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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 8h

Tell me more, please.

Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 18h

“The new research also ‘calls into question the idea that younger individuals and those without risk factors don’t need the vaccine,’ Viswanathan says.”
#AbLeg #AbHealth

Geoffrey P Johnston😎🇨🇦🇺🇦 @geoffypjohnston.bsky.social · 19h

www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
“COVID vaccines reduced people’s risk of emergency department visits by 29 percent, their risk of hospitalizations by 39 percent and their risk of death by 64 percent.”

Annual COVID Vaccines Save Lives, New Study Shows

A new study shows that receiving an updated COVID vaccine reduced people’s risk of severe disease and death in all age groups, regardless of immunity from prior infection or vaccination

www.scientificamerican.com

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 1d

I wonder if there would be research ethics hurdles to testing how kids fare in very large complex classes as compared to more moderate class groupings. And if there are ethical hurdles to that …. 👀 #AbEd

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 1d

*I am not an academic*
Some of the older studies set up artificial class groupings as controls. But looked at 15-25 students. Is there any North American work that looks at classes with 35-40 students? With varying numbers of coded kids? #abed

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 1d

So real

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 1d

The minister's office sent us some of John Hattie's studies. Are you familiar with his work?

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 1d

The Alberta government stopped tracking class sizes, and then the province's population growth really took off. @robsonfletcher.com set out to find out how the numbers of teachers compare to that growth, with the limited info available

Class size/composition is a strike issue.
#AbEd #AbLeg

ANALYSIS | Alberta stopped tracking class sizes. Then it changed its funding formula. Now, it's a teachers' strike issue | CBC News

Get a rough idea of how much Alberta’s teaching staff has grown compared to how much student enrolment has grown since the funding formula for school boards was changed.

www.cbc.ca

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 2d

Happy second Wednesday of the month, a reverent day for funicular users, as on this day, regularly scheduled funicular maintenance will occur. #YegFunicularStatus

Proud of self for remembering this time.

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 2d

Alberta’s system is a little … blurrier than that. Some public school divisions have religious schools or programs. The Catholic system is fully publicly funded (and constitutionally protected; same for Francophone public and Catholic schools).

Charter schools aren’t allowed to be religious. #abed

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 2d

What's a citizen-initiated petition? If Taylor (and friends) can gather the signatures of roughly 177,000 Alberta voters in a 120-day period, and Elections AB verifies them, a govt committee must then prepare a report on the proposal or send it back to Exns AB for a referendum vote. #AbEd

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 2d

Elections Alberta has approved a citizen-initiated petition application to gather signatures in support of the proposal to end public funding to independent/private schools.

Calgary teacher Alicia Taylor says she brought it forward because it could help improve funding for public schools. #AbEd

Alberta teacher prompts petition on province's private school funding | CBC News

If high school chemistry teacher Alicia Taylor gets her wish, Albertans will vote in a referendum on whether to end public funding for independent schools.

www.cbc.ca

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 4d

#yegfunicularstatus The funicular isn’t working right now

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 6d

😬

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Ward D map, for those who need it. www.edmonton.ca/sites/defaul...

Forum complete.

-30-

www.edmonton.ca

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Anderson: policy background has prepared me for this. We need someone who will stand up for what’s right even when it’s uncomfortable.

Bachand says she wants to foster classrooms where students feel valued and a system that retains teachers. #YegVote

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Closing statements:
Hunt: “this is elbows up time for public education.”
Need $1B for infrastructure, fairer funding formula. Better collab with the city.

Ranon: I’ll be available to the public if elected.

#AbEd #YegVote

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Anderson thanks the EA for striking for 9 weeks to help improve salaries for support staff across the province.

Ramon says inclusion of students with disabilities is his reason for running and supports the EAs. #AbEd #YegVote

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Hunt says the board can work on trying to get classroom standards to create better working conditions for staff.

Bachand said board can’t control $ from the province which is the root of many issues. Schools shouldn’t be able to discriminate against students with disabilities, she said #YegVote

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Q from audience: she’s an EA *applause*
The former Trustee for Ward D (Trisha Estabrooks) supported CUPE 3550 support workers throughout the strike. Will you support us? #YegVote #AbEd #epsb

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Clarifying above: Bachand asks why schools resource officers need guns in schools.

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Audience Q: what would you take away?

Anderson: seclusion rooms, anti-2lgbtq+ laws

Hunt: less duplication, more resource sharing with catholic board, ex. Busing

Ranon: bullying and discrimination

Bachand: anti-trans policies, but how do you do it without breaking the law? School cop guns

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Member of the audience asks Bachand about her history teaching in the Catholic school system.

She says she has also taught in St Paul division (which has pub and Catholic schools) and St. Albert public. #AbEd #YegVote

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Oh my stars … question about the school calendar: something trustees control that seems to equally frustrate everyone involved. 📆

Ranon wants to offer sports programs for young students on PD days. #AbEd #YegVote

involved.ca

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Bachand said now that the govt is threatening to use the Notwithstanding Clause to defend Bills 26, 27 (and possibly 29) the board should attempt to protect students while convincing government the laws are flawed. #YegVote

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 7d

Hunt said the school board could be creative to prevent girls from leaving sports because of the requirement to sign a form attesting their gender assignment at birth. They could change the classification of teams, work with outside organizations, she said. #AbEd #YegVote

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