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Shelley Svidal
1. Named Philip A. McRae to the position of executive staff officer, Government, and Joni A. Turville to the position of executive staff officer, Professional Development, effective August 1, 2009. The appointments fill vacancies resulting from the retirement of Tim A. Johnston and Barb L. Maheu, effective July 31, 2009.
2. Approved, for presentation to the 2009 Annual Representative Assembly (ARA), a resolution urging the Association to take immediate action to urge the government to amend Bill 44, Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Amendment Act, 2009, by deleting section 9, which would allow parents or guardians to exclude their children from courses of study, educational programs, instructional materials, instruction or exercises that include subject-matter dealing explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation.
3. After reviewing the results of a comprehensive audit of Association communications conducted by Liminal Strategies, took a position on 2009 ARA resolutions 160/09 and 161/09 (both of which concern the print version of the ATA News) and referred the audit to staff for study and report.
4. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of one charge of unprofessional conduct for failing to comply on two occasions with a condition of recognizance requiring the teacher to have no contact, direct or indirect, with another individual, causing the teacher to be arrested and convicted and thus bringing the profession into disrepute. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a letter of reprimand.
5. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of two charges of unprofessional conduct for failing to treat a student with dignity and respect and for failing to act in a manner that maintains the honour and dignity of the profession. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a letter of reprimand to address both charges.
6. Directed President Frank Bruseker to communicate to Minister of Education Dave Hancock, QC, the Association’s disappointment over the removal of funding for the Building Classroom Assessment Capacity to Enhance Student Success project.
7. Approved guidelines, consistent with Real Learning First, as a basis for screening Alberta Education-initiated presentations offered at teachers’ conventions and specialist council conferences.
8. Authorized the Committee on the Association’s Relationship with the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association to proceed to investigate the possibilities of establishing a special local of retired teachers.
9. Approved frames of reference for Boyle Street Education Centre Charter School and Parkland School Division No. 70 teachers’ economic policy committees.
10. Directed that the Local Program Course and Local Presidents’ Seminar at Summer Conference include a component on the development and rationale for the Association’s annual budget.
11. Authorized the reimbursement of one teacher from each charter school and private school in which the teaching staff is represented by the Association for attendance at Summer Conference Teacher Welfare courses under the same conditions as consultants.
12. Authorized a contribution through Education International to the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association, which is facing extinction.
13. Authorized the attendance of interested members of the Association’s delegation to the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF), scheduled for July 16–18, 2009, in Ottawa, at the CTF President’s Forum: Forces for 2009—Change—External Assessment, scheduled for July 14–16, 2009, in Ottawa.
14. Authorized the purchase of a professional educators’ association partner membership in TC2, the Critical Thinking Consortium.
15. Authorized the purchase of a table package for Public Interest Alberta’s Fifth Anniversary Dinner and Celebration, scheduled for June 5, 2009, in Edmonton.
16. Authorized the attendance of up to six members of Council at Public Interest Alberta’s Annual General Meeting, scheduled for June 6, 2009, in Edmonton.
17. Approved the name of one school administrator for addition to the Administrator Instructors name bank, which is used as a source of appointments to the Administrator Instructors corps as the need arises.
18. Approved the name of one teacher for addition to the Economic Consultants name bank, which is used as a source of appointments to the Economic Consultants corps as the need arises.
19. Approved Council committee and representation assignments for 2009/10.
