President

Hello! Thanks for taking your time to read this! I’m tepidly pleased to be running for ATA president and hope to earn your vote.

I began my teaching career like a lot of folks. I spent a year in my dream teaching position, was never given a full-time contract, lost my job from a mandatory transfer, worked in other fields outside of education (Bell Media) and made my way back into the profession! Over the past few years, I’ve been up in Grande Prairie working from kindergarten to high school and have had zero experience in the ATA.

While that may be setting off alarms for some, I have a feeling more than a few are feeling a sense of excitement for potential fresh ideas in a Provincial Executive Council (PEC) that is stale. As bargaining went into full swing, the cracks began to show in the PEC. When I asked questions to someone in ATA leadership, I was told to watch videos that had less than five per cent views from total ATA membership. When I asked fellow teachers about potential lowball offers from the government, the overwhelming consensus was that they would take whatever was offered because “It might be the best we will get.” These compounding issues led me, reluctantly, to run for ATA president.

My platform is focused on the following:

1. Messaging — The metrics the ATA seems to be fine with would get someone fired in Bell Media. YouTube videos with a dozen views are unacceptable. Particularly in this social media landscape, adaptation is crucial to having any success. Try TikTok, try YouTube shorts, try videos that are targeted toward ATA membership. By having fresh ideas, you have members and the public paying far more attention than they do now.

2. Transparency — An educated ATA populace is a better populace. Utilizing a myriad of techniques to inform where the ATA is at in bargaining is far better than one chart that people tune out. It also helps give members the knowledge to push back at family dinners when that one uncle/cousin says, “Teachers are paid well! Why are you bellyachin’?”

3. Accountability —Some of you have given tens of thousands to the ATA, and it’s good to know that money is going to good places. The fact is a lot of us are one fried transmission away from not being able to pay rent. Asking around my division, a lot of my fellow teachers are frustrated. Maybe it’s a pay cut for PEC members, maybe it’s cutting back on the five-dollar gift cards until we are being properly compensated.

ATA president is a role I would take with mild vexation. I love being in the classroom, but my mild agitation is arguably one of the best reasons to have me as president. I want to get back into the classroom as soon as possible, and come back to one that has had measurable, positive change.

Once again, thanks for reading this. Remember to vote March 10–13!

Biography

I’m Peter MacKay, and I’m running to be the next president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA).

I teach a grade 7/8 class in Grande Prairie, Alberta. This is my 27th year of teaching and over that time I’ve been a K–12 principal and taught grades 7–12, among other roles.

I currently serve as one of two ATA vice-presidents and I’m chair of the Central Table Bargaining Committee.

I live in Grande Prairie with my wife Stephanie and our dog, Arlo.

Platform

I’m running for president because the pace of change in our classrooms and our schools has been considerably faster than what we’ve seen in our Association. Things have gotten worse for Alberta teachers, especially since the pandemic, and our old, familiar tactics and methods of advocacy don’t seem to be working as well anymore.

To be clear, I’m not advocating for a wholesale change in our approach. Good work has been done and continues to be done. But over these last several years, we’ve seen the government make fundamental alterations to our pensions without consultation, cynically strip the Association of our disciplinary functions, and proceed with a flawed curriculum implementation process and testing regime despite our clear objections.

Most importantly, this government has eroded financial support for education to the point that Alberta offers the lowest per-student education funding in Canada. They’ve done this while increasing funding for private education even as conditions deteriorate in our public and separate schools.

It has been some time since the government has listened to teachers. We need to raise our voices, collectively, if we are to be heard. And I believe that teachers, having been battered by inflation, are ready to get loud.

But how do we bring about the change that we need?

We must empower and energize the leaders in our ATA locals and our schools. The strength of this Association does not reside in Barnett House; it’s found in our staffrooms, classrooms and council rooms across the province.

Every school that I’ve worked in that had a healthy ATA culture had a bear on staff: the kind of person who knew what ought to be happening in schools and knew what to do and who to call if things went awry. We need those leaders in every school if things are to change.

To make that happen, our Association must become more effective in our communication and more meaningfully present in the working lives of our teachers and the work of our locals.

In short, the measure of success for the next ATA president and the next Provincial Executive Council won’t be how many events we attend or how many interviews we give. Our success will be determined by how effectively we help 46,000 teachers find their voice, and that voice is much louder than this government remembers.

You’ll find more details about me and what I stand for at http://www.mackay4atapresident.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MacKay4ATApres/.

I am often asked if I anticipated the challenges teachers faced over the nearly six years I have been president of the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA). The answer is simple: no. The government has enacted many detrimental policies that have significantly impacted our profession. These decisions have left teachers, school leaders and substitutes exhausted. Public education is in crisis in Alberta.

I value the ATA and the work it does daily to enhance the teaching profession, even if our efforts are not always visible. Despite challenges, I am proud to say that the ATA has never backed down from a fight. In nearly 1,200 media interviews, I championed teachers and highlighted our values and advocated for changes we need to see in our classrooms.

My goal as your president has always been to improve the capacity of the ATA and further develop it into a resilient organization valued by all its members. I believe that we fight for what we value, and with your continued support, I will remain a strong voice for you, for all our students and for public education.

Our goals are clear. Woven through all the pressures facing education is the shameful lack of funding for our schools. Greater public awareness of the lack of funding around inclusion needs to be a higher focus. We see it every day, so we must continue to engage with partners who also value public education.

The ATA must continue to engage and strengthen our relationship with members as we address classroom conditions and wages, even after this round of bargaining. We must stress greater teacher involvement in curriculum and assessment design as grades 7–9 are developed and implemented. The government's plans to expedite teaching credentials in Alberta is a significant threat we must face as it will undermine our professionalism and the quality of education.

The list of issues is exhausting, I know. However, I believe each issue we face presents an opportunity for us to show our solidarity, determination and commitment to public education.

What do we do? We enhance our relationships with each other, parents and our Association. We must remain strategically focused on our goals and not let others divide and weaken us.

Together, we can shape the future of education in Alberta. Your voice, dedication and engagement matter. Colleagues, let us rise to the occasion, inspire each other, support each other, and work together to create a brighter future for our students and our profession.

With your engagement, we can tackle these challenges head on and achieve our shared goals. There is a lot of fight ahead of us, and I’m ready to lead us through what’s next. Stand with me, stand with the ATA and let us make a difference together.

Originally from Lethbridge, I now reside in Edmonton. When not focused on Association work, you can find me running or on a bike. I taught English and drama at Kate Andrews High School in Coaldale for 17 years.