Some frustrations with the school system can come from not understanding the roles of teachers and education staff.
Expectations of what should and could be happening vary greatly among parents.
Here are some links to documents that can help clarify roles and expectations.
- Roles and Standards of Teachers and EAs
Teachers and EAs share a dual role. (1) To the public and (2) their employers. The tension between these two roles can create frustration and confusion for everyone involved.
Here is a document that describes the roles of your child’s teacher and the education assistant. Page 5 of this document, interestingly, it states that teachers and EAs share the role “4.4 Advocate for the protection of the legal and human rights of students and their families.”
This document also explains who can communicate what to parents. Although this can be flexible. If you want to communicate with your child’s EA please talk to the school and explain why it’s important that this is an exception. Some schools and districts are more strict than others.
Here are the Teacher’s Standards connected to the Teacher’s Regulation Branch. This is for public school. Independent schools are different.
Using the teacher’s standards can be a very powerful advocacy tool.
Also, keep in mind that unions are involved. & Your child’s teacher has a fiduciary duty to their employer. Education staff can’t talk about what is really happening in schools without risking their employment.
In their collective agreement that ended June 30th, 2025 on page 89 of the document, it states:
*******
Shared Commitment to Equitable Access to Learning
- All students are entitled to equitable access to learning, achievement and the
pursuit of excellence in all aspects of their education. The Parties are committed
to providing all students with special needs with an inclusive learning
environment which provides an opportunity for meaningful participation and the
promotion of interaction with others. The implementation of this Letter of
Understanding shall not result in any student being denied access to a school
educational program, course, or inclusive learning environment unless the
decision is based on an assessment of the student’s individual needs and
abilities.
*******
There are a lot of players involved.
2. Teacher Classroom Autonomy
They are really pulled in all different directions. You can see that in the document of the roles, they are expected to advocate for a students human rights but yet they can’t do anything against their employer.
Please also note that teachers have classroom autonomy; however, Human Rights supersede that! To understand more of how this works, read Part 1 of the Duty to Accommodate – Power of the Human Rights Code.
3. Loco Parentis / Duty of care
Teachers also step into the role of a “prudent parent”.
Here is the link for Duty of care. Scroll to page 8.
“Traditionally, the teacher was considered to be acting in loco parentis. This means that in relation to the student, the teacher stands in the position of a caring, responsible parent and unofficial guardian.”
“All teachers have a legal and a professional liability and are governed by the Canadian Criminal Code and the law of torts or civil law in relation to their duty of care for students. Teachers’ professional liability occurs because their profession is governed by the Teaching Profession Act and the Education Act, and their conduct is subject to the Code of Professional Conduct and the general bylaws.”
https://www.teachers.ab.ca/News%20Room/P
4. Co-parenting with the Government
This section is more about the role of education. Public education is a free public service provided by the government. There are public schools that you attend in person (brick and mortar), and there are online learning options.
If you send your child to a public brick-and-mortar school, you do not have 100% control over your child’s education. This is a public service. They have a duty to consult with you; that is it.
You also do not have control over the funding that your child brings into the district.
If you have specific beliefs that do not align with what your child is being taught at school, you can read my blog Co-parenting with the Government.