The number 50 has many resonances. For example, it’s the atomic number of tin and the fifth magic number in nuclear physics. On a more prosaic note, it’s the name of an ale from Labatt and of a street-thug-turned-rapper named Fifty Cent.
When it comes to aging, 50 marks the advent of what some call the "Ouch! Years"—when backs begin to protest getting up in the morning and knees begin to creak (let’s not even mention the aesthetic assaults of the fifties—the hair that starts growing where it shouldn’t and stops growing where it should). But 50 is also a wonderful number, a milestone—usually, by the time we reach the half-century mark, we aren’t as foolish as we used to be. And, hopefully, we can look back on many accomplishments. Fifty also marks the golden anniversary, whether it be of a married couple or of an institution.
For the Alberta Teachers’ Association, 2011 marks a golden anniversary of note—the formation in 1960 of the first Association specialist councils, all of which are still going strong today. The original six councils on the drawing board were the Council on School Administration, English Language Arts Council, Guidance Council, Mathematics Council, Science Council and Social Studies Council.
Initially, specialist councils were conceived of as a way to channel the special interests of teachers and their efforts in curriculum work. In a 1959 report prepared for Provincial Executive Council, then-executive secretary S.C.T Clarke advocated the formation of specialist councils that were to be organized logically within the structure of one comprehensive association. And so it was.
Today, the Association has 21 specialist councils, which play a crucial role in promoting teacher professional development (PD) and thereby support the Association’s belief that a program of continuous PD is a major factor in the advancement of education. Specialist councils support the belief expressed in the 1935 Teaching Profession Act, which states: "The objects of the Association are to improve the knowledge and skills of teachers by meetings, publications, research and other activities designed to maintain and improve the competence of teachers."
Specialist councils’ success is based on their ability to remain relevant and responsive to teachers’ changing PD needs, to promote collegiality and collaboration among members, and to attract talented and dedicated teachers to volunteer their time and enthusiasm to serve on their executive.
Today, specialist councils organize conferences, produce publications, maintain websites, offer workshops and provide members with opportunities to exchange ideas and gather new information, all on behalf of Alberta teachers.
The number 50 belongs to the quinquagesimal number system, the word deriving from the Latin word for five, quinque, which makes the six councils celebrating their birthday this year all quinquagenarians. Happy 50th! We wish you quinquaginta (50) more.
Watch for the fall issue of the ATA Magazine, which celebrates the councils’ anniversry—"50 Years On—Specialist Councils Remain Vibrant and Vital."
Karen Virag is the Association’s supervising editor. She has been overseeing the production of specialist council publications for 15 years.
