good faith, and I am disappointed that the Alberta Teachers' Association members did not accept the mediator's recommendation for a four-year agreement,' Horner said.
Globe and Mail
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Alberta teachers vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action
The union representing Alberta teachers says members have voted 95 per cent in favour of strike action and they could hit the picket lines in the next four months. Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling says teachers are sending a message that they are united and will no longer prop up an underfunded public education system. Finance Minister Nate Horner says a mediator's recommendation rejected by teachers included the same 12 per cent pay increase over four years that has already been accepted by other unions. Horner says the recommendation also included more than $400- million in classroom improvements. Schilling says in order to bring Alberta in line with Canadian funding averages per student, the education budget needed to see a 13.5 per cent increase. Nearly 39,000 Alberta teachers voted on the latest deal, and both sides are scheduled to go back to the bargaining table this month.
Hamilton Spectator
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Alberta teachers vote 95 per cent in favour of strike action as talks continue
EDMONTON - The union representing Alberta teachers says members have voted 95 per cent in favour of strike action and they could hit the picket lines in the next four months. Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling says teachers are sending a message that they are united and will no longer prop up an underfunded public education system. Finance Minister Nate Horner says a mediator's recommendation rejected by teachers included the same 12 per cent pay increase over four years that has already been accepted by other unions. Horner says the recommendation also included more than $400 million in classroom improvements. Schilling says in order to bring Alberta in line with Canadian funding averages per student, the education budget needed to see a 13.5 per cent increase. Nearly 39,000 Alberta teachers voted on the latest deal, and both sides are scheduled to go back to the bargaining table this month. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
