My name is Laurel and I am lifelong resident of NE Calgary. I am proud Calgarian, mother, community leader, volunteer and advocate.

As you know the teachers in our province are looking for a new agreement with the provincial government. Our teachers have had less than a 6% raise in more than 10 years; they are literally shaping the hearts and minds of future Albertans. Our future doctors, leaders, teachers, engineers and even politicians are in those classrooms. Why would investing in our future be a difficult concept or decision to make for our government?

As a province with so many incredible resources, how is that we seem to come up short again and again where it matters: Education, Health Care and Fiscal Responsibility. And instead of paying our teachers an improved wage, OR at least increasing funding to the classroom to reduce class sizes, our government has opted to pay $30 per child under 12, per day to each Alberta family. If the most recent census data is correct, that is north of $4.5 million dollars in the first day alone. Why not invest that money, if you have it so freely available, into the future of our province.

More appropriately funding schools and our teachers will increase interest in the teaching profession and will restore parental faith into our government. Even if you invested this $4.5 million into our Education system, it would be an excellent start. This could be focused per school to reduce class sizes or to better pay our teachers. I think our teachers would agree that any infusion of cash would make a world of difference for them. Our teachers already spend their own hard-earned money to outfit their classrooms, buy books, and buy special things for their students. We need to back them up and show them how valued they are. 

I can appreciate that it may be difficult to come to a meaningful agreement with Teachers that meets everyone's needs that is still fiscally responsible. But any respect I had for this difficulty from the government's side evaporated when I saw that you were willing to spend $4.5 million dollars to pay parents every day during a strike. That is a literal slap in the face to some of the most hard-working people in our society.

Regardless of your political preferences, we can all agree that we value our teachers and need to stand with them now, more than ever. 

I realize that I am just one voice. But more and more parents and community members will continue to speak up until we see meaningful change. Please sign this petition to urge our elected officials to adjust their policies and perspectives to support our teachers, communities and Alberta children.  The math on the $30 per day doesn't make sense. And what is worse, it shows how little our government cares about our teachers, schools and Alberta children.