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

People came out Friday morning to rally for more education funding in Alberta as the teachers' association prepares to resume bargaining next week.

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

Teachers and their supporters including groups Public Interest Alberta and the Edmonton Public Schools Advocacy Network have been gathering daily between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.

Organizers said the event started with about 75 people on Tuesday, growing to more than 200 people Friday.

“We’re really excited by the turnout,” said supporter Jodi McDonald. “Our purpose is really to hold government at all levels accountable for funding and supporting public education.”

“Visibility. Wave some flags, get some honks. Show people we’re out here,” said executive director of Public Interest Alberta Bradley Lafortune.

“Quite frankly, I think most Albertans, the vast majority of Albertans, understand that public education matters and that we need to invest in it.”

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Lafortune said teachers have expressed immense gratitude for the support and have treated the gatherings as a way to stay connected to each other while off work.

“We’ve heard from people who are coming out from St. Albert and Sherwood Park, all across Edmonton, to connect in the mornings and say, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’

That kind of solidarity and community building because this is really, really stressful,” he explained.

While the rallies have been a success he said there are plans to hold them in different locations next week to reach more people.

“Hopefully we’ll be growing this across the city and across the province,” said Lafortune.

‘I am doing my best to stay positive’: Teachers remain focused on better deal

Rally attendee Bridget Kennedy is in her second year of teaching, moving from a high school to a junior high this year.

“I had about two classes of 40 last year and within those classes, I was teaching dash two, which is a stream where people are maybe thinking of going to a trade school instead of university,” she said.

“There’s so many extra supports that you have to put in place for these children, it’s so much time and unfortunately, you can’t always get to all the kids so they fall through the cracks.”

Kennedy said many teachers feel like they can’t keep up with the increased demands.

“The statistic is about 50 per cent of teachers at five years quit. I know people who I had as teachers in high school who have quit due to this overwhelming need of trying to accommodate students.”

Still she is trying to remain optimistic about the future.

“I am doing my best to stay positive and knowing that this isn’t for me, this is for the kids, just trying to do this for them,” Kennedy said.

Bargaining resumes Tuesday

The union representing Alberta teachers said formal bargaining with the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association and the mediator will resume Tuesday.

It said it could not provide further details however ATA president Jason Schilling said in an interview with CTV News Edmonton it is a chance to “clean the slate”.

Kennedy said she has been trying to keep busy during the strike but being away from the classroom is hard.

“I miss my students dearly. I went to West Ed yesterday and actually saw a couple of them and I had to turn around because I was going to start crying. I miss them so much.”