Title: Alberta Teachers' Association Seeks 5,000 New Teachers

The Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) is calling for the provincial government to fund the hiring of over 5,000 new teachers. This request is based on class size recommendations made in 2003, following the province's last significant teachers' strike. ATA President Jason Schilling stated that the public, Catholic, and francophone school divisions need these additional teachers to meet the recommended pupil-teacher ratios outlined in the report.

"We're still trying to see if government would move on those numbers," Schilling said during an interview on a local radio program. "But obviously, it's something that is not of their interest."

Schilling's comments come as 51,000 teachers prepare to strike on Monday. In separate interviews, both Schilling and Finance Minister Nate Horner indicated that further negotiations between the teachers' association and school employers are unlikely before the strike date. Horner also confirmed that there are no plans to reconvene the legislature earlier to impose back-to-work legislation on educators.

The push for more teachers stems from a 2002 strike involving 22,000 teachers across 22 Alberta school divisions. In response, the Progressive Conservative government established the Alberta Commission on Learning (ACOL), which recommended significant increases in education funding to address class size concerns. The commission suggested that kindergarten to grade 3 classes should average 17 students, grades 4-6 should average 23, junior high classes should average 25, and high school classes should average 27.

Despite these recommendations, the Alberta government ceased tracking class sizes in 2019. Current data from Edmonton Public Schools, which still measures class sizes, along with feedback from teachers, students, and parents, indicate that many classes now exceed these recommended sizes.

From 2020 to 2024, Alberta's student population grew by 91,000, or about 12 percent, bringing total enrollment to 825,817 last school year. If the teachers strike on Monday, at least 730,000 students will face class cancellations. The ACOL report emphasized that individual student needs should be considered when determining class sizes and that adequate funding is necessary to achieve these targets.

Class size and complexity, along with teacher pay that has not kept pace with inflation, are key issues in the ongoing contract dispute. All parties acknowledge that the number of students with additional needs, such as disabilities and mental health challenges, has increased in recent years. Schilling noted that employers have previously rejected proposals for class size caps or specific pupil-teacher ratios during negotiations.

"Teachers have gotten to the point where they're like, 'We've had enough. It's not sustainable. The system is broken. We're in a crisis, and we have to fix it. And that's why we're taking this stand,'" Schilling said.

Earlier this week, nearly 90 percent of ATA members voted against a deal that included a commitment from the government to fund 3,000 new teaching positions and 1,500 additional educational assistant positions by August 2028.

Finance Minister Horner stated that while teachers have the right to strike, the government could potentially force them back to work, but not immediately. "If you're going to take that kind of action, that's kind of a big hammer," he said. "You have to be in a position where it's causing the kind of harm that can't be undone — long-term educational harm to the students of Alberta."

The Alberta legislature is set to reconvene on October 23, with routine business beginning on October 27. Horner expressed hope that the contract dispute would be resolved before then, making back-to-work legislation unnecessary. Premier Danielle Smith indicated that class size caps are not feasible due to a lack of school facilities to accommodate smaller classes.

Horner mentioned that the province is investing $8.6 billion over seven years in the School Construction Accelerator Program, which aims to build 90 new schools and modernize around 40 existing ones. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announced an additional $300 million over three years to fund more educational assistant positions in schools.

Both Horner and Nicolaides stated they are uncertain about what offer would be acceptable to teachers. Schilling emphasized that the ATA and teachers need wages that keep pace with the rising cost of living and improvements in students' learning conditions.