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On Specialist Councils, Archives and Getting Older
As I write this column, my desk is covered with black and white photographs and copies of the ATA Magazine from the early 1960s. The archival photos and back issues form the backbone of this issue’s theme as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first specialist councils of the Alberta Teachers’ Association.
The decisions underlying the creation of specialist councils and reports of the councils’ inaugural conferences are chronicled in volumes 41 and 42 of the ATA Magazine. At that time, the magazine was the sole major publication of the Association and fulfilled the dual role of professional journal and day-to-day record keeper. The original correspondence and film negatives appearing in those early magazines and this issue are preserved in the ATA’s archives.
As time passes, the collective memory of ATA members and staff from years past is imperilled—the movers and shakers of the early ATA have passed away, and none of us is getting any younger. Consequently, the rich deposit of documents, letters, photos and artwork held by the archives is increasingly valuable to the organization—its existence shows us where we came from as a professional association. As mentioned, some of the photos and articles highlighted on the following pages have been gleaned from our collection. That is why this issue of the ATA Magazine plays a dual role in celebrating specialist councils and highlighting the work undertaken by staff to enshrine the Association’s history. Thanks go to Maggie Shane, the ATA’s records manager and privacy officer, who assisted editorial staff and contributors in preparing this issue.
I’m a big fan of specialist councils. They are an integral component of the ATA and teachers’ professional development (PD). I joined the Social Studies Council as a student at the University of Lethbridge, participated in annual conferences and other council activities as a classroom teacher, and I’ve been a member of the council since 1975. Today, it’s a small way to support my teaching colleagues and it’s also a window for me on the life of Alberta’s social studies teachers. On ATA staff, I served for almost two decades as staff advisor to the Guidance Council. I’m especially pleased to feature the history of the Guidance Council in this issue, and I’m grateful to Garnet Millar and John Paterson for putting this profile together. Paterson, who was one of the teachers instrumental in establishing the council (and particularly in advancing the role of certificated teachers in school guidance and counselling), will be a featured speaker at the 2011 Guidance Council conference in November.
As a benefit of ATA membership, active members are entitled to join one specialist council of their choice at no charge. Information about councils, their conferences, publications and PD opportunities are found on the ATA website—www.teachers.ab.ca, click on For Members and then Professional Development.
Old schools’ status
For several years, we have featured photos of Alberta’s old schools. Although we continue to receive the occasional photo from readers, the small number of submissions means that we’ll feature old school photos on an irregular basis only.
