The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Association administrative guidelines provide for the attendance of observers at selected portions of Provincial Executive Council meetings. Association members who are interested in observing selected portions of Council meetings at their own expense are advised to contact their district representative.

Highlights of the Provincial Executive Council meeting held Sept. 22–23, 2016, at Barnett House, in Edmonton

1. Approved three electoral ballots related to PEC Elections and their explanatory notes for distribution to the membership.
2. Approved, in some cases with amendments, recommendations on 117 expiring current directives for distribution to the membership.
3. Approved a statement of Association program emphases for 2016/17.
4. Approved the Association’s 2016/17 capital budget.
5. Approved disbursement of the 2016/17 budget for international co-operation for 19 ongoing and new international goals, including the continuation of Project Overseas and the addition of a new international co-operation partner, Change for Children.
6. Directed president Mark Ramsankar to draft a letter to urge the government to announce by December 2016 the end of the provincial achievement testing program effective in the current school year.
7. Directed President Ramsankar to write a congratulatory letter to each of the teachers selected to the eight Curriculum Design Expert Working Groups for the development of Alberta’s future K–12 curriculum.
8. Approved the name of one teacher for nomination to Alberta Education for curriculum work as the need arises.
9. Approved the names of seven teachers for addition to the Association Instructors name bank, which is used as a source of appointments to the Association Instructors corps as the need arises.
10. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of one charge of unprofessional conduct for failing to treat a pupil with dignity and respect, by aiding or abetting a student to ask another student out on a date, in front of students and another teacher, contrary to the Code of Professional Conduct. 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 one charge of unprofessional conduct for engaging in conduct for which the teacher was convicted of a summary criminal offence. The teacher did, for a sexual purpose, touch a person under the age of 16 years directly with a part of the teacher’s body and, given the nature of the summary conviction, the teacher was found guilty of unprofessional conduct for failing to treat the student with dignity and respect and to be considerate of the student’s circumstances and failing to act in a manner that maintains the honour and dignity of the profession. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a declaration of ineligibility for membership in the Association and a recommendation to the minister of Education that the teacher’s certificate be cancelled.
12. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of three charges of unprofessional conduct for engaging in a highly inappropriate Facebook communication of a personal nature with a high school student, thus failing to treat the student with dignity and respect and be considerate of the student’s circumstances and failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession, and by anonymously sending flowers to another student, thus failing to treat the student with dignity and respect and be considerate of the student’s circumstances. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a severe letter of reprimand.
13. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of three charges of unprofessional conduct for making racist comments to another teacher, acting in a manner that failed to treat another teacher with dignity and respect and criticizing the professional competence or professional reputation of another teacher, thereby failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a severe letter of reprimand for each charge and two fines: $500 for the first charge and $300 for the third charge.
14. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of two charges of unprofessional conduct for taking an underage student to a drinking establishment and providing consent for the student to get a tattoo, thus failing to treat a student with dignity and respect and be considerate of her circumstances and failing to act in a manner that maintains the honour and dignity of the profession. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a severe letter of reprimand to address both charges.
15. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of five charges of unprofessional conduct for criticizing the professional competence or professional reputation of a teacher, making comments about colleagues and/or engaging in actions that undermine colleagues, delegating responsibilities to educational assistants for which the teacher is responsible and failing to supervise or direct those responsibilities, failing to treat a pupil or pupils with dignity and respect by making reference to students as dumb and/or stupid, and withholding forms necessary for student referral for assessment, thus delaying necessary student assessments and thereby failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a severe letter of reprimand and a fine of $4,500 to be paid within 90 days of receipt of written notice. Failure to pay the fine would result in suspension of the teacher’s membership in the Association.
16. Named field members to serve on Association committees and fill vacancies on Association and other external committees. ❚