New discipline process off to a bumpy start

Teacher discipline in Alberta will soon be entirely in the hands of the government. At the end of June, the transition of professional conduct from the Alberta Teachers’ Association to Alberta Education is expected to wrap up.

The government took over the responsibility of teacher conduct and competency on Jan. 1, 2023, and over the last six months, the ATA has been finishing off the investigations it had started prior to the change-over. As of July 1, 2023, all teacher and teacher leader complaints will be handled by the Alberta Teaching Profession Commission.

July 1 will also see the full launch of the ATA’s new Regulatory Affairs and Membership Support (RAMS) unit, dedicated to providing advice and support to any member who is facing a complaint filed with the commission.

Tim Jeffares is an associate co-ordinator with the ATA and will be heading up the new branch. He says he’s confident that the wealth of information and experience ATA staff have, having worked in the regulatory field for decades, will ensure that members receive excellent representation should they find themselves the subject of a complaint.

“We all have discipline experience and expertise. We’re just on the other side of the equation now,” Jeffares said. “We’re the defender.”

Jeffares said the last five months have been a bit of a bumpy ride for all parties involved.

“The commissioner’s processes are still very new. They started on January 1st and you can tell that their processes are still evolving,” said Jeffares.

“We’ve pushed back an awful lot on procedural fairness issues, timeline issues and other sorts of things, and it seems to be making a difference. But there are still lots of processes that need to be improved before we can actually say it’s a fair, just and effective system. It’s just not there yet.”

Positive signs

Since January, ATA officials have seen some improvements in the commission’s processes, Jeffares said.

“In some instances, it appears as though the advice we provided prior to the transfer, and even in meetings since, has been considered and implemented, which is a really positive sign,” he said.

At the time of writing, an estimated 205 complaints have been registered with the commissioner’s office.

Jeffares said it is difficult to determine exactly how many of the new complaints filed with the commission deal specifically with ATA members, as the commissioner also handles discipline for all certificate holders, including superintendents and teachers in charter and private schools.

He did confirm, however, that the ATA is currently working with approximately 109 of its members who are facing a complaint filed with the commission. There may be more who haven’t contacted the ATA yet. It’s up to the member to approach the Association for help and advice.

“We would hope that every Association member would phone us immediately,” Jeffares said. “However, that may not always be the case. Sometimes they contact us mid-stream because what started as a seemingly insignificant complaint has morphed into a much larger issue. They’ve found themselves too deep in a difficult process and now want some assistance.”

Jeffares strongly recommends that even those who are facing false, frivolous or vexatious accusations should seek advice from the Association.

“You should be represented to make sure your rights are protected and the process is fair.” ❚