Alberta
$150 a week from the Province to help families with students 12 and under if teachers go on strike next week
Alberta’s government will be providing financial assistance and educational resources to support parents and students in the event of a teacher strike.
Eligible parents or guardians would receive $30 per day, or $150 per week, per student for the duration of the ATA’s labour action. The first payment will be made on Oct. 31.
More information about the application process will be available shortly. To get ready, parents can set up an Alberta.ca verified account at alberta.ca/alberta-ca-account.
Alberta teachers have rejected a four-year deal, putting the ATA in a position to strike by Oct. 6, leaving countless families uncertain about what happens next.
As a teacher strike becomes more likely, Alberta’s government has developed a responsible plan to support kids and keep them learning while paying parents back for unexpected education expenses in the event of a strike.
This plan includes a new payment program to directly support parents experiencing financial strains because of the strike. An online learning toolkit following the grades K-12 curriculum has also been developed to support students with at-home learning.
“I’m disappointed that ATA members have rejected the settlement, choosing instead to go on strike. Students and families need to know we will support them during this time of uncertainty, so we are releasing our plan today to provide payments directly to families and to support at-home student learning.“
“Our goal is to keep our kids in the classroom. Our government is ready, willing and able to head back to the bargaining table at any time.”
With 80,000 new students joining our education system in the last two years alone, Alberta needs this investment now, more than ever. That’s why Alberta’s government invested $8.6 billion to build and renovate more than 130 schools. This is more than any provincial government has invested in the history of the province.
The government is aware the ATA may still choose to go forward with their plan to strike. In the event of a strike, Alberta’s government has a balanced plan to support students and parents through this challenging time.
Payment program
To help ease the extra costs families may face while children are away from their desks during labour action, Alberta’s government is introducing a new payment program for parents. This program would be available to parents and guardians of students aged 12 and under who attend a public, separate or francophone school and are affected by teacher strikes.
Eligible parents or guardians would receive $30 per day, or $150 per week, per student for the duration of the ATA’s labour action. The first payment will be made on Oct. 31.
The payments would support families while students are unable to attend school to help offset additional costs like childcare, educational supports such as tutoring, or other activities to keep students engaged.
More information about the application process will be available shortly. To get ready, parents can set up an Alberta.ca verified account at alberta.ca/alberta-ca-account.
Learning supports
To give families flexibility during a potential labour disruption, Alberta Education and Childcare created a free toolkit for parents to support their child’s learning in the event that schools are closed.
The toolkit provides resources that follow the grades K-12 curriculum. The resources are available in English, French and French immersion and focus on the core subjects of language arts, social studies, math and sciences. These resources will be updated weekly.
“We understand that the possibility of a teacher strike brings uncertainty and concerns for families. That’s why Alberta’s government is supporting families with practical tools and resources to help maintain their child’s learning if schools are closed. This parent toolkit offers flexibility, choice, and curriculum-aligned materials to empower families, ease the pressure they’re facing and keep students engaged.”
Classroom complexity funding
Throughout bargaining, teachers have advocated for more support to deal with the issue of increasing classroom complexity. Despite the teachers voting to reject this deal, Alberta’s government remains committed to help address increasing classroom complexity head on and will be allocating $100 million per year over three years. These funds will hire 1,500 net new education assistants. To further address classroom complexity, the remaining funds may be used to hire up to 725 more education assistants, or used to complete autism, mental health, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, or speech-language pathology assessments for students.
Alberta’s government has a strong, responsible plan to keep students learning. No matter what the union decides, government will remain unwavering in our commitment to stand with families.
Key facts:
- The offer rejected by ATA members would have made Alberta teachers the highest paid in Western Canada after provincial taxes.
- It would have provided a general wage increase of 12 per cent over the four-year term, as well as a wage grid unification which would have provided more than 95 per cent of teachers even larger wage increases up to 17 per cent.
- It would have provided tremendous investments in classroom supports to help alleviate population growth and classroom complexity pressures with the hiring of 3,000 new teachers in public, separate and francophone classrooms.
Related information
Alberta’s government is engaging with Albertans on increasing speed limits on rural highways.
Starting Nov. 7, Albertans can share their views on modernizing speed limits on divided highways through an online survey running until Dec. 12. The survey will ask how Albertans view raising the speed limit by 10 km/h on various highways from 110 km/h to 120 km/h.
“Alberta’s government is investigating how to safely increase speed limits on divided highways, and if Albertans support increasing speed limits. We are investing more than $1.5 billion this year alone to improve highway safety and upgrade infrastructure across the province. We want Albertans to be able to drive the speed limit that the highways are designed for. Modern vehicles combined with public awareness mean we can explore higher speed limits.”
The survey will provide Albertans with the opportunity to provide input on which highways they would prioritize having a speed limit increase, their views on restricting commercial trucks from using the far-left lane on highways with three or more lanes and any other feedback that would improve driving experiences on provincial highways.
Following a review of the survey results, Alberta’s government plans to conduct a mini-trial of a 120 km/h speed limit to assess the impacts of higher speed limits on divided highways. The trial will include strong monitoring to assess driving behaviour.
Alberta’s government reminds motorists to slow down and drive to the conditions. Speed limits are set for ideal conditions. When roads are wet, icy or when there is reduced visibility, motorists should slow down.
Quick facts
- Alberta’s provincial highway network includes more than 64,000 lane kilometres of highways, about 11,700 lane kilometres of which are divided.
- The posted speed limits of Alberta’s divided highways range from 100 to 110 km/h, although the posted speed limits on segments passing through cities, towns and First Nation lands can be as low as 50 km/h due to factors such as signalized intersections, pedestrians and local access.
Related information
- The survey is available online.
A new Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee has been struck to address classroom challenges.
Taking action on class size and complexity
Classrooms in Alberta continue to grow and are becoming increasingly complex, and immediate action is needed to address these issues in the public education system. To meet these issues head on, the Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee has been created. The cabinet committee will help guide government policy and deploy resources to deal with class sizes and classroom complexity.
“We are committed to providing world-class education, and we’re building schools and funding education at a rate unprecedented in this province. This committee will help us address the concerns of teachers, parents and students around class sizes and complexity.”
Throughout November, Alberta’s government will continue work with school boards to collect data on class sizes and classroom composition. The cabinet committee will use this data to direct resources to the classrooms that need it the most. Starting in January, this data will be made available and released annually.
The Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee will be co-chaired by the Premier of Alberta and the Minister of Education and Childcare. It will also include non-voting members representing school boards, administrators and a teacher representative of the ATA. The committee will also hear from school boards, academic experts, teachers, educational assistants, complex needs specialists and parents to inform its decisions and guide this vital work.
“We heard teacher concerns, and we are providing solutions. The Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee will help us take immediate action and ensure teachers and students are given the support they need to succeed.”
In June 2025, Alberta’s government established the Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team to provide advice on addressing classroom complexity. The report has been received and will be released soon. Over the coming months, the cabinet committee will start rolling out solutions informed by the action team’s recommendations. In addition, the committee will guide the creation of a new inclusive education policy framework.
“The work of this committee will support teachers in responding to the growing complexity in our classrooms. We will ensure that the voices of the contributors to the initial work guide
solutions that truly improve the educational experience for students and the educators who serve them.”
“I appreciate the government’s recognition of the impact of classroom complexity and their commitment to working collaboratively for improvement. Supporting teachers ultimately improves classroom conditions and student outcomes.”
Using data collected, this cabinet committee will also guide Alberta’s government in executing its commitment to hire 3,000 new teachers and 1,500 new educational assistants over the next three years. They will also assist in identifying and prioritizing where new schools and modulars should be built, advancing the government’s commitment to invest $8.6 billion to build 130 new schools, and provide 109 modular classrooms in the growing communities that need them urgently.
Quick facts
- Members of the Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee include:
- Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta
- Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare
- Jason Nixon, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services
- Rick Wilson, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction
- Searle Turton, Minister of Child and Family Services
- Lynnette Anderson, chief superintendent, Edmonton Catholic Schools
- Nicole Buchanan, chair, Red Deer Public Schools
- Marilyn Dennis, former president of Alberta School Boards Association
- Mike McMann, superintendent, Fort Vermilion Schools and President, College of Alberta School Superintendents
- Joanne Pitman, chief superintendent, Calgary Board of Education
- Dr. Elissa Corsi, Alberta Teachers’ Association
- Only Cabinet members are voting members. Additional guests will be invited to attend and share their expertise at the discretion of the chairs.
- School boards will be required to submit data on Alberta classrooms by Nov. 24.
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