In 2016, the Alberta NDP government signed an unusual memorandum of understanding with the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA). The memorandum stated that the government and the ATA would “co-lead in the development and implementation” of a new provincial curriculum for all public schools in the province.
This agreement was unusual because curriculum development is an area exclusively of provincial responsibility. While it makes sense for the province to consult with the teachers’ union, making the union co-leaders in the development process sends a clear message that all other stakeholder groups, including parental groups, have only secondary status. What goes into the curriculum should matter as much to trustees, parents, and students as it does to teachers’ unions.
