EDMONTON- More than 450 teachers from across our province are meeting in Edmonton this weekend, to discuss a number of issues and set the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s 2013/2014 operating budget.
During the ATA’s three-day annual representative assembly, teachers will debate nearly 200 resolutions related to public education. Topics up for discussion include provincial achievement tests, early childhood education, curriculum, teacher pension, and collective bargaining.
Not being discussed, but at the top of mind for many teachers Saturday, was the legislation that passed earlier this week, imposing a collective agreement on Alberta teachers. The legislation, called the Assurance for Students Act, imposed the four-year-deal negotiated with the ATA on all the province’s teachers and school boards.
“We think there was nothing in this for teachers,” said Greg Plouffe, a teacher at Bev Facey High School in Sherwood Park. “This is going to result in larger class sizes, reduced salaries for teachers for four years and longer.”
“It was definitely not our preferred solution. Teachers accepted it, I’ll say, not with enthusiasm, but they did accept the offer from the premier,” said ATA President Carol Henderson.”I wish there had been a better way. I wish we’d had a bit more time, because I believe we could have worked with our two locals and he (the Minister of Education) could have worked with the board and we could have had consensus.”
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Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk, who was at the meeting in place of Education Minister Jeff Johnson Saturday morning, says since more than 90 per cent of school boards and teachers accepted the deal, “we simply couldn’t allow a small group of outliers hold the entire system in pause and detract us from negotiating the most important things.”
“This was all about kids and kids will be the beneficiaries of it because, as I said earlier, it will finally allow us to focus on education and doing the right things in education, and not focusing on labour issues.”
Another key discussion point was a move by the ATA to urge the provincial government to revisit funding decisions made in its 2013 budget relative to special needs students and English as a second language programs.
“We are very concerned. No new funding, 11,000 new students and 14.5 million fewer dollars,” said Henderson. “We’re very concerned about the premier not keeping her promise on sustainable, predictable funding, which was already very low. And it’s going to affect our special needs students, and our English language learners and it’s going to have the affect on much larger class sizes.”
“Seven in 10 adult Albertans believe education is underfunded,” said Henderson, quoting one of the findings from the ATA’s May 2013 tracking survey. “Education is an investment that benefits all Albertans. It’s great to have the public onside as we work to convince the government of that.”
“I think the Redford government needs to sit up and take notice.”
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