Despite the provincial government issuing a letter to the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) requesting them to return to the classroom for Oct. 20, Calgary students are set to be out of school for a third straight week, and November diploma exams will become optional.
The letter, not a formal back-to-work order, requested that teachers return to schools on Monday.
“This process would have allowed students and teachers to return to the classroom starting Monday, while ATA, the Teacher Employers Bargaining Association (TEBA), and a third-party mediator would work together to propose a recommended agreement,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said.
However, a clause stating that student-teacher number caps would not be part of the deal undermined any serious attempt at resolution, according to ATA President Jason Schilling.
The letter heavily favours the government and school boards, he said, leaving students and teachers in the rear view.
Neither the Calgary Board of Education or Calgary Catholic School District was able to provide comment on the ongoing job action. The most up-to-date information is available on their respective Labour Action webpages.
Why aren’t Alberta teachers receiving strike pay? LWC asked, and here’s what we found out.
Across Alberta, November 2025 diploma exams will now be optional for students, according to an announcement made by the Minister of Education’s office, as instructional time for students has been disrupted.
“Students who choose not to write the November diploma exams can still complete their courses and graduate on time,” the announcement reads.
“Choosing not to write the November diploma exams will not affect a student’s ability to apply to, be accepted by, or attend post-secondary institutions after graduation.”
No changes have been made to the January and June diplomas and provincial achievement tests.
Representing all of Alberta’s public, Catholic and Francophone school boards and government, TEBA has made it clear it will not consider any meaningful student-teacher ratios or concrete response to class complexity, according to Schilling.
“In the face of such inflexibility, teachers have no choice but to continue strike action.”
Both TEBA and the ATA are adamant that they are willing and ready to negotiate. Smith said that to date, the province has not received a realistic and fair proposal from teachers that would work for students, teachers and taxpayers.
The recently rejected TEBA-proposed deal would’ve included the hiring of 3,000 new teachers and 12-17 per cent raises for teachers, with starting salaries of $70,916.
The offer would’ve made Alberta’s teachers the highest paid in Western Canada, after provincial taxes, according to Smith.
The government has also invested $8.6 billion to build 130 schools province-wide and has offered to hire 1,500 more educational assistants, she said.
Over three years, the ATA’s latest offer would have cost taxpayers an additional $2 billion on top of the 2.6 billion the government has already committed, a total of $4.6 billion, according to Smith.
“Our province is facing a $6.5 billion budget deficit this year and we must continue to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. TEBA is ready and willing to continue negotiating, but the ATA needs to come back to the table with a deal that is grounded in reality,” she said.
“After about three weeks, a strike of this nature would reach the threshold of causing irreparable harm to our students’ education. The ATA needs to do this for its members and for all students, if it refuses to do so, we will consider other options to bring this strike to an end.”
As a last resort, the provincial government will legislate teachers back to work at the start of session on Oct. 23, according to a statement provided by the Minister of Finance’s office.
Government understands classroom complexity: Nicolaides
During a provincial press conference, Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides virtually spoke directly to Alberta’s teachers, saying that he understands their difficulties.
“We hear you, I hear you, and we know more must be done, and we agree with you and want to work with you, but our children should not be put in the middle of this,” he said.
“I want to say thank you to all of our teachers. I know that you put your heart and soul into your job and Alberta’s government values and respects the work that you do. Teachers are the heart of our education system. Your voices matter and your insights are essential as we work together to strengthen Alberta’s schools.
Students’ education will be at the heart of the government’s every move, Nicolaides said, and next steps will be focused on getting kids back into the classroom as soon as possible.
The minister called on the union’s leadership to take the needed steps to get school back on track.
Despite government pressure, the ATA continues to have faith in its bargaining team, with Schilling saying that they know what teachers want and understand the complexities of the classroom.
“They’re on the front lines of what it means to be in education. I have faith in the process, but we need both sides to go forward in that capacity with good faith and to have good, frank discussions and not start carving things out that we can’t talk about,” he said.
