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Alberta Unveils $143M Plan for School Support Teams

2/16/2026

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Smith Launches School Support

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a $143 million plan to deploy "complexity teams" in 476 schools to address student needs.
Each complexity team includes one teacher and two educational assistants.
The plan follows a three-week teacher strike over classroom conditions and funding.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides cited data from 89,000 classrooms to support early intervention.
Jason Schilling, Alberta Teachers' Association President, stated that grades 7–12 were excluded from funding.

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Marsh Advocates Quality

Andrew Marsh, a retired headteacher of a small school in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, says smaller class sizes are not the solution.
He argues quality teaching and a positive school culture matter more than class size.
Marsh notes that 95% of workload problems arise from school cultures rather than class size.
He adds that larger classes can offer social advantages, with a class of 30 more likely to form friendships.

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Smith Launches School Support

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a $143 million plan to deploy "complexity teams" in 476 schools to address student needs.
Each complexity team includes one teacher and two educational assistants.
The plan follows a three-week teacher strike over classroom conditions and funding.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides cited data from 89,000 classrooms to support early intervention.
Jason Schilling, Alberta Teachers' Association President, stated that grades 7–12 were excluded from funding.

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