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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 3h

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 · 13h

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 · 13h

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 · 13h

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 · 2d

#yegfunicularstatus The funicular isn’t working right now

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 4d

😬

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 5d

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

Forum complete.

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www.edmonton.ca

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 5d

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 · 5d

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 · 5d

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 · 5d

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 · 5d

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 · 5d

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

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 5d

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 · 5d

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 · 5d

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 · 5d

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 · 5d

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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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 5d

2sLGBTQ+ rights of students and the candidates’ concerns about provincial laws (Bills 27 and 29, the library policy) have come up repeatedly.

Anderson said trustees must be a shield to protect students from the laws.

Hunt said they are discriminatory policies and we need to change them.
#YegVote

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 5d

Ranon says as trustee he would create a parent council to meet with. Says trustees can’t override the laws set by government.

Anderson says “parent rights” are being used as a way to erode rights particularly when f 2sLGBTQ+ students. Board has obligation to uphold human rights. #AbEd #YegVote

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 5d

Q. What do candidates think when they hear “parental rights are under attack?”

Bachand says it indicates a breakdown in communication with families.

Hunt says schools obliged to protect student safety. Parent engagement is different and there are better tools schools could use. #YegVote

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 5d

- Anderson is campaigning on removing all seclusion rooms from EPSB schools.

- Ranon wants to promote local employment at schools - people from the communities #YegVote #AbEd #epsb

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 5d

- Colette Bachand would like charter schools to be brought under the authority of public school boards

- Both Nickela Anderson and Bachand suggest protecting students from new provincial laws and policies targeting 2LGBTQ+ students #YegVote

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 5d

Some ideas raised so far:

- Nancy Hunt would like to see a public-first policy where new schools space built in the city has guaranteed seats for students in the public system (right now projects from each authority are funded separately)

#YegVote #epsb

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Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 5d

This forum is put on by @epsan.bsky.social and Edmonton Public Teachers local 37. There are roughly 50-60 people here. #YegVote #epsb

Questions from moderator so far are about candidates’ connections to public education and advocacy plans for schools space. #AbEd

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