Alberta Parental Engagment Update Nov. 2010

The Proposed Framework for Alberta's new Education Act states:

Parents - The rights and responsibilities of parents for their children’s learning will be clearly defined, and will include the expectation that parents are active partners with the teachers, principals and instructional team in their children’s learning. Pg. 5.

See Whole Community Engagment in Education Act 2011 Proposed Framework October 7, 2010 for more quotes related to parental.and community engagement.

The following quote from the President's Message in the November-December ASCA News Letter gives us some background:

Inspiring Education created conversation among Albertans on what our education system should look like in twenty years. Inputs produced the document considering changes to our education system titled Inspiring Action in Education.
Education Minister Dave Hancock wrote in the forward -
“Inspiring Action on Education is a discussion paper that describes how we might make those changes to achieve our preferred future for education in Alberta. Inspiring Education was about dreaming the dream, and Inspiring Action is about what we all must to do to make this dream a reality.”
The Minister’s initiative to transform our education system (Inspiring Action) and a new Education Act (due to be tabled in the Spring Legislature) will reshape the education system.

The following quotes and comments to ASCA's Discussion Paper on the Future Role of School Council
are intended to further the dialogue on parental and community engagement:

In addition to the primary advisory function, the following suggested roles could expand parental engagement opportunities both within and outside of school council:
Recognizing school council involvement is one way for parents to be engaged, school council can act as the agent that encourages a variety of ways for parents to get involved with their children’s education and participate in the school. pg. 2

Setting up a separate entity that reports to school council could facilitate this. See Parents as Coaches (SGCHS).

Government of Alberta

3.Provides support for new initiatives that encourage parental/community, school council engagement at the local, regional and provincial levels by

a.Creating a “parental and community engagement initiative” fund to which school jurisdictions may apply (could be in conjunction with AISI)
b.Showcases and encourages sharing promising engagement practices (could be in conjunction with ASCA or AISI conference)

For dialogue on this see Inspiring Educational and Heritage Dialogues.

Students:

2.Understand the shared vision of the school and community and realize they are a part of it pg 5

Students need to be part of the dialogue for school and community improvement, especially High School students.

2.Create a movement by

a.Using exemplars of the type of people/schools/governors who are living a shared vision and making a positive difference in school/jurisdiction improvement
b.Spreading the “engagement” word – find and use “champions” of engagement
c.Examining , building, and using social networks to create buzz and conversations about learning communities and how people could be engaged (on‐line or otherwise) pg 5

The movement needs to go broader than the schools to the whole community.  See  Inspiring Community Action Dialogues.

Shifting attitudes and creating a culture of engagement is not an easy task. The Alberta School Councils’ Association has the means, expertise and willingness to lead and be a part of the shift.

It will take all of us who are engaged to lead and create a culture of engagement.  I believe one of the best ways to do this is through generative dialogue, similar to what we have experienced in Inspiring Education-Action. see Towards Generative Community Dialogue.