10 ideas about NDP victory in Alberta

I'm a 36 year old Albertan and I've never experienced a change in provincial government... until last night.

The NDP led by Rachel Notley displaced a tired and corrupt 44 year old Progressive Conservative government.

Here are 10 ideas about the NDP victory in Alberta:

1. Change is healthy

44 years under the same government is a long time. Many of the newly elected NDP MLAs are inexperienced and that's ok. For too long MLAs have been doing things right without doing the right things.

2. Income Inequality Matters

We know that income inequality in Alberta is widening and the middle class is shrinking. When wealth is concentrated into fewer and fewer hands, politics becomes more and more polarized. Some equality is important because if inequality grows too wide, the poor come after the wealthy with pitchforks. 

3.  Everything is impossible until it happens

Nothing good comes from fatalism. Democracy is built on dissent and honest dialogue. Alberta does not belong to any single political party or ideology -- Alberta belongs to Albertans.

4.  Jim Prentice's true intentions revealed

Many said that Prentice only returned to use Alberta as a political stepping stone and his resignation as leader and MLA before the ballots were all counted proves them right. Now Albertans are stuck with the bill for another by-election.

5.  Hope-mongering > Fear-mongering

We are all better off voting for something we believe in rather than strategically voting in a way that blocks something we don't like. We are all better off when campaigns are run on hope rather than fear.

6. Elitism leads to disconnection

Entitlements and elitism blinded the PCs as they slowly became more and more disconnected and irrelevant to Albertans. After Prentice was serenaded and sold as the savour of the PC party, he hand-picked and anointed cabinet ministers and meddled in candidate nominations. It all looked good on paper but failed miserably where it mattered most.

7. Alberta isn't a business -- we are a democracy

The economy is important, no doubt about it. However, Alberta doesn't hire a CEO, we elect MLAs to represent us in the Legislature. Government needs to be for Main Street not Wall Street.

8. Politics done differently?

What if David Swann and Greg Clark were offered cabinet positions?

9. An education minister and health minister who knows something about education and health?

Albertans have had a revolving door for education minister for too long. It would be refreshing to see someone like Deron Bilous or Sarah Hoffman as education minister. What if the Alberta government stopped ignoring professional organizations like the Alberta Teachers' Association and Alberta Medical Association and collaborated with them?

10. Wildrose on the right, NDP on the left, Alberta Party in the middle?

Some Albertans may not feel comfortable with the Wildrose or the NDP. With the Liberals in steady decline and the PCs in purgatory, Greg Clark and the Alberta Party's momentum may pick up as more and more Albertans seek out a moderate alternative.

I am not fearful of all this change -- I find myself hopeful and optimistic.

PC no-shows at public events all over Alberta

A pumpkin sits in place of no-show Jim Prentice
at a Calgary-Foothills debate.

There is an election in Alberta.

There is a lot of discontent for the 44 year old government run by the Progressive Conservatives.

Things are so uncomfortable for the Progressive Conservatives that they would rather avoid engaging the public at forums, events and debates.

During last year's by-election, Jim Prentice was a no-show for an all-candidates forum.

This year, Gordon Dirks was a no-show for an Alberta Teachers' Association all-party forum on education.

For the PCs, it's safer to not show up.

It's safer for them to not engage.

It's safer for them to not use social media.

The PCs are fuelling the status quo with silence. On May 5, election day, the PC Prentice Team is hoping that Albertans stay home.

In an effort to refuse fatalism, Albertans need to make public every time PC candidates are a no-show for public events.

On Social Media, Albertans can use #PCnoShow.

There is an education forum in Red Deer on Monday, April 20th. I have a feeling I will be Tweeting with #PCnoShow.

Alberta isn't broke -- but Jim Prentice and the PCs priorities are

Here are a couple blog posts that expand on my thoughts from this video:

Whom is the Alberta Government for?

5 Reasons why I left the PCs for the Alberta Party

Alberta Party

Better Way Alberta

Alberta Could

Whom is the Alberta Government for?

Alberta's public schools are expected to be
everything to everyone with less and less.

In Alberta, a dependency on oil and gas has left us grossly susceptible to excessive revenue volatility -- things are glorious in the booms but down-right scary in the busts. Thus, Alberta has come to be defined as much by our advantages as our disadvantages.

Today, Alberta is busting under a 40+ year old government now led by Jim Prentice who is yet again looking to balance the budget by cutting hard working Albertans and public goods such as health and education.

No one in their right mind would ask Jim Prentice to Be Like Ralph had the PCs learned anything in the 25 years since Ralph Klein took an axe to Alberta's schools and hospitals.

Alberta isn't broke, but Jim Prentice and the PCs' priorities are.

Hard working Albertans get upset when the government demands "burden sharing" during the tough times but ignores "profit sharing" during the good times. It takes zero courage to make hard working Albertans pay for the bad times while PC MLAs mismanage the good times in their own favour.

It's nearly impossible to believe that Alberta's oil belongs to Albertans when we have the second lowest oil and gas royalty regime in the world -- only Yemen has a lower royalty rate for oil. But, it's like they say, if it's good enough for Yemen, it's good enough for us... (wait, no one says that!)

Hard working Albertans get frustrated when "everything is on the table" means that public goods for all like schools and hospitals will be sacrificed to save private interests for the privileged few. In other words, austerity is when people who have the least give up the most, so that people who have the most don't have to give up anything. Cutting expenditures while ignoring revenues is like building a house with only a saw.

Webber Academy is an elite private school in Calgary
that has select admissions, annual tuition ranging from $10-20
thousand and is subsidized by Alberta taxpayers.

In 2013, any Albertan who made more than $17,593 paid the same percentage (10%) of Alberta tax regardless of their income. Alberta could raise its taxes by $11 billion a year and remain the lowest taxed province in Canada. When public services don't keep up with the wealthy's demands for things like health and education, they pay for it out of pocket -- while everyone else likely goes without. Need proof? Keep in mind that 1 in 7 children in Alberta live in poverty while you watch this powerful 9 minute video on the difference between an affluent private school and a poor public school in Calgary.

Cutting expenditures can not be the only solution. Prentice has said that, "I could terminate the employment of every single employee of the Government of Alberta, leaving aside healthcare, and it would not fill a six- to seven-billion-dollar hole." This isn't an argument for cutting healthcare or education -- it's an argument that says if your only tool is a saw, you will cut everything.

Alberta teachers are in the middle of a collectively bargained contract that has me get 0%, 0% and 0% pay increases over three years. I already have 30+ children in my grade 6 and 8 classes, and I teach 120+ students everyday. In 2013, Alberta schools added 11,000 more students, but the PCs cut 14.5 million. How many students will I have after Prentice and the PCs cut even more? How much more of the burden do children, teachers and schools have to pay?

Trickle-Down Economics or Flood-Up Economics?

If everything is honestly on the table, however, then Alberta needs to address our revenue problem by raising Alberta's corporate tax, oil royalties and moving to a progressive tax. We also need to take the Heritage Savings Trust Fund seriously.

The size of the Alberta government is not our primary problem -- our primary problem is figuring out whom the government is for. For too long, the so-called "Alberta Advantage" has been built on corporate welfare, crony capitalism and PC privilege which has led to socialism for the rich and capitalism for the middle class and poor. If the "Alberta Advantage" is truly for everyone, then Albertans need a government who will build this province with more than a saw.

Albertans don't need an early and illegal election that will cost them $20 million, but Prentice and the PCs do if they want to deliver a budget that will likely double down on four decades of PC failure, mismanagement and squandering. Alison Redford had no-meet committees while Prentice has why-meet committees, both are an assault on our budget and democracy. When crisis hits Alberta, and democracy seems a practical impossibility, we need a government that is for Main Street, not Wall Street.

As long as Albertans continue to vote the way they have always voted, Albertans will continue to get what they have always gotten. It's time Albertans stopped choosing between being healthy and wealthy, when we so obviously need both.

If Jim Prentice and the PCs are to receive this message loud and clear, most Albertans need to find a new political home and vote for someone and something different.

I know I am.

Prentice slams Johnson's Task Force

Jim Prentice is running for the Progressive Conservative leadership, but he sounded more like the opposition when he slammed Jeff Johnson's Task Force this morning.

Karen Kleiss with the Edmonton Journal writes:

In a bare-knuckled speech early Thursday morning, Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Jim Prentice said the shortage of schools in Alberta is “nearing crisis proportions” and pledged to build up to 50 more — in addition to the existing promise to build 50 and modernize 70 more. 

He pummeled the “so-called Task Force for Teaching Excellence,” saying he has spoken with hundreds of parents in the past month and he has “yet to meet even one who is preoccupied with changing how teachers are evaluated or disciplined.” 

He promised to work “in a respectful way” with teachers and their union, the Alberta Teachers’ Association, and said he will work with parents and educators to patiently determine what changes need to be made to Alberta’s curriculum.

In September 2013, I wrote a post that outlined 3 potential problems with Johnson's Task Force. Here is the first problem:

If I was Jeff Johnson and the Alberta Government, I may want to distract the public from funding cuts in public education by creating a task force that focuses on teacher quality. For this school year, the Alberta Government cut school board budgets by $14.5 million even though 11,000 new students entered Alberta's schools. This will lead to all sorts of problems for teachers' working conditions including larger class sizes.

Prentice's comments from this morning are pretty similar in theme:

“As an Albertan, as a grandparent, as a candidate for Premier — I am disappointed,” Prentice said. “I am disappointed that children are in our province are not receiving the very best education in Canada. 

“I am especially disappointed that so many of them spent the past school year in makeshift classrooms. This can’t be allowed to continue. And if I become leader, it won’t.”

It sure looks to me like Prentice sees Jeff Johnson's Task Force for what it truly is -- a giant distraction from predictable and sustainable funding.

To be clear, if the 2012 Progressive Conservatives couldn't make good on building 50 new schools before 2016, I have zero confidence that Prentice's 2016 Conservatives can build 100.

It's not that I think Prentice is lying -- I believe that he wants to build more schools, but I don't think the PC's will let him.

9 ways Jeff Johnson and his task force have failed Albertans

Dear Jim Prentice,

As you may know, there is a rumour going about that you may be interested in the leadership of Alberta's Progressive Conservatives.

While I'm sure there are a gazillion reasons why you should not pursue political suicide, here are 9 more that are specific to Jeff Johnson and his task force on teaching.

Johnson is reckless

Too often, Johnson tries to make change by imposing his will on those who have less power. First, he threw around the idea of merit pay (the bad idea that won't die).

He threatened to remove teachers' collective bargaining rights with legislation. Using the teachers' registrar certification contact list, he sent an e-mail to 30,000 teachers, and now is being investigated by the privacy commissioner.

He orchestrated an agreement with Alberta Teachers without including School Boards.

And now Johnson thinks that he can improve Alberta schools with his Orwellian Task Force that looks to take over punishing teachers. The Alberta Teachers' Association is raising serious concerns about direct ministerial interference in the work of the task force and have requested a FOIP request on Johnson's Task Force.

Johnson ignores teachers

The best decisions for the child are made by the child in collaboration with a safe and caring adult who actually spends time with them. Those adults are not bureaucrats or politicians -- they are the classroom teachers. Jeff Johnson continues to openly ignore teachers and their Alberta Teachers' Association. 

To create a task force on teacher excellence without actively collaborating with teachers is contrary to common sense, collaboration and transparency. 

There is a big difference between keeping teachers passively informed and encouraging them to actively participate in improving Alberta's schools.

Johnson confuses innovation with privatization

When asked about for-profit, online charter schools, Johnson says he's open to all options that create excellence and opportunities -- despite the evidence that for-profit, online charters offer children neither excellence or opportunities. 

Being open-minded is one thing but Johnson's response is growing old and tired. Every time someone asks him about a potential idea in education, regardless of its quality, he fires back with this hollow political boilerplate.

Albertans should be immensely proud of our world-class public education system -- simultaneously, Albertans should be appalled when our elected officials consider for-profit, private schools as a way of improving our education system. I've written a post here about why Cyber Charter schools are such a bad idea. 

It's one thing to suggest that students should be encouraged to become entrepreneurial but it is quite another to unleash entrepreneurs to profit off of children and public education. To be clear, this is not about pedagogy -- it's about privatizing public education which is ultimately wrong.

Johnson is entitled

After Alison Redford's gross misuse of taxpayer's dollars, The Alberta Party brought to light Jeff Johnson's entitlement: "Education minister Jeff Johnson’s expenses reveal double-billing, lost receipts, taxpayers billed for optional extras like seat selection and hotel movies, and include a backdated claim for an expensive hotel room during the Calgary Stampede."

Johnson votes against Gay-Straight Alliances that put children first

Johnson will wear a pink shirt on anti-bullying day, but he won't vote for legislation to help kids. 

Johnson was one of many PCs to ally with the Wildrose to reject supporting Gay-Straight Alliances in schools where children want them. 

This is yet another example where Johnson's walk lies in stark contrast to his talk of putting children first. 

Johnson says class size doesn't matter

If I was Jeff Johnson and the Alberta Government, I may want to distract the public from funding cuts in public education by creating a task force that focuses on teacher quality. For this school year, the Alberta Government cut school board budgets by $14.5 million even though 11,000 new students entered Alberta's schools.

This will lead to all sorts of problems for teachers' working conditions including larger class sizes. While it's true that reducing class sizes is not a sufficient move to improve an education system, it most certainly is necessary. Alberta Teachers' Association President Mark Ramsankar describes the problem aptly when he said, "a Ferrari still can't perform on a gravel road." Check out this video on the inequities in Calgary's schools.

A great teacher with 15-25 students in the classroom may be a mediocre or even poor teacher with 30+ students. When the government doesn't do their job of properly funding and supporting teachers, it makes it harder for teachers to do their job.

Ultimately, great teachers make great schools, but great teachers can’t do it alone – they require the support of an equitable society.

Johnson and Big Oil

Suncor, Syncrude, Cenovus and other big oil corporations are enlisted by Johnson as partners in the current curriculum development. Other tech companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Pearson and SMART have also been signed up. 

Albertan's are rightfully concerned about the exploitation of students in the name of corporate profits.

Johnson wants to punish teachers

Are there some bad teachers in Alberta?

You bet there are, but there are also bad accountants, doctors, mechanics, columnists and politicians.

There are incompetent professionals in all professions.

The most successful education nations don't test and punish their teachers -- they diagnose and support them. The best education systems in the world worry less about firing bad teachers, and more about creating and supporting great teachers.

We don't have a teacher quality problem -- we treat them so badly, they leave.

The Alberta Teachers' Association's Research tells us that one of the major causes of early-career teacher attrition is inadequate pre-service preparation (which traditionally has been a greater concern in the US than in Canada) and difficult working conditions (particularly in under resourced schools) and professional isolation.

Alberta doesn't have a teacher quality problem -- we have a teacher leakage problem. Because of systemic problems, anywhere between 25-50% of teachers leave inside of before five years on the job.

Johnson's Orwellian Teacher Task Force will kill Inspiring Education

Jeff Johnson needs to stop borrowing America's
failed Education Reforms.

Johnson's Inspiring Education is about control and compliance via mistrust, manipulation and competition. Johnson sees himself as the change agent that will disrupt the system. Rather than work with teachers, he merely does things to them.

He uses Inspiring Education and his Excellence in Teaching Task Force to create the impression that he is collaborating while he pursues his political agenda.

Rather than address the growing inequities students are experiencing as a result of his government's broken promises (poverty reduction, full day kindergarten) he trots out the Task Force for Teaching Excellence and continues to distract public attention away from classrooms that are growing in size and complexity by cherry-picking data from international studies, claiming that class size does not matter and chasing American-style market based reforms such as merit pay.

***

As you know, Mr. Prentice, the PCs in 2014 have no shortage of enemies, and adding teachers to the list makes as much sense as running for the leadership.