By participating in #Red4Ed, we make the struggles of our profession visible to the broader public, bringing attention to how our working conditions directly affect the quality of education our students receive. It’s a reminder that when we fight for better conditions for educators, we are ultimately fighting for the success and well-being of our students too. Public education needs to be seen as an investment in the future of our province. I wear red in solidarity with all of my colleagues, our students, as well as the generations to come.
– Karen Bjerstedt Loor, Beddington Heights Elementary School in Calgary
The Early Childhood Education Council (ECEC) — a specialist council of the ATA — recently wrote to Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides to articulate the council’s position on the government’s mandated literacy and numeracy assessments for kindergarten. In their letter to the minister, the ECEC outlined concerns about the assessments, including them being developmentally inappropriate and leading to undue stress for students. The ECEC called upon the minister to scrap the government-mandated screening assessments so that teachers can get back to what they do best: build futures by fostering a love of learning.
Want to share how you or your team is supporting Red for Ed? Email managing editor Lindsay Yakimyshyn at lindsay.yakimyshyn@ata.ab.ca.
