Smart and Strategic Advocacy
Before being elected as Trustee in 2021, I ran several successful community advocacy initiatives with a multi-neighbourhood and/or city-wide impact.
This included:
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keeping Scona Pool open for more than an extra decade
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advocating for a small-scale approach to community recreation facilities
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successfully changing Edmonton's neighbourhood renewal program that would allow for more walkable, likeable, liveable streets
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successful advocacy for lower residential speed limits
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investment in public services, programs and infrastructure within City's Council's budget. ​​
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This work has been featured in books like Dave Meslin's Teardown: Rebuilding democracy from the Ground Up, numerous podcasts, media interview and presentations.
​​In my first term as Trustee, I've continued to be a strong voice for public education. Moving into next term, three key points of advocacy are:
Putting Students First
As Trustee, students have always come first. Any advocacy statement, meeting or strategy I’ve considered is put through the lens of “how will this impact our ability to provide excellent public education to students today and in the long term?” and “What are the short and long term impacts of how we are framing to advocacy, and how will it set us up successfully for our next advocacy move?”
Examples:
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Examining student results and asking good questions of Administration
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Advocating against amendments to the Education Act prior to it being enacted into law
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Being a connector for parents about their concerns at school and ensuring those concerns get looked at by the appropriate person.
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When the lottery for Lillian Osborne High School was announced within a month of my first term, I held a virtual meeting with parents. Then made requests for information from the Administration. Then I also met with the local Councillor to express concerns I was hearing about ETS taking too long. As a result, there is now a School Special from Leger to Strathcona High School for students who live near Lillian Osborne but who attend at the designated overflow school, Strathcona.
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Before becoming a Trustee, I also did a lot of community organizing and advocacy around traffic safety. These perspectives and “know how” also help me in advising parents in advocating to the City of Edmonton for better traffic safety around school zones. Just google “Julie Kusiek traffic safety” or “Julie Kusiek lower residential speed limits.”
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School Infrastructure
Facts:
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In 2021, Edmonton Public had one school construction project approved
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In 2025, we have 13 committed school projects
My Record:
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Successfully made the case for immediate Provincial investment in construction of public schools (I do not support Provincial funding for charter or private school infrastructure - public funds for public education)
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Speaking as Chair, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, regarding new school announcements: March 2024, September 2024,and March 2025
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Meetings with industry representatives and elected officials at the municipal and provincial levels
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Building public awareness through two-page infographics, and my Ward F Newsletter, and attending school council meetings and taking media interviews in the role of Board Chair
What’s Next:
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Edmonton Public Schools needs close to 50 new schools over the next decade
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Edmonton Public’s $1 billion in deferred maintenance needs to be addressed through provincial investment in increased funding rates for school maintenance and recent legislation like the Real Property Governance Act
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Ongoing conversations with the Province will be required to find solutions to these very real problems.
Funding for
Public Education
Facts:
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Each year, Edmonton Public Schools is growing by about 5,000 additional new students
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Each year, Edmonton Public Schools has faced a funding cut due to the Weighted Moving Average (WMA) funding formula
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2025-2026 is the first year of the Adjusted Enrolment Method (AEM) funding formula, and the first year we have a “status quo” budget rather than a cut.
My Record:
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FUNDING FORMULA - Successfully pitching a solution for joint school board advocacy on a funding formula change that would work better for growing school divisions
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CARBON TAX - My 2023 motion was supported by the Board of Trustees, and later adopted as a position statement by member of Alberta School Boards Association: That school boards be fully rebated the cost of the carbon tax or levy.
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INFLATION - Supported a motion to tie education funding to the rate of inflation, which was also later adopted as a position statement for school boards across Alberta: BE IT RESOLVED THAT, The Government of Alberta annually increase Grant Funding Rates proportional to inflation, to maintain the impact and value the Grant Funding is intended to have on supporting students for success.
What’s Next:
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When the AEM funding formula was brought in, the Supplemental Enrolment Growth Grant was cancelled. In 2024-2025, this grant represented about $20 million in additional funding for Edmonton Public Schools. If re-elected, I’d like to advocate this grant be reinstated.
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Continue conversations with the Province around how to raise the per student funding in Alberta to a rate closer to that of other Provinces.
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Not many years ago, many schools were able to operate using 85% to 90% of their budget towards staffing. Now many schools are budgeting at 97% towards staff, with fewer staff per students. It’s clear that more provincial funding for public education is required if we are going to be able to hire the teachers, education assistants and other staff our students need and deserve for great public education.
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