Task force releases 25 recommendations about Alberta’s teaching profession

Ministry of Education

A government-established task force has released a report including 25 recommendations aimed to help achieve teaching excellence in Alberta. The recommendations include the implementation of an early-career mentorship program for teachers; changes to the teacher evaluation process; and the establishment of mandatory one-year, paid internships for teachers in training.


Education Minister Jeff Johnson established the Task Force of Teaching Excellence in 2013. The Task Force is a 16-member, blue-ribbon panel made up of a wide range of Albertans, including students, parents, teachers and academics, and four MLAs.

“After parents, teachers are the most important contributor to students’ success. With that in mind, I assigned the group one goal: to ensure that every child, in every class, has an excellent teacher,” said Johnson. “The Task Force took this mission to heart and has published a report that clearly puts the needs of our children first.”

The report was released on May 5 at the Alberta Education-hosted Task Force for Teaching Excellence Symposium, where about 1,300 attendees—including about 700 students and teachers—shared their initial opinions on the Task Force’s recommendations. The symposium marked the first step in further province-wide consultation on this topic.

The Task Force was chaired by Dr. Glenn Feltham, President and CEO of NAIT.

“We focused on recommendations that enable, support and assure teaching excellence,” said Feltham. “In all our deliberations, the interest of the student was paramount—the child came first.”

Feltham said his work with the Task Force was eye-opening and rewarding. “It has deepened my appreciation for the art and craft of teaching and the passion for and commitment to education in this province.”

To inform its recommendations, the Task Force conducted an extensive consultation process that included 3,000 Albertans. They also engaged other experts and stakeholder organizations throughout the process.

The College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS) and the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta (PSBAA) stated their support for the report shortly after its release.

“I feel there are some positive recommendations that would enable Alberta’s education system to continue to adapt to the rapid changes that are taking place in our world,” said Dr. Larry Jacobs, President of CASS, in a news release. “The ability to evolve and meet the needs of every child is critically important, for the students of today and those of tomorrow.”

“At first blush, the recommendations contained within the report appear to be anchored in the Inspiring Education vision, Alberta’s strong and credible reputation as a leader in public school education and, perhaps most importantly, the report is focused on putting the needs of our children first,” said the PSBAA also in a news release.

Minister Johnson will now take about a month to gather feedback about the report.

“I want to hear from all Albertans about the Task Force’s recommendations. Over the next several weeks, I’ll be soliciting feedback from a number of our key education partners, including the Alberta Teachers’ Association, as well as all interested Albertans. I will be carefully reviewing this feedback before making decisions on the recommendations.”

The report is available at www.education.alberta.ca/TeachingExcellence, where visitors can share their thoughts on the recommendations via an online survey and discussion board. Feedback can also be emailed to EDC.TeachingExcellence@gov.ab.ca.