Andrea Willman

How my path to advocacy started. 2021

It's been almost 4 years since this interview. Can you believe that?

Four years ago.
November 2021
For a quick "get to know me"… the first six or seven minutes are a pretty good start.

Watching the rest reminds me that I'm still here. Still advocating. Four years of trying to explain that "the strain on the whole system is not sustainable."

What's worn me down are the reassurances: "It's not that bad… we're doing okay considering… we're doing the best we can with what we have." They may be well-intentioned, but they miss the point. Students aren't averages on a spreadsheet. Things are bad enough that Alberta faces its first province-wide teacher strike since the time of Ralph Klein.

For anyone who has been struggling, that attempt at reassurance feels more like, "Not enough people are struggling yet." Or is it simply a matter of who is struggling?

That sounds harsh, but the EA strike in other jurisdictions lasted about four months. The schools didn't close. It was drawn out so long that lawyers had to get involved to reassert children's right to attend school.

This time, all schools will close unless we have some very uncomfortable conversations about the toll that long-term, forced scarcity takes on a population. Any population, really — but this is about public education.

I don't believe any UCP MLA sees shuttered schools as a threat to their re-election chances. I do believe, however, that teachers, students, and a growing population of supporters understand that it will require closing the schools until all students are adequately funded. Meaning that the current formulas used to determine our needs must be completely redesigned. This isn't about averages and totals; the formulas intentionally undercount growing populations, especially the kids who are falling through the cracks.
 

I stand for our students by standing with their teachers. The last four years have taught me that this ship will not right itself. 

This is going to require solidarity on a level my generation and those younger haven't had to face before.

This is a unique opportunity: an election during a strike. Maybe… we can avoid a strike if we collectively decide to be very "Lougheed" about this problem.
 

"Peter Lougheed's promise and core goal for education in Alberta was to build a world-class, inclusive education system that would prepare Albertans to compete and contribute globally, while enabling them to thrive locally. Lougheed stated that he wanted his own children, and all children in Alberta, to receive the best possible education in the province's public schools, so they could "go anywhere in the world and make a meaningful contribution in whatever field they choose," and—equally—have the opportunity to stay in Alberta and succeed in any field."
-Alberta Views magazine, Sept 1, 2021 
'The Lesson of Lougheed: A better Alberta is always possible'