The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Highlights of the Provincial Executive Council meeting held June 14–15, 2018, at Barnett House in Edmonton

1. In accordance with general bylaw 70, approved that voting for the 2019 Provincial Executive Council general election will be conducted by electronic ballot.
2. Approved that the date for announcement of voting results for the 2019 Provincial Executive Council general election will be March 19, 2019.
3. Approved the Association’s 2018 initial proposal for central table bargaining.
4. Declared in effect as of July 1, 2018, an amendment to clause 1 of the Code of Professional Conduct to include gender expression, as contained in Electoral Ballot 1 of 2017 and approved by the 2018 Annual Representative Assembly (ARA). The amendment brings the code in line with the Alberta Human Rights Act and established Association policy.
5. Tasked the Resolutions Committee with preparing a resolution for the 2019 ARA, that would amend the Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities for Teachers to include gender expression. This amendment would bring the Declaration into line with the Code of Professional Conduct, the Alberta Human Rights Act and Association policy.
6. Approved as interim policy effective immediately an amendment to the Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities for Teachers to include gender expression.
7. Amended the Administrative Guidelines to provide additional gender choices on future Association surveys where gender information is relevant.
8. Approved in principle a discussion paper to guide Association conversations with superintendents concerning the extension to them of active membership in the Association.
9. Directed the executive secretary to review the discussion paper referenced above with external "critical friends" and to report their observations to Council.
10. Nominated a candidate for ­appointment to the Canadian Teachers’ Federation Advisory Committee on the Status of Women.
11. Named Anne-Marie Huizing and Myra Rybotycki to the two positions of executive staff officer, Teacher Welfare, named Chris Gonsalvez to the position of executive staff officer, Professional Development and named Dan Coles to the position of executive staff officer, Member Services. All four positions take effect Aug. 1, 2018.
12. In an effort to reduce the amount of paper produced and distributed by the Association, suspended the production in print form of the Members’ Handbook for 2018/19 and 2019/20 and adopted a 15-issue schedule for the ATA News in the 2018/19 school year, down from a 19-issue schedule.
13. Approved an overexpenditure to improve the use of digital distribution of news content.
14. Updated the Administrative Guidelines to reflect the decision made at the 2018 ARA to provide a subsidy to delegates incurring child care expenses to attend Summer Conference.
15. Set the number of attendees at the Summer Conference Strategic Leadership Seminar at a maximum of 15 attendees, with an overexpenditure to cover the costs associated with the planning and attendance at the Strategic Leadership Seminar.
16. Amended the Administrative Guidelines to update the room and equipment rental rates at Barnett House and Southern Alberta Regional Office.
17. Approved 21 applications for the Diversity, Equity and Human Rights grant.
18. Approved a contribution to Media­Smarts to help sponsor Media Literacy Week, scheduled for November 5–9, 2018.
19. Approved the names of eight teachers for addition to the Association Instructors name bank, one teacher for addition to the Association Administrator Instructors name bank, two teachers for addition to the PD Facilitators name bank and one teacher to the Retirement Consultants name bank.
20. Renamed economic consultants as teacher welfare liaisons.
21. Established a Committee on Understanding Aggression(s) in Alberta Schools and School Communities—Creating Safe Learning Environments for All, approved its terms of reference and appointed members of Council and staff to the committee.
22. Notwithstanding the frame of reference, increased the membership on the Communications, Advocacy and Public Education Committee by two field members for the 2018/19 year, with consideration for an increase to the field membership of the committee to be included in the 2019/20 program prognoses.
23. Ensured a clause protecting Teachers’ Conventions is included in the Association’s Initial Proposal for central table bargaining and approved an allocation from contingency for a September 2018 meeting of the Committee on Convention Review.
24. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty on seven charges of unprofessional conduct for using a derogatory term in class on more than one occasion; raising the possibility of a teacher being a certain nationality because of small food services the teacher was providing others in the school cafeteria; discussing racial comments the teacher had made and for which the teacher had been reprimanded; making comments about a female student’s breasts; making reference to a student being a lesbian; and, on two occasions, making reference to a student’s body size. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a letter of severe reprimand and a $400 fine for each charge.
25. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty on three charges of unprofessional conduct for which the teacher was convicted of indictable offences; namely, engaging in sexual activities with a student(s) and a person(s) under the age of 16. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a declaration that the teacher is permanently ineligible for membership in the Association and a recommendation to the minister of education to permanently cancel the teacher’s teaching certificate.
26. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty on one charge of unprofessional conduct for posting an inappropriate tweet on the teacher’s Twitter account, thus failing to act in a manner which maintains the honour and dignity of the profession. The hearing committee imposed a penalty of a letter of reprimand.
27. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty on four counts of unprofessional conduct for sending email or electronic message(s) to a colleague(s), in which the content and/or approach taken was inappropriate; sending inappropriate email or electronic message(s) to a colleague(s), impersonating another individual; sending email or electronic message(s) to a colleague(s), in which the content and/or approach taken was inappropriate; and sending email or electronic message(s) to a human resources officer who was not a colleague, in which the content and/or approach taken was inappropriate. The hearing committee imposed a penalty of a single letter of severe reprimand and a total fine of $2,000.
28. Approved field member committee and representation assignments for 2018/19.
29. Amended the Lethbridge and Area Field Experiences Committee frame of reference to include a member from Kainai Board of Education. ❚