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PEC Points - Council preps for ARA

June 2, 2021 Audrey Dutka, ATA News Staff

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Highlights of the Provincial Executive Council meeting held May 6 and 7, 2021, via Zoom

1. Approved resolutions for submission to the 2021 Annual Representative Assembly that urge …

(1) the Government of Alberta to ensure that all K–12 health and wellness curricula include specific age-appropriate learning outcomes that address concepts related to gender expression, gender identity and sexual orientation;

(2) the Government of Alberta to direct school authorities to explore other methods of instructing students at home prior to implementing synchronous teaching and learning in classrooms;

(3) school authorities to encourage and respect individually determined limits on times when teachers, including those with leadership designations, are available via means such as email, text and telephone outside school hours; and

(4) Alberta Education to reverse the decision to discontinue funding for the Online Reference Centre.

2. Authorized the Association to send a letter to the minister of education opposing the closure of the Online Reference Centre.

3. Approved that the class size numbers cited in policy be internally consistent and be changed to align with the numbers provided in the amended resolution 1-56/21.

4. Authorized a financial contribution in the amount of $2,500 to the Education International Solidarity Fund, through the CTF/FCE, to help teachers and education workers in Myanmar.

5. Approved Council committee and representation assignments for 2021/22.

6. Received the report of a hearing committee that found a teacher guilty of four charges of unprofessional conduct for kicking a bench where a student was sitting, causing the bench to be damaged; for advising another teacher to seek out and surround themselves with positive influences, which could imply there were teachers on staff who were not positive influences; for demonstrating a kids’ game and carelessly causing a utensil to be propelled at or in the direction of a group of teachers; and for using profanity in the presence of school staff members. The hearing committee imposed a penalty of a letter of reprimand to encompass all four charges and a fine of $400 specific to charge one.

7. Received the report of a hearing committee that found a teacher guilty of seven charges of unprofessional conduct for inviting two students to view a room in the teacher’s rental property for the purpose of possibly renting it to one of them, thereby taking advantage of a professional position to profit from the sale of goods or services to pupils in the teacher’s charge; for discussing and encouraging drug use with students; for providing marijuana to a Grade 12 student in the presence of a minor student; for accusing another member of staff of providing drugs to a student; for harassing and intimidating a student; for harassing and intimidating staff members; and for contributing by words and actions to an unwelcoming school environment for some students and staff members.

Between the seven charges, the hearing committee imposed two letters of reprimand, five letters of severe reprimand and four fines totalling $6,000.

8. Received the report of a hearing committee that found a teacher guilty of one charge of unprofessional conduct for falsifying benefit claims. The hearing committee imposed a penalty of a letter of reprimand and a fine of $500.

9. In accordance with section 31(2) of the Teaching Profession Act, approved an extension to the 120-day hearing time period for three outstanding cases of alleged unprofessional conduct.

10. Approved the proposed timeline and appointed members of Council to a selection committee for recruitment of the position of executive staff officer, Teacher Employment Services–Collective Bargaining (Barnett House).

11. Appointed members of Council to serve on the Interpretation Committee under the Executive Staff Association collective agreement.

12. Approved the draft Association calendar for 2021/22 and provisionally approved for finalization by staff the draft Association calendars for 2022/23 and 2023/24. ❚

 

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