Recruitment posting
Board of Reference Roster
Competition #: 498
Ministry : Education
Opening Date : 2017/11/01
closing Date : 2017/11/28
Role : Member
It is recognized in Alberta as a fundamental principle and as a matter of public policy that all persons are equal. Diversity and inclusion are valued and supported on the boards of Alberta's public agencies.
The Minister of Education is seeking applications from individuals who are interested in serving as a Board of Reference (BOR).
The Board of Reference (BOR) is an appeal mechanism established under the Alberta School Act that hears specific employment-related disagreements arising between a teacher and an employing school board (public, separate, Francophone or charter). The disagreements relate specifically to the:
- termination of a teacher's employment contract;
- suspension of a teacher from employment;
- termination of a teacher's designation; or
- refusal of a board's approval to release a teacher from an employment contract.
Referral of an appeal to the BOR may result in a hearing in which the BOR may make a legally binding order such as:
- approval to confirm the suspension or termination of a teacher’s employment contract; or
- directing a school board to reinstate a teacher who has been suspended or to reinstate a teacher’s employment contract or designation.
There are currently six members appointed to the BOR.
BOR members have responsibilities under, and are subject to, a number of statutes and regulations including the:
- School Act;
- Public Inquiries Act;
- Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act;
- Alberta Public Agencies Governance Act; and
-
Board of Reference Fee Regulation.
Members of the BOR are respected individuals in the labour relations community who demonstrate credibility, accountability, integrity, respect, transparency and excellence in their practice. They have extensive experience and expertise in conducting administrative hearings and arbitrations for specific employment-related disagreements arising between a teacher and employing school board.
Members of the BOR incorporate the tenets of natural justice in their practice when hearing an appeal referred to them by the Minister of Education.
Appointments to the BOR are made by Order in Council for terms of up to three years, with an opportunity for renewal.
The candidate will have extensive experience as a neutral, third-party arbitrator and will be able to demonstrate that his/her decisions have been reached in an administratively fair and reasonable manner in labour relations.
The candidate must have knowledge of:
- employment law;
- collective agreements, employee rights and benefits;
- the growing influence of human rights, sexual harassment, discrimination and whistleblower legislation in employment-related disputes; and
- the statutory duty of reasonableness and fairness.
The candidate must demonstrate an understanding of the:
- BOR;
- Kindergarten to Grade 12 education system, including how it is structured, how it is established in accordance with legislation and familiarity with key stakeholders;
- role of a school board as the employer;
- role of the teacher as employee usually represented by a union and as a member of the teaching profession; and
- role, responsibilities and powers of the BOR member.
The candidate must be viewed as impartial by the Alberta Teachers’ Association and school boards.
The candidate must demonstrate competence, credibility, accountability, ethics/integrity, respect, transparency and excellence. The candidate must be able to deliver awards in a timely way.
The candidate must apply the tenets of natural justice:
- be impartial and free from improper influence and interference,
- demonstrate fairness in process and decision-making, and
- act in a manner which avoids any conflict of interest.
The candidate must demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Oral and written fluency in French is considered a significant asset.
Remuneration is provided in accordance with Section 140 of the School Act. The parties involved in an appeal are directly responsible for costs associated with the appeal. These costs include remuneration for the BOR member appointed to hear the appeal which is paid in accordance with the Board of Reference Fees Regulation.
The time commitment is determined by the frequency of appeals filed with the BOR and the complexity of the matter involved in an appeal.
Appeals referred to the BOR are typically heard in the Edmonton and Calgary regions.
All applicants are required to complete:
Once your biography and other required form(s) are completed, save it to your PC. When you hit 'submit application', you will be prompted to upload additional documents. Drag and drop (or upload) your completed cover letter, biography and other form(s) into the 'Drop files below or click to upload' section before clicking the 'apply' button.
If you require any further information on this posting, please contact Katherine Lachacz, Governance Specialist, at 780-644-0679 (dial toll-free 310-0000 first within Alberta) or katherine.lachacz@gov.ab.ca.
Carefully read the Recruitment Posting and the Position Profile to ensure this is an appropriate opportunity for you. Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements.
Online applications are preferred. To apply, click on the 'apply' button, create or sign into your account in the ePAAS system; upload your resume, view the listing under Current Opportunities and click on 'submit application'. The uploaded resume will be automatically attached.
Provide a short 4 line biography using the Biography template found under additional documents section. Your biography should include your name, current work experience, board/committee experience and relevant education. Please note that biographies may be edited for length and clarity.
Once your biography and other required form(s) are completed, save it to your PC. When you hit 'submit application', you will be prompted to upload additional documents. Drag and drop (or upload) your completed cover letter, biography and other form(s) into the 'Drop files below or click to upload' section before clicking the 'apply' button.
If you are unable to apply online, please submit a cover letter and resume, quoting the recruitment posting competition number, to the contact provided on the posting. We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to assess which candidates' qualifications most closely match the agency's requirements. Only those selected for interviews will be contacted to advance to the next step in the appointment process. You can check the status of each competition on-line at https://www.alberta.ca/public-agencies.cfm.
All potential candidates will be screened for potential conflicts of interest. Please Note: Successful applicants will have the following information about them made publicly available on the Public Agency Secretariat Website: name, biography, public agency, and position title.