A Case Of Overreaching

Rory J. Koopmans, B. Admin.
#6, 14504-108 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5N 1G8

July VIIth, MMXIV

Hon. Jeff Johnson, B. Ed., MLA
Minister of Education,
Progressive Conservative, Athabasca-Sturgeon-RedH2O

Dear Jeff:

While I agree an increased amount of "administrative oversight" on teacher disciplinary hearings might be fair, you are definitely overreaching in your power as Education Minister here. Part of the reason is you'll most likely be shuffled out of your portfolio once the XVIth (16th) Premier is sworn in sometime September, so your cutting loose like you don't give a damn here & that isn't right. Yes many of the teachers suspended &/or fined are deadbeats & deserve to be fired. Most however are treated fairly & its a case of fairness or the rights of law here, or "independent governing bodies" a teachers court if you will & if the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) loses their right II handle matters independently, then teachers proven to be innocent might be treated as guilty if you step in & they could be fired for no reason, thus we lose good teachers. Might it not be better if you asked the ATA for records no further than VI (6) school years back. Canadian tax code at provincial & federal levels lets these governments check back to a period of VI (6) years maximum, not X (10.) So why not have this same level of transparency & fairness and re-file your request with ATA to ask IV VI (6) years of records instead. This seems much more appropriate.

Refocus,

Rory

Source: Myself.