Kids Come First Alberta

While election financing laws have been changed provincially, they have not changed for trustee elections.

Corporations, unions, and political action committees can donate to trustee elections and this must be changed.

Kids Come First and CAPSC (Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils) have launched a petition asking the Alberta Government to end special interest group financing of trustee elections.

Lisa Davis of Kids Come First states “Education must be free from influence of special interest groups who have funding available that ordinary Albertans do not have access to”.

These legislative changes must be made for the upcoming October 2017 trustee elections.

For example, the last Calgary Board of Education trustee was elected in a by-election in 2015. The successful candidate, Julie Hrdlicka, took almost $19,000 in union donations. This was a huge increase from past elections and was four times the amount the next candidate raised in total from third parties. School boards also spend millions of dollars on third party contracts, and it is important these expenditures are perceived to be free from interference.

Althea Adams agrees “the current government took important steps to special interest group financing from provincial elections, and now must move quickly to ensure that individual Albertans determine the election of trustees, and not special interest groups”.

Sign the petition at:
http://www.kidsarefirst.ca

Alberta Education Parents entrust their children to the judgement of professionals in the school board. It is important this special relationship between children, parents, teachers and administrators is not perceived to be influenced by third parties.

Former Exam Director Comments on Kids Come First data about Grade Inflation
http://www.metronews.ca/news/calgary/2017/03/10/ab-curriculum-rewrite-opportunity-to-address-grade-inflation.html

Alberta curriculum rewrite ideal opportunity to address grade inflation: former exam director | Metro Calgary Alberta's former director of diploma exams says the curriculum rewrite is an opportunity for the government to create clear curriculum standards

High School Grade Inflation Report by Kids Come First shows inequalities

http://www.metronews.ca/news/calgary/2017/03/07/grade-inflation-rampant-at-cbe-schools-says-advocate.html

Grade inflation rampant at CBE schools: advocate | Metro Calgary Kids Come First said CBE's published math marks show significant disparity between school marks and diploma or provincial achievement exams

Who is in control of education – parents or unions?
http://www.newstalk770.com/2017/02/24/private-schools-hit-back-at-push-to-have-public-funding-withdrawn-in-alberta/ #.WLETbh-XpwY.twitter

Private schools hit back at push to have public funding withdrawn in Alberta The Phoenix Foundation in Calgary and other private schools across the province say an Alberta advocacy group ...