Education
RDC and President Joel Ward mark ten years of transition
From Red Deer College Communications
State of the College Address reflects on past and looks to future
Red Deer College opened its doors to members of the community for the third annual State of the College Address on Thursday. The event had a 10-year retrospective theme, reflecting Joel Ward’s contributions to RDC, and it also provided an opportunity for RDC’s Board of Governors and President & CEO to share recent highlights from the College, while also looking to the exciting future as Red Deer University.
“When it comes to serving current students, future students and community members, Red Deer College has made tremendous advances in recent years, with the past 12 months really representing the turning point in our College’s evolution,” says Morris Flewwelling, Board Chair. “This is a direct outcome of the strategic and diverse work that the College is undertaking to benefit our learners and the citizens of central Alberta.”
During his speech, Flewwelling pointed to highlights including RDC’s approval to become a university, along with the confirmation that Red Deer University will be the institution’s name of the future. He also noted that RDC has launched eight new programs and opened three new facilities – the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, the Alternative Energy Lab and new Residence – all within the last year.
Planning and partnerships have laid the foundation for RDC’s unprecedented growth, as the College works with its partners to establish pathways and opportunities to serve people from across the region. Recent examples include the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre partnering with RDC to build a Centre for Excellence on RDC’s main campus, and also RDC signing the Colleges and Institutes Canada Indigenous Education Protocol, formalizing our commitment to Indigenous education.
As the College expands, diversifies and becomes increasingly inclusive, it will be able to seamlessly transition into the university of the future. “RDC will be guided by the communities we serve, and we will continue to engage our communities as we learn and grow together,” says Joel Ward, President & CEO. “We will build on our strengths as a college as we transition to a university that offers comprehensive programming, which will ensure the success of our learners and have a direct impact on the economic, cultural and social growth of central Alberta.”
After the Address, guests and community members took part in a public farewell, acknowledging Joel Ward’s upcoming retirement from the College.
For further information, please see the State of the College publication.
About RDC: For 55 years, Red Deer College has proudly served its learners and communities. In 2018, RDC received approval to become a university, offering its own degrees. The College continues to grow programs across a breadth of credentials as it transitions to become a comprehensive regional teaching university during the next three to five years. Once this transition is complete, RDC will officially be known as Red Deer University. RDC offers more than 100 programs (including degrees, certificates, diplomas and skilled trades programs). With impressive new facilities that have opened this year, the College educates 7,500 full-and part- time credit students and more than 38,000 youth and adult learners in the School of Continuing Education each year.
From the Fraser Institute
Recently, amid the backdrop of a teacher strike, an Alberta high school teacher began collecting signatures for a petition to end government funding of independent schools in the province. If she gets enough people to sign—10 per cent of the number of Albertans who voted in the last provincial election—Elections Alberta will consider launching a referendum about the issue.
In other words, the critical funding many Alberta families rely on for their children’s educational needs may be in jeopardy.
In Alberta, the provincial government partially funds independent schools and charter schools. The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), whose members are currently on strike, opposes government funding of independent and charter schools.
But kids are not one-size-fits-all, and schools should reflect that reality, particularly in light of today’s increasing classroom complexity where different kids have different needs. Unlike government-run public schools, independent schools and charter schools have the flexibility to innovate and find creative ways to help students thrive.
And things aren’t going very well for all kids or teachers in government-run pubic school classrooms. According to the ATA, 93 per cent of teachers report encountering some form of aggression or violence at school, most often from students. Additionally, 85 per cent of unionized teachers face an increase in cognitive, social/emotional and behavioural issues in their classrooms. In 2020, one-quarter of students in Edmonton’s government-run public schools were just learning English, and immigration to Canada—and Alberta especially—has exploded since then. It’s not easy to teach a classroom of kids where a significant proportion do not speak English, many have learning disabilities or exceptional needs, and a few have severe behavioural problems.
Not surprisingly, demand for independent schools in Alberta is growing because many of these schools are designed for students with special needs, Autism, severe learning disabilities and ADHD. Some independent schools cater to students just learning English while others offer cultural focuses, expanded outdoor time, gifted learning and much more.
Which takes us back to the new petition—yet the latest attempt to defund independent schools in Alberta.
Wealthy families will always have school choice. But if the Alberta government wants low-income and middle-class kids to have the ability to access schools that fit them, too, it’s crucial to maintain—or better yet, increase—its support for independent and charter schools.
Consider a fictional Alberta family: the Millers. Their daughter, Lucy, is struggling at her local government-run public school. Her reading is below grade level and she’s being bullied. It’s affecting her self-esteem, her sleep and her overall wellbeing. The Millers pay their taxes. They don’t take vacations, they rent, and they haven’t upgraded their cars in many years. They can’t afford to pay full tuition for Lucy to attend an independent school that offers the approach to education she needs to succeed. However, because the Alberta government partially funds independent schools—which essentially means a portion of the Miller family’s tax dollars follow Lucy to the school of their choice—they’re able to afford the tuition.
The familiar refrain from opponents is that taxpayers shouldn’t pay for independent school tuition. But in fact, if you’re concerned about taxpayers, you should encourage school choice. If Lucy attends a government-run public school, taxpayers pay 100 per cent of her education costs. But if she attends an independent or charter school, taxpayers only pay a portion of the costs while her parents pay the rest. That’s why research shows that school choice saves tax dollars.
If you’re a parent with a child in a government-run public school in Alberta, you now must deal with another teacher strike. If you have a child in an independent or charter school, however, it’s business as usual. If Albertans are ever asked to vote on whether or not to end government funding for independent schools, they should remember that students are the most important stakeholder in education. And providing parents more choices in education is the solution, not the problem.
Paige MacPherson
Premier Danielle Smith, Minister of Finance Nate Horner, and Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides issued the following statement.
“Yesterday, the Provincial Bargaining and Compensation Office wrote to the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and formally requested an agreement to enter an enhanced mediation process.
“This process would have ensured that students returned to the classrooms on Monday, and that teachers returned to work.
“Negotiating would have continued with the ATA, Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) and a third-party mediator to propose a recommended agreement.
“We are very disappointed that the Alberta Teachers’ Association refused this offer. Teachers and students should also be disappointed.
“PBCO made this offer to the ATA because the union has not made a reasonable offer and this strike is impacting students. Alberta’s government is trying to put kids first and bring an end to this strike.
“The offer of enhanced mediation provided a clear path to ending it.
“We want the same things as the ATA: More teachers. More pay for teachers. More educational assistants. And more classrooms.
“This strike has gone on too long and we are extremely concerned about the impact it is having on students.
“We are willing to consider further options to ensure that our next generation gets the world-class education they deserve. After about three weeks, a strike of this nature would reach the threshold of causing irreparable harm to our students’ education.
“The ATA needs to do what is right for its members, and for all Alberta students.
“If it refuses to do so, we will consider further options to bring this strike to an end.”
Diploma exam update
November diploma exams will be optional for students.
With instructional time in schools disrupted due to the teacher strike, the November 2025 diploma exams will now be optional for students. Students who wish to write a diploma exam may request to do so, and their school boards will accommodate the request.
The optional diploma exams apply to all schools provincewide. These exams will still take place on the currently scheduled dates.
Students who choose not to write the November diploma exams can still complete their courses and graduate on time. Their final grade will be based entirely on the school-awarded mark provided by their teacher.
Choosing not to write the November diploma exams will not affect a student’s ability to apply to, be accepted by, or attend post-secondary institutions after graduation.
No changes have been made to the January and June diplomas and provincial achievement tests.
Quick facts
- Students are automatically exempted from writing the November diploma exams but can request to write them.
- School boards must allow the student to write the diploma exam if requested.
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