8 ❚ The ATA News , October 14, 2025
Teachers run for school board trustee positions Ray Buziak Leah Floyd Shawn Haggarty Al Stewart Mark Swanson
ATA News Staff T his fall, Albertans will elect trustees to the province’s 61 public, separate and francophone school boards. Among the candidates are current and former members of the teaching profession. Teachers running in the 2025 school board trustee election were invited to share their name, photo, brief platform statement and the school board for which they are running. The invitation applied to active Association members in good standing, Association life members and other members who have maintained the highest level of membership available to them. Five submissions were received by the deadline and are highlighted here. Additional information on the trustee election, including platforms from candidates and voting details, is available on vote4kids.ca.Voting takes place on Monday, October 20. Ray Buziak Grande Prairie Public School Division We need harmony and collaboration in our school communities. Chronic underfunding erodes harmony and leads to tension, anxiety and labour disruptions. We need increased base grants and equitable funding so we can restore harmony by better supporting our teachers, staff and students. I will continue to work to enhance public education. Leah Floyd Elk Island Public Schools I am running because I care deeply about public education. With more than 20 years of classroom experience and as a parent with children in EIPS,
I bring a balanced perspective focused on creating supportive schools, engaged communities and bright futures for students. Shawn Haggarty Greater St. Albert Roman Catholic Separate School Division Honoured to work 24 years with Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools. Strong voice protecting publicly funded Catholic education. Relationship based. Advocating for per student funding to be above the national average and reinstating class size averages to the Alberta Commission on Learning recommendations. Al Stewart Elk Island Catholic Schools As a teacher, parent and grandparent, I know the importance of quality Catholic education. My priorities as trustee are clear: manage class sizes, secure stable funding, improve transportation, and support teachers as they address growing classroom complexities. Rooted in faith and committed to families, I will keep Catholic education strong. Mark Swanson Edmonton Catholic School Division Mark Swanson, retired ATA executive, Concordia dean and Catholic school principal, believes in publicly funded Catholic education; right-sized funding for system growth and student success; relevant curriculum and resources for the 21st century; education fostering respect, honesty, loyalty, fairness and growth; and safe and caring learning environments for students, teachers and staff.
On October 20, vote for your local school board trustee. Visit vote4kids.ca for more information on voting, issues affecting education and candidates in your jurisdiction. We all have an interest in public education.
On October 20, vote for your local school board trustee. Visit vote4kids.ca for more information on voting, issues affecting education and candidates in your jurisdiction. On October 20, vote for your local school board trustee. Visit vote4kids.ca for more information on voting, issues affecting education and candidates in your jurisdiction. We all have an interest in public education. We all have an interest in public education. On October 20, vote for your local school board trustee. We all have an interest in public education.
Visit vote4kids.ca for more information on voting, issues affecting education and candidates in your jurisdiction.
ATA Magazine recognized with industry awards
ATA News Staff
two awards, first place for its depiction of teacher Michael Koehler and second place for its rendition of teacher Tom Spila. The magazine also earned second place in the Service Journalism category and was short-listed for awards in the following categories:Alberta Story, Cover, Essay and Feature Design. “This recognition reinforces that the hard work and dedication shown by our staff and contributors is translating into a top-quality magazine for members,” said editor-in-chief Elissa Corsi. Further, the magazine’s managing editor, Cory
Hare, was recognized as Editor of the Year for 2024–25 at the annual Alberta Magazine Awards. In accepting the award, Hare shared credit with the ATA Magazine team. “Our team of designers and editors is second to none in this industry and any success I’ve had comes from being part of this group,” he said. The Alberta Magazine Awards, presented annually and sponsored by the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, celebrate and recognize excellence in journalism and visual storytelling in the province.
T he ATA Magazine received multiple honours at the Alberta Magazine Awards, held on September 25. The magazine earned first place in the Editorial Package category for its feature entitled “We Are Here!” Published in the fall of 2024, it featured the lived stories of 2SLGBTQ+ teachers in the public education sphere. In the Illustration category, the magazine earned
Outlook
ATA Magazine THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION WINTER 2024
UNSUNG HERO
Want to receive the ATA Magazine straight to your inbox? Subscribe here: UNSUNG HERO continue is not available,” Spila says, reflecting on the founding of the com- munity band. “I wanted to provide that opportunity once again. In February of 1983, 13 adult musicians showed up to re- hearsal and we have never looked back.” With some of the original members still playing, the community band has had as many as 65 members, with ages ranging from 18 to 92. Over the years, Spila has received many accolades for his contributions to Alberta’s music community, includ- ing the Alberta Band Association’s first Vondis Miller Legacy Award (2004), the Elkhorn Award for Band Director of the Year (2010) and the Alberta Choral Fed- eration’s Con Spirito Award (2011). When asked about his greatest achievements, though, his thoughts center on the lives he has touched.
Michael Koehler: Teacher, builder, creator
Tom Spila: The band plays on
Lindsay Yakimyshyn
Lindsay Yakimyshyn
Associate Editor, ATA Magazine
Associate Editor, ATA Magazine
FOR 44 YEARS, TOM SPILA watched his students blossom through their involvement in the music programs he taught. Though now retired, his passion for building confidence and com- munity through music has not dimmed. In the 1970s, Spila began his teaching career as junior and senior high band teacher in Lac La Biche, where he met his wife, Crystal, also a teacher. A few years later, he landed at Camrose Composite High School (CCHS) and went on to teach there for the next 39 years. Once at CCHS as the band teacher, Spila envisioned creating a more compre- hensive music program for the students. Adding to the school’s existing oppor- tunities, Spila began offering jazz band, honour band, and beginner and advanced guitar courses. With the encouragement of his principal, Spila also started a choral program, including an extracurricular chamber choir, which — being out of his wheelhouse — represented an opportun- ity for his own growth in music. “With respect to developing a music program, I think it is important to have a personal philosophy that will underlie every decision you may make,” Spila says. “If you wish to move forward, you can never be satisfied at the moment. There is always much more to learn.” Not only did Spila dedicate countless hours to building the school’s music program, but he also extended his passion for music education into the community. He founded the Camrose & District Com- munity Band in 1983 and has served as its director for four decades. “Many musicians stop playing after high school because the opportunity to
BUILDING A PERFORMING ARTS centre was never one of Michael Koehler’s goals. But somehow his career, family life and passion to create collided, and The Venue emerged. When he was in high school, Koehler found happiness in construction and industrial arts, so much so that he considered becoming an architect. But unsure he would measure up, he decided to stick with his best subject, math. He completed a four-year bachelor of education in secondary mathematics and went straight into teaching. His first teaching assignment included only one math class, as well as CALM, drafting and construction. “Those are all things I enjoyed doing — I just never imagined I’d get to teach them,” Koehler says. Now that he’s taught for more than 30 years, Koehler stays motivated by taking on different assignments, finding new approaches or building things ... literally. “Whether it’s creating a piece of furniture, making dinner, creating an in- teresting approach to teaching fractions, I am just always interested in the creation process,” he says. Throughout his career, Koehler has also embraced opportunities to help others engage in the creative process. For example, one day Koehler was building a set for the school’s drama class and it occurred to him that students could be doing that work. So he put the wheels in motion for a theatre tech course that brought together industrial arts and the- atre students.
This experience served Koehler well when he took on his biggest volunteer project yet — a new theatre in High River. In 2011, with two daughters engaged in the arts, Koehler became involved with the local theatre group, sometimes as a performer and sometimes as a set builder. Experiencing first-hand the community’s strong support for artists and performers, he saw a need for a dedicated theatre space. Excited by the prospect of building something for his community, Koehler co-founded the High River Performing Arts Foundation (HRPAF) with the goal of building The Venue, a 200-seat black box theatre. The HRPAF currently oper- ates an outdoor stage on The Venue site while also programming the Bandstand in George Lane Park in High River. Now treasurer of the HRPAF, Koehler takes pride in the long-standing impact of the space he helped create. “I see that it has a great influence on a community, for kids, youth, adults and seniors alike,” he says, “I can look at this and see my fingerprint on that work.” ⊲ Got an idea? Unsung Hero is a space dedicated to honouring ATA members past and present who have had nota- ble achievements, either in the ATA or in their private lives. If you know of a member whom you feel should be recognized, please contact section editor Lindsay Yakimyshyn at lindsay.yakimyshyn@ata.ab.ca.
Take it outside (the norm)
Teaching in an unconventional
“Music groups can provide a safe and caring place for expression and instill a love of music that can continue for life. Being moved by a piece of music demon- strates sensitivity and openness, qualities that are admirable and can be carried into the world outside the band room.” ⊲ Got an idea? Unsung Hero is a space dedicated to honouring ATA members past and present who have had nota- ble achievements, either in the ATA or in their private lives. If you know of a member whom you feel should be recognized, please contact section editor Lindsay Yakimyshyn at lindsay.yakimyshyn@ata.ab.ca.
setting can be a highly rewarding adventure PAGE 18
Michael Koehler Cofounder of the High River Performing Arts Foundation in High River Recipient of the 2021 Hilton Mierau Award of Excellence in Off-Campus Learning
Tom Spila Alberta Government Centennial Medal, 2005
Governor General of Canada Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2012 Alberta Band Association Honorary Lifetime Member Award, 2022 Board member for the Alberta Band Association and Choir Alberta
DIVERSITY Teachers turn ideas into action in support of equity and human rights PAGE 16
TEACHER HACKS Some ideas for helping students connect with nature PAGE 55
IN PROFILE Career shakeup brings double success for Calgary teacher Leonard Cohen PAGE 46
Cofounder of the Foothills Emergency Services Program
The magazine’s feature on teaching in unconventional settings took home second place for Service Journalism.
ATA Magazine WINTER 2024
ATA Magazine FALL 2024
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THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION BY MATHIAS BALL
The depiction of teacher Michael Koehler received the top award for an illustration.
The illustration of retired teacher Tom Spila received an award.
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