Government of Alberta News Release

For Release at 1:00 p.m. Friday, January 22, 1999 Workbook First Step in School Council Consultation

A workbook launched today gives Albertans their first opportunity to provide views on how well school councils are fulfilling their mandate. School councils are designed to provide Albertans with meaningful involvement in education through the local school. "The workbook is the first step in a province-wide review," said Rob Renner, M.L.A. for Medicine Hat and Chair of the M.L.A. Working Group on School Councils. "The results will help us determine the effectiveness of school councils from the view point of their members and other parents, teachers, school boards and the general public." The Working Group developed the workbook to share ideas, look at areas for improvement and build on the many successes already achieved. Copies of the workbook are available from Alberta Education at (403) 297-6577, toll free 310-0000, and on the Internet at http://ednet.edc.gov.ab.ca. Copies also are being sent to all schools, school councils, school boards, provincial education organizations and to M.L.A.s. The responses to workbook questions, due in mid-March, will be used as the basis for discussion at a series of public forums to be held in six communities throughout the province: April 10 Medicine Hat Medicine Hat High School April 17 BonnyvilleNotre Dame High School April 24 Red Deer Notre Dame High School May 1 Grande Prairie Crystal Park School May 15 Edmonton St. Peter Adult Education Centre May 29 Calgary Jack James High School The forums are scheduled to take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A complete agenda for the day will be announced at a later date. Albertans who wish to participate in one of the forums are asked to register in advance by calling (403) 297-6577, toll free 310-0000. Major provincial education organizations have been invited to make their submissions at an additional public meeting on April 30, 1999 in Edmonton. A report will summarize the information and ideas from the workbook and public forums. The Working Group will present this report and recommendations to Education Minister Gary Mar by the end of the school year. Mar established the M.L.A. Working Group on October 29, 1998. Along with Rob Renner, the Minister named Denis Ducharme, M.L.A. for Bonnyville-Cold Lake, and Karen Kryczka, M.L.A. for Calgary West, to the Working Group. School councils are mandatory under Section 17 of the School Act. They have a mandate to involve parents and the community in the education of children in Alberta. Through the school council, Albertans may assume an advisory role in local matters, from academic programs to school policies and budgeting. -30- For more information, contact: Rob Renner - Chair, M.L.A. Medicine Hat - (403) 427-1879 (Edmonton) - (403) 527-5622 (Medicine Hat) Beryl Cullum - Communications Branch, Alberta Education - (403) 427-2285 For toll free connection, dial 310-0000. As of January 25, 1999, the area code for Edmonton will be 780.

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