ATWAL SIBLINGS WIN AGAIN/C8
SAFEWAY IN PARKLAND MALL CLOSING ON DEC. 6 PAGE C4
Red Deer Advocate THURSDAY, SEPT. 11, 2014
www.reddeeradvocate.com
Your trusted local news authority
Crops under siege SNOWFALL, KILLING FROST UNDERMINE QUALITY OF HARVEST BY HARLEY RICHARDS ADVOCATE BUSINESS EDITOR Already reeling from unseasonal snowfall that flattened fields and put the brakes on this year’s har-
vest, Central Alberta farmers were bracing last night for a killing frost that would further undermine the yield and quality of their 2014 crops. Environment Canada was expecting temperatures in the region to dip to -6 C — a level that would be particularly detrimental to seeds that haven’t yet ripened.
Support for special needs education in decline
“The frost will basically end the season,” said Harry Brook, an Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development crop specialist at the department’s AgInfo Centre in Stettler.
Please see CROPS on Page A2
WHAT’S YOUR TYPE?
BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF A new report on special needs education has found the level of government support has actually declined since Alberta Education released its 2009 framework for inclusive education. The report from an eight-member panel established by the Alberta Teachers’ Association recommended that the government provide immediate, targeted, substantial and sustained funding for inclusive education. Other recommendations were more clear and consistent communications, more time and professional development for teachers, the conducting of regular research on inclusive education and the establishment of advisory committees at all levels (provincial, school board and school) to guide successful implementation. Marc Arnal, chair of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Inclusive Education in Alberta Schools, said the increasing number of students with special needs combined with the lack of a cohesive implementation strategy from government is causing problems. He said the frustrating part is that government did a wonderful job defining the parameters of inclusive education, and that was it. “They have the system-wide responsibility for the overall education system. To just turn to jurisdictions and say, ‘here’s some money, just sort it out,’ I think is kind of an abdication of their role,” said Arnal, the former dean of Campus Saint-Jean at the University of Alberta, on Wednesday after the release of the report. He said it’s not just a matter of funding. It’s important to develop and monitor plans. “As long as you don’t hold a firm light on the subject it’s hit and miss and everybody is doing their own thing. Some are doing wonderful things, but nobody is able to benefit from the experience of those wonderful things,” Arnal said. At Red Deer Public Schools, the inclusive classroom model reduced the number of students in special needs classrooms from 461 in 2010-11 to 118 students in 2013-14. The district believes that some students still need the highly specialized support those classrooms offer. In 2010-11, a total of 1,050 students received supports, including those in special needs classrooms. In 2013-14, the district had a total of 2,018 students requiring extra support. Each school in the district has a learning assistance team to support students with diverse learning needs in regular classrooms.
Please see EDUCATION on Page A2
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Licensed Practical Nursing student Sheri Marshall took the time Wednesday to stop in at a Canadian Blood Services table at Red Deer College to have her blood type determined. Canadian Blood Services employee Lynn Millar, shown here holding a number of blood samples, explained to Marshall the process used to determine a persons blood type. The national initiative by Canadian Blood Services at post secondary school across the country aims to raise awareness and recruit new blood donors. Last year Red Deer College staff, students and faculty donated about 500 units of blood.
Transition team to oversee creation of society BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF
2019 CANADA WINTER GAMES
Still revelling in the good news delivered last week, those whose work helped make Red Deer’s 2019 Canada Winter Games bid a success are preparing for the next steps in organizing the event. Less than five years out, there is much work
ahead, said Lyn Radford, bid committee chair. “We will be meeting with the Canada Games Council to get a short overview of the transition process they recommend,” said Radford. “Myself and Shelly Gagnon (Red Deer Parks, Recreation and Culture
WEATHER Sunny. High 12. Low 0.
FORECAST ON A2
INDEX Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . C4,C5 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-D4 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . C8 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-B5
Department manager) will sit down with city manager Craig Curtis and Mayor Tara Veer and go over that and develop a transition team that will take us through the steps of forming a society. “It’s a long ways before we start talking about any kind of detail.”
Please see GAMES on Page A2
Dominatrix ties up prostitution hearing The woman trying to rewrite Canada’s prostitution law delivered an unexpected whip-crack of drama Wednesday. Story on PAGE A5
PLEASE
RECYCLE