Re: Letter: Proposed legislation a smokescreen for the UCP
The author says education reform isn’t needed, yet somehow a Calgary teacher sexually assaulted around a dozen students and only received a suspension.
Alberta rated number 1 in the world for education about 25 years ago, and we’ve dropped to sixth place using the current system. It sounds to me like we need changes.
Alberta is the only province to let a union enforce teachers' professional standards and conduct. Even NDP provinces use separate agencies. No other profession lets a union set the standards.
Here's the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) mandate: “APEGA safeguards the public welfare of Albertans by proactively regulating the practices of engineering and geoscience.”
Here's the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board (SPTRB) mandate: "The SPTRB serves the public interest by ensuring registered teachers meet professional standards for certification, conduct and competence.”
Compare that with the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA): “The Alberta Teachers' Association, as the professional organization of teachers, promotes and advances public education, safeguards standards of professional practice and serves as the advocate for its members.”
Notice, how unlike every other professional association, it has to both be advocate and enforcer.
This is the same union, that one year, gave an award for the best literacy program, then the next year said it wasn’t usable, when it became part of the curriculum.
When the union sets both professional standards and tries to oust a government over wages, you will always have questions about which takes precedence. This is why no other province allows it.
Kenney has made a lot of mistakes, but that has nothing to do with protecting students.
The author says Kenney threatened democracy, by implementing new ideas, like having democratic referendums on key issues, because they weren’t on the issues the author wanted.
The author wants a referendum on what to do with the windfall of oil money. We have a $5.8 billion deficit -- there is no windfall.
The author says the government is diverting attention by doing what every other province has done.
It seems to me that the author is trying to divert attention away from the fact that a teacher sexually assaulted multiple students and only got suspended – diverting attention away from the fact that there should never be a question of what the ATA's priorities are, yet there is.
Bob Wilson,
Calgary
