Latest news with #StrongStart
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gov. Ivey adds 55 new Pre-K-3rd Grade Classrooms to Expand Early Learning Efforts
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Gov. Kay Ivey's Office announced that 55 new classrooms will be funded through the Pre-K through 3rd Grade for the 2025-2026 school year. The 55 additional classrooms will be funded through the Pre-K through 3rd Grade Integrated Approach to Early Learning Program (P-3). This expansion will increase the number of classrooms implementing the P-3 approach to 454 across 29 counties. the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education (ADECE), in partnership with the Alabama State Department of Education, is working to align instructional practices, assessments and leadership from First Class Pre-K through third grade. 'Each year, Alabama's P-3 approach continues to build momentum and grow to provide a smooth transition from pre-k to third grade. Through my Strong Start, Strong Finish initiative, we are setting the stage for lifelong success and empowering every child to reach their fullest potential,' said Governor Ivey. 'Strong students lead to a strong Alabama, and these learning efforts will ensure we continue to strengthen our schools and provide the best education for all students.' The following schools in North Alabama are set to receive funding: Highland Park Elementary in Colbert County Webster Elementary in Colbert County Parkside Elementary School in Cullman County Hollywood Elementary in Jackson County Kilby Laboratory School in Lauderdale County Brindlee Mountain Elementary in Marshall County Asbury Elementary in Marshall County Sloman Elementary in Marshall County 'We are excited to welcome these new classrooms to the P-3 network of schools dedicated to aligning practices and learning environments to what research tells us works for young children,' said ADECE Secretary Jan Hume. The Alabama Pre-K–3rd Grade Integrated Approach to Early Learning (P-3) builds upon student success and narrows the achievement gap by expanding access to Alabama's high-quality pre-k model. P-3 is funded by the ADECE through the governor's Strong Start, Strong Finish education initiative. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Global News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Surrey parents, educators launch pressure campaign over ‘unacceptable' school funding
Parents and educators in Surrey have launched a public campaign to pressure the government over what they say is chronic underfunding in the district. The campaign, dubbed 'Surrey Students Deserve Better,' urges parents to directly contact their MLAs to press for increased funding and more supports for students with special needs. 'I am tired of talking about these needs because I have been doing it for a very, very long time,' Surrey Teachers Association president Lizanne Foster told reporters Tuesday. 4:21 Surrey Education Board on paper supply shortage 'This should not even be a discussion,' she said, adding the issue has persisted across multiple premiers and governments. Story continues below advertisement 'It seems like our message just is not getting through.' The campaign argues that the Surrey School District, B.C.'s most populous, suffered from shortages of education assistants and basic supplies, outdated technology and cuts to popular arts programs like the proposed elimination of Grade 7 band. Tammy Murphy, president of CUPE 728, which represents district support staff, pointed to reductions in the StrongStart program and learning centre closures as examples. 2:08 Surrey school board facing $16 million budget shortfall The Surrey School District, meanwhile, says it's facing a $16 million budget shortfall for the coming school year. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'These cuts impact students with diverse needs, many who cannot thrive without support and leaving fewer kids with less opportunities and less chance to succeed,' she said. Story continues below advertisement 'This is unacceptable.' District Parent Advisory Council president Ann Whitmore said funding in the district hasn't kept up with population growth or inflation, resulting in defacto cuts. Kids are grappling with overcrowded classrooms and portables, while schools are staffed with too few support workers, mental health workers and speech language pathologists, she said. 'I have watched a child who I love deeply struggle because the supports she needs simply aren't there,' Whitmore said, becoming emotional. 'She is suffering. And I don't use that word lightly. She is working harder than anyone realizes to make it through the school day, and when the system fails to show up for her, her younger siblings scaffold her day. This isn't the way it is supposed to be.' 5:37 Surrey school board on making tough decisions to balance its budget Whitmore said parents understand the province is in a difficult economic situation. Story continues below advertisement She said they don't expect the problems to be solved overnight but want to see a clear plan from the province to get to a solution. 'We need a clear roadmap, one that moves us away from emergency measures and budget cuts towards a vision of public education that is inclusive, well-resourced, and built for the future our kids are growing into. In a statement, the Ministry of Education said 2025-2026 would see it deliver $8.2 billion to B.C. school districts, up 50 per cent from 2017, and a record $13,600 per student. It said it has provided more than a billion dollars in base funding and special grants to Surrey, more than to any other district. How districts spend their funding to cover stating and programming is up to local administrators, it added. The campaign includes a website and a series of videos outlining the struggles teachers and students face under the current funding formula. The group is also planning a two-week road campaign, capped with a rally in Victoria.
CBC
03-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Surrey School Board faces $16M shortfall, considers cuts to elementary band program
Social Sharing Families in Surrey, B.C. are bracing for more cuts as the city's school board says it struggles to balance its budget, putting elementary band programs among those at risk of being reduced or eliminated. The Surrey Board of Education says it is facing a $16-million budget shortfall for the 2025-26 school year. It has already reduced bus services and has been closing down learning centres. Now it's reviewing programs that are not part of the B.C. curriculum, including elementary band, in an effort "to look for efficiencies" and align programming more closely with other districts across the province, according to Surrey Schools superintendent Mark Pearmain. "The Board foresees significant challenges and expects to make strategic decisions that allow them to ensure a balanced budget," Pearmain said in a statement this week. Parents push back against cuts Surrey parent Amy Kinvig, whose two sons participated in the music program at Surrey Central Elementary, fears her 11-year-old daughter, Ayla, will lose the same opportunity. "It really created a safe space and an outlet for them, and I would like [my daughter] to be able to experience and grow that creative side of her as well," Kinvig said. She says these programs offer more than just musical education. "A band is a team. They can share their experiences, build friendships…. It's for their mental health," she said. Frustrated by the potential cuts, Kinvig urged the board to find a solution: "Come up with the money, make it work." An online petition calling for the preservation of the music programs has gathered more than 2,200 signatures. Board cites lack of provincial funding The school board says funding constraints could also impact Strong Start, a free drop-in program that supports young children's development before they enter school. "The only way we can deal with the shortfall is through changes to the programs that we deliver," said board vice-chair Terry Allen. Allen said the district has been forced to make difficult decisions due to provincial funding not keeping pace with inflation and rapid population growth. "Everybody in this entire province knows what inflation has done to their budgets, let alone a budget of over a billion dollars, and how it negatively impacts the Surrey school district," he said. WATCH | White Rock Learning Centre to close as lease expires: White Rock learning centre to close as lease expires 2 months ago Duration 2:19 The vice-chair added that the district is struggling with growing costs, particularly around supporting diverse learners, noting that Surrey Schools spends $54 million more annually on special education than the province provides. "Most people don't know that beyond per-student funding, Surrey Schools does not receive any funds specifically for busing, band, Strong Start, learning centres, related infrastructure, building leases and portable moves," he said. The district's current budget is $1.142 billion and was passed with "difficult, sometimes heartbreaking" cuts, according to the board. The board says 93 per cent of its budget goes to teacher and staff salaries and benefits, leaving little flexibility for cost reductions elsewhere. The Ministry of Education and Child Care says it has steadily increased operational funding for the Surrey school district since 2017, committing more than $1 billion in operating and special grants for the current year. "This builds on the Province's record capital investments of nearly $1 billion in Surrey — more than any other district in B.C," Minister Lisa Beare said in a statement to CBC News. She said the province is working with the district to address financial challenges. "We recognize Surrey is one of B.C.'s fastest-growing communities, and my ministry will continue to collaborate with the district to identify and address challenges so that all students can get what they need to succeed and thrive in school." Surrey District Parent Advisory Council president Anne Whitmore says parents are frustrated with the ministry's response. "The answer from the ministry seems to be that districts need to handle their funds better…. Districts are not running with luxurious programs," she said. "We wish that was the case and there were extras to be removed without much impact on students." Whitmore says the cuts will disproportionately affect students who rely on these programs for support and engagement. "Those that are on the fringe, gifted students who need challenging programs, or students who enjoy music and rely on it to stay engaged in their education … those are some of the first services that will be cut." The Surrey School Board has extended the deadline for parents and caregivers to provide input on its 2025-26 budget through an online survey, now open until April 6. The board has a legal obligation to pass a balanced budget by June 30, 2025.
