The Wolf Creek Teachers
The policies of the Wolf Creek Local are based on the objects of the Alberta Teachers' Association.
The objects of the Association are:
| (a) | to advance and promote the cause of education in Alberta; |
| (b) | to improve the teaching profession |
| (i) | by promoting and supporting recruitment and selection practices which ensure capable candidates for teacher education, |
| (ii) | by promoting and supporting adequate programs of preservice preparation, internship and certification, |
| (iii) | by promoting the establishment of working conditions that will make possible the best level of professional service, |
| (iv) | by organizing and supporting groups which tend to improve the knowledge and skill of teachers, |
| (v) | by meetings, publications, research and other activities designed to maintain and improve the competence of teachers, and |
| (vi) | by advising, assisting, protecting and disciplining members in the discharge of their professional duties and relationships; |
| (c) | to arouse and increase public interest in the importance of education and public knowledge of the aims of education, financial support for education, and other matters; |
| (d) | to co-operate with other organizations and bodies in Canada and elsewhere having the same or like aims and objects. |
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| 1 | Governance |
| The following policies shall remain in effect from year to year unless replaced, altered, cancelled, or added to by a majority of those voting at a properly called general meeting and or local council meeting. Further, it is understood that local council, acting on behalf of the teaching body, may take action as it sees fit provided that this action is: | |
| 1.1 | not contrary to the by-laws of the Association, |
| 1.2 | not contrary to the aforementioned policy, |
| 1.3 | not contrary to a motion passed at a general meeting. |
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| 2 | Meetings |
| 2.1 | General meetings shall be held in Ponoka or Lacombe on Thursday afternoons commencing at 4:45 pm, unless said meeting is of an emergent nature. |
| 2.2 | The first general meeting for each school year shall take place the first Thursday following the September local council meeting, and another for the purpose of elections prior to June 1. |
| 2.3 | General meetings for the purposes of bargaining shall be called by the president at the request of: the chair of the EPC, a majority of voting members on the EPC, a majority of the EPC executive, the Representative of the Bargaining Agent (RBA), the chair of the NSC, fifty (50) or more teachers representing at least ten (10) percent of the membership. |
| 2.4 | Local council shall meet typically on the last Monday of the month in Ponoka or Lacombe. |
| 2.5 | Local executive will prepare and distribute an annual template prior to the first local council meeting in September. See Appendix C. |
| 2.6 | The agenda shall be communicated to each of the school representatives by the secretary at least seven (7) days before a meeting is to be held, unless said meeting is of an emergent nature. |
| 2.7 | The minutes shall be communicated to each of the school representatives by the secretary at least seven (7) days before the next local council meeting is to be held, unless said meeting is of an emergent nature. |
| 2.8 | A quorum shall be a majority of the voting representatives of the committee. |
| 2.9 | Committee meetings will be set prior to first local council meeting in consultation with local executive and posted in the annual template. |
| 2.10 | A record shall be kept of all those attending a general, local council, executive and committee meeting. This record shall be published in the minutes of the meeting. |
| 2.11 | Rules of Procedure (See Appendix D) |
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| 3 | Expenditures |
| 3.1. | All bills shall be paid by cheque upon receipt of a bill of expenses and signed by the president and treasurer, except where petty cash funds are approved and provided by local council. |
| 3.2 | Members attending to local business (including but not limited to attending local council meetings, sub-committee meetings and similar activities) shall be reimbursed for childcare expenses under the following conditions:
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| 3.3 | The annual audit of the financial records of the local association may be made by a teacher not on local council at a rate of five hundred dollars ($500) or by an accountant at the going rate. |
| 3.4 | A budget shall be prepared by the local council executive and presented at the first local council meeting of the year as well as at the first general meeting. |
| 3.5 | An annual contribution to the Education Trust Fund shall be made at a rate of two dollars ($2) per teacher and presented at ARA. |
| 3.6 | A reserve that consists of at least two local rebates shall be maintained. |
| 3.7 | ARA representatives shall receive $600 as honoraria for attending ARA. ARA representatives will also be reimbursed for expenses incurred at ARA. |
| 3.8 | A monthly supplementary levy of ten dollars ($10) per full time teacher and five dollars ($5) per part time teacher is in effect until changed by a general meeting of the local and approved by Provincial Executive Council. |
| 3.9 | As ordinary policy, this local does not make donations to charitable organizations. |
| 3.10 | In the event of the death of a Wolf Creek teacher, the local shall establish a one-time two hundred fifty dollar ($250.00) memorial in that teacher's name to be donated to the school of the deceased teacher. |
| 3.11 | The local shall make available release time to officials of the local for the purpose of carrying out local business. |
| 3.12 | Expenses shall be paid for a member to attend board of education meetings on behalf of the local. A report shall be made to local council. |
| 3.13 | Expenses for traveling will be paid once a year on or before the last local council meeting at the rate of 40 cents ($0.40) per kilometer. |
| 3.14 | Expenses for meals for committee meetings shall be reimbursed for the cost of the meal (includes GST). Receipts are required. |
| 3.16 | The PD Supplementary Fund form (Appendix A) will indicate expense guidelines for members' claims. |
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| 4 | Honoraria |
| The local association shall pay annual honoraria in the following amounts. All amounts are based on a percentage of the base administrative allowance in the Wolf Creek Collective Agreement clause 6.1 (a) as of September 1, of the local operating year. | |
| 4.1 | President 75% of base allowance |
| 4.2 | Vice-President 7.5% of base allowance |
| 4.3 | Secretary 7.5% of base allowance |
| 4.4 | Treasurer 10% of base allowance |
| 4.5 | Past President 7.5% of base allowance |
| 4.6 | C.O. 7.5% of base allowance |
| 4.7 | NSC, EPC, PD, Wellness, Political Involvement/Public Education, and Substitute Teacher committee chairpersons 7% of base allowance |
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| 5 | Scholarships |
| 5.1 | High schools, including outreach schools, within the Wolf Creek School Division No. 72 shall receive annual funding from the local ATA for the "Local ATA Award(s)" based on the following formula. Ideally the local association recommends the minimum award be $500; however, in exceptional circumstances, the award may be split. |
| 5.1.1 | Grade twelve enrolments under 50, $500.00 (one award) |
| 5.1.2 | Grade twelve enrolments 50-120, $1000.00 (two awards) |
| 5.1.3 | Grade twelve enrolments over 120, $1500.00(three awards) |
| 5.2 | Each school shall determine the criteria to be used in the selection of deserving student(s). Priority shall be given to students pursuing a post- secondary career in education related fields. |
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| 6 | Reports |
| 6.1 | All committees shall submit an annual written report to local council which summarizes the activities for the year and makes program and budget recommendations for the following year. |
| 6.2 | These reports shall be presented at the last local council meeting of the year. |
| 6.3 | All committee chairs shall submit a list of committee members' names along with their home, school and school fax phone numbers to the CO by the 15th of September. |
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| 7 | Committees |
| 7.1 | EPC The Economic Policy Committee |
| 7.1.1 | Purpose |
| The purpose of this committee is to improve the economic welfare and working conditions of the membership of the Wolf Creek Local No. 3. | |
| 7.1.2 | Membership |
| 7.1.2.1 | The EPC shall consist of: nine (9) voting members of the bargaining unit elected pursuant to this policy. |
| 7.1.2.2 | The EPC shall consist of non-voting members including the district representative, staff officers and consultants assigned from time to time to the EPC by The Alberta Teachers' Association and the president of the local or designate acting in an ex-officio capacity. |
| 7.1.2.3 | All EPC members, officers and committees are to be elected for the longer of two (2) years or for the term necessary to plan and execute business related to a given collective agreement. Four members shall be elected on the odd years and five members shall be elected on the even years. If an EPC vacancy occurs between annual elections, a new member shall be elected or appointed by local council for the interim period. |
| 7.1.3 | Meetings |
| 7.1.3.1 | The members of the EPC shall meet a minimum of eight (8) times per year to fulfil the objectives of this committee. |
| 7.1.3.2 | Notice of meetings shall be published in the annual template. |
| 7.1.3.3 | Quorum: A majority of the voting representatives on the EPC shall constitute a quorum. |
| 7.1.3.4 | Rules of Procedure: The proceedings of all meetings shall be regulated by the official rules of procedure as published in the ATA Members' Handbook, except that the chair shall have full rights to debate and vote as accorded to all other members. |
| 7.1.4 | Objectives |
| The objectives of the EPC shall be to endeavour: | |
| 7.1.4.1 | to identify and interpret the economic and working conditions needs of teachers, |
| 7.1.4.2 | to effect changes to the collective agreement as negotiated and ratified by the teachers, |
| 7.1.4.3 | to select the negotiating subcommittee (NSC) and establish operational guidelines for its effective operation, |
| 7.1.4.4 | to keep teachers of the bargaining unit informed on matters pertaining to the progress of negotiations and the specific details of the collective agreement, |
| 7.1.4.5 | to consult with Teacher Welfare staff officers, district representative, consultants (as assigned) and members of the bargaining unit before, during, and after negotiations, |
| 7.1.4.6 | to identify areas of concern for teachers and to provide the necessary assistance and direction in enforcing the provisions of the collective agreement, |
| 7.1.4.7 | to generally exercise leadership in all matters pertaining to collective bargaining, |
| 7.1.4.8 | to refer the dispute to a representative of the bargaining agent (RBA) following appropriate consultation with the membership, |
| 7.1.4.9 | to develop and carry out a yearly plan, |
| 7.1.4.10 | to review and study current changes/trends in negotiating and negotiations methods, |
| 7.1.4.11 | to study Wolf Creek Regional Division No. 72 financial statements, |
| 7.1.4.12 | to study provincial and regional funding of education, |
| 7.1.4.13 | to choose a grievance committee, |
| 7.1.4.14 | to conduct collective bargaining, |
| 7.1.4.15 | to attend meetings required by the local association structure for purposes of reporting and communicating. |
| 7.1.5 | Communication |
| The EPC shall: | |
| 7.1.5.1 | make regular submissions to the communication office for publication in the local newsletter, |
| 7.1.5.2 | make presentation to parent advisory groups when appropriate, |
| 7.1.5.3 | maintain member information binders which include records of communications, agendas, and meeting minutes, and which can be passed on to future EPC members, |
| 7.1.5.4 | publish written communications to local council on blue paper. |
| 7.1.6 | Education of EPC members |
| The EPC shall encourage its members to: | |
| 7.1.6.1 | attend Teacher Welfare Area Conferences, |
| 7.1.6.2 | attend Teacher Welfare courses at the ATA summer conference, |
| 7.1.6.3 | keep informed of all collective bargaining updates and related bulletins. |
| 7.1.7 | Executive of EPC |
| The executive officers of the EPC shall consist of the chair, vice-chair and secretary. | |
| The duties of the officers, elected from and by voting members of the EPC shall be: | |
| 7.1.7.1 | Chair: to chair EPC meetings, represent the EPC in its relationship with the general membership and attend local council meetings as required by the local constitution; |
| 7.1.7.2 | Vice-chair: to act on behalf of the chair in his/her absence; |
| 7.1.7.3 | Secretary: to keep an accurate record of all EPC meetings and perform such other internal communications functions as may be assigned from time to time. |
| 7.1.8 | Committees |
| 7.1.8.1 | Negotiating Subcommittee (NSC) - the NSC shall consist of three (3) voting members and one (1) alternate elected from and by the voting members of the EPC. These members shall engage in collective bargaining with authorized representatives of the board. The NSC shall select, from its members, the NSC chair. |
| 7.1.8.2 | Grievance Committee - The grievance committee shall consist of three (3) voting members elected from and by the voting members of the EPC to represent teachers on the grievance committee established by the collective agreement. One of these members shall be from the NSC. The grievance committee shall select from among its members a grievance committee chair. The committee shall represent and counsel members who present grievances under the collective agreement. |
| 7.1.8.3 | The EPC may appoint such other subcommittees as deemed necessary. |
| 7.1.8.4 | A chair shall act only with the consent of a majority of the committee or subcommittee. |
| 7.1.9 | Finances |
| 7.1.9.1 | The EPC committee shall be funded annually by the local. |
| 7.1.9.2 | The committee shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the local. |
| 7.1.9.3 | The chairperson shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and the disbursement of its funds. |
| 7.1.10 | Negotiation Procedure |
| 7.1.10.1 | The EPC shall request and consider suggested amendments to the collective agreement from the membership of the bargaining unit, members of the EPC and Barnett House. |
| 7.1.10.2 | In addition, the EPC may propose suggested amendments to the members of the bargaining unit. |
| 7.1.10.3 | A draft of the initial proposal of amendments shall be prepared and submitted to the members of the bargaining unit for discussion, amendment and approval. |
| 7.1.10.4 | Subsequent to the procedures outlined above, the EPC shall prepare a final initial proposal for transmission to the board and provide members of the bargaining unit with a copy. |
| 7.1.11 | Concluding of the Agreement |
| The NSC shall work toward a settlement governed by one of the following conditions affecting terms of settlement: | |
| 7.1.11.1 | The teachers may authorize them to sign an agreement when, in their opinion, the conclusion of an agreement is warranted; or, |
| 7.1.11.2 | The teachers may instruct them as to the minimum position at which settlement is authorized; or, |
| 7.1.11.3 | The teachers may instruct them to report back to meetings of the teachers when they are of the opinion that further negotiations are not likely to be productive. |
| 7.1.12 | Ratification of the Collective Agreement |
| 7.1.12.1 | A collective agreement shall be ratified by a simple majority of the members of the bargaining unit present at a properly called meeting of Wolf Creek voting in favour of acceptance of the proposed agreement by means of a secret ballot vote. |
| 7.1.12.2 | Notwithstanding the above, the requirement for a secret ballot vote may be waived provided no member objects. |
| 7.1.12.3 | Members shall register upon entry to the assembly. |
| 7.1.12.4 | Ratification votes shall be conducted consistent with the following agenda: |
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| 7.1.12.5 | Except where time is of the essence the text of proposed amendments to the collective agreement shall be made available in writing to the members of the bargaining unit prior to the meeting. |
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| 7.2 | PD The Professional Development Committee |
| 7.2.1 | Purpose |
| The PD committee shall attempt to seek clarity from central office regarding its role since the old statement of purpose (i.e. assume general responsibility for professional development activities undertaken in the jurisdiction) now seems to be an AISI function | |
| 7.2.2 | Membership |
| The membership of this committee shall consist of: | |
| 7.2.2.1 | one representative from each school, |
| 7.2.2.2 | one representative from the Central Alberta Teachers' Convention Association (CATCA) who reports to the PD committee, |
| 7.2.2.3 | invited representatives from central office and the board of education, (after 7.2.1 has been clarified.) |
| 7.2.2.4 | the chairperson who shall be elected from the committee at the last committee meeting of the year. The duties of the chairperson shall be to chair PD committee meetings, to prepare and circulate an agenda for each meeting, to represent the PD committee in its relationship with the general membership, to provide leadership on planning, implementation and evaluation of PD programs, and to attend local council, executive and general meetings. (after 7.2.1 has been clarified.) |
| 7.2.2.5 | the secretary who shall be elected from the committee (at the discretion of the chair) at the last committee meeting of the year, to keep accurate records of all PD meetings and to perform such other internal communications functions as may be assigned from time to time. |
| 7.2.2.6 | the vice-chair who shall be elected from the committee (if the chair wishes) at the last committee meeting of the year, to assist the chair in the discharge of duties. |
| 7.2.2.7 | The president or designate of the local who shall serve as an ex-officio member. |
| 7.2.3 | Meetings |
| 7.2.3.1 | The PD committee shall meet a minimum of eight (2 to 8) times per year (as determined by the chair) to fulfil the objectives of this committee. |
| 7.2.3.2 | Notice of meetings shall be published in the annual template. |
| 7.2.3.3 | It is the duty of each elected member of the PD committee to attend meetings for the purposes of reporting and communicating, and, if unable to attend, to ensure that a substitute is present. |
| 7.2.4 | Objectives: |
| The objectives of the PD committee shall be: | |
| 7.2.4.1 | to act in accordance with the PD policies of the provincial Association and the Wolf Creek ATA Local, |
| 7.2.4.2 | to build linkages between the various PD opportunities for teachers, e.g..: school-based, local institutes, conventions, inservice, specialist councils, etc., |
| 7.2.4.3 | to exercise leadership in all matters pertaining to all PD activities undertaken by the local, |
| 7.2.4.4 | to prepare a yearly financial statement and a written annual report, |
| 7.2.4.5 | to promote school-based PD activities, |
| 7.2.4.6 | to seek input and feedback from teachers and/or school staffs about PD needs and how they can be met, |
| 7.2.4.7 | to disseminate information about PD activities, |
| 7.2.4.8 | to establish procedures for the consideration for funding applications for conferences, school and school-system PD activities, |
| 7.2.4.9 | to consult with PD staff officers, consultants (as assigned), district representatives and members of the local, |
| 7.2.4.10 | to select people to attend Professional Development Area Conferences and the PD Course at summer conference, |
| 7.2.4.11 | to coordinate and develop local responses to issues in PD, |
| 7.2.4.11 | to ensure that appropriate payments are made, |
| 7.2.4.12 | to provide expertise and financial assistance, where possible, to school staffs and other teacher groups in the area of PD, |
| 7.2.4.13 | to develop and maintain a budget, |
| 7.2.4.14 | to establish operational policy and procedures for any subcommittee that may be formed for the PD committee, |
| 7.2.4.15 | to recommend changes in the policies of the school jurisdiction, collective agreement and/or the constitution of the local teachers' association which have an impact on the mandate of the PD committee, |
| 7.2.4.16 | to elect the required number of convention board representatives, |
| 7.2.4.17 | to publish written reports to local council on pink paper. |
| 7.2.4.18 | to administer the Supplementary PD fund established by the local using the following guidlines: |
| 7.2.4.18.1 | The Supplementary fund is available to a teaher only after the $350.00 from the school PD fund is spent first. Teachers must have a opy of his/her school PD form in order to aess the supplmentary fund. |
| 7.2.4.18.2 | The Supplementary fund will be paid after a teacher has attended the approved professional development. |
| 7.2.5 | Communication: |
| The chairperson, or designate, shall: | |
| 7.2.5.1 | report to local council, |
| 7.2.5.2 | prepare and submit an annual budget and report to the local, |
| 7.2.5.3 | submit a written report to the communications officer for inclusion in the monthly newsletter following each meeting. |
| 7.2.6 | Finances |
| 7.2.6.1 | The committee shall be funded annually by the local. |
| 7.2.6.2 | The committee shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the local. |
| 7.2.6.3 | The PD committee shall establish and administer a professional development supplementary assistance fund. The local executive shall rule on appeals. |
| 7.2.6.4 | The chairperson shall present a monthly report on the disbursement of funds from the supplementary assistance fund to local council. |
| 7.2.6.5 | The chairperson shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and the disbursement of its funds. |
| 7.2.6.6 | The committee shall support interschool grade and subject meetings to a maximum of $50.00 per meeting. Receipts shall be submitted to the PD committee. Travel expenses will not be reimbursed. |
| 7.2.6.7 | The PD committee may initiate and financially support professional development programs. |
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| 7.3 | Liaison Committee |
| 7.3.1 | Purpose |
| The purpose of this committee is to act as a communication bridge between local council and the board. The concerns raised and passed by local council or executive council shall be addressed by this committee. | |
| 7.3.2 | Membership |
| The committee shall include the president and the past president of the local and two (2) members elected from local council. The local president or designate shall serve as chairperson. | |
| 7.3.3 | Meetings |
| The committee shall meet with the school board committee at least three (3) times a year. The hosting of the meeting shall alternate between local and board committees. | |
| 7.3.4 | Objectives |
| The objectives of the committee shall be: | |
| 7.3.4.1 | to encourage communication between board and teachers, |
| 7.3.4.2 | to facilitate the planning and carrying out of events that are organized jointly by the board and the local. |
| 7.3.5 | Communications |
| The chair person shall report to local council and disseminate information through the CO newsletter. | |
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| 7.4 | Communications Officer (CO) |
| 7.4.1 | Purpose |
| The CO shall coordinate communications: among teachers in the local, between teachers in the local and the school board, between our local and the ATA, between the teachers of our local and the larger community, and coordinate efforts involving electronic communications. | |
| 7.4.2 | Membership |
| The CO shall consist of one or more members of the local appointed by the executive. | |
| 7.4.3 | Meetings |
| The members of this committee shall meet as necessary to fulfil the objectives of this committee. | |
| 7.4.4 | Objectives |
| The objectives of the communications officer shall be: | |
| 7.4.4.1 | to maintain a desktop publishing centre to facilitate written communication. |
| 7.4.4.2 | to use a newsletter as one form of communication. |
| 7.4.4.3 | to undertake and distribute other written and/or electronic publications as necessary. |
| 7.4.4.4 | to use other publications and media in consultation with the executive. |
| 7.4.5 | Communication |
| The guidelines governing publications shall be: | |
| 7.4.5.1 | to establish a schedule for no fewer than five publications of the newsletter at the beginning of each school year, |
| 7.4.5.2 | to invite all teachers to contribute to the newsletter. Their contributions shall be published using the following guidelines: the editors reserve the right to edit material for length and good style, issues which are better dealt with by the NSC will not be published, content that is defamatory towards any teacher or which might otherwise hurt the cause of teachers will not be published. |
| 7.4.5.3 | to circulate the newsletter to all teachers in the local, to the school board, the central office staff, to representatives of the school councils, and to all subs in the local (via the sub mail box in each school), |
| 7.4.5.4 | to receive the approval of the local president or executive for the newsletter before it is printed and distributed. |
| 7.4.6 | Publishing centre guidelines |
| The guidelines for the publishing centre shall be: | |
| 7.4.6.1 | to maintain the centre through the purchasing of equipment and software as needed and reflected in the CO budget, |
| 7.4.6.2 | to maintain the centre in good working order, |
| 7.4.6.3 | to use the centre for other publishing purposes if it is under the guidance of the CO, follows the precepts of the ATA , and does not incur any additional expense to the local. |
| 7.4.7 | Finances |
| 7.4.7.1 | The committee shall be funded annually by the local. |
| 7.4.7.2 | The committee shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the local. |
| 7.4.7.3 | The chairperson shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and the disbursement of its funds. |
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| 7.5 | Wellness Committee |
| The definition of wellness is a feeling of physical, mental, emotional, and social well being which allows one to function competently and have a positive feeling towards oneself and ones job, students, workplace and co-workers. | |
| 7.5.1 | Purpose |
| The purpose of this committee shall be to foster and maintain a climate that is conducive to the promotion of teachers' personal and professional wellness within our local. Although committee members are not intended to get involved in counselling, they will actively assist teachers in need. The committee shall plan, organize and implement social events for the teachers of the local in order to build collegiality, to help reduce stress by having fun and to encourage networking within the local. The committee shall work with the board on joint social functions. | |
| 7.5.2 | Membership |
| The membership of this committee shall consist of: | |
| 7.5.2.1 | one representative from each school, |
| 7.5.2.2 | invited representatives from central office and the board of education, |
| 7.5.2.3 | the chairperson who shall be elected from the committee at the last committee meeting of the year. The duties of the chairperson shall be to chair wellness committee meetings, to prepare and circulate an agenda for each meeting, to represent the wellness committee in its relationship with the general membership, to provide leadership on planning, implementation and evaluation of wellness programs, and to attend local council, executive and general meetings. |
| 7.5.2.4 | the secretary who shall be elected from the committee at the last committee meeting of the year, to keep accurate records of all wellness meetings and to perform such other internal communications functions as may be assigned from time to time, |
| 7.5.2.5 | the vice-chair who shall be elected from the committee at the last committee meeting of the year, to assist the chair in the discharge of duties, |
| 7.5.2.6 | the president or designate of the local who shall serve as an ex-officio member, |
| 7.5.2.7 | the vice-president or designate of the local who shall serve as the chair of the Induction Ceremony. |
| 7.5.3 | Meetings |
| 7.5.3.1 | The wellness committee shall meet a minimum of eight (8) times per year to fulfil the objectives of this committee. |
| 7.5.3.2 | Notice of meetings shall be published in the annual template. |
| 7.5.3.3 | It is the duty of each elected member of the wellness committee to attend meetings for the purposses of reporting and communication, and, if unable to attend, to ensure that a substitute is present. |
| 7.5.4 | Objectives |
| The objectives of this committee shall be: | |
| 7.5.4.1 | to develop a comprehensive and evolving plan to assist teachers to promote wellness and deal constructively with stress, |
| 7.5.4.2 | to increase cohesion and networking among schools and teachers within the local, |
| 7.5.4.3 | to access wellness information from the provincial association, including library resources and workshops, |
| 7.5.4.4 | to increase awareness of help available through publications in the Wolf Creek ATA Local #3 newsletter and compile lists of resources to be available in every staff room, |
| 7.5.4.5 | to encourage active participation in wellness sponsored activities, |
| 7.5.4.6 | to provide opportunities for training staff wellness leaders, |
| 7.5.4.7 | to work with the board of education to develop a plan to assist teachers with wellness, |
| 7.5.4.8 | to have a representative from each school extend on behalf of the local, congratulations or sympathy to members of their staff as needed, |
| 7.5.4.9 | to propose social events to local council for consideration. Whenever possible, social events shall be planned with the intention of breaking even. |
| 7.5.4.10 | to plan and host an annual Induction Ceremony prior to the end of October. The vice-president of the local shall act as chair of the Induction committee. The committee shall be responsible for: |
| compiling a list of inductees, and confirming their attendance, | |
| determining whether a formal or informal induction format be used, | |
| planning a program to honour the inductees, | |
| informing the secretary of the number of inductee kits to be ordered from Barnett House, | |
| informing the inductees of the program and sending invitations and two complimentary tickets to each inductee. Other guests may be invited at no cost to the local. | |
| 7.5.4.11 | to assist the board of education with Retirement: |
| providing each retiree with a card, a gold ATA pin, $200.00, and a retirement kit, ordered from Barnett House, to be presented by the local president at the retirement ceremony; informing, in conjunction with the Board, the retirees of the program, sending invitations and two complementary tickets to each retiree, and confirming the attendance of special guests. Other guests may be invited but at no cost to the local. | |
| 7.5.4.12 | to assist with the planning of orientation to local council. New teachers to the local shall be invited to attend a local council meeting after Induction. |
| 7.5.4.13 | to assist with the planning of such other events as approved by local council. Guidelines for the planning of events: (See Appendix B). Suggestions for the special events planning committee: (See Appendix B) |
| 7.5.5 | Communication |
| The chairperson, or designate, shall: | |
| 7.5.5.1 | report to local council, |
| 7.5.5.2 | prepare and submit an annual budget and report to the local, |
| 7.5.5.3 | submit a written report to the communications officer for inclusion in the monthly newsletter following after each meeting. |
| 7.5.6 | Finances |
| 7.5.6.1 | The committee shall be funded annually by the local. |
| 7.5.6.2 | The committee shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the local. |
| 7.5.6.3 | The chairperson shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and the disbursement of its funds. |
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| 7.6 | Constitution and Policy Review Committee |
| 7.6.1 | Purpose |
| The purpose of this committee is to review annually and make recommendations for revisions to the constitution and the policy of the local. | |
| 7.6.2 | Membership |
| The membership shall include the past president as chairperson, and interested teachers. | |
| 7.6.3 | Meetings |
| Meetings will be called as necessary to complete the review and revision process. | |
| 7.6.4 | Objectives |
| The objectives of this committee shall be: | |
| 7.6.4.1 | become familiar with the Members' Handbook, |
| 7.6.4.2 | to become familiar with local policy and constitution documents, |
| 7.6.4.3 | to ensure policy reflects and serves the needs of current practice, |
| 7.6.4.4 | to elicit recommendations for revisions from committee chairpersons, |
| 7.6.4.4 | to make recommendations for revisions to the membership. |
| 7.6.5 | Communication |
| 7.6.5.1 | A copy of the constitution and the policy shall be made available to every teacher in the local. |
| 7.6.6 | Finances |
| 7.6.6.1 | The committee shall be funded annually by the local. |
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| 7.7 | Political Involvement Committee/Public Education Committee |
| 7.7.1 | Purpose |
| The purpose of this committee is to influence decisions affecting public education and teachers in Alberta schools. | |
| 7.7.2 | Membership |
| The membership of this committee shall consist of: | |
| 7.7.2.1 | one representative from each school, |
| 7.7.2.2 | invited representatives from central office and the board of education, |
| 7.7.2.3 | the chairperson who shall be elected from the committee at the last committee meeting of the year. The duties of the chairperson shall be to chair political involvement/public education committee meetings, to prepare and circulate an agenda for each meeting, to represent the committee in its relationship with the general membership, to provide leadership on planning, implementation and evaluation of wellness programs, and to attend local council, executive and general meetings. |
| 7.7.2.4 | the secretary who shall be elected from the committee at the last committee meeting of the year, to keep accurate records of all committee meetings and to perform such other internal communications functions as may be assigned from time to time. |
| 7.7.2.5 | the vice-chair who shall be elected from the committee at the last committee meeting of the year, to assist the chair in the discharge of duties. |
| 7.7.2.6 | the president or designate of the local who shall serve as an ex-officio member. |
| 7.7.3 | Meetings |
| 7.7.3.1 | The political involvement/public education committee shall meet a minimum of eight (8) times per year to fulfil the objectives of this committee. |
| 7.7.3.2 | Notice of meetings shall be published in the annual template. |
| 7.7.3.3 | It is the duty of each elected member of the political involvement/public education committee to attend meetings for the purposses of reporting and communication, and, if unable to attend, to ensure that a substitute is present. |
| 7.7.4 | Objectives |
| The objectives shall be to: | |
| 7.7.4.1 | promote public education, |
| 7.7.4.2 | heighten awareness of the benefits of public education, |
| 7.7.4.3 | promote professionalism, |
| 7.7.4.4 | promote positive learning environments, |
| 7.7.4.5 | identify threats to public education. |
| 7.7.5 | Communication |
| The chairperson, or designate, shall: | |
| 7.7.5.1 | report to local council, |
| 7.7.5.2 | prepare and submit an annual budget and report to the local, |
| 7.7.5.3 | submit a written report to the communications officer for inclusion in the monthly newsletter following after each meeting. |
| 7.7.6 | Finances |
| 7.7.6.1 | The committee shall be funded annually by the local. |
| 7.7.6.2 | The committee shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the local. |
| 7.7.6.3 | The chairperson shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and the disbursement of its funds. |
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| 7.8 | Substitute Teachers' Group |
| 7.8.1 | Purpose |
| The substitute teachers' committee shall advance the professional skills and knowledge unique to substitute teaching and shall advance within the local the special interests of substitute teachers. | |
| 7.8.2 | Membership |
| The membership of this committee shall consist of: | |
| 7.8.2.1 | teachers who have substituted in the local for at least one day during the previous twelve-month period, |
| 7.8.2.2 | invited representatives from central office and the board of education, |
| 7.8.2.3 | the chairperson who shall be elected from the committee at the last committee meeting of the year. The duties of the chairperson shall be to chair substitute teachers' committee meetings, to prepare and circulate an agenda for each meeting, to represent the committee in its relationship with the general membership, to provide leadership on planning, implementation and evaluation of substitute teachers' programs, and to attend local council, executive and general meetings. |
| 7.8.2.4 | the secretary who shall be elected from the committee at the last committee meeting of the year, to keep accurate records of all committee meetings and to perform such other internal communications functions as may be assigned from time to time. |
| 7.8.2.5 | the vice-chair who shall be elected from the committee at the last committee meeting of the year, to assist the chair in the discharge of duties. |
| 7.8.2.6 | the president or designate of the local who shall serve as an ex-officio member. |
| 7.8.3 | Meetings |
| 7.8.3.1 | The members of this committee shall meet a minimum of eight (8) times per year to fulfil the objectives of this committee. |
| 7.8.3.2 | Notice of meetings shall be published in the annual template. |
| 7.8.4 | Objectives |
| The objectives of the committee shall be: | |
| 7.8.4.1 | to promote professionalism and increase the awareness of the Code of Professional Conduct, |
| 7.8.4.2 | to further appropriate performance evaluations, |
| 7.8.4.3 | to increase awareness of professional development opportunities and responsibilities, |
| 7.8.4.4 | to heighten the awareness of substitute teachers' needs, |
| 7.8.4.5 | to improve the working conditions of substitute teachers, |
| 7.8.4.6 | to promote the preferential hiring of substitute teachers in the school division, |
| 7.8.4.7 | to represent this committee on all local committees. |
| 7.8.5 | Communication |
| The chairperson or designate shall: | |
| 7.8.5.1 | report to local council, |
| 7.8.5.2 | report to their committee the activities of other local committees, |
| 7.8.5.3 | distribute to its members local and provincial ATA materials, |
| 7.8.5.4 | submit a written report to the communications officer for inclusion in the monthly newsletter following after each meeting. |
| 7.8.6 | Finances |
| 7.8.6.1 | The committee shall be funded annually by the local. |
| 7.8.6.2 | The committee shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the local. |
| 7.8.6.2 | The chairperson shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and the disbursement of its funds. |
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| 7.9 | ARA Annual Representative Assembly Committee |
| 7.9.1 | Purpose |
| The purpose of this committee shall be to review ATA policy and represent the local at ARA. | |
| 7.9.2 | Membership |
| The president, vice president and past president and three (3) members (numbers as determined by the ATA) who are elected at the May general meeting shall constitute this committee. The past president shall chair this committee. | |
| 7.9.3 | Meetings |
| 7.9.3.1 | ARA meetings are held prior to ATA deadlines for submission of resolutions, voting on electoral ballots, to review proposed ARA budgets, to vote on blocking of resolutions and to attend the Annual Representative Assembly. |
| 7.9.3.2 | To prepare for attendance of emergent assemblies. |
| 7.9.4 | Objectives |
| The objectives shall be to: | |
| 7.9.4.1 | become familiar with all current directives, long range policy, position papers, bylaws and administrative procedures of the association as found in the Members' Handbook, |
| 7.9.4.2 | elicit policy resolutions, |
| 7.9.4.3 | elicit proposed amendments to the bylaws, |
| 7.9.4.4 | represent the local at all Representative Assemblies of the Alberta Teachers' Association, |
| 7.9.4.5 | attend meetings of local council, |
| 7.9.4.6 | attend general meetings of the local. |
| 7.9.5 | Communication |
| The committee shall report the proceedings of all representative assemblies to local council and to such other gatherings as may be decided. | |
| 7.9.5.1 | To submit a written report to the communications officer for inclusion in the monthly newsletter following each meeting. |
| 7.9.6 | Finances |
| The committee shall be funded annually by the local. | |
| 7.9.6.2 | The committee shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the local. |
| 7.9.6.2 | The chairperson shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and the disbursement of its funds. |
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| 7.10 | Nominations Committee |
| 7.10.1 | Purpose |
| To prepare a slate of candidates for elected positions of the local. | |
| 7.10.2 | Membership |
| The past president of the local shall chair this committee. | |
| Other members will be selected from local council. | |
| 7.10.3 | Meetings |
| To be held in conjunction with local council meetings. | |
| 7.10.4 | Objectives |
| To identify qualified and willing candidates to stand for election of executive positions in the local. | |
| 7.10.5 | Communication |
| 7.10.5.1 | To bring forth the slate of candidates for elected positions of the local council. |
| 7.10.5.2 | To advertise positions and submit a written report to the communications officer for inclusion in the monthly newsletter following after each meeting. |
| 7.10.6 | Finances |
| The committee shall be funded annually by the local. | |
| 7.8.6.1 | The committee shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the local. |
| 7.8.6.2 | The chairperson shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and the disbursement of its funds. |
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| 8. | Roles and Responsibilities of School Representatives |
| The local council shall be responsible to further the objects of the Alberta Teachers' Association as set out in the Teaching Profession Act and the ATA General bylaws by promoting the cause of public education, and improving the teaching profession. | |
| School representatives to local council are responsible to attend all, local council and general meetings and to report on activities of the local association to teachers in their schools. If they are unable to attend a meeting, they are to find someone to represent their school. | |
| 8.1 | Communication |
| The local representative is to | |
| 8.1.1 | arrange for an appropriate time and space for ATA committee reports on all staff meeting agendas, |
| 8.1.2 | serve as a two-way communications facilitator between teachers and the Local and teachers and the Provincial Association, |
| 8.1.3 | convey information on teacher concerns to the Local ATA President or to Local Council and/or the Provincial Association, |
| 8.1.4 | serve as the primary Association contact within the school, |
| 8.1.5 | encourage the use of Association services (refer to ATA Directory and Members Handbook), |
| 8.1.6 | facilitate the integration of new teachers in the school by assisting them with procedures and in accessing information, |
| 8.1.7 | participate in developing and executing initiatives around specific issues: Pubic Education initiatives in the school, Education Week, and World Teachers' Day celebrations, |
| 8.1.8 | serve as a contact between Local Council and School Council, |
| 8.1.9 | assume responsibilities for the distribution, collection and expedition of ballots for Provincial Executive Council elections, |
| 8.1.10 | conduct surveys as required by the Local or Provincial Association. |
| 8.2 | Information |
| The local representative is to | |
| 8.2.1 | familiarize him/herself with the structure and contents of the ATA Members' Handbook and Orientation Handbook, |
| 8.2.2 | distribute ATA publications to teachers, keep the school's ATA binder up to date and in a prominent position, |
| 8.2.3 | discuss items from the ATA mailing with teachers at a staff meeting (please don't just assume they will read the binder) |
| 8.2.4 | on an ATA bulletin board, post conference information, elections, etc., |
| 8.2.5 | inform substitute teachers of the availability of The ATA News and The ATA Magazine - store in the substitute teachers' mailbox in your school, |
| 8.2.6 | ensure the appropriate information included in the school mailings is placed in the teachers' mailboxes, |
| 8.2.7 | provide information to members as to services available through the ATA and channel requests for these services to the proper Local Association or Provincial Association officials. |
ATA Supplementary Claim form:
Claim form available here: As a Word document, or As a pdf document.
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