An open letter to my MLA

For context, Alberta public school teachers are currently on strike. We begin week two on Monday. Last week I wrote my MLA with my concerns. He has yet to respond. Tonight I wrote another one.

Mr. Schow,

It has been a few days since I last wrote to you, both as a constituent of the Cardston–Siksika riding and as a teacher. Perhaps that explains why you ignored my last correspondence, although from what I understand, you are ignoring everyone’s, so maybe it isn’t personal. This time, I have also included the Premier, the Minister of Education, the Minister of Finance, and members of the NDP and Peter Guthrie because I have been impressed by his integrity, even if we disagree politically.

I want to begin by saying that I am not speaking on behalf of the ATA or other teachers. I speak only for myself, but I want to share a bit of the reality of teaching and how grateful I am to do what I do, even in the difficult circumstances we are navigating.

I began teaching 15 years ago in Westwind, the same division you attended. My first position was as a Grade 3 teacher in Cardston. I had 14 students, and there were four Grade 3 classes that year, all with similar numbers. It was wonderful. I could respond to student needs effectively because of the smaller class size. I know the Education Minister recently said there is no correlation between class sizes and student results, but that claim is not supported by research or experience. Regardless, it was a great start to my career.

My next position was at Stirling School, a small Pre-K to 12 school. I taught Grade 4. The class was larger, around 25 students, but manageable, and I had an aide because I had multiple students with additional needs. At the end of the year, I received a gift from a parent thanking me for helping identify the causes of her child’s unique behaviours. As a class, we focused on empathy and compassion that year. Perhaps the UCP MLA who told one of my colleagues that the plan was to “starve us out” could have benefited from those lessons.

My next stop was Raymond Elementary, my first continuous position after two temporary maternity leave coverages. I taught Grade 3 for a couple of years and then Grade 6 for several more. During that time, our class sizes ballooned. Our school had to add portables, and for a while, my class shared the gymnasium with a Grade 2 class. Despite those challenges, we excelled. The Fraser Institute even highlighted the success of our Grade 6 team during that period, based on Provincial Achievement Tests. Conditions were tough, but we still had some classroom support in the form of educational assistants in classes that sometimes reached 35 students.

My teaching journey eventually led me to Magrath Junior–Senior High School. I believe you played basketball there, and one of my mentors was your English teacher. It is a small world. I have loved my time in Magrath, but the challenges have grown more severe. In recent years, I have had to teach in our theatre because my class was too large for my regular room. I have also had classes combined due to staffing shortages. One year, I had four separate grade levels and curricula in a single class, with just one aide who was assigned to a student with severe autism. We made it work, but it was incredibly difficult.

I should note that I am not a new or inexperienced teacher. I have spent years, and much of my own money, developing professionally by attending conferences, purchasing and studying pedagogical texts, and earning a master’s degree from the University of Alberta. I have presented at professional development events across the province, including SWATCA and ELAC, and have even been invited to speak internationally on adolescent literacy engagement. I do not share this to boast, but to establish that I am competent, highly trained, and deeply dedicated to my students and my profession.

My wife, also a teacher, and I attend as many student events as we can, including band concerts, plays, sporting events, and non-school activities. Last year, we traveled to Calgary to cheer on a few of our students at track provincials, simply because we wanted to ensure they had fans in the stands. This is who teachers are. These are the people working with your children, Joe. These are the people putting in hours far beyond the 8 to 4 schedule that some members of your party like to cite, as if it somehow proves teachers do not work hard enough.

To be honest, Joe, the implication that teachers are not professionals on the same level as other university-educated individuals is deeply insulting. The suggestion that we, or our union, are greedy for seeking fair compensation is offensive. The notion that we do not fight for better learning conditions for our students is offensive. The most offensive part, however, is the implication that we do not care.

Yesterday, I heard the Education Minister say how much the UCP respects teachers and values our hard work. Last night, while I stood in solidarity with my colleagues, 99% of the people who drove by smiled, waved, or honked in support. We did receive one middle-finger salute, though his wife seemed unimpressed. I also heard another teacher recount a conversation with her MLA. When she spoke to him as a parent, he replied that the plan was to “wait us out,” or, as he put it, according to the conversation, “starve us out,” because the ATA does not have a fund to pay us during a strike. Imagine being so smug that you would openly admit that to a constituent. Then again, at least he replied to her.

As a teacher and a supporter of my school, my district, and my students, past, present, and future, I am asking you to pass along that teachers need more funding. Our students deserve at least as much support as those in Saskatchewan or perhaps Manitoba. With adequate funding, concerns around class size and complexity would improve, and school boards could hire where needs are greatest. You and your colleagues have the power to do the right thing.

To close, I wanted to share one of the projects we explore in English 30. It is a multigenre writing project titled “Make Your Mark.” The premise is to have students reflect on the idea of legacy. In the past, students have written about impactful moments in their lives, how sports have shaped them, time spent at a grandmother’s farm, and the town of Magrath. The possibilities are endless. Last year, a student wrote about me. As teachers, we are, of course, concerned about the curriculum and how we can provide meaningful learning experiences, but we are also concerned about the mark we leave with our students. My legacy, I hope, is to be a teacher who not only inspires reading and writing but also demonstrates genuine care and interest in my students. Last summer, the mother of a student caught my attention in Costco. Her son was in my first class 15 years ago. She doubted I would remember who she was, but I did. She thought I would like to know that her son was getting married. We chatted about those good old days, and she shared how much her, at the time, nine-year-old son appreciated, and still remembers, how patient I was. This year, my wife and I have been invited to weddings, called to meet new babies in the hospital, and invited to countless sporting events. I am hopeful this is the legacy I get to leave, as the teacher who cared about students as people.

What is the legacy you will leave, Joe? Will it be leading a party that allowed the world-class education we had before the UCP to crumble, the party that lets teachers “starve,” or will you be the person who has the moral courage to stand up to the minority within your party that wants our system to fail? I know what your constituents want. Will you listen, or at least respond?

I hope to receive a response and perhaps start a real conversation. I would also welcome a conversation with anyone I have cc’d on this message. I am happy to join a Zoom call this week if that helps.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Brent Gilson

I am not going to hold my breath for a response.