Who's Who In Education? For many parents, the school system remains a mystery. Most parents have experienced it themselves, but it seems somehow "different" as a parent. It may differ in terms of content (what is actually taught--"Information technology? Computer immersion!?!"), or context (how the kids are taught--"You did what in class today!?!"). Some things may simply remain lingering mysteries ("Outside of instilling fear in the hearts of unruly pupils, what exactly does the principal do?"). Regardless of the specific mystery, being a parent in the school system is a very different position from being a student in school. Children spend the better part of their waking young lives in the province's school system. So to paraphrase a beloved children's show, "These are the people in your children’s neighbourhood." The Provincial Ministry of Learning The Ministry of Learning (with extensive input from educators) legislates, broadly, what teachers are expected to teach in the classroom, and recommends materials (i.e. textbooks, films, etc.) for use in the classroom. It operates far above your child's actual school experience, and allocates provincial resources assigned to education to the various school districts based on enrolment and financial need. In short, it holds the big purse. In some cases, it also intervenes in labour disputes between unionized employees (i.e. teachers, support staff, etc.) and school boards. The Ministry also keeps parents, and the public, informed about what the province's children are learning, how resources are being used, and what learning outcomes are being achieved. To learn more about the Ministry and what it's doing, check out the Ministry of Learning Web site at ednet.edc.gov.ab.ca The Minister of Learning The Minister of Learning is appointed by the Premier to lead the Ministry. He or she acts to fulfill the duties outlined above. Your only contact with the Minister, unless you decide to write a letter of complaint, is likely to be on the six o'clock news. To learn more about the Minister of Learning check out the Ministry web site or for information on the school system up to grade 12, check out the Alberta Learning web site. The School Board Each public school district in the province is headed by a school board, made up of school trustees, and headed by one, or more, superintendents. The school board decides how funds, received from the Ministry, are to be allocated within the school district. They deal with issues like keeping the schools in good repair, and balancing the books. Not all schools, or school boards, have Web sites yet, but the following on-line map and directory should help get you started. It can be found at ednet.edc.gov.ab.ca/parents. The Superintendent If the school district were a large company (which in essence it is), the superintendent would be the "Chief Executive Officer" to the school district’s "Board of Directors." The superintendent's job is to act as a hands-on monitor of each school within the district, usually through contact with the school principal, and to keep the board apprised of any issues which are raised. A list of contact information is available on the Ministry of Learning's web site. The School Trustee School trustees are politicians, elected by you and your community, and paid a salary from your taxes. They meet regularly, and are responsible for controlling the operation of all the schools within the district. They oversee a staff, which handles most of the day to day operations of hiring school personnel, keeping the schools in good repair, and the school buses running. The School Secretary It may seem odd to learn about the school secretary before the principal, but for most parents, this is the first person encountered at the office. The school secretary, and there is usually more than one in a large school, is responsible for many day-to-day operations, from regular office duties to calling home to see if "little Billy" is really sick or is absent without parental consent. Most importantly, the school secretary (especially at the secondary school level) acts as a palace guard, protecting the overworked principal by ensuring that any minor issues are redirected to the appropriate departments. The Principal Principals wield a great deal of power within their schools. Principals are appointed by the school board after five years or more as a teacher or vice-principal. Many principals hold Bachelor of Education or Master of Education degrees. Keeping order within the school, monitoring classroom management, and handing out discipline are just a portion of the principal's many duties. He or she meets with the school board and/or superintendent to deal with a multitude of issues, directs how classes are time-tabled and organized, is responsible for the supervision and safety of all students, deals with hiring and firing of staff and maintaining staff morale, and answers parent phone-calls and queries. In some schools, the principal, already buried under paperwork, also teaches part-time. The Vice-Principal The vice-principal acts as an administrative assistant to the principal in large schools. VPs are 'principals-in-training’, who have the same legal authority as the principal in the event that he or she is absent from the school. It is the vice-principal's responsibility to follow the directions of the principal, and to carry out all duties the principal assigns. In many schools, the job of disciplining the unruly student falls to the vice-principal. The Teacher The teacher is the foot-soldier of the school system. He or she is in the trenches five days a week, ten months a year. All teachers must be certified, and qualified, to teach in the province. All teachers must undergo rigorous training, and a form of apprenticeship (student teaching), before they are certified. Classroom teachers are interviewed for hiring by the principal of the school, and, sometimes, the school board. The teacher follows the Ministry's guidelines for what is to be taught, and devises the best methods to get that information across to the increasingly diverse group of students in his or her classroom. The overwhelming majority of teachers enter the profession because they enjoy the challenge of working with young people, and want to help them learn valuable skills that will stay with them for life. They care very deeply about what happens to your children. The Teacher-On-Call The teacher-on-call (referred to within the system as a TOC) is like the "hired gun" in old TV Westerns. When the regular teacher is unable to make it to school for any reason from illness to breakdown (automotive or otherwise), the TOC's phone rings. The call usually comes very, very, early in the morning, and tells the TOC where and when to be that day, and what class or subject he or she will be teaching. The TOC arrives to a strange classroom, 150 or so new faces (a large number of them actively plotting to make the TOC's day less than easy), and a list of, hopefully detailed, instructions for the day. The TOC's job is to make things run as they would have with the regular teacher present. In some cases, such as prolonged illness or maternity leave, the TOC may become the regular teacher for the remainder of the school year. School Support Services When you think of school you probably just think of the principal and the teacher, but there are a number of other people who may come in contact with your children during the course of their school experience. The School Psychologist The psychologist is trained and qualified to do thorough "educational assessments" on students. This may include intelligence tests and classroom observation. The psychologist may be brought in by a school to get a better understanding of a student that teachers or the principal feel needs closer observation for reasons ranging from learning disabilities to behavioral difficulties. This usually requires written parental consent. The Social Worker The social worker is university-trained, and may be called upon to offer professional support and counseling to students suffering emotional or social problems. They often work with families of children in crises as varied as chronic absence, abuse, pregnancy, and severe depression. The social worker predominantly works with students in senior elementary grades or older. Parents will usually be notified when their children are receiving this service. The Child and Youth Counselor Formerly called a Child Care Worker, the Child and Youth Counselor works mainly with children in the younger grades, in much the same manner as a social worker. He or she helps younger students deal with difficulties in class, or on the playground, such as bullying, sharing, and anger management. Parents will usually be notified when their children are receiving this service. The Speech Pathologist The speech pathologist is university trained, and assists children with speech difficulties. Some children, for various reasons, have speech impediments in their early school years. With the help of the speech pathologist, many children quickly overcome their speech impediments. Parents will usually be notified when their children are receiving this service. The Instructional Assistant Often referred to as "teacher's aides" or "teacher's helpers," the Instructional Assistant is a paid employee of the school board, who may or may not have special training in working with children. He or she works under the direction of the teacher or principal. Severely disabled children usually have an instructional assistant who remains with them throughout the school day. The instructional assistant can also serve the needs of a small group of special education students or severely disruptive students. They may also fill in to help an overwhelmed classroom teacher when there is not enough money available to hire another teacher. The Guidance Counselor Once the sole property of the high school environment, the guidance counselor helps students as they progress through the sometimes painful phase we call adolescence. Guidance counselors are qualified teachers who have taken extra training in guidance. They may assist students with matters such as homework management, peer pressure, family matters and course and career planning. The School Nurse For most elementary schools, a nurse from the public health unit is responsible for health matters in the school. He or she may only visit the school once a week or even less, but serves an important role in detecting infectious problems such as chickenpox, measles, head lice and others. The school nurse is not at the school to bandage scraped knees or set broken arms, but serves as a resource person for staff regarding issues of student health, human sexuality, diet, and medical concerns such as allergies The Special Education Teacher There is a wide variety of special education teachers in the school system who exist to provide assistance to students outside the mainstream. This may include students with specific learning disabilities, behavioral difficulties, problems grasping particular subjects, or students who excel beyond their classmates in a particular area. These teachers have additional qualifications to help them work those student issues outlined above. These teachers may work within the regular classroom, or they may withdraw certain students and work with them individually or as a small class. They also may offer help to the regular teacher in planning and preparing materials for those students who fall outside the classroom teacher's normal area of expertise. The Lunch Supervisor With many parents working outside the home and, consequently, less children going home for lunch, many schools now have volunteer or paid lunch supervisors. These individuals help ensure that students conduct themselves in a safe and appropriate manner over the lunch period. They may not have had any special training or background pertinent to working with children. The Educational Consultant Many schools have these consultants, who are employed by the school board to rotate between classrooms and schools occasionally. These consultants are usually specialists within a particular area, such as computers, or music. They are brought in to enrich the school experience by working with teachers and students to improve performance in a particular area. As you can see there are many people involved in your child's schooling. Each one plays an integral part in the success of all students and each has a very specific role to play. If you are unsure of why a particular individual is involved with your child, contact the school for clarification. Top