The evolution of professionalism - Centre for Policy Studies in ...

although principals and assistant principals would remain ATA members. Separate,
parallel organizations for principals and assistant principals have been introduced
in Ontario and British Columbia, with mixed results. The ATA has expressed grave
concerns regarding the anticipated changes to collective bargaining, particularly
as there would be new limitations on which issues would be considered in the
collective bargaining process. At the same time, professional responsibilities of
teachers are expected to be increased. (Note: by mid-2004, the majority of these
nine recommendations had been either supported or rejected.)
Conclusion
Over the last decade, a political-economic imperative has dominated the
formulation of government educational policy. The Klein government led the way
in Canada, as they were the fi rst to promote a New Right agenda. Alberta provided
a model fi rst for Ontario, and more recently for BC. Accountability has been the
key term driving the development of educational policy from the start. The titles
of key documents – Measuring Up (1993), Three-Year Business Plan (1994),
and Accountability in Education (1995) – leave no doubt as to the importance of
making education accountable. As in BC, the other key words driving policy are
choice and fl exibility. The Alberta government has also stressed from the start
a commitment to openness and public access. The strains between the Alberta
government and the ATA are very similar to those between the BC government
and the BCTF. The Alberta government does not sympathise with professional
ideals that emphasize teacher autonomy. Changes to the collective bargaining
process and the membership of principals and assistant principals in the ATA
invoke the acknowledgement of the relationship between professionalism and
labour relations.
Endnotes
1 The Ministry has been renamed several times, with changes occurring with the
amalgamation of the Kindergarten to Grade 12 system and the post secondary
system. In 2004, the name of the Ministry was the Ministry of Learning.
2 The Alberta Teachers’ Association was fi rst formed as the Alberta Teachers’
Alliance during the First World War. The Alberta Teachers’ Association was
legally established with the passage of the Teaching Profession Act in 1935.
The ATA was given the right to bargain collectively in 1941and was the fi rst
teacher’s union in Canada to gain that right.
3 The Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) was incorporated in 1939 and
is the offi cial organization representing all locally elected school boards in
Alberta. ASBA represents all public, separate and francophone school boards.
4 The Alberta Home and School Councils’ Association (AHSCA) was established
in 1929 as the Alberta Home and School Federation. Their name changed in
1991. AHSCA represents over 170,000 parents and community supporters.
Members work through local school councils and are active in lobbying the
44 Section 1: The West