Why is it important to you to belong to a specialist council?
HPEC One Day in May Red Deer, May 2025
Being a member of an ATA specialist council has transformed and inspired
my work as a school leader. I have gained
access to current research, professional learning and a network of passionate educators who challenge my thinking and expand my practice. - Uroog Quraish Member of Council for School Leadership Combat professional isolation: for teachers who are the sole representatives of their subject area in a building, specialist councils provide a vital lifeline. Membership offers a sense of belonging through a network of peers who are accessible via annual conferences and publications. - Mike Wheeler Member of Fine Arts Council
The Indigenous Education Council has helped me to continue to build knowledge and capacity as a school leader so I can help my colleagues advance our shared commitment to reconciliation, and our goal of creating culturally responsive and inclusive learning environments for our students. - Jon Patry
belonging. And belonging, in our schools and professional networks, is what fuels our collective growth. Through HPEC, I have seen teachers lead through small acts of kindness, creative risk-taking and shared curios- ity. I have learned that leadership often looks less like standing at the front of a room and more like showing up for one another, one thoughtful conversation, one courageous act of learning and one generous gesture of volunteerism at a time—sometimes with a whistle, sometimes with a research article and sometimes with a sense of humour about being asked, yet again, whether we “teach gym.” Volunteerism has always been the quiet engine of education. Councils like HPEC remind us that professional learning isn’t something that happens to us; it’s something we build together. When teachers volunteer their time to mentor, plan, present or advocate, they reaffirm the core values that anchor our profession: trust, collaboration and shared responsibility for the future of education. ATA
FAC Drumming Workshop, Edmonton, October 2024
ATA Magazine Fall 2026
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