Calgary Board of Education trustees voted for a new education plan this week that no longer lists “diversity and inclusion” among its three core goals.
It came after a tense debate at Tuesday’s trustee meeting. Trustees voted 4-3 for the new version of the plan.
Trustees are legally required to have a three-year education plan, which sets out goals and informs the budget.
Last year, the CBE’s education plan had three goals: learning excellence, well-being and truth and reconciliation, diversity and inclusion. This year, they narrowed the last goal to just truth and reconciliation, and embedded the concept of diversity and inclusion into the other two goals.
Chief superintendent Joanne Pitman said the move was recommended to better align with provincial priorities, but it wasn’t specifically forced by the Alberta government.
“There was no single directive or explicit change in either the funding manual or education and child care business plan that specifically required the removal of diversity and inclusion,” she told trustees before the debate.
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“Rather, the change reflects alignment with overall provincial shifts that have been communicated through the recent passing of Bill 25 and in other discussions.”
Pitman said provincial direction has also emphasized specific, detailed and outcome-based reporting.
Bill 25 comes into force this coming September. Among its many changes, it will allow the provincial education minister to set priorities for school boards.
‘Fundamentally different’
The three trustees who voted against the change said that keeping the words “diversity and inclusion” as obvious, clear goals is important to students and the Calgary community.
“Removing diversity and inclusion from the third key outcome makes it fundamentally different from what was originally intended. In my opinion, such a significant change is troubling. I have heard from constituents who share my concerns,” said Jenny Regal, a former teacher who now represents Wards 1 and 2 in northwest Calgary.
She said when officials surveyed parents about the plan, they heard a desire to strengthen efforts related to diversity and inclusion, not to dilute them. Regal said she worries cutting the words will make students from diverse backgrounds and experiences feel “unseen and unimportant.”
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Cynthia Cordova also voted against the change. She’s a former school trustee in Ontario who now represents Wards 5 and 10 in northeast Calgary, and said it was important to stay aligned with local wishes, not cave to provincial priorities before the board is forced to.
“Local decision-making matters because our community deserves that they have their voices respected and heard,” she said.
“I’m concerned about the shift away from the language centred on diversity and inclusion towards languages that may unintentionally narrow how we define belonging and well-being within our schools.”
Trustee says integrating the goal is best
Other trustees said the change in language was not significant, and that embedding the goal of diversity and inclusion within student learning and well-being made sense.
“CBE schools are very welcoming. That’s core to what we have on offer and I don’t see that changing,” said trustee Susan Vukadinovic, a policy analyst who represents Wards 8 and 9 in central and east Calgary.
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“It’s not being taken away. It’s being integrated into well-being because well-being means being inclusive,” she said. “It’s being integrated into learning excellence. And that’s because when we talk about learning excellence, we’re not talking about learning excellence for some students. We’re talking about learning excellence for every student, every day.”
In addition, the new education plan will see implementation of an employee well-being strategy, said trustee Patricia Bolger, a former teacher who represents Wards 6 and 7 in Calgary’s central west.
And the plan will strengthen the work being done on truth and reconciliation, she said.
“We see a sustained focus on well-being for students who self-identify as Indigenous, continued collaboration with elders, targeted professional development, and a key outcome focused on improved achievement for these students.”
CBE trustees also passed next year’s budget on Tuesday. That includes an increase to yellow bus transportation fees for most riders, to $500 a year from $360.
After passing the budget, trustees asked administration to come back with a report on transportation fees generally, including how they are applied or not to students who attend specialized programs.