The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) is looking for a strong voice to fill a vacancy on the Provincial Executive Council (PEC). This October, nominations will open for the byelection to select a new district representative for the Edmonton District. This position serves the teachers from the Elk Island Public, Elk Island Catholic, St. Albert Catholic, St. Albert Public and Sturgeon locals.
“The role of district representative is so vital to what we do here,” said Jason Schilling, president of the ATA. “It brings the voice of the classroom teacher to the provincial council table. They need to be heard when decisions are being made on the policies and direction of the organization that represents them.”
Byelection nominations will be accepted from October 1 to 31 and are open to all active and associate members who work in the Edmonton District geographical region. Associate members who are not employed by any specific school board but live in area covered by the Edmonton District are also eligible to run.
Nomination forms can be found on the ATA website (teachers.ab.ca).
Online voting for the byelection will take place December 9 to 12 and will also be limited to members within the Edmonton District.
The winner of the byelection will be announced on December 13 and will join the other 14 district representatives at the first PEC meeting in the new year. The new representative will hold the seat until June 30, 2025, the end of the current term.
General PEC election on the horizon
This byelection will provide valuable practice for the provincewide general PEC election scheduled to take place in the spring of 2025. Every position on PEC, except for the executive secretary and past president, will be up for grabs.
The Edmonton District byelection and the general PEC election will overlap, so special care is being taken to help members know who and what they are voting for.
“The PEC election is an exciting democratic process,” said returning officer Dave Matson. “We don’t want to overwhelm our members with information overload. It’s important for us to ensure that teachers understand there are two separate and distinct election periods that overlap.”
Nominations for the 2025 general PEC election open on October 18, 2024, and run to January 14, 2025. Nomination forms for that event can also be found on the ATA website. The new PEC members will take office on July 1, 2025. ❚
