Lethbridge School Division, file photo. (Image: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Teacher disciplinary registry launches Sept. 1 in Alberta

Aug 30, 2022 | 2:19 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Parents in Alberta will be able to see if any teachers at their children’s school have been professionally disciplined.

The Government of Alberta is launching the Teacher and Teacher Leader Registry on September 1, 2022.

The registry will show information about teachers and teacher leaders dating back to 1954, including their names, the type of certificate they have and whether they are still valid, and the date they received their certification.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says it will also show if there have been any disciplinary decisions that resulted in their certificate being suspended or cancelled due to unprofessional conduct or professional incompetence dating back to 1990.

“The vast majority of our teaching profession upholds the high standards we all have for those entrusted with our children each day,” says LaGrange. “We will balance individual teachers’ rights to privacy and procedural fairness with the public’s right to know when a teacher has been disciplined, resulting in a teaching certificate being suspended or cancelled.”

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A media release from the province states that this registry will help to increase public confidence in the teaching profession by showing that the vast majority of teachers are dedicated professionals in good standing.

A spokesperson with the Ministry of Education says, out of the 162,000 current and former teachers and teacher leaders who will be listed on the registry when it launches, 140 certificates have been cancelled or suspended due to disciplinary actions.

Dr. Scott Morrison, President of the College of Alberta School Superintendents, says he is pleased that the provincial government takes student safety seriously.

“Having a registry will increase the accountability of Alberta teachers. It will bring the teaching profession in line with other professional organizations like doctors, pharmacists, nurses and lawyers that already have searchable registries in place,” says Morrison. “This is another much-needed step in the right direction to ensure all of our children are safe at school and school activities.”

Other provinces, such as B.C., Saskatchewan, and Ontario already have similar systems in place to share information about teaching certificates and disciplinary decisions.

Starting on September 1, 2022, the Teacher and Teacher Leader Registry will be available on the Alberta Government’s website.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now