The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) is accusing the province of trying to monopolize the oversight of teacher discipline through Bill 15. This would effectively remove powers from the ATA and concentrate it in the hands of the provincial government represented by the Education Minister Adriana LaGrange.
Bill 15, known as The Choice in Education Act, protects choice in Alberta’s education system by granting parents/guardians the right to choose the kind of education that would be the best course of action for their children, according to the Government of Alberta.
For example, it would reinforce the options of education available including public and separate schools, Francophone schools, charter schools, independent (private) schools and early childhood education, and home education.
The accusation comes with the ATA releasing the results of a new poll from Environics Research, which suggests 13 per cent of Albertans and 7 per cent of teachers support Bill 15.
“The Minister of Education is executing a massive power grab through Bill 15, but Albertans don’t trust the government to uphold standards for the teaching profession,” ATA president Jason Schilling said. “The minister has picked the worst possible option for regulating teachers, according to the views of Albertans.”
The polling also shows that teachers and parents are concerned about the implementation of an unpopular curriculum, classroom conditions and the prolonged underfunding of public education. They are tired of being ignored by government and want a brighter future for students. https://t.co/0g6QWezq2n
— jason schilling (@schill_dawg) April 27, 2022
The poll surveyed 800 adult Albertans and 825 ATA members. Other findings include:
- 17 per cent of Albertans and 2 per cent of teachers trust the government most to uphold standards for the teaching profession.
- A majority of Albertans and four in five teachers trust the ATA most to uphold teaching standards.
- Seven in ten Albertans and nine in ten teachers agree that the ATA is looking out for the best interests of students.
- 57 per cent of Albertans and 90 per cent of teachers disapprove of the government’s handling of K–12 education.
“Bill 15 removes professional functions from the ATA and consolidates them under the control of the minister,” Schilling said. “The process will be highly susceptible to political interference and this polling shows that Albertans don’t trust her with the power she’s giving herself. After the fumbling and bumbling over curriculum, COVID and funding, there is no surprise that Albertans have no confidence in the government on this issue either. Bill 15 must be stopped.”
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Education Minister Adrianna LaGrange has said in the past that Bill 15 is about ensuring “that the entire teaching profession is protected by bringing all teachers & teacher leaders under one reformed disciplinary process.”
The spokesperson for the office of the Minister of Education, Katherine Stavropoulos said, “Bill 15 will ensure that the entire teaching profession is protected by bringing all teachers and teacher leaders under one reformed disciplinary process, no matter who they work for.
“Our priority is the best interests of students, their families, and teachers across the education system, and the public at the centre of the teacher discipline process.”
“Alberta is an outlier when compared with other jurisdictions and regulated professions, such as nurses. We are eliminating the conflict of interest where a union could advocate for its members while also overseeing disciplinary matters,” said Stavropoulos.
“This is not a new approach from the ATA in politicizing the issues when the focus should be on our students’ safety. It should be noted that fewer than 2 per cent of Alberta’s teachers self-selected to participate in this poll. That small number is hardly representative of the more than 53,000 total certificated teachers and teacher leaders in the province,” said Stavropoulos.
It should also be noted that this poll ended on February 17, a full month and a half before Bill 15 was even tabled in the assembly, on March 31.”
–With files from Lisa Grant
