It is truly an honor to come to you today from Treaty 7 territory. For those of you who may not know me, I’m Allison McCaffrey—a proud Alberta teacher with over 20 years of experience in education and your candidate for Vice President of this Association.

Experience is the foundation of my platform
As the current President of Calgary Catholic, the third-largest local in our province, I’ve had the privilege of leading an incredible Executive team through growth and change over the past four years. Beyond the local level, I’ve served on provincial committees, including the Summer Conference Review and Convention Review Committees. I’ve also connected with many of you as an associate instructor, facilitating professional development across Alberta.

These experiences have prepared me to be your voice and advocate. You can count on me to champion your concerns with transparency, accountability, passion and dedication.

You Are Your Association
I firmly believe that your Association and your PEC table exist to serve YOU. PEC’s strength lies in reflecting the diversity of teachers in every community across Alberta. When perspectives are absent—whether due to gender, cultural background, or geographic location—gaps appear, weakening our unity.

One of my goals is to identify and help eliminate barriers to full representation for all members.

The Challenges We Face
Having a strong governing body enables us to focus on the pressing challenges before us that I know you all are very aware of including:

·      Our overcrowded classrooms

·      Insufficient supports for the increasingly complexity of our students.

·      An inadequate funding formula that fails both rural and urban school boards.

·      An ineffective and poorly resourced curriculum developed without meaningful input from teachers.

·      The harmful rollout of standardized tests disguised as diagnostics tools.

This government’s “everything, everywhere, all at once” strategy aims to exhaust, divide, and demoralize us.

But I know you and we will not succumb. They can try to overwhelm us, but we will stand firm in our unity.

We are the Solution - #WeAreATA

When we unite, we amplify our strengths. Teaching and advocacy work is exhausting…and none of us can shoulder the weight of these activities alone. We know we are ineffective when we work in silos—whether in our classrooms, on committees, or in our locals.

Our greatest power comes when we combine our ideas, share our voices and become ONE unstoppable force.

·      We can not wait for others to solve our challenges. We don’t have time!

I commit to working together with you to create the changes we need to see… today

·      for each other,

·      for our profession, and

·      for the students we serve.

We must advocate, unapologetically, for what is right.

We are better together
So, where do we go from here?

Our greatest victories as an Association have come when we’ve worked toward a shared goal with honesty and determination.

We know that collectively that WE are the solution – WE are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

And when we work together, when we speak as one voice. #WeAreBetterTogether.

My commitment to you is unwavering: I will work tirelessly

·      to unify us,

·      to amplify our strengths,

·      and instill pride in our profession.

I will support the association and you in taking bold, decisive actions that cannot be ignored by our government.

United, we will prove that:

·      Our voice is powerful.

·      Our voice represents the students we serve.

·      Our voice demands to be heard.

·      And, most importantly, our voice is unstoppable.

Our Future: A Vision of Strength for the Association
As professionals we do not need to be apologetic for demanding what is needed. It is our time ..

But to build the strongest Association possible, we need engagement from all 46,000+ members— not just now during negotiations, but long after the next contract is signed.

I am dedicated to working together, shoulder to shoulder, so that we will be a force that cannot be ignored or dismissed.

We are part of the greatest profession in the world, and I am honored to work alongside you as we showthis province,

·      we show this government—

·  and we show each other—that truly We are Better Together.

Don’t forget to vote

Voting is March 10–13. In advance, I Thank you for your support.