Dear fellow petitioners, Thank you to all those who are still helping me collect signatures on the paper petition against Inspiring Ed and promoting our online petitions (Back to Basic and the Knowledge is Power). If you may, please mail all signed paper petitions (however many) to me by May 10th, if possible. Once we know who is in office, I will try to wrap this battle up by the end of the school year. Below I've listed the responses from the parties regarding our concerns about Inspiring Education. I found some of the responses very disappointing because they seem to be ignorant of our concerns despite our loud protest of the discovery math and curricular redesign over the past year and a half. To all those who have stuck with me through all this, I am deeply humbled by your graciousness and passion. I hope we will all vote well on May 5th. Kindest regards, Dr. Nhung Tran-Davies mrgranthd@yahoo.ca https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alberta-Math-Petition/715037091853017 PC: "A PC government would continue to support the Inspiring Education Initiative, which was introduced after extensive consultation with Albertans. It is an initiatives that is designed to expand on current teaching methods and align with today’s technology." NDP: " Education today must develop the ability of students to think and problem solve and innovate. It must also be relevant and engage students. To achieve the best in student learning, we need to provide teachers with the time and resources to learn a about the best methods by which students learn. Today, students are not in the schools of the 1950s. Students are connected to the world through social media. They want to know about the world while they also must be able to add and subtract." Liberal: "Alberta Liberals believe Inspiring Education can only succeed when: • Students master their fundamentals. • Teachers are given the support, training, and mentoring they need to master new teaching techniques • Classrooms are not overcrowded. • The education system is properly funded. Alberta Liberals believe in thoughtful change based on evidence and best practices because our children’s future are worth getting right." Wildrose: "Getting Back to Basics In Curriculum and Grading: Clearly identify the knowledge and skills required for each grade level and entrust teachers to choose the method of instruction for their classrooms The Wildrose position is that every child in Alberta deserves an education that is second to none. Wildrose is the only party committed to teaching the basic fundamentals of learning in schools and making sure Alberta students climb back to the top of international rankings. There has been a move towards grading systems that don’t include traditional letter or percentagegrades, instead using fuzzy terms like ‘emerging’. Wildrose believes that a clear, consistent grading system is important, as one of the tools that a teacher can use to communicate with students and parents. We will implement consistent provincial grading standards with traditional letter or percentage grades. Over the past few years, international test results for Alberta students in the core subjects have been slipping. Alberta has been historically proud of our Education system which has been a leader in Canada, and in the world. Some commentators have attributed this slide to the recent (since the mid-2000s) shift towards inquiry (discovery) learning. Wildrose has said that there should be more flexibility for the teacher to choose the methodology that works, but that discovery learning should not be forced on schools and teachers."