ATAGSA approved to be first permanent DEN

Highlights of the Provincial Executive Council meeting held April 16–17, 2026, at Barnett House, Edmonton.

1. Approved the application for permanent DEN (Diversity Equity Network) status of the ATAGSA.
2. Authorized the Association to initiate a targeted advocacy and public awareness campaign opposing the removal of children from Alberta schools due to expiring or pending immigration status.
3. Endorsed the candidacy of Jason Schilling as president-designate of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation at its general election to be held July 2026.
4. Authorized legal counsel to delay the hearing on the merits pending a decision by the Supreme Court in English Montreal School Board et al. v. Attorney General of Quebec and to exercise discretion concerning rescheduling the merits hearing on the Back to School Act to best manage costs and maximize legal efficacy while maintaining the Association’s unwavering commitment to advancing its challenge of the litigation.
5. Approved adjustments to the 2026/27 proposed budget for presentation at the 2026 Annual Representative Assembly.
6. Authorized a financial contribution in the amount of $1,000 to the Canadian Teachers’ Federation to support Education International’s Solidarity Fund, which will support the Union of Teachers of North and East Syria and assist affected colleagues, their families and school communities.
7. Authorized three virtual focus group sessions, with six to ten teachers under the age of 30, to gather young teachers’ views of the Association and its programs.
8. Reconsidered its position on Electoral Ballot 3 of 2025 from concurrence to nonconcurrence.
9. Approved for submission to the 2026 Annual Representative Assembly (ARA) a resolution urging the Government of Alberta to enact comprehensive accessibility legislation, developed in consultation with provincial disability organizations and public sector unions.
10. Approved for submission to the 2026 ARA a resolution opposing the implementation of Bill 12, Financial Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (NO. 2), and related cuts to the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program and the creation of the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP).
11. Approved in principle the content and structure of the draft Local Executive Compensation Report Survey. Council may provide further feedback on its content prior to finalization and implementation.
12. Reduced the number of ATA News issues from 15 to 12, beginning in the 2026/27 year.
13. Approved a review of the print distribution of the ATA News with the aim to strategically reduce the number of print copies distributed.
14. Authorized the Association to engage the external consultant services of Crestview Strategy, with a reasonable termination provision negotiated in the contract, to support the Association’s external government relations.
15. Referred the Association’s approach to monitoring media and public discourse to staff, in consultation with the Association’s government relations partner, Crestview Strategies.
16. Requested staff to consider how to onshore the distribution of the Association’s promotional materials.
17. Amended the administrative guidelines pertaining to the PEC development fund.