Allison McCaffrey

Happy February!
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This is the month of love and kindness and I wanted to extend my thanks to each of you for all you do in your schools and classrooms. One constant theme I hear in every call or message that comes to me is how appreciative your colleagues are of the support you offer each other as we push through this 5th wave of COVID.

At the Local we continue to work on your behalf to advocate for fully funded public Catholic education. The unanswered concerns about the weak draft curriculum and the threat from the Ministry to break up our Association continue to be at the forefront of our work.  Please see below some of the highlights from the last CSR as well as the ways you can help to vocally advocate for our profession and our Association.

Conference and Workshop Funding – Please note that there is significant amounts of funding available to attend conferences, worshops and for tuition funding. 

• Virtual and In-City Conferences/Workshops – 
  • $500 + up to 2 sub days
• In Province Conferences/Workshops – 
  • $1200 + up to 2 sub days
• Out-of-Province and International Conferences/Workshops – 
  • $2000 + up to 2 sub days
• Tuition - $500 for accredited courses

You may apply for funding if you are within a 5-month window of your conference start date.  Please visit www.atalocal55.ca/funding.html for guidelines and applications.

Teachers’ Convention- February 17th and 18th  – Please remember that it is your professional and legal obligation to attend convention. The convention is fully on-line this year, so please ensure you have access to strong wi-fi during these two days and register for your sessions by visiting www.cctca.com

Executive Assistant Job Opening   
The Local is accepting applications for the position of the Executive Assistant.  Duties include (but are not limited to) providing full-cycle advice and assistance to members by responding to inquiries, informing members of their rights and obligations, conducting risk assessments of issues, identifying possible solutions as well as various other duties that may be assigned by the President and Executive.
 
Applications must be submitted by 4:00 pm on February 18, 2022 and full details on the job description are available using this link.  https://bit.ly/31zqmCY

#RedForEdAB Merchandise – We see such solidarity when we notice more and more of our colleagues wearing red on Fridays and posting to the local’s social media channels using @atalocal55.  This weekly show of support reminds this government that a new draft curriculum MUST include the voices of the experts…our teachers and that we demand class sizes that are manageable. Join your fellow teachers by donning your red apparel on Fridays.  If you’re looking to buy a T-shirt, a mask, neck Buffs™, baby onesies or even coffee tumblers, we now have them available for sale.  Go to: https://bit.ly/3lqEsxf to place your order.

ONE PROFESSION UNITED – On December 9, 2021, Alberta’s Minister of Education announced a plan to remove professional regulatory functions related to discipline from the Alberta Teachers' Association, effectively changing the ATA from a professional association to purely a trade union. If implemented, this decision will dramatically change the culture of the ATA, the teaching profession and public education in Alberta.  

Thank you to all CSRs and teachers who came out to the Information Evenings to hear directly from ATA Provincial the concerns and background of why the Minister’s threat must be taken seriously and MUST be confronted head on.  
 
What can you do?

• a) Educate yourself on the issue.  ATA Provincial has a thorough compilation of the issue, the background information and talking points about this matter.  Go to www.teachers.ab.ca to access these documents.  A brief overview can be viewed here.

• b) Contact your MLA – Write, call and request a meeting with your MLA and explain your concerns - you don’t have to be perfect, just be persistent.  Consider going with a group of teachers from your school so you have collegial support. Feel free to reach out to the Local for support as well.  There will be a Valentine’s Day letter writing campaign that will be rolled out by the Political Engagement Team – so look for that coming to you in your inbox next week.

• c) Stayed informed – A more significant call to action will be introduced once the legislation is passed (probably around February 24th).  Follow the Local’s social media channels @atalocal55 so you can stay up to date and to keep informed.  This fight is worth your time.  ATA is renowned globally for being a leader as a professional organization as we foster a culture of professionalism and collegiality that focuses on what’s best for both students and teachers.  Let’s not let this government change what has worked well for close to 100 years.

CSR Highlights – Members asked if they could have a summary of the items discussed at the Council of School Representatives (CSR) meeting. You can access this document for the January 25, 2022 meeting by following this link: www.atalocal55.ca/csr-highlights.html  

In closing please accept my sincerest thanks for all that you do for our profession each day. Your incredible dedication, compassion and love for your students and colleagues is not lost on me and you have the utmost amount of my respect.  We are always available at the Local should you wish to reach out.


Peace and blessings,

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Allison McCaffrey
President
Calgary Catholic Teachers’ ATA Local 55

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