Edmonton Public School Board Calls for Phasing out Private School Funding
CBC News described the work by the Edmonton public school board to phase out the funding for private schools, which is bringing to the fore an older debate around private education in the province of Alberta.
Edmonton public school trustees voted for the province to phase out private school funding to invest that savings into public education. Education Minister David Eggen received a letter from the board with a request for action on the issue.
John Jagersma, executive director of the Association of Independent Schools and Colleges of Alberta, notes that 80% of those kids enrolled in private schools come from families that earn less than the average Alberta family. “The mandates are very broad, they are set by the individual school board … anywhere from culture focused, faith based, Montessori, or Waldorf.”
New Memorandum of Understanding for Crime Watch and RCMP
The Rimbey Review reported on the memorandum of understanding for the rural crime watch members and the RCMP. Staff Sgt. Mark Grooves of the Rocky Mountain House RCMP described the memorandum as providing more structure and guidelines for the rural crime watchers and the RCMP.
Those crime watchers who watch their neighbour’s property and report to the RCMP tend to have the highest success in the reduction of crime, Grooves noted. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Todd Shean and President of the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association Trevor Tychowsky signed the agreement on February 15 at the K Division headquarters in Edmonton.
Shean said, “The efforts of Rural Crime Watch volunteers to promote crime prevention in their communities and encourage the reporting of suspicious activities helps Alberta RCMP gather relevant and actionable intelligence – a key component of our intelligence-led Crime Reduction Strategy.” said
“We understand that in order for the RCMP to police our communities effectively, we need to take an active role in educating our neighbours and watching each other’s backs,” said Tychkowsky.
Finish Your Education and Make More Money Over Time
The University of Calgary reported on the steady growth in salaries with the steady growth in post-secondary education. According to the reportage, the Ministry of Alberta Advanced Education looked for a potential link between federal tax information and the university credentials to see an impact on graduate earnings.
It turns out there is an association between the two. The Ministry of Advanced Education’s report stated that the graduates who earned higher-level credentials had higher median income: “median income associated with their level of education increased as well and continued to rise over the next decade of their careers.”
The Provost and Vice-President Academic of the University of Calgary Dru Marshall said, “Lifelong learning is important for career growth, and helps keep graduates competitive in the job market… Employers recognize that university graduates demonstrate content expertise, critical thinking and collaborative skills, and are future leaders.”
Electronics in Education to be Discussed at Canada Alberta Teacher’s Convention
Red Deer Advocate reported on the Central Alberta Teachers’ Convention on February 22nd and 23rd in Red Deer, Alberta at Red Deer College. Among the topics to be discussed there will be standardized testing, student diversity, and hand-held electronics.
Approximately 2,200 teachers came from five school divisions from across Central Alberta. Dr. Michael Rich of Harvard Medical School was one of the key note speakers. He talked about how electronics are “digital babysitters” in place of parents.
The president of the Central Alberta Teachers’ Convention, David Martin, said, “Instead of parents spending time or reading to their kids, they are being replaced by iPads.” Martin continued on that classes keep on getting bigger and the students get differential educational quality, and even one in 9 Alberta students live in poverty.
