Secret #5: There's strength in numbers

Education Minister Dave Hancock chats with ASBA President Heather Welwood

A school board can magnify it's impact considerably by working together with other school boards across the province.  The Alberta School Boards Association(ASBA) is the body that makes province wide co-operation possible.  While city boards face some issues that rural boards don't, or while public school districts have some differences with Catholic school districts, overall the issues that face us are much more similar than not.  If school districts can present a united front to government, they are much more likely to be effective in their advocacy efforts.   In addition to to being a province wide voice for school boards, ASBA provides a variety of services to it's member boards.  For example, the comprehensive employee benefit plan known as the Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan( ASEBP) is a partnership between the ASBA and the Alberta Teachers Association.  This unique partnership has allowed for the development of a benefit plan tailored to the needs of Alberta's basic education sector employees.  As an ASBA representative, I am now completing my last term as the Board Chair of ASEBP.

For the candidates who are elected on Ocober 18th, ASBA provides many opportunities for trustees to influence the direction of education in the province.  As a Metro Board( which is what the 4 school boards in Edmonton and Calgary are called) EPSB has one spot on the ASBA Board of Directors, a representative to the Zone( regional) meetings, and many opportuntities for involvement on a variety of committees with Government and other stakeholders.  ASBA's upcoming Fall General Meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to network with trustees from around the province and to establish working relationships with provincial officials.

Since the province has such a strong role in education, trustees would be wise to maximize the opportunities they have to work together with other school boards through ASBA.