Teachers’ union boss wants names on curriculum panel kept private
Convention told clamour is based on political issues, not on education
The heated rhetoric around the rewrite of Alberta’s K-12 school curriculum could deter teachers from volunteering for later updates, says the president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association.
“If you are going to become part of a political process, will you sign up in the future? I think the answer would be no,” Mark Ramsankar told teachers during his Thursday address to the North Central Teachers’ Convention in Edmonton.
Ramsankar fired back at those demanding the government release a list of 300 volunteers from across Alberta who are working on the aggressive curriculum modernization effort. Most of them are teachers.
The names of people who worked to update Alberta’s curriculum in previous rewrites have never been publicly listed, nor has anyone demanded that information, he said.
“Suddenly, it becomes a transparency issue. Is writing curriculum about robust curriculum for children, or is it about political games and deficits? Is it about throwing it in so that the politicians can sit down in the (legislature) and try and point fingers at each other at the expense of hardworking teachers who are giving what they have to ensure the curriculum writing goes as planned?” Ramsankar said.
Education Minister David Eggen’s spokeswoman and some people serving on curriculum working groups have said they’re worried about harassment if the names are published. Eggen’s office said it is working to release more information about the groups.
Teachers must be involved in reviewing curriculum, given their reliance on it, Ramsankar said. They’ve been part of curriculum reboots under previous governments due to their expertise, not their “political stripe,” he said.
“(This is) not some mass scheme to try and indoctrinate children with political rhetoric,” he said.
Ramsankar also questioned the Edmonton public school board chairman’s announcement he’d like to explore the idea of offering Catholic programs in public schools.
“To what end? Frankly, I believe Catholics in our province are going to stay in the Catholic education system. The (teachers’) association does not support that type of direction,” Ramsankar said.
The association supports a “robust” Catholic system, he said, adding his wife is a Catholic school principal and his children attend Catholic schools.
Edmonton public board chairman Michael Janz said he wasn’t aware the teachers’ association had a position on the composition of school boards in the province. He said school boards must become more creative in how they use their limited budgets to serve a population growing in both size and diversity.
Ramsankar also criticized the government for enrolling Alberta students in expensive international testing he said provides no more insight than provincial assessments do. The NDP opposed the practice when in opposition, he said.
In 2016, Alberta Education reported it had spent about $300,000 in the last two years enrolling students in international tests like the Programme for International Student Assessment.
Ramsankar’s term as president ends in June, when he plans to move to Ottawa to take the helm of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation.
Alberta teachers are expected to vote in March for a new president, vice-presidents and directors.