Saskatchewan’s provincial election is on Oct. 26. The Saskatchewan School Boards Association represents all 27 school boards in the province. With this open letter, we are sharing our priorities for the future of education and seeking the views of those who are running for office.
First, in these exceptional times, we want to emphasize that health, safety and wellbeing are absolute priorities for boards during the pandemic and going forward. We also know that education is the best long-term investment we can make for our province and our economy.
School boards are locally elected to bring forth the local voices of their communities. Our role is to consider all the factors needed for a properly resourced classroom. Looking ahead, we have identified three priority areas for education: Innovation, Inclusion and Investment.
Innovation is about navigating technology and using new practices. We need to make sure our curriculum and resources are based on the best ideas available and centered on our students.
Inclusion is about people and relationships. We need our schools to be welcoming and engaging. We need to keep committing to reconciliation. We need to support local decision-making.
Investment is about resources and working together. We need sufficient and stable funding. We need a team effort to set education property tax rates and to provide supports to our students.
We encourage you to ask candidates what their priorities are for education. What does innovation look like to them? What does inclusive education mean to them? And what investment do they think is required to ensure success for all students? Do they support strengthening partnerships and respecting the role of locally elected school boards?
We also invite you to share the priorities you have for education.
Sincerely,
Dr. Shawn Davidson
SSBA President