Big school infrastructure funding announcement shines media spotlight on Alberta

The Government of Alberta made a big education announcement this week.  It will spend $550-million over the next several years to build 22 new schools to address the significant population increases in various areas of the province.

In boom-and-bust Alberta, it’s feast or famine for schools – Globe and Mail
As Alberta’s population spikes and shifts with a booming economy, its education system has become a tale of two realities – one with hundreds of millions in new spending and a glut of students, and another facing hundreds of teacher layoffs, empty classrooms and budget shortfalls. The province, facing a baby boom in some areas that will add another 100,000 students to its enrolment by 2020, on Tuesday announced that it will spend $550-million over the next several years to build 22 new schools and renovate another 13.

School promised $550M – Critics worry new facilities will lack teachers – Calgary Herald

Airdrie residents cheer additional schools
Prototype schools to fill gap for now – Calgary Herald

Crowded Beaumont schools to get relief – CBC
Province promises two new K-9 schools for fast-growing community

What news am I missing? Can you recommend some education blogs for me to follow? Please tweet me at @max_cooke, e-mail me at mcooke@cea-ace.ca or better yet, use the comment box below to suggest additional articles happening in your region so that others can check it out. 

OTHER EDUCATION NEWS

Jordan Manners shooting death led to school safety changes – Toronto Star

Toronto public schools slow to adopt JUMP math program – Globe and Mail

Teaching grads are set to face grim future – Metro Edmonton

Financial literacy: The kids weigh in – Globe and Mail

U.S. Reforms Out of Sync With High-Performing Nations, Report Finds – Education Week

Margaret Wente – We’ve institutionalized teacher abuse – Globe and Mail
Related Education Canada feature article:  False Accusations: A Growing Fear in the Classroom

CEA IN THE NEWS

Some ideas on improving the school system in rural Yukon – CBC Radio Whitehorse Podcast

EDU-BLOGOSPHERE HIGHLIGHTS

Best day, everyday – The Principal of Change (George Couros)
My Kindergarten teacher asked me if I was interested in taking one of the students around for a project that she is doing with all of the students in her class where the “Dragons Backpack” from our school goes on adventures.  I enthusiastically said yes as I have been bombarded with paperwork and finishing up things for the school year.  So at about 1:30 today, I got to walk around with an awesome Kindergarten student (Ethan) and followed his lead.  The first thing that he asked me was, “Where do you want to go?”, and I told him wherever he wanted to take me.

The Honour Role – Webb of Thoughts (Kyle Webb)
Right now, my younger brother, Kent, is on the final stretch of his high school career, and set to graduate at the end of June.  Just like anyone in his shoes, he couldn’t be more excited to be done and is counting down the days.  I remember how slowly those final few months seemed to go by.  As Kent’s older brother, I am extremely proud of him. Kent is profoundly deaf which, as you might imagine, has made his education a struggle over the years. 

A Different Kind of Technology Integration – Thinking in Mind (Neil Stephenson)
The vast majority of schooling is about epistemology – the transfer of stuff. Knowledge is usually broken down, detached from its historical or real-world contexts, sanitized from the messy arguments, issues and controversies that surround it’s creation, and presented in formulaic text books and hand outs. School presents a type of knowledge external to the knower – most of the time it doesn’t require any change in ‘being’ of the student. I’d like to see more schooling based around ontology – or the “being and becoming” of our students. 

Meet the Expert(s)

Max Cooke

CEO

Max Cooke is the CEO of the EdCan Network.

Max Cooke est le directeur général du Réseau ÉdCan.

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