The Alberta Teachers’ Association

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

1. Nominated a candidate for the ­Canadian Teachers’ Federation Outstanding Aboriginal Educator Award, which recognizes the importance of aboriginal teachers and aboriginal culture in Canadian public education.
2. Approved 179 Council resolutions and 48 local resolutions for presentation to the 2016 Annual Representative Assembly; assigned speakers to each resolution; and, in the case of local resolutions, approved recommendations of concurrence, amendment and concurrence, nonconcurrence, referral for study and report, or action taken. The package of resolutions will be sent to locals, which will be asked to vote on whether they agree with Council’s position on each resolution.
3. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of three charges of unprofessional conduct for failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession by using information received from a parent in the course of the teacher’s professional duties and failing to ensure its accuracy before using it in a letter harmful to another parent; for failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession by deliberately making false statements as professional judgments while voluntarily involved in a custody battle between two parents; and for failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession by making false statements about having the approval of the principal for the teacher’s actions. To address all three charges, the hearing committee imposed the penalty of a letter of reprimand and a fine of $500, payable within 120 days of receipt of the written decision of the hearing committee. Failure to pay the fine in full within the specified time will result in the teacher being declared ineligible for membership in the Association.
4. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of one charge of unprofessional conduct for failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession by engaging in inappropriate Facebook messaging with a student. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a letter of severe reprimand and a fine of $500, payable no later than Jan. 31, 2016. Failure to pay by the foresaid date will result in suspension of membership until the fine is paid in full.
5. In accordance with section 31(2) of the Teaching Profession Act, extended to Aug. 31, 2016, the deadline for the commencement of a hearing of the Professional Conduct Committee.
6. Approved, with amendments, a list of all matters and a list of central matters as the Association’s initial proposal under the Public Education Collective Bargaining Act.
7. Approved, in one case with amendments, frames of reference for Battle River Regional Division No. 31, Foothills School Division No. 38 and Westwind School Division No. 74 teachers’ economic policy committees.
8. Moved the issue of inquiry-based professional learning to active status in the Issues Bank.
9. Approved in principle a draft four-year political engagement strategy based on the Association’s strategic plan, political engagement policy, member opinion surveys and public opinion polls.
10. Requested that, for the remainder of the school year, the chair, or a designate, of the Well-Being of Children and Youth Committee be appointed as an interim representative on the Public Interest Alberta Human Services and Poverty Task Force.
11. Authorized the attendance of up to six Council members at “Growing Up Digital Alberta: Children, Youth and Society,” an invitational research colloquium scheduled for May 27, 2016, in Edmonton.
12. Amended an administrative guideline regarding the Alberta Teachers’ Association Doctoral Fellowships in Education.
13. Deleted two administrative guidelines regarding financial procedures.
14. Approved the names of two teachers for addition to the Professional Development Facilitators Name Bank, which is used as a source of appointments to the Professional ­Development Facilitators corps as the need arises.
15. Approved the names of 53 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.
16. Approved committee assignments for Paul Froese, the new district representative for Edmonton District.
17. Named field members to fill ­vacancies on Association committees. ❚