Local divisions ready for teacher strike

By BRENDAN MILLER on October 4, 2025.

bmiller@medicinehatnews.com

Schools in Medicine Hat and across the province are closing their doors as educators prepare to walk off the job Monday morning, barring an 11th-hour deal between the Alberta Teachers Association and province.

The strike action follows a nearly 90-per-cent rejection of a tentative agreement on Sept. 29.

Communications from all local school divisions have been made to parents and guardians in Medicine Hat and surrounding communities about the impacts of the strike, and updated information is posted on the Medicine Hat Public School Division, Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education and Prairie Rose Public Schools websites.

If teachers walk off the job Monday, all schools will be closed and programming will cease. This includes all extracurricular activities and planned field trips. Teachers will also not be providing students with extra materials during the strike.

The timing of the strike early in the school year is particularly challenging with students having limited access to materials, however Tracy Hensel, superintendent of public schools, says students are still able to access Google Classrooms.

“I think generally a strike is incredibly upsetting for families and for students and for staff, and for teachers as well,” said Hensel. “Our teachers are professionals, and they’ll look at those learning outcomes and best decide how to catch those students up, depending on the length of this job action.”

MHPSD encourages families to reach out to Family School Liaison workers who, along with all educational support staff, will be working during the strike and through its website will be able to assist struggling parents and guardians.

“We want to support our teachers, we want the best for our students in our classrooms, we want the best for our families, and so we’re taking all of those things into consideration as we’re doing our contingency planning for the next week,” said Hensel.

The Catholic division has posted detailed information for families, including a timeline and labour action Q&A section on its website, and says it values the strong working relationship it has with ATA Local 39.

Prairie Rose Public Schools also has detailed information posted for families.

The News has been told public school teachers are not expected to demonstrate outside schools, however on Oct. 8 a rally for educators is being held at Kin Coulee Park.

The province has readied an online home curriculum for students. They’re also offering parents $30 per day for each student 12 and under to help with childcare costs and tutoring.

The government said payments would be retroactive and cost between $15 million and $20 million per day. It later announced further subsidies for additional childcare, as well as a temporary lifting of the credit limit on distance learning for high schoolers.

Parents can also be reimbursed some of the cost of enrolling children in home education programs.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in an interview with The Canadian Press on Thursday it’s not that fair students – more than 700,000 students across public, separate and francophone schools – will bear the brunt of the walkout.

“That’s the primary reason why we put this tool kit together,” he said. “So that parents, if they are willing and able to, can support their child’s continued academic progression and learning.”

The province announced late Friday additional support for distance education and home education students, as well as a temporary childcare subsidy for students in Grade 1-6 if the strike lasts more than five consecutive days.

ATA president Jason Schilling is expected to make a press announcement Monday morning if job action commences.

Alberta teachers last went on strike in 2002. Ralph Klein’s government declared a public emergency and ordered the 21,000 teachers back to work after nearly three weeks.

— with files from The Canadian Press

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