IMPORTANT PLEASE READ
IMPORTANT PLEASE READ
Although the free Friday daytime portion of Canadian School Libraries’ (CSL) Treasure Mountain Canada (TMC9) school library conference / research symposium takes place on the second day (Friday, February 26th, 2027) of the GETCA teachers’ convention - mere steps from most other downtown Edmonton GETCA sessions at the main, Edmonton Public Library Stanley Milner branch - TMC9 is not affiliated with GETCA or part of GETCA’s scheduled programming. “GETCA teachers” (Edmonton Catholic Local No. 54, Edmonton Public Local 37, and Fort McMurray in Local 48) must submit an alternative professional development application via this form: https://ata.smapply.ca
An exception for GETCA teachers would be if you are only planning to attend the paid portions of the TMC9 conference (evening of Feb. 26 and daytime Feb. 27, 2027). In this case, you do not need to apply for alternate PD.
This application does not take much time at all to complete, but please note that you will need to explain why Treasure Mountain Canada School Library Research Symposium is helpful to you as a teacher. Some helpful notes for responding to some of the application questions:
- By attending this symposium, you should be able to address how CSL’s TMC9 programming supports your professional growth in terms of Teacher Quality Standards (TQS) with many evident examples in the main categories and subpoints within. Similarly, if you are currently serving in a school or division leadership position (or aspire to), the Leadership Quality Standards match exceptionally well with TMC offerings.
- This is a biennial (every two years) conference, in a different Canadian city every time. Canadian School Libraries does not anticipate a return of this conference to Edmonton or Alberta for many years.
- To the confident knowledge of Canadian School Libraries, there are very few Alberta offerings at local teacher conventions or through other avenues, to take teacher professional development related to school libraries in any given year. The presenters of the professional development sessions offered are deeply experienced teacher-librarians and/or academics in school library related fields.
With the introduction of Bill 35 in Alberta, it is important that this form is filled out thoroughly and with thought.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association committee that considers these applications needs a reasonable amount of time in advance for review and approval decisions, therefore the Canadian School Libraries organization is supporting this process by ending registration on January 31, 2027, for the Friday programming, for GETCA teachers required to fill out this form. To ensure a spot at TMC 9 and further assist the ATA and CSL, it is very helpful and appreciated to complete the alternate PD form as soon as possible, well before the January 31st deadline.
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For other Alberta teachers who are members of a non-GETCA teacher division, please proceed with your regular professional development approval process in order to attend CSL’s TMC9. Non GETCA teachers do not need to apply to the ATA to gain approval for alternate PD for CSL’s TMC9.