Happy New Year! As we enter 2021 we extend our warmest wishes to you and your family.
Parents for Choice in Education (PCE) will be focusing attention on several key initiatives this upcoming year, including those highlighted below.
We invite you to get involved as you are able to! It is your engagement and support in these opportunities which will make a difference and help move the needle to strengthen excellence in education through maximum parental choice!
Countdown to school trustee elections
2021 is the year Albertans will head to the polls for municipal elections, including the election of new school board trustees responsible for governing Alberta's 42 public school districts and 17 separate (Catholic) school districts.
School board trustees have a critically important role as they are responsible to set important policies and priorities which directly impact the experience of students and families within their district.
They also manage budgets which range from the multi-millions in some areas to more than $1 billion dollars each for Calgary Board of Education & Edmonton Public Schools.
Let us know if you want to be involved in any way to help support PCE’s engagement in the upcoming school board trustee elections by clicking here or on the button below.
(Thank you to the PCE supporters who have already responded - we will be in touch with you shortly!).
More active involvement in school board elections is an important way to help impact the direction of Alberta’s K-12 education system. Remember that all Alberta taxpayers contribute to funding public education and every citizen has the opportunity to cast a vote when it comes to school trustees in their area, regardless of whether they have children in school or not.
Are you involved in school council?
School councils are an excellent way for parents to get involved and make a difference. In fact, the Government of Alberta recognizes this value of parental involvement by legally requiring school councils in every school operated by a school board in Alberta (public, separate, francophone and charter).
If you are a PCE supporter who is involved in your school council, we'd like to connect with you!
Let us know by clicking here or on the button below and we will be in touch with you about any upcoming opportunities.
Parental Consent is Key Open Letter
Voice your support for the safety of Alberta's K-12 students by adding your name to the "Parental Consent is Key" open letter, insisting upon practical, common-sense solutions to help strengthen transparency and accountability. Read the open letter by clicking here or on the image below.
For background information regarding the dangerous gaps and concerns that currently exist in Alberta's K-12 education system, please visit the following sections of our website: "Health & Sexual Education" and "Laws and Policies that Strip Parental Rights".
IN THE NEWS
Included below are a selection of recently published articles, related to our advocacy toward an excellent, quality-oriented, choice-driven education system which recognizes parental authority.
MACPHERSON: ‘Learning pods’ and why we should fund students — not systems
Toronto Sun, 2020.12.29
"... opponents of educational diversity often claim that allowing the tax dollars of some parents to follow their kids to other educational options will somehow defund government-run public schools... On the contrary; supporting educational diversity will reduce strain on the public school system and could reduce class sizes overall — a major concern during the pandemic." [READ MORE]
David Staples: Alberta still has Canada's best education system, says school critic, but ...
Edmonton Journal, 2020.12.30
"The best public school system in Canada? It’s still probably Alberta. That’s the opinion of Paul Bennett, the country’s leading and most pointed critic of public education and the author of the new book The State of the System: A Reality Check on Canada’s Schools... But there’s one caveat, Bennett said. 'Overall, it’s still probably Alberta. It’s just not living up to expectations.'"
"He thinks power should be taken away from the education bureaucrats and consultants and given back to teachers, principals and, crucially, parents." [READ MORE]
As a non-profit organization PCE depends entirely on the donations of citizens to continue strengthening education choice in Alberta.
Consider donating today to ensure we can keep doing this important work!