Teachers’ Association in favour of proactive approach following Smith’s mandate

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on September 24, 2025.

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With roughly 51,000 teachers mired in a labour dispute with the province and the teachers’ association declaring a strike deadline of Oct. 6, Premier Danielle Smith has issued five mandate letters to her ministers, including one to the Minister of Education seeking to hire more teachers and support students with complex learning needs.

Alberta Teachers Association president Jason Schilling says the mandate letter contains some promising elements, but also contains areas the association calls “cautious implementation.”

According to Schilling, the association’s main concern surrounds a proposal to abbreviate teacher certification for individuals with degrees, diplomas or trade credentials as a way to hire more teachers.

In the mandate letter, Smith is seeking a way to allow these individuals to become certified teachers without the need of earning a full teaching degree.

“Teaching is a rigorous profession requiring expertise and specialized skills beyond just subject knowledge,” said Schilling. “We need to ensure our future teachers have the tools they need to succeed in classrooms, while upholding the quality of education Alberta students deserve.”

The ATA says it is encouraging the province to focus on improving support for students with complex needs in the classrooms, as well as better mental health support for all students.

The letter mandates Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides to work co-operatively with the minster of assisted living and social service to review and assess better support and management systems for students, as well as collaborate with the minister of mental health and addiction to better target mental health support.

“The proposed new schools and mobile CTS labs will help meet teachers’ and students’ needs across the province,” said Schilling. “We look forward to seeing these items prioritized in Budget 2026.”

Several items in Smith’s letter also look to improve access and focus on trades education and apprenticeships, as well as promoting careers in the trades.

Schilling says the ATA supports creating more diverse career pathways for students, including in the skilled trades, however efforts need to be made to ensure these programs don’t compromise the integrity of Alberta’s education system “through rushed or poorly planned implementation.”

“While trades education is already available through option courses such as industrial arts and carpentry as early as in junior high, it must remain balanced with broad learning opportunities,” said Schilling. “Rather than being prematurely prioritized, trades careers should be promoted equitably alongside all academic routes.”

Last week the ATA sat down with the Teacher’s Employer Bargaining Association in an Alberta Labour Relations Board resolution conference to discuss unfair labour practices.

As a result the LRB issued a consent order to resolve the issue and identified three outstanding bargaining issues – timing for the implementation of the unified grid, an ATA proposal for a 1.5 per cent long service allowance and coverage of the COVID-19 vaccination.

According to Finance Minister Nate Horner, “none” of the outstanding negotiation items are about classroom complexity, class size or support for students.

“I trust that this order will assist Alberta’s families and teachers in understanding the true nature of the ongoing negotiations,” said Horner.

Medicine Hat school divisions say they are continuing to monitor negotiations as the Oct. 6 deadline looms.