On Wednesday this week, I was surprised to find out that Premier Alison Redford had made another provincial proposal to teachers for a framework for their contracts.  The Provincial Executive Council of the Alberta Teacher's Association has sent it on to locals for consideration.  This could mean we'd be entering into another province-wide agreement very shortly.

Two things from this. If it takes the Premier to get involved everytime, such as when Dave Hancock was Education Minister when then Premier Ed Stelmach pitched a 5-year and got it signed, and now with Redford superseding current Education Minister Jeff Johnson, why bother having a Minister of Education at all?

But that's not the biggest thing I get from this. The biggest thing starts from the question "where was the Alberta School Boards Association in all this?"  It seems to me they had no idea this was going down at all, trustees were never informed the conversation between the PC government and the ATA was even happening, and one blogger has even wondered why the ASBA even exist in the first place.

That's not deep enough.  The ASBA has other purposes, just like the ATA is not simply a bargaining entity.  However, trustees don't have too many other significant duties than good interactions with their teachers.  Well, okay, they give direction to the implementation of education in their area as well.

Trustees have been sidelined for years now, starting most prominently with Stelmach. When he pitched a 5-year deal, ASBA was concerned then about funding, but much worse, trustees were not given the opportunity to bargain as much for local issues.  Some boards didn't even have trustees involved at all, and instead had Employer Bargaining Authorities, like the one that my Board was a part of called the School Boards Employer Bargaining Authority.  That means that trustees have been removed from discussing complete contracts with their employees for over 8 years.  Some trustees have never even been involved in such discussions at all.

So why do we even have elections for them if they aren't given an opportunity to represent us?  Well, okay, they give direction to the implementation of education in their area as well.  However, if you were to ask Education Minister Jeff Johnson, the only direction required should be "Inspiring Education". So again, why do we even elect trustees at all?

Then I recall some of the recent goings on following the latest provincial election. Evan Berger, appointed (without a competition) to a six-figure post in the Alberta Government, despite being dumped by the electorate for a Wildrose MLA in Pat Stier. A police college that was expected to go into Fort Macleod because those citizens elected a mayor that would make it happen got cancelled.  It makes one wonder ... if the PCs are in government, does it matter who we elect?

We want elections to count. We want our voices heard. So we vote for trustees who we think will represent our interests best. We vote for MLAs who we believe will do the same. We vote for mayors who will work to better our communities, but aren't able to anyway because their hands are tied to the Alberta Government's purse-strings.  Our elections don't count.  Considering our elections come up this October, the fact that who I elect doesn't matter bothers me significantly, because I firmly believe we need trustees who are empowered, and councillors and mayors who aren't going to have to worry about the PC boot falling on them.

If we are to see this change, we need to vote for a party who will make elections count. They'll give your vote an opportunity to work. They'll give trustees, councillors and mayors the opportunity to represent our interests to the better of our community.

Do you know of a party who has made it their platform to get elections to count?

Stompin' Tom Connors passed away today.  He had some final words for us all to consider, as has been posted on his official website:

Stompin' Tom's most important words here: "I must now pass the torch".  Each of us has a duty and responsibility to this country and everyone in it.  It matters not how you build it into something better.

Some of us, like Tom, are musicians, and can share Canada with our art.  

Some of us are parents, leading the next Canadians to success.

Some of us are in the trenches, building a better Canada either in fields and houses, or in the houses of politics.

Some of us have always been here, and know best where we've come from to better know where we must go.

Some of us are new here, but love this country all the same.

Whoever you are, wherever you live in this country, and whatever you do, Stompin' Tom Connors has called you to service.  How will you serve?

This message appeared in the program of the High River and District Lions Music Festival in 2013.

Dear Arts Advocates,

We are pleased you have joined us for this year’s High River and District Lions Music Festival.  We are so pleased to be surrounded by so many passionate musicians, parents, teachers and advocates.  Through an event such as this, it becomes quite obvious the value music has in our society and in our lives.

Thank you to the parents and teachers who advocate for their students so vehemently.  Thank you to the students, for refining your craft and sharing it with us, and for inspiring not only those who follow you, but also those who lead you.  Thank you to the solid foundation of volunteers who organized this festival and made it happen.  Thank you to the Sponsors who put their money where their heart is and by doing so make our Arts community stronger for it.  Perhaps most especially, thank you to the members of our audience, the receptors of our musical communication, for being the most basic and necessary form of Arts Advocates.

True profit in Arts and Culture is not measured in dollars, euros or yen.  It in fact is immeasurable, although its effects can easily be seen in the eyes of every student, teacher or parent who has been exposed to it.  Those who cannot package that experience and sell it have a difficult time understanding what electrifies us.  Yet we press on, knowing that intrinsic value is not always meant to be understood, just experienced.

Music itself is temporal.  Truly emotive music must be performed and experienced; no digital device can emote and express the way a living and breathing musician and audience member can.  With our High River and District Lions Music Festival, we see how that happens in each performance.  It is for this reason we work so hard to produce this festival, to continue to see that every year, and be inspired by it.

It should be noted that we are in desperate need of Arts Advocates, who are willing to put their time where their values already reside.  Our Board is in need of extra support, as in its current state, our Festival organization is not sustainable, and we so desperately want it to be so to the benefit of our young musicians.  As John F. Kennedy said over 50 years ago, “to further the appreciation of culture among all the people, to increase respect for the creative individual, to widen participation by all the processes and fulfillments of art – this is one of the fascinating challenges of these days”.  We ask that you seriously consider helping us take this challenge on.  We need teachers, parents and supporters, young or old, to take this challenge on.  We need you.

Please consider joining us as we seek to provide venue for the inspiration our young musicians offer.  Your life, and ours, will be enriched by your efforts, and you will make a real and lasting impact on the lives of our young musicians as well.

Thank you once again for supporting young musicians simply with your presence, and please continue to share with all those around you how rich you truly are because you have music.

Contrapuntally yours,
Joel Windsor