My name is Jeremy Klug and I am running to represent Airdrie on the Board of Trustees for Rocky View Schools. After growing up in Calgary, I have been raising my three children in Airdrie for more than 12 years and I care deeply about the future of public education in our community. My mother has been a public-school teacher for 27 years, and my sister proudly followed in her footsteps, so my passion for education comes naturally to me. I’ve seen firsthand the incredible difference that educators make in the lives of their students and that’s why I believe it’s so important to stand up for public education.
For over a decade, I've been actively involved in Airdrie, volunteering at my children's school, attending school council meetings, and serving on the fundraising committee. I've also volunteered as a soccer coach helping kids learn the game and gain confidence while having fun. My professional background working in technology is an asset I would bring to the board, especially as we navigate the effects of AI, social media, phones, and other technologies on our children, their education, and their future.
Statement of beliefs
Our schools are currently facing unprecedented challenges due in large part to a lack of stable and adequate funding from the provincial government. We live in the wealthiest province in Canada while having the lowest per student funding in the country. That has to change. I believe funding for education is an investment, not an expense. I see it as a duty of public school board trustees to ensure students in our care have access to the best education possible, and that means standing up for sustainable, long term, and adequate funding that truly meets the needs of our communities.
Priority areas
Advocating for increased provincial investment in public education.
Consulting with my community to ensure their voices and concerns are represented on the board.
Ensuring a safe, healthy and inclusive environment for all students and staff.
Views on funding
No provincial government in this country invests less in public education per student than Alberta’s and that has to change. That’s exactly what spending on public education is, an investment in our children and our communities. The main role of schools boards is one of advocacy, and they should be collecting all the data necessary to make the best case to the provincial government for the funding required to meet the needs of their communities. Boards must also be making informed and prudent decisions about how the funding they do receive is allocated. While the province has made some changes to the current funding formula it still structurally under funds fast growing school boards like Rocky View and we must continue to push the government to move to a more equitable and responsive solution.
How learning conditions can be improved
By first and foremost investing in our classrooms to reduce class sizes, hire more teachers and increase available supports, we can significantly improve learning conditions for students. Our schools are filled with passionate and invested teachers that are focused on doing their best for students in all circumstances, so I know that by investing in classrooms and listening to educators we can create conditions that will improve outcomes and help students thrive.
How trustees and school boards can best support teachers
Trustees need to be listening to teachers, addressing their concerns and standing up for them when they need our support. We need to be advocating for better, and doing what we can to strengthen classroom supports while ensuring they have the resources they need to create the best learning environments for their students. Trustees must build strong working relationships with teachers based on respect and trust so that we are working together to achieve our shared goals and build the world class public education system our communities deserve.
Views on the new K-6 curriculum
The curriculum development process should not be politicized and must involve teachers from start to finish. Given some of the issues with the new K-6 curricula that have been raised around age appropriateness and being overly prescriptive, boards should work with teachers to ensure they have the flexibility to implement it in ways that consider local needs and priorities while respecting teacher expertise in teaching methodology and practices. Boards must also continue to raise these issues with the provincial government to push for improvements and ensure future curricula development returns to a nonpolitical and subject matter expert driven process.