As part of the Alberta Government’s agreement with teachers for 2017-18, a one-time Classroom Improvement Fund (CIF) of $75 million was established province wide, and Clearview Public Schools is estimated to receive $362,000 for 2017-18.
The intent of the CIF grant is to improve student experience in the classroom and may be used for hiring of additional teachers, hiring of additional non-teaching staff, new or augmented professional development initiatives to address student-specific needs, or materials and equipment for the classroom, according to a statement released by Clearview.
The CIF committee, which is comprised of senior leadership, trustees, and teachers, met on Wednesday, June 21, and reviewed many proposals, including suggestions received directly by teachers.
“Guiding principles were established by the committee to ensure the best use of the Classroom Improvement Fund and how to best support our teachers,” said Peter Neale, Associate Superintendent. “By the end of the process, there was a unanimous decision by the committee to invest in the following resources.”
These were to: support the acquisition of literacy resources estimated at $434,00; support professional development towards literacy excellence, including moving the April 13, 2018 professional learning day to April 27, 2018, estimated at $4,000; support all middle-school teachers to attend the ATA’s Middle Years’ Conference at the end of April, estimated at $15,000; and increase classroom audio systems for high schools, estimated at $25,000.
“Clearview is committed to ensuring all the above items will be supported next year, even if not enough dollars are available through the CIF initiative, so in addition to the proposed CIF of $362,000, Clearview is adding an immediate additional $116,000 to support additional literacy resources and professional learning for teachers at all grade levels in the area of literacy,” Neale added. “This ensures over $478,000 will be spent to support our teachers in the classroom.”
According to Neale, specific details of the planned literacy resources, supports, and professional development are being worked out and will be shared with staff later this week. The committee expects to receive a response from Alberta Education with respect to the proposal’s approval within a week. If approved, Clearview plans to purchase the materials immediately to ensure teachers have access to resources before students arrive.
“We believe this literacy initiative has the potential to profoundly and positively impact the learning experiences of students. By providing high quality universal literacy support, students’ literacy skills will be enhanced as part of their school experience,” commented Peter Barron, superintendent of Clearview Public Schools. “The Middle Years’ Conference will provide a cohort of teachers an opportunity to build a sense of team and acquire skills/knowledge that will impact students in the early teenage years.”