The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) supports many of the recommendations made by the Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team in their report because we’ve been advocating for these supports for years. These include
- hiring more teachers to lower student-teacher ratios,
- hiring more educational assistants and
- allowing greater flexibility in scheduling mandated literacy and numeracy assessments for Grades 1 to 3.
“We expect this government to take these recommendations and put them into practice. Not someday, not when convenient and not as optional guidelines.”
Jason Schilling, ATA president
Alberta’s students and teachers need these solutions to be converted into policy to ensure safer, healthier and more supportive learning environments. If these simply remain recommendations, they risk being temporary solutions that only last as long as a news cycle. Solving the complex issues in classrooms will not be easy, but listening to our teachers is the right place to start.
“When student needs go unmet, we see the effects in their behaviour. We see distress. We see escalation. These are not signs of failing children or inept teachers. It’s quite the opposite. These are signs that the system is not keeping pace with the realities inside Alberta’s schools.
Leanne Watson, ATA executive staff officer and member of
the government’s multidisciplinary action team
We hope that the Alberta government hears and acts upon these solutions in a way that honours the experiences of those who contributed to this work. Only then can we expect to see the changes we so desperately need in Alberta’s classrooms.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association, as the professional organization of teachers, promotes and advances public education, supports teachers’ professional practice and serves as the advocate for its 51,000 members.