SOFA

THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS SENT TO THE HONORABLE DAVE HANCOCK, MINISTER OF EDUCATION FROM LYLE BENNETT, SOFA CO-CHAIR. WE WILL POST MR. HANCOCK’S REPLY WHEN/IF WE RECEIVE IT.

Honorable David Hancock
Minister of Education
#224 Legislature Building
10800 – 97 Ave
Edmonton, AB
T5K 2B6

Dear Mr. Hancock:

Firstly, it is positive that Alberta Education is doing an update of the K-12 Fine Arts Curriculum after 20 plus years.  Change is not necessarily bad as long as it is respectful of the current programs that are working well and seeks to improve the quality of education of one of our most valuable resources, our children.    I have read the document along with the consultation report and agree wholeheartedly with your Rationale, Vision, Guiding Principles and Creativity however, begin to have some grave concerns when I read the Program Organization and beyond.  These last pages seem to be inconsistent with the philosophy espoused in the previous pages to the point that it seems as though different people with different values could have written them.

I have come to understand that this draft is very preliminary and appreciate that your Ministry extended the deadline to allow for more input from students, parents, teachers, musicians and other interested citizens, as this came as a surprise to many of us.  We have been told that the deadline for input is now January 31, 2010.  Can you please explain or have someone explain what the next steps in the process will be after this deadline has been reached and what the time frame to completion will be?

Presumably as this process unfolds there will be more opportunities for consultation and input from concerned parties.  Could you please outline what these opportunities will be and at what stages in the process these will occur?
 
Many of the issues that concern me such as an implied emphasis on generalist as opposed to specialist educators, an apparent lack of skill development emphasis in favor of exploration, multiple entry points with no prerequisites, incredible timetabling challenges with modular courses and no mention of the teamwork experience of large performing groups I assume will be addressed as this process evolves.
 
Many people are interested in working to a mutually successful conclusion to the Update.
 
Sincerely,
Lyle Bennett
Concerned Parent, Co-chair, Save Our Fine Arts