The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Highlights of the Provincial Executive Council meeting held October 25–26, 2012

1. Consistent with the General Bylaws, set March 22, 2013, as the date for the 2013 Council general election and directed that ballots be mailed to school representatives as a package for distribution to every member entitled to vote. Members will have until March 12, 2013, to return their ballots to school representatives for delivery to the Association.
2. Approved in principle and referred to Finance Committee for review and costing a proposed list of programs on which the Association should focus in 2013/14.
3. Received notice that M F Podlosky, coordinator, Professional Development, would retire on December 31, 2012, and named three Council members to a staff selection committee to recommend a successor. The internal competition closes November 23, 2012.
4. Directed the Association to strongly urge the Canadian Teachers’ Federation to aggressively lobby the federal government regarding the implications of Bill C-377, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. The private member’s bill would require labour organizations, including the Association, to disclose significant details of their financial operations.
5. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of two charges of unprofessional conduct for backing up on district-owned technology personal computer files that included pornography, thereby failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession, and for engaging in chat sessions with students that crossed professional guidelines, thereby failing to treat students with dignity and respect. The hearing committee imposed the penalty of a letter of reprimand to address both charges.
6. Effective September 1, 2012, increased from $75 to $80 the daily rate for strike support and amended an administrative guideline accordingly.
7. Amended the frame of reference of Finance Committee to require it to review periodically, rather than annually, the daily rate for strike support.
8. Approved a frame of reference for Wolf Creek School Division No 72 teachers’ Economic Policy Committee.
9. Approved a revision to the model frame of reference for economic policy committees.
10. Authorized an overexpenditure to provide for “Encountering Curriculum Redesign—Bringing Inspiring Education to Life,” an invitational symposium hosted by the Association and Alberta Education and scheduled for ­November 30–December 1, 2012, in Edmonton.
11. Authorized an expenditure to sponsor a health break at the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) International Student Conference, scheduled for December 10–12, 2012, in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
12. Further to substantial increases in market rates for the class of office building ­represented by Barnett House, amended an administrative guideline regarding tenant leases.
13. Further to its September 20–21, 2012, meeting, approved an administrative guideline to allow teachers in distance learning, distributed, virtual and online schools who live outside the geographic boundary of their designated teachers’ convention to self-identify to attend a different convention.
14. Authorized the attendance of up to four Association representatives at each of two provincial symposia/consultation meetings entitled “Supporting Beginning Teachers—A Policy Conversation,” hosted by Alberta Education and scheduled for November 8, 2012, in Calgary and November 9, 2012, in Edmonton.
15. Authorized the attendance of Council members at the Friday evening keynote presentation and/or the Sunday single sessions of the Parkland Institute’s Fall Conference, scheduled for November 23–25, 2012, in Edmonton.
16. Named a field member to fill a vacancy on the Campus Saint-Jean Area Field Experiences Committee.