The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Highlights of the Provincial Executive Council meeting held Jan. 19–20, 2017, at Barnett House in Edmonton

1. Approved the 2017/18 proposed budget for presentation to locals, with no proposed increase in fees.
2. Approved, for presentation to the 2017 Annual Representative Assembly (ARA), a resolution setting the annual fee payable by a full-time, active member at $1,242, effective Sept. 1, 2017.
3. Approved, for presentation to the 2017 ARA, a resolution setting the annual fee payable by an associate member at $186.30, effective Sept. 1, 2017.
4. Approved the name of one recipient of honorary membership in the Association, which is reserved for members and other persons who have given meritorious service to the teaching profession, to the Association or to the advancement of education.
5. Approved the name of one recipient of the Public Education Award, which recognizes individuals or groups that have given outstanding support to public education in Alberta other than through teaching.
6. Approved the name of one recipient for an ATA Special Recognition Award, which recognizes individuals who have provided exceptional service to the Association other than through teaching.
7. Directed the president to write a letter to school representatives regarding the upcoming Council elections and requesting suggestions, in their role as school representatives, on how to increase voter participation.
8. In keeping with the Alberta Human Rights Act, directed the executive secretary to prepare an electoral ballot to amend the Code of Professional Conduct at the 2018 ARA to include gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination.
9. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of four charges of unprofessional conduct for making inappropriate comments and engaging in inappropriate actions in the presence of the teacher’s students, thereby failing to treat pupils with dignity and respect and failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession; and becoming very emotional and engaging in highly personal conversation involving the teacher’s personal life, thereby failing to treat pupils with dignity and respect and failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession, contrary to the Teaching Profession Act. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a letter of severe reprimand addressing all four charges and a fine of $250 payable within 90 days of receipt of the written notice. Failure to pay the fine would result in the suspension of the teacher’s membership in the Association.
10. Received the report of a hearing committee, which charged a teacher with three counts of unprofessional conduct for, on three separate occasions, making critical comments about one individual to another individual, contrary to the Teaching Profession Act. There was an agreed statement. The teacher entered a plea of guilty to the second charge; charges one and three were withdrawn. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a letter of reprimand.
11. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of four charges of unprofessional conduct for criticizing the professional competence or professional reputation of an individual by sending disparaging emails about the individual to persons who were not proper officials, contrary to section 13 of the Code of Professional Conduct; for criticizing the professional competence or professional reputation of an individual by sending disparaging emails about the individual to other persons without providing the individual with prior copies of these communications, contrary to section 14 of the Code of Professional Conduct; for sending emails to both of the individual’s superordinates as well as their subordinates, intimating that the individual should have their designation removed, contrary to section 23 of the Teaching Profession Act; and for sending disparaging emails about an individual to persons who were not proper officials, contrary to section 13 of the Code of Professional Conduct. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a letter of severe reprimand to address charges one, two and three, a second letter of reprimand to address charge four, and a $2,500 fine to be paid within 90 days of receipt of the report. Failure to pay the fine would result in the suspension of the teacher’s membership in the Association.
12. Authorized staff to prepare a proposal for the Association to assume control of the 2Learn.ca website, including financial and human resource implications to the Association, and report back to Council at its February meeting.
13. Approved Council’s position on the resolutions arising from the decennial review of the Teacher Education and Certification long-range policy.
14. Approved in principle and referred to the Resolutions Committee for processing for the 2017 ARA three resolutions—one resolution recommending that teachers assisting in the design and implementation of field experience programs at teacher education programs in Alberta universities should be released for this purpose by their employers on secondment without having to incur reduced compensation, change of full-time equivalency, change in contract status or reduction in any benefits deriving from their employment—a second resolution recommending that teacher education programs in Alberta should ensure that the preparation of teachers to work with a diversity of students is comprehensive and includes elements that prepare teachers to respond to the socioeconomic, ethnocultural and linguistic diversity of students; support the success of indigenous students; plan effectively for the inclusion of students with exceptionalities in inclusive learning environments; implement strategies for teaching a wide range of learners, including those with exceptionalities in inclusive settings; implement effective instructional practices within multigrade classrooms; and recognize gendered practices in schools and develop and implement effective instructional strategies that recognize and respect the range of gender and sexual identities—and a third resolution urging the Government of Alberta to prohibit reparative therapy practices that attempt to change, cure, fix or repair an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
15. Approved in principle and referred to the Resolutions Committee for processing for the 2017 ARA resolutions amending a current directive and long-range policies so that they reflect amendments made to the Alberta Human Rights Act and to update the language in keeping with the Act to Amend the Alberta Bill of Rights to Protect Our Children.
16. Approved in principle the School Board Elections Plan, 2017, and authorized an overexpenditure of $5,000, representing one-half of the total local grants available, to allow the disbursement to begin in the 2016/17 year.
17. Approved that the Association host a women’s caucus meeting during Summer Conference 2017 and that an overexpenditure of $5,000 be added to the Summer Conference budget for this meeting.
18. Approved amendments to the administrative guidelines with respect to the grant-in-aid procedures for accommodation and eligible parking charges for the Edmonton Beginning Teachers’ Conference.
19. Approved amendments to the teachers’ conventions section of the administrative guidelines to establish rules around attending alternate teachers’ conventions when external scheduling conflicts occur.
20. Approved amendments to the specialist councils section of the administrative guidelines to improve their professional development planning practices.
21. Approved an amendment to the frame of reference for the Lethbridge Area Field Experiences Committee.
22. Approved the removal of the issue “Inquiry-Based Professional Learning” from the issues bank.
23. Authorized the attendance of three Council members at the Canadian Teachers’ Federation Women’s Symposium/Equal Voice’s Daughters of the Vote Event, scheduled for March 6–8 in Ottawa.
24. Authorized the attendance of up to three Council members at the Alberta Rural Education Symposium, scheduled for March 5–7 in Edmonton.
25. Authorized the purchase of a table of eight for the Parkland Institute Gala Dinner and Silent Auction, scheduled for Feb. 16 in Edmonton.
26. Approved dates of key Association-sponsored meetings and Council meetings for the 2017/18 school year.