I am writing you today once again to ensure that you are aware of exciting developments in the education system that affect you. First, let me take this opportunity to thank you for all of your great work and dedication to students. The recent PISA study is a testament to your success. In spite of recent criticism by some, let me assure you that our Premier and government are incredibly proud of educators like you that have made our education system one of the best performing in the world. It has only become one of the best because of our commitment to continuous improvement and our embrace of global best practice and research. The recently announced curriculum redesign is just one of those initiatives.
However, it is clear to me that in spite of two years of collaborative work with the ATA, ASBA, CASS, ASCA, and business and industry, some questions remain about the joint approach that we are taking with curriculum redesign. I would like to try and clarify for you the work that is underway and I also welcome your questions, comments and advice in relation to this initiative. I assure you that Alberta will not rush to implement changes to curriculum until parents and educators are confident that we have it right.
As educators, parents, and administrators, it is our responsibility to ensure that our education system is continually evolving and putting students first. We must take stock of the world around us, at home and abroad, and determine how to best tailor the education system to meet the demands of a globally, interconnected economy. The world in which our students will soon enter is becoming increasingly competitive and demanding of new skills which, we have heard through conversations with Albertans, need to be better built into today’s curriculum.
This is one of the reasons we are redesigning the curriculum to make it more responsive, more relevant and better suited to present and future realities. Some of our recent successes in education are reflective of these efforts, all of which aim to put students at the heart of the system. Teachers, like you, are leading the way in helping to effectively implement a number of innovative initiatives like the Dual Credit Partnerships Program, the High School Flexibility Program and the transition to digital and flexible Student Learning Assessments. You will remain a vital partner in any changes moving forward and we will continue to rely on your professional expertise as educators.
As frontline education professionals, you know better than anyone else that each student learns differently and a one-size fits all approach to education is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
Secondly, teachers have told me that the current curriculum is too packed and can force teachers to only scratch the surface of subject matter and limit an opportunity to impart the full scope of their knowledge. You have also told me that a packed curriculum prevents teachers from having the time and space they need to individualize learning to better meet the needs of students. It can also stifle a teacher’s creativity, inhibiting the application of their full skillset. And lastly, we also need to heed the concerns of parents and find ways to more strongly emphasize the foundational skills of numeracy and literacy.
In order to address these shortcomings, while also developing a curriculum that prepares Alberta's students for the rigors of the modern world, we have endeavored to create a dynamic and holistic curriculum. The process by which we will do this is intended to be immensely collaborative and will rely on the dedication, skills and expertise of individuals like you. The redesign process is being led by a consortia of school boards who have committed to engage with classroom teachers, parents, the business community, FNMI and trustees from across the province. You should also be aware that the ATA has been on our government's Curriculum Advisory Committee for the past two years to represent you throughout the development of this process.
Moving forward, the redesign will first yield draft curriculum prototypes that we will look to implement more broadly once they are ready. Although this process only recently got underway, I can tell you that our three main objectives are the following:
Furthermore, I wish to clarify what this process is not. Despite claims to the contrary, Alberta Education is not embracing or moving towards simply imposing so-called "discovery learning”. Some have suggested that teachers will only be a partner in learning and learners will be completely self-directed. I can tell you this is absolute rubbish. Alberta, as you know, has already embraced inquiry-based learning, which is an approach that is well documented and the basis of significant scientific study. We know that methods used to reach each student are best determined by you as the professionals in the classroom. I encourage you to read more about inquiry-based learning by following this link:http://www.education.alberta.ca/teachers/aisi/themes/inquiry.aspx.
Additionally, the redesign process is neither drastic nor radical. It is being done in a thoughtful, methodical and collaborative manner. No longer can educators take ten years to redesign a single subject at a time. We want teachers, parents, industry and students from the field to develop our prototypes. We hope our new process will enable us to interweave and reinforce the application of the fundamentals in with 21st century competencies across all subjects.
A successful redesign of the curriculum is integral to realizing the vision of Inspiring Education. If you are unsure of what inspiring education is challenging us to do, please visit this link, which will take you to the introductory speech I delivered to the Inspiring Education Symposium on February 19th. I trust that you will find it informative and helpful. As many of you are fielding questions on the curriculum redesign, I have also attached my opinion editorial which appeared recently in the Calgary Herald to the end of this email.
I am also pleased to inform you that Cabinet recently approved the establishment of the Teacher Development and Practice Advisory Committee (TDPAC). This committee will be chaired by ATA President, Mark Ramsankar, and teachers will comprise half of the committee’s voting membership. The purpose of TDPAC is to advise the government on all matters affecting the teaching profession. I look forward to working with TDPAC to ensure that we’re constantly strengthening the teaching profession in Alberta. In closing, I wish to express that I am excited to be working with you to help reach the highest possible level of student achievement in our province. Our world leading results are a testament to your hard work. The education system of the future - the system in which we are building on - will be cutting-edge, dynamic and student-centred. The ethical citizens, engaged thinkers and entrepreneurial spirits of Inspiring Education will help shepherd Alberta further into the 21st century and will ensure our children are among the world’s best prepared to compete in a global economy.
Warm regards, Jeff Johnson Minister Alberta Education MLA for Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater
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