Message from the Honourable Dave Hancock Minister of Education
The return to school is an exciting time for all concerned: teachers, students and parents. Teachers look forward to seeing new faces in front of them who will be looking to them for guidance and inspiration. Students anticipate learning new and challenging things as well as reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Parents wonder how their children will fare in their new classes and trust they are being properly prepared for the future that awaits them after they graduate.
As exciting as every school year is, this one has the promise of being even more so. Last year, I talked about three major public engagement initiatives undertaken by Education: Setting the Direction for Special Education in Alberta; Inspiring Education: A Dialogue with Albertans; and Speak Out!- Alberta Student Engagement Initiative, and what they were expected to achieve. I am pleased to inform you that those initiatives exceeded expectations. Thousands of Albertans of all ages and from all walks of life took part. As a result of their input, we now have a good idea of the general direction we need to take in transforming our education system.
Inspiring Action on Education is the next step in creating the future of education together. Inspiring Action on Education is a discussion paper that describes how we might make changes that will achieve our preferred future for education in Alberta. We have dreamed the dream and now we must make the dream a reality. Information about Inspiring Action can be found at engage.education.alberta.ca/inspiring-action/become-involved/
Our commitment to listening to Albertans’ ideas about education continues. As part of the process, there are transformation guides and real-time online-facilitated dialogues. The guides explore topics from Early Childhood Services to Grade 12 education, and the online-facilitated dialogues will give you an opportunity to discuss those ideas with others. I encourage you to take part.
This is an election year for school trustees and our education dialogues may provide insight for you on who could best represent your educational ideas, aspirations and values on your local board. I have encouraged all current trustees and those wishing to be trustees to take part in Inspiring Action and I have every confidence they will do so. This election, and a focused discussion about education, will be critical to the transformation of our education system that will enable it to meet the needs of 21st century learners.
I wish you, our students and our teachers a productive and inspirational school year.
