Election season calls for a review of recent history

People often ask me if I expected to do as many media interviews as I’ve done so far as ATA president. 

The short answer is no. Obviously, it’s part of the role, but the sheer volume of interviews definitely took some time to get used to and has been a little overwhelming at times, not to mention that seeing or hearing yourself on TV or the radio can be a bit surreal. We’ve all recorded our own voices and played it back — to our horror. That aside, media work is vitally important, as it is one way to get the concerns, issues or even celebrations in the public’s eye. 

Since I started as president in July 2019, I have been keeping a list of the nearly 900 interviews I have done along with their topics. 

The majority of these interviews have been related to policies or legislation the government has passed, and, of course, a lot have been related to COVID. 

The recent election call had me reflecting on these interviews, and as we approach the provincial election at the end of the month, I feel it’s important to remember the policies that the government has passed and reflect on whether they have made public education better or worse. There are many that stand out to me, and I am sure you have several that stand out to you as well. The first is the passing of Bill 8, the Education Act, and how this bill rolled back protection of our 2SLGBTQIA+ colleagues and students. Next, the budget in the fall of 2019 saw not only a massive cut to education, but also required ATRF to use AMICO for its investment management — all this without consulting ATRF or the ATA. Of course, curriculum has been a major concern for teachers, school leaders and parents. Finally, I will note that the Choice in Education Act has further eroded public education ever since it was passed. 

As we enter the final weeks of the election, we can’t let the policies passed by the government be forgotten. Education has been a hot topic in the news for the last several years, and I am sure that certain candidates running in the election are not keen to discuss their track record on education on your doorstep or at a forum. It’s up to us to remind them just how their decisions have failed to make public education better. 

It’s also up to us to ask all candidates to provide concrete plans for improving public education. ❚