Alberta teachers hail significant education investment but remain skeptical

The Alberta government says Budget 26 will add $143 million to hire 1,600 teachers and 800 support staff and raise education funding to $10.8 billion; the Alberta Teachers' Association called the investment significant but said specifics and recruitment plans are still unclear.

The Alberta government announced that Budget 26, to be tabled in the legislature on Thursday, will include $143 million to hire 1,600 teachers and 800 support staff "in the coming years" to address classroom overcrowding and complexity. Premier Danielle Smith said Alberta aims to keep its school system strong, and Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides described a record $10.8 billion for education, a $722-million (7 per cent) increase from last year. The government also said education funding will reach $11.5 billion by 2028-29 to help hire more than 5,000 teachers, educational assistants and support staff. The Alberta Teachers' Association welcomed the funding but stressed that outcomes will depend on how the money is delivered and whether new staff arrive in classrooms. Key points: - Budget 26 is described by the government as providing $10.8 billion for education in the coming year, a $722-million or 7 per cent increase from last year. - The budget announcement includes $143 million intended to hire 1,600 teachers and 800 support staff "in the coming years," and projects education funding of $11.5 billion by 2028-29 to support more than 5,000 hires over time. - Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling called the funding a significant or historic investment but said success will be measured by the number of new staff and supports that actually arrive in classrooms. - The ATA highlighted priorities such as expanding complexity teams across schools and targeted funding envelopes for students with special needs. - The Alberta NDP's shadow education minister Amanda Chapman expressed skepticism about where teachers will come from, citing retention and substitute shortages; Schilling also pointed to the need to rebuild university teacher education capacity. - Schilling noted last October's three-week teacher strike and criticized the government's use of the notwithstanding clause to end that strike, saying his skepticism about labour relations remains high. Summary: The budget announcement represents a substantial funding increase and a stated plan to hire several thousand education staff over coming years, which supporters say could address overcrowding and complexity in classrooms. What officials will now need to detail are how and when the new positions will be filled and how targeted supports will be allocated; the budget will be tabled in the legislature on Thursday, and delivery specifics remain undetermined at this time.