Category Archives: Education

What Albertans Can Learn From Barack Obama

Posted on September 9, 2018 by

To paraphrase that old E.F. Hutton commercial, when Barack Obama talks, people listen. Last week Obama spoke at the University of Illinois.  He broke with the tradition of ex-presidents stepping away from the podium to give the new guy a … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care, Economy, Education, Lectures, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , , | 36 Comments

The Attack on Gay-Straight Alliances Continues

Posted on April 8, 2018 by

Last week the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) brought a court application challenging the constitutionality of changes to the School Act which are intended to support the establishment of gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in Alberta schools. Just to get our … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics and Government, Privacy and Surveillance | Tagged , , | 40 Comments

When They Go Low: the Kenney by-election debate

Posted on December 11, 2017 by

On Sunday afternoon Mr and Ms Soapbox were jammed into an overheated community hall listening to five politicians explain why they were the best choice to represent the good citizens of Calgary-Lougheed in the by-election triggered when Dave Rodney stepped … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberta Health Care, Economy, Education, Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 53 Comments

The UCP Vote on the GSA Bill: Free Vote or Rubber Stamp?

Posted on November 19, 2017 by

It started innocently enough… The NDP government introduced Bill 24, an act to prohibit teachers from informing parents their kids had joined a gay-straight alliance (GSA) unless the kids consented.   (Note: The Bill does not change a teacher’s general obligation … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics and Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

A Pop Quiz

Posted on August 20, 2017 by

Ms Soapbox is shocked. She just returned from the Alberta Teachers’ Association Summer Summit on Public Education and discovered that she knows far less about education and teaching in Alberta than she thought she did. So pop quiz!  (Stop grumbling, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics and Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

The Whole Gay Thing

Posted on April 9, 2017 by

Recently Brad Trost and Jason Kenney made some troubling comments about the whole gay thing and the progressives just won’t let it go. Trost, a “full spectrum” conservative, believes in all three conservative values: social conservatism, fiscal conservatism, and democratic … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Law, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Jason Kenney Takes a Page from the Donald Trump Playbook

Posted on November 6, 2016 by

Last night the Progressive Conservatives kicked off their leadership race in earnest. As expected Jason Kenney urged party members to “unite Alberta” (ie destroy the PCs by merging them with the rebranded Wildrose party) while the other five candidates reassured … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Energy & Natural Resources, Politics and Government | Tagged , , , | 25 Comments