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Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

@smartalecw.bsky.social

470 followers 830 following 750 posts

🙃 Substitute Teacher | Union Miniboss | Intersectional Feminist 💚 Knitting & Crafts | Geeky Things | Volunteering 🇨🇦 I live, work, & play on Treaty 6 territory, specifically amiskwaciwâskahikan (ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ)

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Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · Aug 29

As we're waiting for press conferences, I'm re-sharing an article I published in June.

Substitute teachers in Alberta deal with unreasonable income and employment instability, unreasonable workplace uncertainty, and unreasonable social struggles.

medium.com/@smartalecwa...

#ABEd

Substitute Teaching in Alberta Sucks Far More Than You Know

2025/Jun/15

medium.com

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Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 12h

Choosing not to get "too political" is a political decision.

Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 1d

“We’re not in politics. We’re just some guys in Virginia making good whisky. But unfortunately, we’re the victims.”

Idk man, maybe you don’t get to “not be in politics” when one side is blowing up international relationships you depend on www.cnn.com/2025/10/13/b...

Canada’s boycott America movement is hurting innocent bystanders | CNN Business

Virginia Distillery CEO Gareth Moore was bullish on his company’s American single malt whisky sales north of the border when 2025 kicked off.

www.cnn.com

Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 13h

bsky.app/profile/theb...

The Breakdown AB @thebreakdownab.bsky.social · 17h

From the DM’s…

Not looking like there’s going to be a quick end to the teachers strike…

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 16h

"A government that claims it can’t ‘afford’ decent class sizes and yet pours $567,000,000 every year into private schools is just lying."

#ABEd #ABleg

David Mitchell :CApride: @davidm-yeg.mstdn.ca.ap.brid.gy · 6d

Here’s the government’s track record on funding education, currently Alberta public funding is $3,950 per student less than the Canadian average, and Alberta private school funding is $5,000 per student more than the average. In fact, the only reason the Canadian […]

[Original post on mstdn.ca]

A graph of per student funding in Alberta since 2005 in adjusted 2024 dollars.

It shows funding flat around $12,000 per student until a rise in 2016 under the NDP but then dropping precipitously from 2022, currently just over $11,000.

Meanwhile funding for private school students has steadily risen and is now only $1,500/student less than public.

Also marked are Canadian averages in both categories:
Alberta public funding is $3,950 less than the average
Alberta private funding is $5,000 more than the average

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Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

The Breakdown AB @thebreakdownab.bsky.social · 17h

From the DM’s…

Not looking like there’s going to be a quick end to the teachers strike…

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

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Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 17h

Every student would benefit from the upsides of private schools. Especially the most marginalized.

Parental choice is fundamentally about segregation. And that's not okay.

Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 17h

It's wild that a caller in support (of private education getting public dollars) basically argued "I/my kid benefited from it, therefore I support it."

WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY.

Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 17h

Listening to #CBC's "Alberta at Noon" for Oct 14th 2025; Should tax dollar$ go towards independent education?

Wing Li, of @sosalberta.bsky.social, did an excellent job of addressing common arguments. It doesn't make sense when we fund public schools at the lowest per student level.

#ABEd #ABleg

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Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

Janet French @jantafrench.bsky.social · 18h

This is the first publicly released polling on Alberta education issues from a professional pollster in a while, and the results are super interesting.

ARI poll suggests contract dispute support for teachers: 58%
Support for AB govt: 21 %
Neither: 18 % #AbLeg #AbEd

New poll suggests bulk of public back Alberta teachers in contract dispute | CBC News

A new Angus Reid Institute poll suggests locked-out teachers have more public support than the Alberta government as a contract dispute cancels classes for a second week.

www.cbc.ca

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Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

albertaadvocate.bsky.social @albertaadvocate.bsky.social · 1d

Students voices matter when it comes to their education. They deserve that respect. The current government would do well to listen.

I doubt they will.
www.youtube.com/live/ReKD6Mn... #CdnEd #AbEd #AbBREAKDOWN

Episode 7.35 - Alberta Students Speak Out!

YouTube video by The Breakdown AB

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

MondoAB @mondoab.bsky.social · 2d

“They shouldn’t need to seek out those other opportunities for their children. A well-funded public system should be meeting the needs of those kids in the first place,” said Taylor.

medicinehatnews.com/news/local-n...

Private school funding petition needs 177K signatures in 120 days - Medicine Hat News

[email protected] A Calgary high school teacher launched a citizen initiative this week that would ask if the province should end its policy of allocating public funds to accredited independe...

medicinehatnews.com

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Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 1d

"I kind of feel like if the government listened to the teachers, this whole thing wouldn't be happening right now and we would be back in school as usual."

#ABEd #ABleg #AlbertaTeachers

Jack Farrell @jack-farrell.bsky.social · 2d

'There's a void': Alberta students keep busy, hope for end to teachers strike

From me today:
www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/prairies_bc/...

'There's a void': Alberta students keep busy, hope for end to teachers strike

EDMONTON - Many Alberta students are sleeping in these days, struggling with the feeling they should be doing something else instead.

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca

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Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 1d

Oh yes.

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Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 1d

"Abandoning public education also lets governments relinquish their responsibility to support an equitable, democratic society. It increases the disparities between the privileged and everyone else."

#ABEd #ABleg #AlbertaTeachers

MandalaMushroom.bsky.social @mandalamushroom.bsky.social · 2d

Inside the Right-Wing Attack on Alberta's Public Education via @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...

Inside the Right-Wing Attack on Alberta's Public Education | The Tyee

MAGA’s Project 2025 has become a blueprint for undermining Canada’s schools in the name of profit and privilege.

thetyee.ca

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Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 1d

Pixies - Que Sera, Sera youtu.be/PDd-180FQ8U?...

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Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

Edmonton Journal @edmontonjournal.com · 1d

An analysis of four years of voting records show all but two council members voted the same was as each other a majority of the time

Edmonton Votes 2025: Voting records reveal close councillor alignment ahead of election day

An analysis of four years of voting records show all but two council members voted the same was as each other a majority of the time

bit.ly

Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

Jamie @jamieb1000.bsky.social · 3d

www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/art...

‘We’re really excited by the turnout’: Edmonton rally supporting striking teachers grows daily

#abpoli #ableg #StandWithABTeachers #Alberta
#Canada #strike #FireTheUCP #FireSmith #Teachers

‘We’re really excited by the turnout’: Edmonton rally supporting striking teachers grows daily

A morning rally in support of striking teachers has seen attendance grow since it began near the Walterdale Bridge earlier this week.

www.ctvnews.ca

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Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 4d

This method yielded an "average parental income" for public school kids to be $97,301.

For private school kids, it was $130,127.

They then excluded "elite" private schools.

And when you look only at "non-elite" private schools, the "average parental income" is $95,549.

Screenshot of column chart from the Fraser Institute report showing their calculations of "parental income" for public schools ($97,301), private schools ($130,127), "non-elite" private schools ($95,459) and "elite" private schools ($192,265).

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Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 3d

I cast mine on Thursday!
I appreciate the sticker, "I showed up!" Yeah, I did.

Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 3d

UofA professor Alex Da Costa: “It’s well known that these populations [Edmonton and Calgary] are growing, and with that, obviously, there will be the growth of school-aged children … it’s just a lack of planning."

Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

Edmonton Journal @edmontonjournal.com · 3d

Alberta teachers say class sizes are a key issue in their strike — looking at the numbers

Beyond pay and other factors, class sizes in Alberta schools have become a contentious talking point that's played a role in the ATA strike.

bit.ly

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Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @smartalecw.bsky.social · 4d

"During my time as minister I was instrumental in providing increased funding for private schools. Since then I have come to realize that my past support for funding to private schools was mistaken. I was wrong."

David King being a real one.
#ABEd #ABpoli

Alberta Views Magazine @albertaviews.bsky.social · 5d

"In a free society, many things are allowed to be said, done and provided that the community would not endorse or fund. Private education is an example. Public funding for private schools should end."

albertaviews.ca/private-scho...
#ABpoli #ABleg #CDNpoli #teachers

Private Schools - Alberta Views

Out of concern for the well-being of the community that I recognize how public subsidies for private schools erode our sense of connection.

albertaviews.ca

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Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

Plague Poems @plaguepoems.bsky.social · 4d

The meeting began
with an icebreaker:
“which of your skills
would be most useful
if you found yourself
sent back in time
to the Middle Ages?”
and as I looked around
at all the unmasked faces
I was tempted to say:
I know how to
avoid the plague,
but instead I just said:
I can knit.

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Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

Kim O 🇨🇦 @toolcutie.bsky.social · 4d

Hey Edmonton. If you're unsure or curious to find out which candidates you're most aligned with for mayor and council, this is a great tool.

edmonton.taproot.vote/2025/surveys...

Take the Taproot Survey

Where do you stand on issues raised by voters in the 2025 municipal election?

edmonton.taproot.vote

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Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

RichardJR @electricbluesfan.bsky.social · 4d

4/9
Despite these long hours, a majority of Alberta teachers feel undervalued.

Only 35 per cent of teachers in the province believe their profession is valued by society, a drop of 11 percentage points since the 2018 survey and well below the international average of 49 per cent.

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Reposted by Alec Walker 🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him)

RichardJR @electricbluesfan.bsky.social · 4d

1/9
🚨 ALBERTA TEACHERS AMONG WORLD'S MOST STRESSED & OVERWORKED 🚨

A #OECD report confirms what #Alberta #teachers have been saying: they are facing unsustainable #workloads, high #stress, and a lack of #support compared to their peers globally.

Alberta Teachers' Association
#AbLeg #AbEd #ATAstrike

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