The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Membership Status

The Association membership status of substitute teachers was clarified at the 1996 Annual Representative Assembly (ARA). The general bylaws of the Association were amended as follows:

3(2) Subject to the Teaching Profession Act, substitute teachers shall be considered as active members immediately upon first employment during that year and such status shall continue until the end of that school year or until they are no longer on the approved substitute teacher roster of the school board, whichever occurs first.

This bylaw amendment confirms that substitute teacher members have all of the rights, responsibilities and duties of other active members of the Association.

Fees

One per cent of a substitute teacher’s salary is deducted by the employing school board and submitted to the Association as fees. Twenty per cent of the fees collected are rebated to the appropriate Association local, thus providing the substitute teacher with membership in the local that receives the fee rebate. Because of the work patterns of some substitute teachers, they may contribute fees to more than one local. Typically, a substitute teacher is considered to be a member of the local to which he or she contributes the most fees.

Substitute Teachers Group

The Alberta Teachers’ Association encourages all locals to make provision for a substitute teachers group within the local. The following clause is from the section “Standard Local Constitution with Local Council,” contained in the Members’ Handbook.

25(1) At the request of ten or more substitute teacher members, this local shall organize a substitute teacher group.
(2) Those eligible for participation in the group shall be members who substituted for one of the employing jurisdictions included in the local for at least one day during the previous twelve-month period.
(3) An appropriate budget for the group shall be established.
(4) The frame of reference for the group shall be as follows:

(a) Its objects shall be to advance the professional skills and knowledge unique to substitute teaching and to advance within the local the special interests of substitute teachers.
(b) It shall have at least one general meeting per year.
(c) It shall elect a chair, a vice-chair, a secretary-treasurer and two members-at-large to an executive which shall be responsible for organizing activities to promote the objects of the group.
(d) Its executive shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and of the disbursement of its funds.

Many local substitute teachers groups have been formed. Although their structure may vary according to the specific situation, it is important that each group be officially recognized as part of the local association.

Why a Local Substitute Teachers Group?

1. The creation of a local substitute teachers group offers many advantages. A substitute teachers group can
2. act as a focus group to deal with the unique problems, concerns and needs of substitute teachers;
3. provide advice to the local council on substitute teacher matters;
4. become a communications channel for two-way communications with the provincial level of the Alberta Teachers’ Association;
5. provide input into local negotiations;
6. provide a voice for substitute teachers at the policy-development level through input to the teacher–board advisory committee;
7. plan and organize professional development activities;
8. collaborate with the local and/or the jurisdiction on orientation programs for its members;
9. manage the budget allocated to it by the local and/or the jurisdiction;
10. liaise with convention associations regarding appropriate sessions for its members;
11. facilitate or sponsor members’ attendance at the annual provincial substitute teachers’ conference;
12. raise the profile of substitute teachers within the jurisdiction and the local;
13. provide spokespeople to deal with individual and/or collective concerns at the jurisdiction or local level;
14. provide a network and support group for its members;
15. organize social activities;
16. help produce useful publications; and
17. liaise with other organized substitute teacher groups throughout the province.

Services

As active members of the Association, substitute teachers are eligible to receive both direct and indirect services. Some of the direct services provided include

1. access through the school of their choice to copies of the ATA News and the ATA Magazine, as well as a copy of monographs and pamphlets;
2. use of the Association library and its many resources;
3. advice and consultation on all issues related to employment;
4. advice and consultation on issues related to membership in the Alberta Teachers’ Association;
5. consultation regarding employment insurance and assistance with appeals;
6. legal advice and assistance if criminal charges are brought against them as a result of incidents that occurred while they were providing services as members; and
7. membership in one specialist council at no cost.

Indirect services available to substitute teachers include

1. eligibility for participation in specialist councils, the annual teachers’ convention and local professional development activities;
2. access to Association scholarships and fellowships;
3. representation through the collective bargaining process;
4. eligibility to represent the local at ARA and Summer Conference, and to serve on local committees as determined by the local; and
5. eligibility to be nominated for provincial Association committees, instructor corps, consultants corps and/or Association positions on Alberta Education committees.

Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund (ATRF) Substitute Teachers’ Pension

All teachers on contract with a participating school board are members of the Teachers’ Pension Plan (the plan). Participating school boards include all public, separate and charter schools in Alberta. Pension contributions are made during any period of teaching under a contract. No contributions are made for day-to-day substitute work.

Teachers can purchase substitute service worked since May 1, 1971. Teachers currently on contract (active plan members) can purchase any amount of substitute service at full cost. However, the cost is subsidized by the Alberta Government if the service is purchased in one-year blocks, consisting of 186 days.

Teachers not on contract at the time of the purchase can purchase service only in the one-year (186-day) block. The cost is subsidized. At the time of retirement, all teachers with or without a contract may purchase any amount of service at the subsidized rate.

Once teachers have five years of service, they are eligible for a pension. At the same time, the funds are considered to be “locked in” and must be used to provide retirement income. The funds cannot be removed from the plan in cash but may be transferred to another locked-in savings vehicle. Generally, each year of service increases pension. The amount will vary depending on the age, annual salary and service of the particular teacher.

If a teacher leaves teaching for a period of time, cost-of-living adjustments are applied to his or her last reported salary each year he or she is not teaching. Such increases could result in a substantially higher pension. That adjusted salary will be used to calculate a teacher’s pension, as long as there is no other service recorded until retirement. A higher average salary results in a higher pension. Substitute teachers should contact ATRF for a pension estimate prior to purchasing service or before accepting a contract in their last years of teaching.

The pensions of teachers who are not active members of the plan (not on contract) commence the month following their 55th birthday or after their last purchase of service. Substitute teachers who apply for pensions after age 55 may receive the pensions retroactively to their 55th birthday unless they purchase service after age 55. Substitute teachers must obtain accurate records of employment from each school board for which they have provided service. Such records will facilitate claiming days worked for pensionable service.

In order to determine the cost and benefit of purchasing substitute service, teachers should use the ATRF website (www.atrf.com) pension and service cost calculators. First, calculate the cost of the service. If the cost of the service is subsidized, it will cost the teacher one half of the total cost. Then calculate the pension with and without the service. Teachers can then determine if the increase in pension is worth the cost of the service. Teachers can also call ATRF at 780-451-4166 in Edmonton or 1-800-661-9582 toll free.

Certification

Substitute teaching services can be used to meet the experience requirements set by Alberta Education for permanent certification. The certification of teachers regulation requires that a teacher complete two years of full-time teaching and be recommended for permanent certification by a superintendent or other officer.

The two years of teaching experience is defined by the number of school days established by the school jurisdiction under the Education Act. For example, if the number of school days in the jurisdiction where the teacher is completing the experiential requirement is 193 days for the present year and 197 days for the previous year, the total required days of teaching experience would be 390.

A superintendent or other officer must make a recommendation to issue or not issue a permanent professional teaching certificate to a teacher who has completed two years of teaching experience while holding a valid Alberta teaching certificate. Under the provincial Teacher Growth, Supervision and Evaluation Policy, at least two evaluations are required before a teacher may be recommended for issuance of a permanent professional certificate.

The requirement to conduct two evaluations for substitute teachers has proven difficult to implement given the short-term nature of substitute assignments. It is the obligation of both the superintendent (or authorized recommending officer) and the teacher to ensure that the teacher meets the expectations of the Teaching Quality Standard Ministerial Order with respect to permanent certification. The guide in Appendix H outlines the responsibilitites of both parties.

Substitute teachers are advised to get an accurate record of employment from each employer at the end of each school year. These records may be requested more frequently if needed for pension, employment insurance, experience increments or other reasons.

Not all collective agreements recognize substitute teaching experience for the purpose of placement on the salary grid. Substitute teachers need to be aware of those clauses in collective agreements that affect them. All Alberta Teachers’ Association collective agreements are available on the Association’s website (www.teachers.ab.ca).

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