(Your Alberta/Youtube)

By Tiffany Goodwein

local office lost confidence

Alberta Teachers Association has lost confidence in Education Minister

May 23, 2021 | 2:56 PM

EDMONTON,AB- Representatives with the Alberta Teachers Association say they have no confidence in the current education minister Adriana LaGrange.

In a no-confidence motion held this morning at their annual assembly, 99.9 per cent voted in favor, according to a tweet posted on Twitter.

Issues surrounding, the province’s handling of COVID-19 transmission in schools, the new curriculum, and an overall sense of teachers feeling ‘ angry, disrespected, and undervalued, is what triggered the vote.

Dustin Look, communications officer of ATA Medicine Hat Local 1 said in an email that all members voted unanimously in favor of the motion.

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” We are hoping what follows is a renewed willingness of the government to work together with teachers in an honest fashion by listening to their concerns and responding with support for public education,” Look said.

In a statement to CHAT NEWS, Nicole Sparrow press secretary for minister LaGrange said they will continue to work with the education system, including the union to ensure students receive the education they deserve.

“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,” Sparrow said in a statement.

Sarah Hoffman education critic for education stated that this unprecedented vote of nonconfidence is the result of two years of dishonesty and hostility to public education.

“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.

“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,” she said.

The ATA assembly is now in a closed meeting. This afternoon, according to their Twitter page, they passed another resolution that would compensate field members, or conduct committees when they meet and perform tasks on non-operational days.