The Saskatchewan School Boards Association issued a statement Friday afternoon on the issue of class complexity, one of the key sticking points in the negotiations between the provincial government and the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation on a new collective bargaining agreement. The statements, from SSBA President Jaimie Smith-Windsor, call for a return to the bargaining table to reach a fair and reasonable agreement.
Smith-Windsor noted in the statement the school boards in the province believe in local decision-making, as the communities in Saskatchewan are very diverse, and they believe class complexity should be dealt with at a local level and not in a provincial CBA.
“Building on Government’s recent funding commitment of $53.1 million, a dedicated fund for local boards will be established to address classroom complexity,” the statement read. “Local committees representing local teachers’ associations, trustees, and senior administration will be established to identify and address priorities. A framework for reporting will be developed by the Boards of Education, the Ministry of Education, and the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, with a mandate to report at the local level and to aggregate at the provincial level as part of the Provincial Education Plan.”
The statement added that the SSBA believes this meets students' needs while addressing teachers' concerns. While this opportunity is outside of bargaining, it could allow the parties to return to the table.