Education Minister and Red Deer-North MLA Adriana LaGrange. (Gov't of Alberta//file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

long list of concerns

99% of teacher delegates vote non-confidence in Alberta’s Education Minister

May 23, 2021 | 4:42 PM

Teacher delegates voted overwhelmingly Sunday morning in favour of a non-confidence resolution against Adriana LaGrange, the province’s Education Minister.

At the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s (ATA) 104th Annual Representative Assembly (ARA), 99 per cent of delegates voted for the motion, which was jointly drafted by 20 ATA locals, including #60-Red Deer Public.

The ARA acts as the parliament for the teaching profession in Alberta, a release explains. Delegates represent the association’s 55 locals.

Following the vote, ATA President Jason Schilling said he understands why teachers feel angry, disrespected and frustrated.

“I am angry … I have been disrespected and am frustrated. To have our concerns for public education so arbitrarily dismissed in a slap in the face to the dedication of teachers and the principles they’ve shown their students, schools and communities,” Schilling said.

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“I worry deeply about the moral distress teachers in this province face, and I’m troubled by the lack of support from the minister.”

Schilling ran down a list of gripes with Minister LaGrange, starting with — in his words — the rollback of 2SLGBTQ+ rights for students and staff, budget cuts, pension hijacks, choice in education erosions, Bill 32 labour setbacks, the bungled handling of the COVID response which led to a cycle of isolation, not making school staff a priority for vaccination, and of course the curriculum which nearly 60 school divisions are refusing to pilot.

“After I listened to delegates today, it echoes what I’ve been hearing all year from teachers; the feelings of disrespect, and worries they have for the direction public education is going in this province,” added Schilling.

rdnewsNOW reached out to the office of LaGrange, who is also the MLA for Red Deer-North.

“It is disappointing that the union continues to play politics with our students’ education. While the union advances its own special interests, Minister LaGrange’s top priority will always be Alberta’s students,” says Nicole Sparrow, Press Secretary for Minister LaGrange.

“We will continue to work with the education system, including the teacher’s union, to ensure our students receive the world class education they deserve.”

NDP Education Critic Sarah Hoffman called the vote against LaGrange unprecedented, adding that it reflects a complete loss of trust in the entire Kenney government.

“Adriana LaGrange took away protections for LGBTQ2S+ students, cut support for students with complex needs, and fired 20,000 education workers with a weekend tweet. She refused to keep students, staff and families safe during the pandemic, leading to repeated mass school closures and tens of thousands of avoidable isolations,” Hoffman said.

“She is threatening students with a botched curriculum that has been overwhelmingly rejected by school districts, parents, Francophone groups and Indigenous communities, as well as teachers.”

Delegates voted in favour of several other things on Saturday, including but not limited to establishing a mentorship program for Indigenous teachers, and depoliticizing the curriculum development process by appointing an independent and apolitical authority with representation from teachers.