Teacher-parent navigates strike action

For Oralia Hernandez, October 6 was a heavy day. It was the first day of the teachers’ strike, one she faced not only as a teacher, but also as a parent. 

Hernandez was already feeling the weight of uncertainty that has affected teachers, parents and students since the strike notice was issued in September. But the first day of job action was hard.

“It just feels so surreal,” said Hernandez, a junior high teacher with 17 years of experience. “It was also hard to say goodbye to my students. My kids were having to say goodbye to their friends.”

The strike carries added tension for Hernandez’s family. Her daughter, a Grade 12 student, is beginning her postsecondary applications, and the uncertainty of school closures has her worried.

“She’s worried about her diplomas, what impact this will have,” Hernandez said. “She’s asking about what’s going to happen next.”

Hernandez knows that school provides not only academic and extracurricular activities, but also stability for many students. 

“It’s heartbreaking because we know that a lot of these kids need those connections. School is their safe place,” she said.

Despite seeing the pressures the strike is placing on students and families, including her own, Hernandez says teachers did not make this decision lightly. It was a last resort. She reflected on years of deteriorating conditions, growing class sizes and mounting pressures on teachers.

“Teachers are committed to their students, and this is why we’re in this place now, why we chose to exercise job action,” she said. “We want to be there for all of our students, your kids. But it’s just not sustainable. The system has deteriorated to the point where we had no choice.”

Having taught overseas, Hernandez has long been proud of Alberta’s public education system, and it worries her to see its erosion.

For Hernandez, this strike is about more than policy or contracts. It is about standing up for the future of public education, for her students and for her own children. Despite the challenges of being part of this historical moment, Hernandez remains hopeful and wants students to know they are and will be supported to ensure they are not left behind.

“The public is supporting teachers, people are behind us and our kids will be okay,” she said. “At the end of the day, we will all be there to help and support our students.”