Jack Flaherty is a politician and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Flaherty graduated with a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Physical Education, and a Master's of Education from the University of Alberta. He worked as a teacher in Edmonton and Red Deer before becoming a consultant for the government's Department of Education. He later became an administrator, acting as associate superintendent of schools in Edmonton and the superintendent of schools in Fort McMurray. Flaherty first ran for office in the 2004 Alberta provincial election, when he ran for the Alberta Liberal Party in St. Albert against incumbent Progressive Conservative Mary O'Neill. Flaherty won an upset victory of just over four hundred votes. Once in office, Flaherty became the Liberal education critic, in which capacity he has argued that provincially-mandated achievement tests should no longer be given to grade three students, and that the government should put increased focus on diagnostic testing of children at that age. He has also advocated for a broader range of programs for high school students and better support for vocational programs. 

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