To help you determine who to vote for in the upcoming provincial election, letters were sent to each of the parties via email, Twitter, or fax (if available) on March 31^st, 2012.  We asked them to respond by Tuesday, April 10th. 

Check out the responses that have been provided below by each of the parties as of the date of this post.

PC PARTY - website

WILDROSE ALLIANCE PARTY - website

 LIBERAL PARTY – website

NDP PARTY – website

ALBERTA PARTY- website

We encourage our SOFA members and readers of this website to closely examine the above responses to determine how committed each party is to fine arts education.  This will assist you in determining who to vote for on April 23^rd.

Please check back regularly to see updated responses as they are received.

Imagination Conversation
May 15-17, Winspear Centre, Edmonton

For three days in May, Alberta’s most innovative business leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and artists will join internationally known speakers, creativity advocates and education pioneers in an immersive, experiential conference like no other, as they work together to build a more Creative Alberta.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, check out Creative Alberta’s website at: http://creativealberta.com/

Come learn why creativity in business, education and the arts matters to Alberta!

Did you know the current Educaton Act gives school principals the authority to add or cut fine arts programming as they see fit?  If you didn’t before, you do now. 

All fine arts courses currently offered in our public education system are considered to be non-core.  Further, each Principal has the complete authority to decide if they are even offered and how much funding they will receive.   In some cases, principals have cut back funding for fine arts courses and diverted the money elsewhere.

Further, historically when budgets are tight, fine arts courses are usually the first to be cut.

Does this concern you?  Enough to do something about it?  With an election coming up, we encourage you to write to your MLA and each of the party leaders via email and express your concerns.   Here are some possible questions you might want to ask:

1. Do you believe the Alberta Government is providing the appropriate amount of fine arts funding for public education in Kindergarten grade 12?  Yes or no and why?
2. What level of priority would you assign fine arts education in Alberta public schools on a level of 1 to 5?  Level 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest?
3. Do you believe fine arts courses be a core part of the education curriculum?  Yes or no and why?
4. Why does the current Education Act give school principals complete authority to determine if fine arts courses are even offered and how much they will be funded by?
5. If elected, what actions will you take to ensure adequate and sustainable funding for fine arts education?

CLICK HERE for a list of MLA email addresses and contact information.  If you don’t know what riding you are in and wish to contact your MLA, CLICK HERE.   If you would like to write to any of the political party leaders, please see the contact information for each person in the post below.  You will find contact information contained in each of the letters.

If you get a response from your MLA and any of the leaders, please send us a copy (email=saveourfinearts@gmail.com).  We will post it on our website for everyone to see.

Now is the time for us to act.  Will you help?

Dr. Mel McMillan is a well known Edmonton Economist and Professor of Economics at the University of Alberta.  In May of 2010, he co-published a report detailing the Government of Alberta’s spending in a wide variety of areas over the past 20+ years.  

When reading his report, it is particularly interesting to note how much has been spent on education for kindergarten to grade 12 students.  According to Table C7 (on page 94 of the report), the Government spent $1,351 on a per capita basis in 1994, compared to $1,259 per capita in 2008. 

In other words, they spent $64.00 per capita LESS in 2008 than they did in 1994.

If you are interested in reading the full report, please CLICK HERE.  Please make sure to read the “K to Grade 12 Education Expenditures” section found on page 94 of the report (or 96 of the PDF file). 

Are you concerned about the the lack of funding for public education in Alberta?  Concerned enough to do something about it?  We encourage you to write to your MLA and express your concerns.  CLICK HERE for a list of MLA email addresses and contact information.  If you don’t know what riding you are in and wish to contact your MLA, CLICK HERE

Fine arts education funding is always the first to get cut in our schools.  We can’t afford to have this continue. 

For the sake of our children…

We look forward to further dialogue with your government on public education especially as it relates to the fine arts.

Once again, congratulations!

Redford briefly discussed the success of her Safe Communities initiative which was developed through consultation with various stakeholders and that focused on prevention rather than punishments. She believes that we need a province that supports each child to feel connected to their community as they discover their own unique path to becoming a successful adult. She has seen many examples, especially in her work in South Africa where the arts were used to change communities.

The idea of allowing students to choose an education path other than university preparation was often repeated. Redford stated that students are not being given enough information or resources to pursue what they’re interested in and that our schools are failing to support those that may excel in areas other than the traditional academic streams. She doesn’t think that the Inspiring Education report, while an excellent document, went far enough in providing for the inclusion of all students within our schools. She says that there is a lot of education policy that needs to be brought forward and actually implemented. She is tired of people talking and writing about change, but being incapable of implementing it. Redford is more concerned about taking action to ensure that our students are adequately supported than in pleasing others with platitudes.

The Importance of Fine Arts in Education

Alison Redford believes that we need to think differently about arts and culture as a province. She does not believe that simply because we have  Minister of Culture and Community Spirit that we value the arts, especially within our schools. More funding will not correct this as it requires that the arts become a core value in education in order to create lasting change. She fears that due to the underfunding of education, school boards will continue to cut the arts when budgets are tight because we as a province do not accord enough importance on the arts. She agrees that “integrating the arts” into other subjects, rather than having them taught by specialists, is a cop-out that does not serve our students well. She also agrees that the competencies that students need to be successful in the future can be developed through a strong foundation in the fine arts. This would be of benefit to all students, and is the reason why she is happy to publicly agree that the fine arts should be a subject equally as important as math or science.

This not only applies to our K-12 education system, but also to our post-secondary institutions where Redford used the example of a cellist that had to go to Ontario to pursue further studies because there was not a program at U of A. She doubts that musician will ever return to Alberta and that we must do more to prevent the loss of our artists to other provinces because we do not adequately support their education here.

With regards to students not having the time to devote to their pursuit of excellence in the fine arts outside of school hours due to excessive homework in academic subjects needed to graduate from high school, Redford admitted that it is a concern, but that she didn’t have the answer. However, knowing that a problem exists is the first step towards solving it.

The Courage to Lead

Alison Redford gave many examples of how she has been able to bring people of very different viewpoints together in order to come up with a plan that they can all agree on. She said that a variety of perspectives need to be brought to the table and that trust must be established. She was adamant that it is time for us as Albertans to come together and know that we deserve better, we can do better, and that we should not accept anything less. Redford stated that people have lost faith in political leadership and that she is prepared to rebuild that faith firmly believes that, “When we come together in trust, we can do anything.”

The passion that Alison Redford displayed during her meeting with SOFA cannot adequately be represented in a written report. SOFA encourages you to watch one of the leadership forums that can be found on the PC website, or even better, the one hosted by the ATA and listen to the candidates talk about their vision for education in our province.

Thousands of people will scramble for tickets to fill the Saddledome, regardless of cost, to hear their favourite musical group. Some of the wealthiest people in the world are performers. Over 8,000 people dug deep into their jeans to attend the Andre Rieu concert in Calgary this week. What a magnificent treat! The incredible blend of instruments and voices created a rich banquet that fed my soul and transported my mind.

Music, in all its forms, brings joy, comfort, and healing to everyone and is a vital force in our lives from the cradle to the grave. Mathematics is important in creating the standard of living we enjoy and in understanding our world and universe. We need mathematicians. Both Music and Math serve valuable roles. It is argued that studying Math improves intelligence and there is research that suggests that studying music improves mathematic abilities.

I know one thing for sure. I don’t remember the advanced math concepts that I spent thousands of hours working on in school and university. Fortunately, this is unnecessary these days because computers quickly tell me what I need to know.

I would have appreciated a more balanced use of my school time so I could have become skilled in music, art, drama, storytelling; competencies that would improved my ability to cope with life in so many ways.

How can we change our current model of education to reflect the realities of life for the majority of our students? Can we put our creative minds together to consider how to transfer even a small amount of time and money from Mathematics to a Fine Arts curriculum that would empower all students and enrich their lives for a lifetime?

Respectfully submitted by
Vera Goodman,  B.Ed, M.A.

Vera is a Calgary based educator and best selling author.  She is also a SOFA executive member.  If you would like to connect with her, please do so via email at  vera@readingwings.com or website at www.readingwings.com

Fine arts and mental health

Gary Mar stated that arts can change the way we think and that it could be key in helping people deal with mental health issues. It is a way for people to express themselves and deal with issues in a personal way. He talked about the Calgary CHEERS project which teaches people with mental illness to speak about their personal experiences in a humorous way. A student in the audience later told his story about how he was often bullied and marginalized in school, which often led to depression. This student firmly believes that he would have become a terrible person if it was not for the fine arts.

The arts are key to global business success

Mar believes that the key to expanding global business is a firm understanding of the culture in which you wish to do business. He used the example of a property developer in Beijing, China who had never heard of Feng Shui and would have lost a lot of money on a project, had it not been for Mar’s educating him on the importance of Feng Shui in China. Mar also believes that Albertans should maintain their heritage languages and that we must make second language learning a priority in our schools. He said that the arts also have a role in helping other countries understand our culture, just as we must try to understand theirs.

The rise of the creative class

Gary Mar greatly admires the work of Richard Florida on the rise of the creative class as the driver of our economic engine. Mar stressed that we not only need to attract the creative class, but we need to ensure that our students are being well-educated so that we can transform our economy, which is based on non-renewable resources, into a sustainable knowledge-based economy. He used the example of how Finland, which is similar to Alberta in many ways, invested strongly in education and how this helped Nokia reinvent itself from its roots in paper and rubber to become the world leader in mobile phones. Mar is convinced that we can also reinvent ourselves, but it will require creative people, and creative people do not want to live in places that do not invest in arts and culture.

Fine arts funding in schools

During the question period, it was noted that fine arts programs are often the first to get cut when school budgets are tight and how the PC caucus has not demonstrated that they support greater funding for the arts. In response, Gary Mar returned to his roots, saying “What is past is prologue,” and stated that he has a strong track record of supporting the arts. He said that because of his extensive experience in various portfolios, he is able to see how the arts is connected in all of them, something that others may not be able to see. He is determined to come up with something that works for school boards, as each board has its own priorities. He especially wants to see First Nations education become much more culturally relevant and help those students gain an equal footing with other Albertans. With regards to an unsupportive caucus, Gary Mar used the following quote: “Whatever interests my boss always fascinates the hell out of me.” He firmly believes that caucus will follow whatever direction the premier wants to lead the province in and that just as he values the arts, so will an Albertan government led by him. He is not one of those who “know the cost of everything, but the value of nothing.”

Tom McCabe, president of Theatre Calgary and Chair of the Premier’s Arts Council, stood up and endorsed Gary Mar at the meeting, affirming that when Mar was the Arts minister that he was very supportive of the arts. Mar ensured that McCabe got the funding that he had requested and actually had him speak to the Alberta treasury board about the value of the arts in Alberta.

Bill 44

A student brought up how the passing of Bill 44 is limiting the fine arts, especially drama, where many works deal with complex social issues that would require parental notice before being able to be studied in schools. Gary Mar said that repealing Bill 44 is not on his list of priorities, but could be looked at in an overall context with other matters. However, he again pointed to his record and stated that he was in support of gay marriage and is a strong supporter of the Alberta Human Rights Commission. He says that it is especially important that schools be encouraged to have discussions about controversial subjects where students can explore these issues in a safe environment.

Is fine arts as important as math?

The last portion of the meeting was devoted to this question and will be the subject of a future blog post.

Thank you, Gary Mar!

SOFA wishes to thank Gary Mar for taking the time to meet with us and discuss the role of fine arts in our society and in our schools.

1. What is your vision for fine arts education in Alberta?
2. How do you see fine arts fitting within the education system?
   • for students in kindergarten to grade 12
   • for students at the university or college level

3. Do you support the Inspiring Action Initiative that was introduced by Minister Hancock? Please explain why / why not.
4. Do you believe the Alberta Government is currently providing the appropriate amount of funding for public education in kindergarten to grade 12? Please explain.
5. How do you propose to provide the funding required for the Inspiring Action Initiative, which is estimated to have a cost of at least $1 Billion?
6. If you were elected as the Premier of Alberta in the next provincial election, what would be your timeline to complete the Inspiring Action Initiative?
7. What is your commitment to increasing the importance of fine arts in education and society in general?

We received responses from Alison Redford, Doug Griffiths and a partial response from Gary Mar. Ted Morton did not respond to repeated requests, Rick Orman had not yet joined the race, and Doug Horner only provided the following:

I am not going to respond directly to the questions on the survey, but will say that I believe in the Inspiring Education report and in Minister Hancock’s approach to it. Funding decisions will be made after the policy and forward position have been made. I will also say that if we are to compete in a global economy, creative minds are an absolute must for us to support.

You can view the complete responses, as well as the responses by other Alberta political parties, on our website. However, it is sometimes useful to compare answers side-by-side (or one below the other), which is what we will do over the next few days. In answer to the question, “What is your vision for fine arts education in Alberta?” SOFA received the following:

Alison Redford

The fine arts are a key part of our children’s education, just as important as math, science and language arts. Creativity is more important in the job market than ever before and I believe that exposure to the arts is the best way for children to develop this ability. Unlike any other subject, fine arts encourages students to explore their creative urges, stretch their limits and articulate their innermost visions without reference to any external authority — basic training for innovators and freethinkers.

Doug Griffiths

Fine arts must play a critical role in Alberta’s education system to help students develop the skills and confidence needed in tomorrow’s knowledge economy. In order to develop a new generation of innovators and creative thinkers — the arts and the social sciences need to be combined with core science curriculum.

A Doug Griffiths’ government will support increased opportunities for all students in the areas of arts and fine arts, technology, second language acquisition, and out-­‐of-­‐classroom experiences by infusing these subject areas into the traditional curriculum. My government will ensure specialists are used to teach the arts and help incorporate fine arts into the teaching of other core subjects.

Gary Mar

Fine arts education produces the instrumental benefits you describe, and many more. I also believe that by being literate in the arts students become citizens whose lives are enriched by the intrinsic value of art. Education needs to have the ability and resources to foster, and encourage, the artfulness inherent in all people. This is important for the happiness of the individual, for the cohesion of the community and for the success of the economy. It is a fact that children who are exposed to culture during their school years tend to be more responsible citizens in later years in addition to achieving higher levels of education and employment in later life. The opportunity to engage in cultural activities should be an intrinsic part of the education system.

But there’s far more to an education system than test scores. This past Spring, Keray Henke, Deputy Minister of Education, gave a presentation to ASBA, the Alberta School Boards Association, in which he (according to Trustee Bowen-Eyre) explained that students who are not achieving our standards in Grade 3 are much less likely to complete high school. Early intervention and remediation would be necessary and appropriate in order to enable these students to improve their skills so that they would be able to re-engage in an authentic way and not be doomed to an educational experience of frustration and lack of achievement. But that’s not the current reality.

While our education system does very well for the majority of students, and we place well on international assessments, we do not serve all students equally well. We need look no further than high school completion rates. Alberta has one of the lowest in the country. Within Alberta, the most populous districts (Calgary public, Edmonton public and Red Deer public) are among the worst performers.

The educator Harold Rosen said, “You never judge a system by those who succeed in it. These people will likely succeed in any system. You judge it by those it fails.” At the ATA forum, Alison Redford made a similar statement: “The value of a society is best reflected in how we care for the most vulnerable.” Ted Morton agreed, saying, “The quality of a society is measured by: Do we take care of people who can’t take care of themselves?”

So instead of talking about how well our 15 year olds do on international tests, or debating how we could increase, decrease or redirect funding, we should instead be hearing from leadership candidates about the importance of meeting the needs of the almost 30% of students who aren’t completing high school in three years. In what ways are we failing these young people? When should we be detecting their difficulties and how should we respond? How can we ensure that all young people develop into healthy adults, prepared to function succesfully in our society?

Candidates Doug Griffiths, Alison Redford and Iris Evans on behalf of Gary Mar were asked about high school completion rates at a forum hosted by the Calgary Leadership Forum in Calgary yesterday (the other candidates were not in attendance). Alison Redford talked about the need for change in education to meet the needs of all students, not just those who plan to go to university. She talked about how we need to support students in finding and developing their passions, even if they lie outside of traditional academic areas. She would also like to raise the age at which students can return to school and complete their high school studies without having to pay tuition fees. Iris Evans, on behalf of Gary Mar, read a few points from his website education policy, but then veered off and mused about encouraging employers not to hire young people who have not graduated from high school in order to provide a greater incentive for them to stay in school. I am not sure if she raised this idea based on conversations with Gary Mar, or not. Doug Griffiths talked about how the system is failing many of our students, and how their needs are not being met in our current school structure. He stressed the need for greater flexibility and alternative methods of curriculum delivery. His policy also says that his government would seek to ensure that all students are successful in literacy and numeracy by grade three.