(A reply from the Minister's office to an email I sent voicing my concerns regarding funding cuts)
Dear Mr. Newton:
Thank you for your recent e-mail about education funding for the Calgary Board of Education.
As you noted in your e-mail, education funding for the 2010/2011 school year has not been cut by government. In fact, since 2000/2001, funding to education has increased by $2.7 billion, or 73 per cent, while student enrolment has increased by three per cent for the same period.
Under Budget 2010, government’s investment in education of $6.3 billion means that $31.4 million is being invested each day that students are in school. Of the $6.3 billion investment, $5.4 billion directly supports the operating expenses of Alberta’s school boards, which represents an increase of $249 million, or 4.8 per cent, from 2009/2010. This funding reflects the importance government places on our education system and support for student learning.
For the past 18 months, the education sector has engaged in many conversations about the future of learning in our province. The five-year agreement between the Government of Alberta and the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) created a clear time frame in which work like Inspiring Education could happen without the needless distractions of bargaining and “labour relations.” Government has strongly maintained its commitment to the agreement and our consequent obligations. The funding of teachers’ Alberta Average Weekly Earnings increases has clearly been part of that commitment.
Alberta has been able to manage the impact of the global financial crisis without having to make deep cuts. We are in this fortunate position because government had paid off its debt and accumulated $17 billion in the Sustainability Fund. To see our province through this difficult period, government has adopted a balanced approach to financial management that includes closely managing spending, using our savings to protect key public programs and services and continuing to build infrastructure to support jobs and the economy.
However, our revenue picture remains highly uncertain, with natural gas prices low and oil prices, financial markets and the Canadian dollar fluctuating on a daily basis. We will remain focused on our plan to be prudent, balanced and cautious and to balance the provincial budget by 2012.
Within this context, my government colleagues and I will meet our commitments. In light of the better than expected year-end results for the past fiscal year, government has determined that it is prudent to provide funding for the 2.92 per cent teacher salary increase this year rather than over a longer term. I am pleased to inform you that government will fulfil its commitment to school boards and teachers by providing funding for a 2.92 per cent increase in teachers’ salaries effective September 1, 2010.
The increase in funding will be applied in the form of a 2.92 per cent increase to the base student and class size initiative grants. I want to be absolutely clear: this money is for teacher and support staff salaries, not for any other purpose. As I have repeatedly said in recent months, we have devoted significant resources to reducing class sizes, and I have no desire to see these gains lost. While I recognize that there were adjustments in the class size funding formula, I expect that boards will sustain or improve their progress in meeting class size guidelines as a result of this funding.
I want to again stress that the Government of Alberta, Premier Ed Stelmach and I have at all times indicated that our commitments would be met, whether in this fiscal year or in future years. I am disappointed that some boards have indicated they will make budget decisions resulting in teaching staff reductions that are not in the best interests of students, despite my repeated assurances that funding would be forthcoming. I have fulfilled all of the commitments I have made to school boards about their budgets: an unprecedented collaboration with school boards in the preparation of the Education budget last fall; the provision of additional funding for last year’s 5.99 per cent increase as soon as the arbitrator’s ruling was made and the provincial budget was passed; and now the provision of funding for the coming school year’s salary increases. This is ample grounds for trust in commitments made by government.
Given that many school boards have decided to delay submitting their 2010/2011 operating budgets until November 30, notice of this funding increase will provide time for them to adjust decisions about staff recruitment, financial allocations and other resourcing issues. For those school boards that have passed their budgets and/or have submitted their budgets for the upcoming school year, it will be essential to revisit resourcing and allocation decisions.
Now that funding questions are off the table, we can once again focus on the critical work of preparing our education system for the future. Inspiring Education has provided a platform for in-depth thinking and discussion about education policy and practice, which will ensure Alberta students have the opportunities they need to meet their learning needs.
I trust this funding announcement will come as welcome news, and that we can now turn our fullest energies to the future of education in Alberta.
Yours truly,
Dave Hancock, Q.C.
Minister of Education
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