The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Highlights of the Provincial Executive Council meeting held May 13 and 14, 2010, at Barnett House in Edmonton

1. Adjusted the 2010/11 proposed budget to reflect the valuation of the Office Staff Pension Plan and the actual increase in Alberta average weekly earnings and reduced the special deficit levy to address the unfunded liability of the plan from $30 to $24.
2. Approved, for presentation to the 2010 Annual Representative Assembly (ARA), resolutions urging school boards to act on the expectations of the minister of education to maintain teacher staffing by utilizing reserves or going into short-term debt and urging government to honour the premier’s commitment to fully fund school boards for 2010 and 2011 increases in Alberta average weekly earnings without reducing the commitment to the Class Size Initiative.
3. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher not guilty of two charges of unprofessional conduct, namely, making intimidating comments to a student, thus failing to treat the student with dignity and respect and consideration for the student’s circumstances, and publicly embarrassing a student by removing the student from a school bus in a manner that failed to treat the student with dignity and respect and consideration for the student’s circumstances.
4. Named three members of Council to a staff selection committee for the position of executive staff officer, Teacher Welfare. The competition closed May 25, 2010.
5. Approved a resolution clarifying the authority under which the Association may approve borrowing arrangements to ­finance the renovation of Seymour Tower.
6. Directed the executive ­secretary to advise the executive director of the Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan (ASEBP) and the Association’s members of the ASEBP board of trustees that the Association concurs with the request to extend participation in the ASEBP to employees of the College of Alberta School Superintendents and the Alberta School Councils’ Association.
7. Directed staff to clarify and distribute to convention associations and specialist councils the Association’s expectations regarding the relationship among programming, Association policy and high-quality professional development.
8. Amended the frame of ­reference of the Strategic Planning Group to increase from one to two the number of Council members.
9. Approved the name of one teacher for addition to the Curriculum Name Bank, which is used as a source of appointments to Alberta Education program, curriculum and student evaluation committees as the need arises.
10. Approved a frame of reference for Sturgeon School Division No. 24 teachers’ Economic Policy Committee.
11. Amended administrative guidelines to accommodate services to associate members who are members of Association bargaining units.
12. Amended administrative guidelines to increase from four to five the number of Association representatives from the Campus Saint-Jean Area Field Experiences Committee on the Campus Saint-Jean Field Experiences Policy Advisory Committee.
13. Approved Council committee and representation ­assignments for 2010/11.