I chose the teaching profession as a result of the influence of a high school teacher. I wanted so much to be as good as he was in the classroom. I have had the opportunity to pay it forward through supporting and mentoring teachers in the early stage of their careers and  I have seen the joy and excitement on the faces of the students these teachers inspire. 

Over the last five years, I have noticed a number of these teachers are choosing to leave the profession. Initially I thought my observations were somewhat insular. Of the over 1000 members surveyed, 47% indicated that over the next five years, they are planning to remain in the profession. 18.5% of the respondents indicated they were definitely planning on leaving the profession in five years and another 31.5% stated that maybe, they will leave. (Chart 1)

Why is this happening? Is there anything the ATA as an Association and we as a Local can do to address this issue? What can we, as an association and a local, do to change the minds of the 31.5% who are maybes and encourage the other 18.5% to reconsider? What are some things we can do now to make our association and local remain relevant in the future?

If you elect me as a Senior High Member Representative, I will work with the Executive  Committee to develop strategies that will continue the work of increasing high school teachers participation in the work of Local 38.

It has been said that to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different outcome is insanity. How have we changed our strategies to engage with our membership provincially. So often we have resorted to "tried and true" tactics.

It is clear that they have not worked as well as they should. Our membership is 46,000 strong. Along with our allies and other supporters we should be a force with the power to significantly influence government policies. Our recent vote regarding the mediator's recommendation passed by a slim margin. A total of 23,101 votes were cast. Just over half - 51.1 per cent - voted yes, while 48.3 per cent voted no. 

 Why did the other half of our membership not participate in the vote? We pay dues each month, therefore the ATA is "our" ATA. We often say we want to see change. This cannot happen without our collective voice.

For change to happen, we have to take action. According to Socrates, the secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. We must be the change we wish to see in our association. Our Participation is Our Superpower!!

If you elect me as a Senior High Member Representative, I will work with the Executive  Committee to support the development of policies addressing communication barriers and membership outreach strategies.

In our society diversity is often espoused but not always lived. I have learnt to see the world more as it is and less than I want it to be. As a racialized teacher in Alberta I cannot avoid seeing the reality of the absence of the voices of teachers like me in positions such as PEC.

I find that when people feel really, really truly seen and heard, it is one of the most extraordinary experiences a person can have. 

Diversity of thoughts, ideology and race makes our association much stronger. As we debate the business of the ATA having a mindset of "both and" versus "either or" will enhance our decision making process while functioning in the complexity of our collective lived experiences.

My curiosity and willingness to ask and address difficult questions will be helpful in crafting strategies that are more future facing for the association.