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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 4d

As we head into what will surely be an emotional weekend for teachers, parents, students and everyone who cares about the education system in #Alberta, time to re-up my letter to the editor that was also sent to the Premier, @naheednenshi.bsky.social & more. #ABleg

Letter to the Editor: Teachers don’t want to strike, but might have to

Teachers love being in the classroom and see their profession as a public service.

www.airdriecityview.com

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 4d

A really good read about the state of education in Alberta and how I think many teachers are feeling right now. The numbers are the numbers, but the sheer disrespect shown, especially since 2019, needs to be addressed. #ABleg #Alberta www.parklandinstitute.ca/disrespect

When Disrespect Becomes Policy: How Government Neglect Sparked Labour Unrest

As Albertans brace for the first teacher strike in nearly 25 years, a new opinion piece on Parkland’s blog gives a frontline perspective on the government’s long war against public education.

www.parklandinstitute.ca

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 8d

Quick math (just because it’s fun) in my wife’s classroom:

$30/day for each kid
X 25 kids in her class
= $750/day
X 182 instructional days (in my wife’s case)
= $136,500/school year

That’s just days with students? Yeah, we need to talk about her getting a raise. #ABleg #Alberta

a man standing in front of a chalkboard with mathematical equations written on it

ALT: a man standing in front of a chalkboard with mathematical equations written on it

media.tenor.com

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 8d

OK. Time to fix some numbers. I see it's actually for kids under 12. So, roughtly grade 6?

435,155 K-6 students
x $30/day support
= $13,084,650/day
x 19 school days in October after strike day
= $248,608,350

It's still very close to a quarter of a billion dollars. #ABleg

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 8d

Some quick math for my #ABleg followers:

825,000 K-12 students (according to gov’t website)
X $30/day support (as is being rumoured)
= $24,750,000/day
X 19 school days in October (from Oct. 6 if strike goes all month)
= $470,250,000

But we can’t afford to monitor class sizes. #Alberta

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 8d

There was a much easier way to respond to the question. Let the student speak, then “Thank you for being involved as a young person. We need more of that. While your question isn’t related to what we’re discussing, it’s provincial jurisdiction. Premier, would you please respond?” #ABleg #Alberta

The Breakdown AB @thebreakdownab.bsky.social · 9d

At tonight’s “consultation”…

When a high school kid tried to raise concerns about the teachers strike, Bruce McAllister cut the kids mic and then suggested his parents should have beaten him more.

Listen to the clip yourself…

It’s…

Telling.

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 8d

This isn’t a random media member or emcee. This is the executive director of the premier’s office, who has shown open disdain for dissenting voices for the whole tour. This would be unbecoming of anyone in the media/emcee world. It should also be for the premier’s office. #ABleg

The Breakdown AB @thebreakdownab.bsky.social · 9d

At tonight’s “consultation”…

When a high school kid tried to raise concerns about the teachers strike, Bruce McAllister cut the kids mic and then suggested his parents should have beaten him more.

Listen to the clip yourself…

It’s…

Telling.

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 11d

A further point involves teaching assistants. 1,500 by 2028 sounds great. But when you have 2,200(ish) schools, it’s less than one per school. And I know of schools that need 3-4 more just to handle the number of complex learners entering the system. It’s all a drop in the bucket. #ABleg #Alberta

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 11d

As an aside to that: yes, the province has its accelerated school build program. But is there an actual expectation that enough new schools will be opened over the next three years to ease the crunch? Or are jamming more students in existing facilities? #AbLeg #Alberta

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 11d

As teachers start voting on the new/old deal, some math: #Alberta has averaged 25,000 new students/year recently. If you’re averaging 25 students/classroom (K-12), you need 1,000 teachers. So the deal only pays for growth and not to ease current strain, no? And where are we putting them? #ABleg

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Reposted by Joe McFarland

Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 12d

I’ve tried to pack a lot in here:

TL;DR
- Many AB teachers intend to vote against a contract offer
- among them is a teacher who chaired the bargaining committee until last week
- ATA internal comms says if they strike, the scale will be unprecedented; public pressure will affect outcome #AbEd

Why some Alberta teachers will vote against the latest contract offer | CBC News

Many Alberta teachers say the latest contract offer from their employers and union isn’t good enough to stop them from striking.

www.cbc.ca

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 13d

If you missed that long letter I sent to the premier, education minister, @naheednenshi.bsky.social & others, here’s my open letter regarding the looming teachers strike in #ABleg and what I see every single day as the husband of a phenomenal teacher. #Alberta www.airdriecityview.com/opinion/lett...

Letter to the Editor: Teachers don’t want to strike, but might have to

Teachers love being in the classroom and see their profession as a public service.

www.airdriecityview.com

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 13d

It won’t be 95% like when they voted to strike. But I wouldn’t be shocked if it was 75% rejection. I am curious about how things play out if it’s 50-50 or even 60-40. Having it split helps the government I think.

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 13d

Judging by what I’ve seen in the online world, many teachers aren’t impressed with it being essentially the same deal as May. That said, I think some teachers are also getting cold feet, thinking they can’t trust that they’ll get a worse deal down the road. My gut tells me they reject it.

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 14d

It’s absolutely crazy to me that this hasn’t been put on the table from #ABleg. Had they said “listen, we can’t afford a massive raise right now but we can give you class size tracking & measures to address it,” I bet the province would get more sympathy. My guess: teachers reject this “new” offer.

Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 14d

"Although the province stopped tracking class sizes in 2019, educators say anecdotally their classrooms are becoming increasingly jammed."

Honestly wild Alberta stopped tracking this data and we now have to rely on anecdotal evidence when it comes to a key issue holding up a new teachers contract.

Alberta teachers and their employers have reached a tentative agreement | CBC News

Alberta teachers and their employers have reached a tentative agreement that could avert a strike in the province's schools, according to a statement from Finance Minister Nate Horner.

www.cbc.ca

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 14d

“Won’t be made public.” Let that sink in. A report into the allocation of millions of OUR dollars is going to be kept from Albertans. How does this hold anyone accountable/responsible for what has allegedly transpired? Bring on the public inquiry. #ABleg www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/art...

Interim report on Alberta health contract scandal not finished, won’t be made public

Alberta’s government says it has yet to receive an interim report on the investigation into allegations of corruption over health contracts but it should be finished in the coming days.

www.ctvnews.ca

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · 16d

As we get ready to see #ABleg attack ads in the ongoing dispute with teachers, a few important things to keep in mind. The biggest one to me: 3,000 teachers sounds great but how many are actually needed over three years just to fund growth vs. addressing current challenges? #Alberta

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · Sep 8

I wrote this a few days ago and finally sent it this morning to the premier, education minister, opposition leader and education critic. It's long. But it needs to be long. And it needs to be said. This isn't just about salaries. @albertateachers.bsky.social #ABleg #Alberta #ABed

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · Sep 6

Random #ABleg thought: coverage of the book ban debacle sure did a nice job of covering up the threat of a teacher’s strike, the healthcare mismanagement, the worse-than-expected budget deficit and the fact #Alberta now has the highest unemployment rate in the country.

a cartoon dog is talking to a man in glasses .

ALT: a cartoon dog is talking to a man in glasses .

media.tenor.com

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · Aug 29

Yikes. My wife’s grade one class had 25 kids this year and, if the notes from their kindergarten teachers are true, quite a few of them may require additional learning supports. Not ideal when government’s own documents say ideal class size is 18 at that age.

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · Aug 29

Hey #ABleg world: not sure if you saw this but the battle between government and teachers could come to a head as early as tomorrow. Talks have broken off between the two sides. News conferences tomorrow. Buckle up. #Alberta #ABed

www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?...

Alberta Teachers’ Association bargaining: Joint Statement

President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance Nate Horner and Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides issued the following statement on negotiations with the ATA:

www.alberta.ca

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · Aug 27

I’ve often said that many teachers I know would take another four years of zero salary increases if it meant more supports and class size monitoring. And now, it’s not just the in-class stuff but I’ve heard rumblings that some teachers are now doing basic cleaning because no one did it this summer.

Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · Aug 27

I fear far too many people were willingly blind to her past as Wildrose leader and then on radio. She’s always been out in plain sight, always failing to take responsibility for anything she says or does.

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · Aug 27

What a lot of people fail to understand as well is the increased complexities entering the classrooms, especially at younger ages. It spans such a wide spectrum and often is like adding another student. Now that class of 25 feels like a class of 30 or 35. It’s not sustainable.

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Joe McFarland @joemcfarland.bsky.social · Aug 26

Instead, classrooms are getting fuller and fuller. My wife’s grade one class in #Airdrie is going to be 24-25 students this year. Optimal class size at that age is 18-19. Add in students with complex learning needs (IPPs, ESL, etc) and it’s gonna feel like 30 pretty quick. #ABleg #Alberta

jason schilling @schilldawg.bsky.social · Aug 26

Every year, we’re told things will get better in Alberta’s classrooms or that we have adequate funding (we don't). But each new year, teachers face even greater challenges: overcrowded rooms, inadequate funding, and student needs going unmet. Our kids deserve better.

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