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“Teachers as builders of society” is the theme of this issue of the ATA Magazine. Essentially, all teachers are builders of society in the work they do in the classroom every day. Indeed, in the words of former Association executive secretary Julius Buski, who is one of the people profiled in this issue, “teachers [are] a bridge between what happens in the community and what happens in kids’ lives.”
But for the purposes of this issue of the magazine, we were looking for teachers who went above and beyond the call of duty and served our province in other capacities. And we discovered many of them—hundreds, in fact, which greatly complicated the task of choosing the 22 that we had room for. In the end, I think we came up with a list that presents a broad cross-section of teachers who not only played a role in making Alberta’s education system one of the top-performing systems in the world but have excelled in other walks of life, as well. We feature trustees, superintendents and principals, as well as teachers who have made their mark in politics, advocacy, activism and philanthropy. We have divided them into two groups—those who have passed on and those we are lucky enough to still have with us.
You will read about some amazing and accomplished people in the following pages, such as Senator Claudette Tardif, a former high school teacher and U of A professor, who now serves as deputy leader of the opposition in the Senate. Noel Somerville, former executive secretary of the Edmonton Public local, and Larry Booi, former president of the Association, are active in Public Interest Alberta, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that focuses on education and advocacy on public interest issues. We also profile people like former ATA executive staff officer Vicki Mather and district representatives Fran Galbraith and Terry Riley, all of whom are still active in their communities.
On a historical note, you will read about William Aberhart, better known as Bible Bill, who was a high school teacher and principal in Brantford, Ontario, before he moved to Alberta and became the seventh premier of the province and its education minister to boot. And then there’s Chester Ronning, former principal of Camrose Lutheran College, who became one of Canada’s most distinguished diplomats. We profile Jennie Elliott and Kate Chegwin, who exemplified the many brave and adventurous young women who came west and became teachers. Elliott also served as a trustee; Chegwin as first female principal of a large school in Edmonton. One of our historical profiles is not about a person at all, it’s about a place—the one-room schoolhouse, which in the early decades of the last century was where most formal learning took place in this still largely rural province. By the 1950s many one-room schoolhouses were abandoned, and their decrepit shells still dot the prairie landscape.
I realize that others might have chosen differently—there is a wealth of deserving candidates—but if you consider all the awards and the firsts achieved by the people you will read about in these pages, I think you’ll find an excellent cross-section of teachers who have been instrumental in building Alberta society.
