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The Alberta Teachers’ Association established the Task Force on Substitute Teachers in 1982 to examine all aspects of substitute teaching and draft a monograph for publication. That monograph was published in 1983.
In 1986 the first provincial substitute teachers conference was organized by an ad hoc committee of substitute teachers and Association staff. Recommendations approved at that conference encouraged the Association to investigate means by which it could determine and meet the unique needs of substitute teachers.
Provincial Executive Council responded by establishing the Substitute Teachers Committee as a standing committee in 1987. As part of its responsibility, this committee was to study the unique problems, concerns and needs of substitute teachers and to provide advice to Provincial Executive Council on these matters. Another responsibility was to plan and conduct an annual provincial substitute teachers conference. The work of this committee has done a great deal to raise the status of substitute teachers within the profession.
As well, an executive staff officer was designated to work directly with substitute teachers to help the Association provide relevant services to this important group of members. Many locals have facilitated the formation of substitute teacher groups as official subgroups within the locals. Substitute teachers are being encouraged to become active within the profession, to define their role as professional replacements and to communicate the very important contributions they make to education in Alberta.
The 1996 Annual Representative Assembly (ARA) approved an amendment to the general bylaws of the Association that would clarify the membership status of substitute teachers. The Association bylaws now designate substitute teachers as active members immediately upon first employment by a school board during that year. This active status continues until the end of that school year or until the substitute teacher is no longer on the approved substitute teacher roster of a school board, whichever occurs first. This action was very important in that it confirmed the Association’s recognition of substitute teachers as important, active members with all the concomitant rights, responsibilities and duties.
This revised monograph is intended to be a source of relevant information for substitute teachers and to facilitate their integration into the profession.
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