Learning, inclusion, mental health top Edmonton Public Schools education plan
As the division prepares to welcome over 120,000 students in the upcoming school year, the final year's plan aims to guide efforts across the division, remaining focused on enhancing pathways to success for all students.
Each year, EPSB submits a Four-Year Education Plan to Alberta Education, aligning it with the approved budget.
The plan is developed using data, stakeholder engagement, provincial planning documents, and the division's own strategic plan. Progress on the plan's actions will be reported in fall 2025 through the Annual Education Results Report (AERR) and results review process.
Brought before trustees for approval on Friday, the plan outlines the division's strategic goals and provincial assurance framework, reporting cycles, and funding manual for the 2025–2026 school year.
The plan is built around three key priority areas.
Under 'Priority One: Outstanding learning opportunities,' the division is focused on helping teachers implement new curriculum to build on outstanding learning opportunities for all students, the report said.
For example, targeted professional learning and resources for Kindergarten to grade 6 teachers has been well received, with 84 per cent of certificated staff who accessed support saying it was helpful, according to Division Feedback Survey (DFS) results.
The plan emphasizes evidence-based strategies to support strong literacy and numeracy outcomes and ensures learning remains responsive to the needs of all students. Experiential opportunities will also help students explore and plan for their futures.
Under 'Priority Two: Anti-racism and reconciliation,' the Division reaffirms its commitment to anti-racism, reconciliation, and equity by engaging with staff, students, families, and community members.
Select DFS results from students, staff and families shows strong perceptions of diversity, with:
78.5 per cent of grades 4 to 12 students agree that many diverse cultures are represented in the books and materials at their school;
89.3 per cent of staff share this view; and
86 per cent of families agree that many diverse cultures are represented in the events, activities, and environment of their child's school.
EPSB Superintendent Darrel Robertson acknowledged concerns from those who feel dissatisfied with the influence of advisory committees such as the equity advisory committee, and that he's 'really interested in to hear what folks have to say in terms of that work and what's happening,' but noting the division must prioritize complex work over time.
'Sometimes that work doesn't move as fast as people would like, so they may walk away with feelings of dissatisfaction… It doesn't mean that their contribution isn't valuable. It's just that we need to be realistic in terms of how it is that we sequentially move this very complicated work forward and what we prioritize,' he said.
'There are folks that are very set on inclusion is the only option for children with complex needs to participate in our public education system,' he added. 'But we also know that that parent choice is very important to many, many others. So having that singular idea of how things can work can sometime lead people down the road of walking away from the experience being less satisfied than what they anticipated,' he said.
Under 'Priority Three: Mental health and wellbeing,' the division said promoting student and staff well-being remains a central focus of the plan, outlining efforts to strengthen school communities that foster a sense of belonging, safety, and success. Collaboration with external partners will guide the strategic use of resources to support these goals.
Select DFS results show students' positive feelings of belonging and safety, with:
63.2 per cent of Grades 4 to 12 students agree that their school is a place where all students feel like they belong;
70.7 per cent of students feel like they belong at their school; and
74 per cent of students feel safe at school.
cnguyen@postmedia.com
Understanding the 2025-2026 budget for Edmonton Public Schools: What's changing and why it matters
Edmonton Public Schools reviews annual class size report amid growing enrolment pressures
Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Indigenous leaders on Trans Mountain lessons as Building Canada Act moves forward
OTTAWA — Two former Indigenous leaders on both sides of the debate over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion say the federal government can't ignore First Nations on future infrastructure projects it seeks to approve. Their comments come as Prime Minister Mark Carney aims to fast-track major projects, such as pipelines and mines, through his government's newly adopted "Building Canada Act." Following years of delays and legal challenges, the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline, known as TMX, began operating last year. The project took more than 10 years to complete, after a court cited inadequate consultation with Indigenous groups in its decision to quash the federal government's initial approval of the expansion. The Canadian Press spoke with two former Indigenous leaders — one who supported TMX and one who opposed it — about what lessons have been learned from Trans Mountain, and whether they expect anything different from Carney's plans to accelerate more major projects. Leah George-Wilson, former chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, doesn't believe Ottawa has learned any lessons. "I think we will see more First Nations turning to the courts over this piece of legislation," she said of the Building Canada Act. George-Wilson's B.C.-based First Nation fought in court against the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline, which ends in Burrard Inlet, part of her people's ancestral territory. They initially succeeded in reversing the Trudeau government's approval of the project in 2018 over a lack of consultation. However, after the government reapproved the project in 2019, First Nations such as Tsleil-Waututh were unable to stop it. It was during this legal battle that the federal government purchased the Trans Mountain project from Kinder Morgan, which had been preparing to withdraw. The TMX saga has left George-Wilson feeling pessimistic about the government's approach to other projects. "Even today … the government has not responded to the significant impacts that Trans Mountain has had and continues to have on our community," she said. She says she is not reassured by Carney's promise to respect section 35 of the Constitution Act — which guarantees the ancestral rights of Indigenous peoples — nor by the meetings he held over the summer with Indigenous leaders on his government's plans to quickly approve infrastructure projects. Some Indigenous communities have said they were not consulted during the drafting of the new legislation and fear it will infringe on their rights. Nine First Nations in Ontario have already filed a legal challenge against the Building Canada Act. With the law, Carney wants to speed up projects that Ottawa considers to be in the national interest, with the goal of limiting approval times to two years. "I don't think this piece of legislation is going to speed up the projects at all because they're going to end up in court," she said. However, Joe Dion a former grand chief in Alberta, says he thinks the Carney government will respect Section 35 and honour the principle of free, full, and informed consent of First Nations. "For the government to revoke this section or to go against it would be a national shame. So I don't think it's going to happen'," said Dion, who is the CEO and director of the Western Indigenous Pipeline Group. The group includes dozens of Indigenous communities that, in partnership with Pembina Pipeline Corporation, want to acquire TMX. Ottawa has signalled its intention to divest itself of the pipeline ever since it purchased it from Kinder Morgan, though it has not yet done so. Dion believes that things have changed significantly since the Trans Mountain saga began, and believes the Carney government intends to fully involve Indigenous communities in future projects labelled as in the national interest. "The government is now saying that the First Nations and the Indigenous groups will have equity, will have ownership in these projects," he said in an interview. "When TMX started, there was no promise of that at all … We had to fight for it, we have to fight for it." Dion acknowledges that the Building Canada Act has drawn criticism from many Indigenous communities, but he said, "You will never have unanimity, whether it's First Nations or non-First Nations." In his view, projects that would "severely affect" Indigenous communities will simply not go ahead, and won't be selected as being in the national interest. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2025. Émilie Bergeron, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ontario increasing funding for housing-enabling infrastructure
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province is putting $1.6 billion more toward funds for municipalities to help them get housing built. Ford told the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference Monday in Ottawa that the government has already put $2.3 billion toward its Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, which goes toward housing-enabling infrastructure. Municipalities apply through four streams, including one for building roads and bridges, and another for building water and wastewater systems. Ontario is well off the pace of home building that's needed to achieve Ford's goal of getting 1.5 million homes built by 2031. The government recently updated its housing tracker for the first time in eight months, and it shows that construction was started on 94,753 housing units in 2024 — well below its interim goal for that year of 125,000 homes — even after adding construction such as long-term care homes and university dorms to the count. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. figures released Monday say the country's annual pace of housing starts in July rose four per cent year-over-year, but in Ontario there was a decline of 28 per cent. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2025. Allison Jones, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Canada's Industry Minister Meets With Saab, Ericsson in Sweden
(Bloomberg) -- Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly is set to meet with Saab AB and Ericsson in Sweden, where she also hopes to strike an economic partnership with the country, according to a person familiar with her plans. A Photographer's Pipe Dream: Capturing New York's Vast Water System Festivals and Parades Are Canceled Amid US Immigration Anxiety A London Apartment Tower With Echoes of Victorian Rail and Ancient Rome Princeton Plans New Budget Cuts as Pressure From Trump Builds Joly is pushing for investment in Canadian industries amid damaging US tariffs, while emphasizing the government's plan to increase defense spending. The minister expects to speak with Saab about the Gripen E fighter jet, said the person, who asked not to be named in order to speak about private discussions. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a review of Canada's plan to buy dozens of F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp. earlier this year, and later named the Gripen E plane as a potential alternative. But Reuters reported this month that some Canadian officials have made a strong case for sticking with the F-35 jets. The industry minister will also meet with her Swedish counterpart, Ebba Busch, on Monday to discuss a formal partnership between the countries to collaborate more closely on critical minerals, clean technology, defense investment and other matters, said the person. The visit is part of a push by the Carney government to strengthen ties with European partners and reduce its reliance on the US for trade and security. Canada has already inked a partnership with the European Union that aims to create jobs in both regions. Joly will travel to Finland on Wednesday, where she'll mark the start of construction of an icebreaker that will be jointly built between Davies' shipyards in Helsinki and Quebec. She'll also meet with Finland's foreign and defense ministers. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand is in Helsinki on Monday to attend a meeting of Nordic nations and to discuss the Ukraine war in bilateral meetings with officials from Finland, Sweden and Denmark. She'll speak to Canadian journalists later in the day. --With assistance from Kirsi Heikel. Foreigners Are Buying US Homes Again While Americans Get Sidelined What Declining Cardboard Box Sales Tell Us About the US Economy Americans Are Getting Priced Out of Homeownership at Record Rates Living With 12 Strangers to Ease a Housing Crunch Bessent on Tariffs, Deficits and Embracing Trump's Economic Plan ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
