With a teacher strike looming, Alberta’s government is rolling out a plan to help families and students cope, including direct financial support for parents and new learning resources for children.The Alberta Teachers’ Association rejected a four-year deal, putting the union on track to strike by Oct. 6 and leaving parents uncertain about how to manage childcare and learning. In response, the government has introduced a payment program and an online toolkit to support at-home education for students in grades K-12.“I’m disappointed that ATA members have rejected the settlement, choosing instead to go on strike. Students and families need to know we will support them during this time of uncertainty, so we are releasing our plan today to provide payments directly to families and to support at-home student learning,” said Premier Danielle Smith."We will not leave you alone."Parents of students aged 12 and under in public, separate, or francophone schools would be eligible for $30 per day, or $150 per week, for each student during the strike. .Payments will begin Oct. 31 and can help offset childcare, tutoring, and other costs associated with school closures. Families can prepare by setting up an Alberta.ca verified account.In addition, Alberta Education and Childcare has created a free online toolkit aligned with the K-12 curriculum. Available in English, French, and French immersion, the toolkit provides resources for language arts, social studies, math, and science and will be updated weekly.Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides said the toolkit will give parents “flexibility, choice, and curriculum-aligned materials to empower families, ease the pressure they’re facing and keep students engaged.”The government also confirmed $100 million per year over three years to address classroom complexity, funding 1,500 new education assistants and potentially up to 725 more positions or additional supports such as autism, mental health, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, or speech-language assessments..The deal rejected by ATA members would have made Alberta teachers the highest paid in Western Canada after taxes, providing a 12% general wage increase over four years and additional wage grid adjustments for more than 95% of teachers. It also included funding to hire 3,000 new teachers to handle population growth and classroom complexity.Treasury Board President Nate Horner emphasized the government’s readiness to continue negotiations and its commitment to support families: “Our goal is to keep our kids in the classroom. Our government is ready, willing and able to head back to the bargaining table at any time.”.The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is applauding the Alberta government.“Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is doing the right thing by committing to paying parents to cover childcare costs during a potential teachers’ strike,” said Kris Sims, Alberta Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “British Columbia paid parents for their childcare costs during a teachers strike and it helped thousands of families.“Students and parents are the people who are hurt in a teachers’ strike and they’re the ones who need help.”.Due to a high level of spam content being posted in our comment section below, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
