The ATA News , December 9, 2025 ❚ 7
LEGISLATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Education issues debated
Differing perspectives, shared purpose: Sustaining our unity
Shelley Svidal ATA News Staff T he legislative assembly recon- vened November 17 following a constituency week. Here is a summary of the education-related discussions that took place in question period from November 17 to November 27. Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee November 17—Amanda Chapman (NDP—Calgary-Beddington) asked Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides why it took the government so long to establish a Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee. Nicolaides replied that the committee had held a productive first meeting. He added that the data the government receives from school divisions will help it make informed decisions about resource allocation. Noting that the hastily published online forms are vague and difficult to complete, Chapman asked Nicolaides why the government continues to talk about reducing red tape while adding more of it. Nicolaides replied that the data collection provides transparency and will help the government make the best-informed decisions. Chapman pointed out that the committee does not include a representative of Edmonton School Division. She asked Nicolaides whether anyone in the government is listening to Albertans. Nicolaides replied that the committee includes the superintendents of Calgary School Division and Edmonton Roman Catholic Separate School Division, as well as other superintendents, school trustees, representatives of the Alberta Teachers’ Association and government MLAs. Education Policies November 18—Leader of the Official Opposition Naheed Nenshi noted that Premier Danielle Smith had delivered “quite the speech” that morning at the Alberta School Boards Association’s Fall General Meeting. He asked Smith whether her statement that she does not believe in inclusion and that students with particularly complex needs should be segregated was official government policy. Smith replied that teachers are concerned about managing the complexity in their classrooms. She added that one of the teachers she has talked to suggested that the government look at the Saskatchewan model, which has special classes with no more than 15 students, one teacher and two education assistants. Nenshi asked Smith whether it was official government policy that every teacher have a set of PowerPoint slides and lesson plans to help them teach the United Conservative Party curriculum. Smith replied that a number of teachers have told her that they find the distance learning materials a useful starting point. Nenshi asked Smith whether she believes, as she told the Alberta School Boards Association, that any subject- matter expert with no experience in pedagogy, classroom management or the education of students with complex needs can teach. Smith
replied by suggesting that her remarks had been limited to trades education. Bill 9 November 19—Christina Gray (NDP— Edmonton-Mill Woods) asked Smith whether her repeated use of the notwithstanding clause means that she opposes the freedoms of all Albertans. Smith replied that the government understands that its job is to protect children. She reported that she had received a note from the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, saying that Smith will be remembered as having been on the right side of history and children’s rights. Gray asked Smith to identify the next target of the notwithstanding clause. Smith replied that Bill 9 “is about protecting children and making sure that medical experiments are not conducted on them. . . We’ve got to make sure that they make it safely into adulthood, fully understanding the consequences of their decisions, preserving their fertility.” Gray asked Smith why the government has removed parents’ freedoms to decide what is best for their children. Smith replied that the government stands on the side of those who want to protect children. Complex Classroom Supports November 26—Amanda Chapman (NDP—Calgary-Beddington) Citing the “great work” done by the Aggression and Complexity in SchoolsActionTeam, Chapman asked Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides whether he needs more committees to help him understand what is going on in Alberta’s classrooms. Nicolaides replied that classrooms are larger and more complex today than ever before. He added that the government had established the Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team and the Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee to obtain expert advice and direction and that the government continues to make historic investments in the education system. Chapman noted that the committee identifies student mental health as contributing to classroom complexity, with a rise in the number of students with disabilities that require formal learning supports. She asked Nicolaides to “stop throwing immigrants under the bus,” admit that the government has not supported diversity and commit to providing the resources students need. Nicolaides described Chapman’s allegation that he is throwing immigrants under the bus as “completely disgusting.” He noted that the number of temporary foreign individuals in Canada rose from 900,000 in 2022 to 1.9 million in 2024. “We’re working to address those pressures that the federal the government has brought forward,” he said. Chapman asked Nicolaides why the action team was not able to make recommendations that would have immediately increased supports and resources for students. Nicolaides replied that Budget 2024 and Budget 2025 had each increased education funding by about 4.5 per cent. He added that Budget 2025 had also increased the classroom complexity grant by about 30 per cent.
A few weeks ago, I heard Robyne Hanley-Dafoe speak in Camrose. She reminded us that every person carries their own perspective and that leadership is the work of honouring as many of those perspectives as possible.That message landed with me, particularly because we all just lived through a moment when thousands of perspectives, experiences and emotions converged into a single historic movement. What we accomplished over the past months has no precedent in Alberta’s history. Never before have all teachers and school leaders been on strike together. This was the largest job action our province has ever seen and each of you made it possible. We stood strong, proud and united. And Alberta will never forget it. Parents, students, businesses and communities heard us. Support for teachers didn’t fall after the strike— it grew, here and across Canada. I’ve heard from our colleagues nationwide that Alberta teachers changed the national conversation on classroom complexity. You did that. And, yes, how the strike ended has created deep and valid emotions. Pride and frustration can exist together. I felt them too. We cannot avoid or minimize those feelings, but we also don’t need to rush through them. Working through these complex emotions and difficult conversations by really listening to one another is
how we gain new perspectives. Doing this work will only make us stronger. Even when we disagree, we remain united by something larger: our commitment to public education. Learning from each other and creating space to understand one another helps us continue the work ahead. And we need to continue, because we are facing a government that is less collaborative, more unpredictable and more willing to legislate than to listen. To respond effectively, we must all be moving in the same direction. The strike didn’t end our work; it transformed it. Our post-strike strategy builds on the power and public support you created and turns it into long-term gains. Our goals are clear: protect teachers, strengthen advocacy and defend public education. This includes action on class size and complexity, a legal challenge to Bill 2, deeper partnerships with civil society and labour, strong support for public education initiatives, vigorous contract enforcement, renewed political engagement and revitalized public advocacy. The strike may have ended, but the fight is not over—and it is certainly not lost. As we head into the holidays and look forward to a new year, I hope you find rest, joy and a well-earned break. Rest is not about stepping back from the work; it is how we sustain it. Take care of yourselves this season. You deserve it.
Teacher returns to TV
Cory Hare ATA News Staff R eality television is becoming a regular side hustle for Renu Mathew, a teacher of art, ceramics, cosmetology and edible arts at Ecole Olds High School. Throughout November, Mathew has been appearing on Sweet Empire: Winter Wars , a new show on the Food Network. She was invited to apply to the show after previous appearances on the Great Chocolate Showdown and The Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown . She said doing a reality show for the third time was quite fun but still challenging. “From my previous experiences, I know what to expect, which makes it less stressful, but each show has unique challenges,” she said. Mathew’s previous television appearances were individual competitions, whereas Sweet Empire involved competing as a team. “I found that performing under pressure as a team was much more difficult than working as an individual,” she said. Mathew added that her experiences on all three shows have informed her teaching practice in many ways. “I have connected with people who are now friends that I can consult with
for specialized knowledge in ceramics, chocolate and advanced cake artistry,” she said. Mathew considers her show appearances a form of professional development because of the multiple skills involved, such as understanding diverse group dynamics, adapting quickly to change, navigating conflict effectively, managing time and being under the scrutiny of the judges and the camera. “The shows that I have been on have improved my skills and ability to perform under pressure,” she said. FOOD NETWORK Olds teacher Renu Mathew during her appearance on Sweet Empire: Winter Wars
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