Calgary Herald

4 CBE candidates voice concerns about math results, report cards

- EVA FERGUSON eferguson@postmedia.com

Four women, all with young children in school, announced their candidacy for trustee positions with the Calgary Board of Education, raising concerns around math results, report cards and bullying.

Lisa Davis, Althea Adams, Sabrina Bartlett, and Bianca Smetacek will run on a team platform saying they share viewpoints on several issues, but also vowed to bring an independen­t voice to reflect interests specific to their areas.

“We share a common vision and we are all committed to take action, and to be accountabl­e to parents’ concerns,” said Davis, founder of the Kids Come First advocacy group who will run in Wards 6 and 7, representi­ng the city’s southwest corner and portions of the northwest’s inner city.

The team of four, calling themselves “Students Count,” say they will work together on a five-point platform that includes fixing math, funding classrooms instead of administra­tion, changing report cards, ensuring student wellness and keeping “big money” out of the classroom.

As math scores on standardiz­ed tests continue to decline, candidates vowed to fund more in-class supports and tutoring by cutting administra­tive costs at the CBE, like travel and communicat­ions.

“Math matters and, in my area, students now have the worst math scores. Why is it that your postal code defines what your quality of education will be,” said Smetacek, who is running in Wards 5 and 10 in the city’s deep northeast.

Smetacek has two children, aged five and 11, and has worked in India advocating for Mumbai’s street children following her education in social work and family welfare.

She added that it’s outrageous that while many public schools benefit from high-quality technology or extracurri­cular programs, many schools in her area haven’t had safe playground­s in years.

Sabrina Bartlett, who has two children in the public system, one in elementary and one in junior high, will run in Wards 8 and 9 representi­ng areas west of downtown and a large swath of the southeast. Bartlett decided to run after her son was the victim of bullying and school officials offered little support or resolution.

“The system isn’t robust enough. When children are bullied, we need to ensure we focus on their healing.”

Bartlett wants to examine the merits of creating an ombudsman position, either at the provincial or local level. The ombudsman will be tasked with mediating and advocating for children who experience bullying at school, or in particular at home through cyber-bullying, now seen as a growing problem.

Althea Adams, co-president of the Calgary Associatio­n of Parents and School Councils, will run in Wards 3 and 4, representi­ng the furthest north and northwest parts of the city.

Along with concerns around math scores and funding supports, Adams wants to survey parents about recently-changed report cards where students from kindergart­en all the way up to Grade 9 are now being scored on a scale of one to four.

“It’s just not enough informatio­n and parents and their kids don’t know where they stand.

“You could get a two or a three out of four in math, think you’re meeting grade level, but later when you’re assessed, you could realize you’re way below grade level,” said Adams, who has worked as a communicat­ions profession­al.

“These changes were made without consulting parents, and if we’re going to do something that big, we need to consult them.”

Davis, who’s been vocal in the media for several years advocating for improved STEM education, also wants to abolish corporate and union donations to trustee campaigns.

Kids Come First and CAPSC are collecting signatures on a petition urging the NDP government to apply the same limitation­s on special interest group financing that they approved for MLAs under Bill 1, just weeks after being elected in the spring of 2015.

“Control of election campaigns belongs with individual­s, not union or corporate special interests,” Davis said.

“Each candidate today commits to taking no money from unions or corporatio­ns. We challenge all other candidates in this election to do the same.”

 ?? DEAN PILLING ?? From left, Althea Adams, Sabrina Bartlett, Lisa Davis and Bianca Smetacek — all with young children in school — are running as a team to become Calgary Board of Education trustees.
DEAN PILLING From left, Althea Adams, Sabrina Bartlett, Lisa Davis and Bianca Smetacek — all with young children in school — are running as a team to become Calgary Board of Education trustees.

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