Charter School Teachers in Alberta, Canada: Connections Between Teacher Unionization and Professional Status

• In Event: Teachers' Grassroots Organizing and Charter Schools

Abstract

This paper explores how charter school teachers in Alberta, Canada were impacted by political and legislative decisions that were made at the time charter schools were established. In particular, this qualitative case study featuring semi-structured interviews and collective agreement analysis to reveal how unionized charter school teachers viewed themselves as professionals in a traditional sense, but how, prior to unionization, struggled with exclusion from broader education community. The findings from this study suggest that unionization was perceived by Alberta charter school teachers as a mechanism by which they could attain greater public status and increased respect as teaching professionals.

Author

• Lisa Everitt, Alberta Teachers' Association