The Alberta government's recent decision to increase the grant level for private school students (from 60 percent to 70 percent of the per student public school amount) has come under attack by some public school advocates, the teachers' union, and opposition MLAs.
Alberta Teachers' Association President, Frank Bruseker, denounced the decision, calling it "an assault on public education."
NDP Leader, Brian Mason, suggested that the funding increase was "inappropriate" and that "we need to focus on building the very best quality public education system."
Bruseker is completely wrong, and Mason is half wrong.
Mr. Mason is correct that the Alberta government's goal should be to build the very best public school system (which arguably it already has in Canada). However, what he and others fail to recognize is that this increase in private school funding will help augment that.
Edmonton Public school division has been heralded by Time Magazine as the "the most imitated and admired public school system in North America."
What has made it so admired and imitated? Choice and competition.
Prior to 1973, Edmonton's public schools were like most schools in Canada; they served the needs of their local neighbourhoods, with children funnelled into the schools that were the closest to their homes.
However, in 1973, under the leadership of superintendent Michael Strembitsky, Edmonton Public adopted an open boundaries rule, allowing parents and students the choice to go to any school within the district.
This competition for students became even fiercer in the mid-90s. First, the Alberta government allowed the establishment of autonomous charter schools that receive full public funding. Second, the government boosted funding for private schools from just under 50 percent to 60 percent of the per pupil public student amount.
While some undoubtedly grumbled about charter and private schools being an "assault" on public education, Edmonton Public, then under the leadership of superintendent Emery Dosdall, welcomed the competition.
"We were, for the first time, in a position where we could compete with charter and private schools for our enrolment and our funding. And we welcomed the challenge," wrote Dosdall when recalling the changes introduced in the 1990's.
With tax dollars following the students, it forced all schools to compete for students with innovations like alternative programming and more options for parents and students. This competition, not surprisingly, has led to higher parental and student satisfaction, as well as educational outcomes. Currently, over 50 percent of high school students enrolled in Edmonton Public attend schools other than their local designated school.
Superintendent Dosdall and Angus McBeath (his eventual successor) ushered in further competition by expanding the site-based budgeting process.
Site-based management allows school principals to decide how their school's budget dollars are to be allocated. Previously, central office would decide things like how many teachers, text books, globes and computers each school would receive.
In 1995, Dosdall and McBeath turned central office into a service provider and handed school principals 92 percent of all dollars given to Edmonton Public for the year. Principals were given the option of purchasing services and products from the school district or from private vendors, and the power to choose how much their school needed of each.
Parents, students, schools and principals now called the shots and the central office had to adapt and provide the demanded services or they would lose their jobs to private vendors.
According to McBeath, in the first year, demand for after-school in-service programs -- previously provided by central office -- dropped by 85 percent while demand for technology services tripled. Moreover, the competition created by site-based management led to central office creating new service areas and products.
Parental and student satisfaction continued to climb, as did educational outcomes.
The recent decision by the government to move the grant amount for students attending private schools from 60 percent to 70 percent of what a student in the public system gets will increase the competition that has made Edmonton Public excel.
If public school advocates truly cared about "building the very best quality public education system," they should acknowledge that the public system has improved time and time again thanks to this type of competition and like Dosdall welcome the challenge.
- Scott Hennig, Alberta Director
shennig@taxpayer.com
