The Alberta Teachers’ Association

This is the second in a series of articles answering the question: “What does the ATA do for me?” Today, we continue our look at Member Services.

Services for administrators
Member Services is at your service

When I first became a principal in rural Alberta, one of the best pieces of advice I received was “When in doubt, call the ATA.”

I was surprised to discover how much help the Alberta Teachers’ Association could be to me as I struggled to fit into my new role. As a teacher, I’d never called Member Services (MS), but that all changed when I became an administrator—I had the ATA on speed dial.

MS executive staff members are knowledgeable classroom teachers with experience in administration and in local leadership, and they are committed to assisting all active ATA members, whether they are teachers or administrators.

Principals and teachers work in a constantly changing environment. New board policy, new government regulations in the Guide to Education, and new students, parents and staff can trigger stress for both teachers and administrators.

New principals can feel isolated and unsure of themselves. I had many questions on my mind: How and when does supervision change to evaluation? What’s the process and how do you ensure that it’s fair for everyone involved? How do you make the transition from being “one of the guys” to the female administrator in the corner office? What do I do about a parent who wants me to fire every teacher on staff? I found that MS could answer these questions and more, and I learned that it’s always best to be proactive—problems tend to remain smaller and more manageable when advice is sought long before a situation gets out of hand. I also learned that there really are no stupid questions.

Remember, when in doubt, Member Services is at your service.