EDMONTON – Members of the Alberta School Councils’ Association (ASCA) wrapped up their three-day annual general meeting in Edmonton on Sunday by passing a resolution connected to one of the most contentious issues to come up in Alberta’s education system in years.
“ASCA will be developing a toolkit that will assist school councils in working together with their boards when they’re developing any policies or procedures around LGBTQ issues,” the association’s new president, Allison Pike, said. “What it will mean is that we will have the opportunity to work together with our school councils across the province and encouraging councils to work together with their school boards and us working together with Alberta School Boards Association as well as the minister of education.”
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Education Minister David Eggen, who was a keynote speaker at the AGM on Saturday, had given school boards until the beginning of the month to submit policies dealing with LGBTQ issues like gay-straight alliances and guidelines on what washrooms transgender students can use. The policy submissions generated controversy with some school boards appearing to openly defy the minister’s orders and some parents arguing Eggen shouldn’t be pushing for policies specific to LGBTQ issues.
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The government requested a plan be submitted by all boards by March 31. A formal review of all submitted policies takes place this month.
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The ASCA’s AGM saw 300 people attend. The association boasts a membership of more than 1,200 people.
The meeting is aimed at guiding the board in what direction it will take in the next year. Pike, who was named ASCA’s new president over the weekend, said she has two clear challenges ahead of her.
“How we hear from parents from across the province and really making sure that with any decisions the government is making, that the parental voice is heard.”
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