The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Highlights of the Provincial Executive Council meeting held Jan. 23–24, 2020, at Barnett House in Edmonton

1. Approved the 2020/21 proposed budget for presentation to locals.

2. Set the member count for revenue purposes at 33,300 teachers in 2020/21.

3. Approved, for presentation to the 2020 Annual Representative Assembly (ARA), a resolution setting the annual fee payable by a full-time, active member at $1,362, effective Sept. 1, 2020.

4. Approved, for presentation to the 2020 ARA, a resolution setting the annual fee payable by an associate member at $204.32, effective Sept. 1, 2020.

5. Approved the naming of one recipient for honorary membership in the Association, which is reserved for members and other persons who have given meritorious service to the teaching profession, to the Association or to the advancement of education.

6. Approved the naming of a recipient to receive the Public Education Award at the 2020 Annual Representative Assembly.

7. Approved in principle and referred to Resolutions Committee for processing four resolutions that

a. accept the scientific consensus that climate change due to human activity is a real and critical challenge affecting the planet and the future of humanity;

b. support the inclusion of curriculum that explicitly addresses issues relating to climate change in a manner that is subject and age appropriate;

c. support curriculum that allows embedded opportunities to address issues relating to climate change, giving students an opportunity to express their views; and

d. urge school boards to adopt and implement policies that respect students’ growth as active citizens, including voluntary participation in democratic actions and activities, while addressing potential risks to students.

8. Approved in principle and referred to Resolutions Committee for processing three resolutions that add the practices of asking for preferred pronouns on registration forms for all Association events for use on nametags, allowing individuals to identify their preferred pronouns on the Association’s online member database, and making gender-neutral washrooms available and publicly identified at all Association events.

9. Approved in principle and referred to Resolutions Committee for processing a resolution urging every local to engage in work to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s education-related calls to action, and to operate in the spirit of the objectives and principles of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

10. Approved in principle and referred to Resolutions Committee for consideration the following resolution: “Institutions offering teaching preparation programs should ensure that all prospective teachers receive education and support in [developing] foundational knowledge and [awareness of] contemporary issues of Indigenous peoples.”

11. Approved the report on resolution 2-25/19 for publication in the Resolutions Bulletin and ARA Handbook.

12. Reinitiated the Hands Off My Pension campaign with a focus on the repeal of Bill 22.

13. Received the report of a hearing committee that found a teacher guilty of two charges of unprofessional conduct for sending emails, on several occasions, to the teacher’s principal that were critical of a colleague without providing the colleague an advance copy of the emails, and for sending an email to the teacher’s principal, and to an assistant principal who is not a proper official, which was critical of a colleague without providing the colleague an advance copy of the email. The committee imposed a penalty of a single letter of reprimand for both charges.

14. Received the report of a hearing committee that found a teacher guilty of two charges of unprofessional conduct for making an intimidating comment to a colleague, thus failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession, and for sending a disrespectful email to a colleague, thus failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession. The committee imposed a penalty of a single letter of reprimand for both charges.

15. Received the report of a hearing committee that found a teacher guilty of four charges of unprofessional conduct

a. for making inappropriate comments to pupils during a sport practice,

b. for licking their finger(s) and sticking the moistened finger(s) into the ears of student athletes during a sport practice,

c. for touching a pupil by pressing on various pressure points on the student’s body, and

d. for making inappropriate comments toward students and taking inappropriate actions toward a student(s).

The investigated member pled guilty to each of the four charges. The committee imposed a penalty of a letter of severe reprimand and a fine of $1,000 to address all four charges.

16. Received the report of a Professional Conduct Appeal Committee that upheld the guilty findings of a hearing committee of the Professional Conduct Committee, resulting in the appeal being denied.

17. Approved in principle the Convention Review Implementation Plan.

18. Suspended the Education Decision Makers’ Seminar at Summer Conference for 2020.

19. Authorized the attendance of up to three Council members who identify as women at the CTF 2020 Women’s Symposium scheduled for April 19–21 in Toronto.

20. Authorized the attendance of up to four Council members at the ATA Women in Leadership Summit, scheduled for March 8 and 9 in Edmonton.

21. Authorized the purchase of four tickets for the Parkland Institute Gala Dinner and Silent Auction, scheduled for Feb. 27 in Edmonton.

22. Authorized that up to seven members of the Association’s United Way Committee are eligible to attend the United Way Red Tie Gala, taking place on March 5 in Edmonton.

23. Approved dates of key Association-sponsored meetings and Council meetings for the 2022/23 school year.

24. Approved frames of reference for the Buffalo Trail Public Schools Regional Division Teacher Welfare Committee and the East Central Alberta Catholic Separate School Division Teacher Welfare Committee. ❚

Provincial Executive Council voted to restart the Hands Off My Pension campaign to protest the government takeover of teachers’ pension assets.