It is almost two years to the day that I retired from the role of Superintendent of Schools. That means, that I retired pre-pandemic. There was certainly a time when education was easier, but I cannot imagine a time when education was more difficult than during these past two years. It does not matter where you sit in the educational world, these last two years (and likely beyond) have been the most demanding on record.
Teachers and leaders are doing their very best, but they are living on the edge. The unpredictability caused by the pandemic and the realization that this is the new normal is not very comforting. Often the public is forgetful that educators have lives beyond the school. So when we talk about closures or child care or online schooling or… the impact is felt on multiple levels by the educator. Add in the fact, that we have students in classrooms who for almost two years have not had what we would say a typical school year. Teachers are trained in pedagogy and although it is often magic what they do with students from such diverse environments, they are not magicians.
Governments across this country are trying to make decisions to balance the need for students to be in school with a required plan to stop the spread of this latest variant. Any decision will be an impact on family life, economics and of course the education world. While some governments may be better with their plans, the unfortunate part of this issue is that there are no right answers for everything and everyone. And sadly, there will never be enough money to “fix the problem!” In my almost 35 year career not once did I ever say, “We have enough money in education!” We never have and we never will!!!
That does not mean that governments should wash their hands of the funding issue. There are resources that should be allocated to school divisions immediately that would support the education system. But what I would like to see, especially in Alberta, is a government (starting with the Premier) that demonstrates respect for educators and an acknowledgement of the demand that has been put on them especially these last two years. This respect and acknowledgement that are owed are not simply words of appreciation, but rather can only be demonstrated by actions. Unfortunately, so many of this government’s actions made to date have created a massive chasm that I’m not sure can be bridged under the current leadership but that cannot stop any attempt to move forward.
One action that would go a long way to demonstrating respect for educators is to bring teachers into the fold of curriculum development. It was a partial holiday present when the Minister of Education put a delay on the archaic social studies curriculum. Even if I assume that the remainder of the new curriculum coming out this September is “good” there is far too much baggage to have a successful implementation. A pause to allow teachers back into the development of new curriculum is all that is required. We are not starting brand new as previous governments (NDP & PC) have both provided excellent blueprints on the what and how of curriculum. This is not about ideology but rather starts to de-politicize education which is very much needed. Great curriculum needs educators’ involvement from the very start.
The quote above is a reminder to governments (and maybe even the general public) that feeling appreciated can make such a difference. With the immense pressure being experienced in the education sector and the additional pressures put on schools and systems during this pandemic, governments need to find ways to build stronger relationships, develop more collaborative processes and ultimately demonstrate through actions, an appreciation for the work being done.
