110 Alberta teachers have applied for registry exemption
Posted September 6, 2022 10:14 pm.
Last Updated September 6, 2022 10:16 pm.
More than 100 Alberta teachers have requested to not be included in the province’s new online registry of teachers and school administrators.
The registry launched last week and has been met with some backlash.
BACKGROUND: Alberta teacher registry launches Friday, NDP call it deflection
A total of 110 teachers have so far requested an exemption, the education minister’s office confirmed to CityNews Tuesday afternoon.
The province previously said it would consider requests for exemption from the online registry on a case-by-case basis.
About 160,000 educators who received their certification since 1954 are included in the Teacher and Teacher Leader Registry.
Ontario and British Columbia have similar registries in place.
They’re designed to give parents a background on the person responsible for their children at school.
But some parents say it shouldn’t exist.
Meagan Parisian, a mom of three, says it compromises teachers’ privacy.
“This is not something I ever wanted as a parent, or ever thought that I would use or need to use,” said Parisian.
It lists all their legal names, the type of certificate they hold and the dates those were issued.
The registry will also include details about whether the teacher or school administrator is deceased, has been disciplined, or has had their license suspended.
“So whether they have changed their name because of marriage, or divorce or trauma or whatever the case may be – maybe they’re trans and we’re posting their dead name – what is the point of that?” added Parisian.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association is also against open sourcing.
“You will not find people working in public schools across Alberta without the appropriate certification,” said Jason Schilling, president of the ATA. “Teachers who are suspended from the association due to misconduct, we publish those cases on our website and that information is already public.”
—With files from Alejandro Melgar
