The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Highlights of the Provincial Executive Council meeting held April 10–11, 2014, at Barnett House in Edmonton

PEC Points

1. Nominated President Mark Ramsankar for the position of vice-president of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) for 2014/15.
2. Named its delegation to the Annual General Meeting of the CTF, scheduled for July 9–11, 2014, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and authorized delegates to attend the CTF President’s Forum, scheduled for July 7–8, 2014, also in Winnipeg.
3. Approved, for submission to the 2014 Annual Representative Assembly, resolutions (1) urging government to ensure that the design and specifications for new school construction and modernization provide ease of access for teachers, students, employees and public requiring devices and accommodations to assist and preserve their mobility, dignity and comfort and (2) urging school boards to ensure that all school board facilities provide ease of access for teachers and other employees requiring devices and accommodations to assist and preserve their mobility, dignity and comfort.
4. Consistent with section 31(2) of the Teaching Profession Act, extended to October 31, 2014, the deadline for the commencement of a hearing of the Professional Conduct Committee.
5. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of two charges of unprofessional conduct for not accounting for approximately $6,100 of money collected for magazine sales that should have been deposited in the school’s account but is unaccounted for, thus failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession, and for misappropriating funds of a school jurisdiction for the teacher’s own unauthorized purpose, thus failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession. To address both charges, the hearing committee imposed the penalty of declaring the teacher ineligible for membership in the Association for 12 months (because the teacher was not a member at the time of the hearing); recommending to the minister of education that the teacher’s teaching certificate be suspended for a period of 12 months; issuing a letter of severe reprimand; and levying a fine of $1,000, to be paid within 12 months of the teacher’s receipt of the written decision. If payment is not received by the specified deadline and pursuant to section 43(2) of the Teaching Profession Act, the teacher will remain ineligible for membership until the fine is paid.
6. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of two charges of unprofessional conduct for engaging in a social relationship with a student that was inappropriate to an acceptable teacher–student relationship, thereby failing to treat the student with dignity and respect and with consideration of the student’s circumstances, and for engaging in a social relationship with a student that was inappropriate to an acceptable teacher–student relationship, thereby failing to act in a manner that maintains the honour and dignity of the profession. To address both charges, the hearing committee imposed the penalty of declaring the teacher ineligible for membership in the Association and recommending to the minister of education that the teacher’s teaching certificate be cancelled.
7. Received the report of a hearing committee, which found a teacher guilty of two charges of unprofessional conduct for installing a locking mechanism on a door frame for the purpose of locking students inside a room, thus failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession, and for locking a student in a room with a rope, thus failing to treat the student with dignity and respect and with consideration of the student’s circumstances. To address both charges, the hearing committee imposed the penalty of a letter of severe reprimand and a fine of $1,000, to be paid within 60 days of the teacher’s receipt of the written decision. If payment in full is not received by the specified deadline, the teacher will be declared ineligible for membership in the Association.
8. Received the report of a Professional Conduct Appeal Committee, which allowed Council’s appeal of the order of a hearing committee on the grounds of inadequate penalty and concluded that the penalty was too lenient; did not fit the nature of the offence; and did not address the Association’s responsibility of acting in the best interest of students, the public or the profession or in a manner that maintains the honour and dignity of the profession. The appeal committee ordered that the penalty be varied to add an additional three years of ineligibility for membership in the Association, that a recommendation be made to the minister of education for an additional three-year suspension of the teacher’s teaching certificate and that the additional three-year period be served consecutively to the original penalty of three years of ineligibility and recommended suspension, for a total of six years. The hearing committee had found a teacher guilty of five charges of unprofessional conduct for inviting a student to the teacher’s apartment for the purpose of consuming alcohol, thus acting in a manner detrimental to the best interest of students, the public or the profession; for engaging in sexual intercourse with a student, thus acting in a manner detrimental to the best interest of students, the public or the profession; for providing false or misleading information to the investigating officer, thus failing to cooperate with the investigating officer as required by the Teaching Profession Act; for allowing or encouraging a witness or witnesses to lie about a previous sexual encounter and, in so doing, failing to maintain the honour and dignity of the profession; and for engaging in activities that led to rumours and gossip in the community, thus harming or tending to harm the standing of teachers generally. The hearing committee had imposed the penalty of a letter of severe reprimand and a fine of $1,000, to be paid within 10 months of the teacher’s receipt of the written decision; declared the teacher ineligible for membership in the Association for a period of three years, effective immediately; and directed that a recommendation be made to the minister of education to suspend the teacher’s teaching certificate for a period of three years.
9. Received the report of a Professional Conduct Appeal Committee, which denied Council’s appeal of the order of a hearing committee on the grounds of inadequate penalty. The hearing committee had found a teacher guilty of three charges of unprofessional conduct for engaging in conduct for which the teacher was convicted of three indictable offences, namely by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means unlawfully defrauding the Government of Canada of Old Age Security Benefits of a value exceeding $5,000, contrary to section 380(1)(a) of the Criminal Code; Goods and Services Tax rebates of a value not exceeding $5,000, contrary to section 380(1)(b) of the Criminal Code; and Alberta Seniors Benefits of a value exceeding $5,000, contrary to section 380(1)(a) of the Criminal Code. The hearing committee had imposed the penalty of a letter of severe reprimand, declared the teacher ineligible for membership in the Association for a period of 18 months and directed that a recommendation be made to the minister of education to suspend the teacher’s teaching certificate for a period of 18 months.
10. Awarded the Alberta Teachers’ Association Doctoral Fellowship in Education, the John Mazurek Memorial–Morgex Insurance Scholarship and the Nadene M Thomas Graduate Research Bursary.
11. Notwithstanding administrative guidelines, extended to its May 2014 meeting the deadline for submission of names to be considered for inclusion in the Economic Consultants name bank, which is used as a source of appointments to the Economic Consultants corps as the need arises.
12. Named a field member to represent a local on the Campus Saint-Jean Area Field Experiences Committee. ❚