Executive secretary Dennis Theobald’s report to the 108th Annual Representative Assembly was clear: history informs the present state of the teaching profession, but members will define its future.
Addressing more than 400 teacher representatives over the May long weekend in Edmonton, Theobald drew connections between historical moments in Alberta’s teaching profession and current challenges in collective bargaining, professionalization and human rights protections.
“Our work is rooted in and shaped by our history as a profession and as a society,” Theobald said.
Turning to the upcoming strike authorization vote, he underscored the profound and unprecedented complexity of the context in which members must decide their next steps.
“I want to guard against reducing historical antecedents to simple slogans and to stress the uniqueness and complexity of our current circumstances,” he noted. “We are all being called upon to make critical decisions that will affect our future as individual teachers and collectively as a profession.”
Theobald emphasized that any decisions on next steps for bargaining would be made by teachers, with the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) continuing to inform and support members. He highlighted the urgent need to improve teaching conditions in order to expand the workforce, recalling the post-World War I push for higher educational and professional standards, and warning against threats to teacher professionalization.
“As an Association, we must strive to protect the professional integrity of teaching and ensure that the evolving policy ensures that teachers entering the classroom are well prepared for the demanding work they will be required to do,” he said. “We must not allow the gains we made some 80 years ago to be eroded.”
In his report to the Assembly, Theobald also highlighted activities undertaken by the ATA in the past year to support members and public education. This work, Theobald said, included professional development workshops and presentations, member assistance through Teacher Employment Services and Regulatory Affairs, and establishment of Diversity Equity Networks.
Theobald then turned his attention to the critical role of the education system in supporting diversity, equity and inclusion, speaking on the work the ATA has undertaken in the past year, including expanded support for local diversity, equity and human rights committees; new professional development opportunities; and support for diverse candidates running for elected office.
“This is a difficult and sensitive undertaking that demands meaningful consultation with groups that have suffered historical injury and continue to be marginalized and subject to systemic discrimination. It takes time, and we have taken the time to do it right.”
In concluding his remarks, Theobald commented on the value of paying attention to the discordant rhymes of history we are seeing now, but also in recognizing the power of the membership in building its future.
“We must not deny ourselves agency. History is not destiny,” he said. “We have the power to collectively shape our future as a profession, but only if we remain united in purpose and determination.”
