Reflections on Public Education in the Next Alberta

I do some work with the Alberta Teachers Association and the Alberta School Trustees Association.  I am considered a friendly critic by both institutions.  Last year I was invited by four Calgary based ATA locals to provide input into some strategic planning they were doing about public education in the context of the changing community that is Calgary.

Here is a video on some of my thoughts last spring...I say they ring even truer today with the election of Mayor Nenshi as a positive sign of emergent possibilities for that great city.



There is a lot of work to do to rethink the role and relationship of public education to the larger social agenda in Alberta.  Minister Dave Hancock's efforts in Inspiring Education and Inspiring Action on Education set a framework and present an invitation for that to happen.  Lets make sure we re-imagine and rekindle the passion and purpose of our public education system to align with the emerging possibilities that is the Next Alberta.  Lots of potential and possibilities lay before us.  All we have to do is take up the challenges and get going on co-creating the future as progressive and forward thinking Albertans.

I will be posting extensively on this and other issues about the Changing Landscape in Alberta and the next iteration of the Learning Our Way project of  Informed Transformation of our province.  

So You Think You Want to be a School Trustee!

The Alberta School Boards Association is doing a candidate school for people standing for school trustee in the October elections. The next workshop for candidates is mid-September.  I am doing the politics part of it.  Go figure eh!  We did this for the first time in conjunction with the ASBA Spring Conference.  It was a lot of fun and very well received. I am looking forward to the next one.

Here is a link for more information.  If you are thinking of running as a school trustee this workshop is for you.  Here is the link to register

If you are interested in some of the new directions education and learning is going in Alberta you will want to check this links to Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta.

More Influencers - Less Powerbrokers

The Mark News has published a shorter version of my "Contented Oyster Never Made a Pearl." It was a paper done for a presentation for school trustees who are members of the Alberta School Boards Association. It was focused on influence, power, politics and governance in public education today and tomorrow.

If you missed the earlier version here is the shorter Mark News link.


I would really like to hear your thoughts on the issues in the piece. Comments welcome.