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The budget proposed by Provincial Executive Council (PEC) is just a step away from becoming the approved budget for the 2016/17 fiscal year. The final, very important step in this process is membership approval. On the Victoria Day long weekend, local delegates to the 99th Annual Representative Assembly (ARA) will gather in Calgary to consider, among other matters, the approval of the proposed budget. The budget is not just a financial document. It also sets the strategic direction for Association activities and programs for the upcoming year. When considering the budget, ARA delegates will focus on much more than dollars and cents. They will also examine the merit of the proposed programs and consider their value to members, to education and to the Association.
Based on feedback from locals as well as current economic conditions, Council is recommending no increase to Association fees for the 2016/17 fiscal year. Below are highlights of new programs and completed or discontinued programs that make up the proposed budget.
Proposed new initiatives for 2016/17
Occupational health and safety training: Training for a staff member in the area of occupational health and safety compliance would be provided in order to have an in-house expert available to deal with issues arising in this area.
Committee on FNMI education: An advisory committee will be established to provide advice regarding program area supports in the area of FNMI education.
Teacher Welfare Area Conference: An increase to the grant-in-aid provision would cover the attendance of four members per bargaining unit rather than the current provision of three members.
Professional regulatory requirements: The budget provides funds for the professional development and education of staff specifically charged with this responsibility as required under the Teaching Profession Act, e.g., conducting investigations, keeping updated in legal requirements related to professional regulation.
Teacher efficacy and member engagement: The budget will provide funds to develop a network of teacher-led hubs of innovation designed to increase professional capacity on collectively identified areas of professional practice.
Program for education decision-makers: The Association will develop and administer an ongoing invitational program to educate MLAs, school trustees and other opinion leaders to the role of the Association in, and perspectives on, public education.
Alberta Education annual forum: The budget would provide funds to initiate an ongoing annual forum involving the Association and Alberta Education managers to consider education issues and directions.
Field member education and training: Funds would be provided to develop a strategy to identify, recruit, prepare and support members from the field to participate in representation activities.
Communications staffing increase: An intermediate staff member would be added to the Government program area to enable communications personnel to produce a wider variety of education coverage within the ATA’s existing publishing platforms and in a greater variety of media (especially social media).
Election campaign expenses: An increase to the budget for campaign expenses for all district representatives and table officers was considered by the Committee on Election Review. Council’s intention is to level the playing field for all candidates, providing similar opportunities for participation in the election.
100th anniversary celebration: The proposed budget provides funds for projects and activities approved by Provincial Executive Council for the planning of the 100th anniversary of the Alberta Teachers’ Association.
The expected total cost of these new programs is $543,900.
Completed/discontinued initiatives
Pension plan education: The 2015/16 budget provided funding to evaluate and revise the education program aimed at teachers and to expand the program to include a public audience to educate and inform the general public of the value of defined benefit pension plans.
Web-based communication: The 2015/16 budget provided funding for the development of a web-based communication tool as another mechanism to assist members. This will be implemented in the following year, but no further funding will be required.
C2 meetings and local assistance: The operation of the C2 process under the Assurance for Students Act was completed with the expiration of the 2012–2016 collective agreement and is no longer a legislated requirement. The information gathered through that process has been used to inform local EPCs and the central table bargaining process.
Superintendents in the Teaching Profession Committee: The committee researched the role of the superintendent in Alberta school jurisdictions, consulted with College of Alberta School Superintendents and reviewed the Association’s policy on school system leadership.
Role of the superintendent in the profession research initiative: The research study undertaken as part of the work of the committee included a literature review and environmental scan of the changing role of the superintendent across Canada. This work will inform the design of selected case studies of Alberta jurisdictions that will contribute to the final report to be completed by July 2017.
Alberta Congress Board: This conference is no longer available as the board is now inactive.
The 2015/16 budget allocated $172,700 for these programs.
Proposed annual fee for 2016/17
Provincial Executive Council is not proposing to increase the Association member fee for 2016/17, keeping the active member fee at $1,242 per member.
|
|
2015/16 approved fee
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2016/17 proposed fee
|
|
Funding for programs for which the local rebate does not apply
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$171.00
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$165.00
|
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Funding for programs for which the local rebate applies
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$856.80
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$861.60
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Local rebate
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$214.20
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$215.40
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Total Fee
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$1,242.00
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$1,242.00
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Budget by program area
There are two parts to the Association’s budget. The first part includes programs that are funded by a fee that is subject to a local rebate; in other words, for each dollar of the membership fee that is applied to this part of the budget, 20 per cent is rebated to local associations to fund their operations. The second part includes programs that are funded by a fee that is not subject to the local rebate.
Part 1: Budget subject to local rebate
The table below compares program area expenditures for the 2015/16 approved budget and the 2016/17 proposed budget. It also provides a general description of the mandate of each program area.
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Program area
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Mandate
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2015/16 approved budget
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2016/17 proposed budget
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Teacher Welfare
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To improve the economic well-being of teachers through work in collective bargaining, pension and insurance; to effect increases in the funding for education.
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$3,420,500
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$3,509,900
|
|
Member Services
|
To provide services to individual members on matters requiring discipline, legal assistance and professional relations; to provide general service to and consultation with locals, sublocals and staff as requested; to enhance awareness of the Association’s services.
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$5,132,600
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$5,096,800
|
|
Professional
Development
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To provide for the improvement of teaching practice through specialist councils, conventions, curriculum work, current issues, local leadership development, assistance to local PD committees, field service and representation to other subgroups; to prepare a corps of instructors and facilitators; to improve the preservice education of teachers and liaise with other agencies in these fields and extended field experiences.
|
$5,191,400
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$5,222,000
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Government
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To govern the Association and provide for its obligations beyond Alberta’s borders; to liaise with other organizations within Alberta; to maintain communications internally with the membership and externally with the public; to improve conditions for education through the political involvement of members.
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$8,460,000
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$8,584,300
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Building
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To provide and maintain physical facilities for Association offices in Edmonton and Calgary.
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$2,395,200
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$2,525,700
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Operations
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To provide for the financial and business operation of the Association, including business management, finance, general office work, human resources and document production; to provide services to other program areas and subgroups.
|
$4,556,000
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$4,813,200
|
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Nondepartmental Commitments
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To provide for items that are not directly a part of any other department and for items affecting all or most other departments but which cannot be reasonably provided for within the department.
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$1,669,200
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$1,726,000
|
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Food Services
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To provide a catering service for participants at various meetings and other functions held at Barnett House; to operate a cafeteria service for staff, tenants and the public.
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$810,300
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$700,700
|
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Information and Technology
Services
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To maintain and safeguard the Association’s information
technology systems and equipment and to develop and
maintain electronic capabilities and processes required
by other program areas.
|
$2,150,200
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$2,181,900
|
Part 2: Budget not subject to local rebate
Member fees required to fund the second part of the budget are not subject to the local rebate. The table below compares expenditures and allocations for the 2015/16 approved budget and the 2016/17 proposed budget and provides a brief description of the nature of the expenditures.
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Expenditure and allocation
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Description
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2015/16
approved
budget
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2016/17
proposed
budget
|
|
Canadian Teachers’ Federation
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Provides support for the federation based on a
per capita fee.
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$950,500
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$991,200
|
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Capital fund
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Provides an annual allocation to the fund, which is used to purchase any capital assets.
|
$1,303,000
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$1,347,000
|
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Special emergency fund
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Provides an annual allocation to the fund, which is used to fund emergent actions as approved by Provincial Executive Council.
|
$1,036,000
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$406,000
|
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Technology services project development
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Provides annual funding for projects related to membership application services, online services, unified communications, strategic technology management and reporting, workflow and form services.
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$700,000
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$700,000
|
|
Specialist council membership grants
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Provides the annual operating grants to the Association’s 21 specialist councils.
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$774,500
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$774,500
|
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Accountability
action plan
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Provides funding for the Real Learning First program, a multifaceted plan that focuses on accountability in education as it relates to the teacher’s role in student assessment, evaluation and reporting.
|
$115,000
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$135,000
|
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Mortgage
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Provides principal and interest payments on the loan obtained for the Seymour Tower renovations.
|
$1,015,000
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$950,800
|
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Media campaign
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Provides funding for a media campaign to address teacher concerns and to raise the status of the teaching profession.
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$1,000,000
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$1,000,000
|
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100th anniversary celebration
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Provides for funding of projects and activities approved by Provincial Executive Council for centennial celebrations.
|
$0
|
$325,000
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