Rally sends a clear message as legislature resumes

Tens of thousands of Alberta teachers, parents and community members from across the province gathered at the Alberta legislature grounds in Edmonton on Oct. 23 to send a clear message: public education matters and teachers’ voices cannot be ignored.

This rally—organized by Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholic ATA locals—took place during the third week of the provincewide teachers’ strike, just as the government was opening the fall sitting of the legislature.

The event featured powerful speeches, signs and chants that emphasized the urgent need to support Alberta’s public education system, teachers and students. During the rally, ATA president Jason Schilling said that teachers care too deeply about what is happening to public education to stay silent any longer.  

“What we’re  doing here isn’t easy. Speaking truth to power rarely is,” he said. “But sometimes you must stand up for what you believe in and for what’s right. And that moment is now.“
Since the strike action began, teachers have continued to demonstrate solidarity, stay connected and remain visible by gathering in locations across the province for rallies, wellness walks and other events.

With the government signalling back-to-work legislation was forthcoming, the rally highlighted teachers’ determination to be heard and their commitment to ensuring that Alberta students have the resources and support they need to thrive.

“That is what we are doing here today,” said Schilling. “We are reminding government and every school board that Alberta’s teachers will not be silenced, ignored or divided.”
For Schilling—and many others participating—the event was both a statement of solidarity and a call for lasting change in the education system.

“Alberta’s teachers and school leaders are standing up. We’re fighting for our students, for our classrooms and for one another,” he said.