SSBA Statement on Manitoba School Boards:

The Saskatchewan School Boards Association believes the Government of Manitoba’s decision to eliminate elected school boards and centralize decision-making will negatively affect the education system by removing local voice and accountability, particularly in rural and remote communities.

In Saskatchewan, local school boards have proven to work collaboratively in the sector to effectively serve students, staff, families and communities. Across Canada, school boards represent diverse voices that are important to be heard; in Saskatchewan, approximately 58% of board members identify as female and 14% identify as being of Indigenous ancestry.

The SSBA joins with our national and provincial counterparts in calling for the Manitoba government to reconsider the changes proposed. We believe education belongs to community and maintaining local voice through elected boards is key to future improvement and ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed regardless of their locale or circumstances.

Sincerely,

Dr. Shawn Davidson
SSBA President

PDF version: SSBA Statement on Manitoba School Boards

A Message from Saskatchewan’s Education Partners

Education sector organizations in Saskatchewan have joined together to ask all communities to do their part in following the recommended health measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and help keep our schools safe. We have heard the calls to action from health officials, medical experts and doctors – we all must do our part.

School divisions in Saskatchewan started the school year, and have continued, with an abundance of caution – for good reason. Teachers, support staff, boards and administration, bus drivers, custodial and facilities staff, along with the support of students and families, have been working tirelessly to follow the public health guidelines, including: creating cohorts, reducing transitions, limiting extra-curricular activities, increasing cleaning measures and hand washing, and wearing masks. We do all of this because our priority is to provide a safe learning environment.

With increasing rates of community spread and rising cases throughout the province, we do not want our schools to have to close again. We all need to do our part to ensure we have safe and healthy communities that support and wrap around the staff and students in our schools.

Together we can reduce the spread – let’s all do our part to keep Saskatchewan schools safe!

Sincerely,

Dr. Shawn Davidson, SSBA President

Domenic Scuglia, LEADS President

Sherry Todosichuk, SASBO President

Education sector partners:

Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) https://saskschoolboards.ca/

League of Educational Administrators, Directors & Superintendents (LEADS) https://saskleads.ca/

Saskatchewan Association of School Business Officials (SASBO) https://sasbo.com/

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

Related Links

• Open Letter — Printable PDF
• Connections Report on Vision Engagement
• SSBA Advocacy Information

With the provincial election coming, on behalf of the SSBA Executive and our members, school boards in our province want to take this opportunity to highlight our shared priorities for education in Saskatchewan.

We are all aware of the economic challenges our province is facing. As school boards, we are also aware of the challenge of balancing financial resources and providing much needed services. Boards of education have always tried to find efficiencies in order to optimize our resources. We continue to examine our own systems and work in cooperation with other partners to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our students.

At the same time it is critical, perhaps now more than ever, to emphasize the importance of education to our society. Our students will shape our province today and into the future. As Saskatchewan grows and changes, we must focus on renewal, and education must remain a top priority to ensure our students have the resources they need to be successful.

With a review of the operational funding model underway, we are looking for equitable distribution, as well as improved predictably and transparency, so school boards can plan and respond. As we look forward, we need to ensure that our resources are sustainable and, above all, adequately provide for the needs of our students.

It also important that locally elected boards of education continue to work closely with the women and men who are elected provincially to ensure that local interests and local circumstances are considered and are part of the decision making related to education in Saskatchewan. Locally elected school boards have a vital role in serving Saskatchewan’s publicly funded education system. The longest lasting and most fundamental responsibility of schools boards is to bring the voice of the public to publicly funded education.

We continue to remain firmly committed to the belief that all children should have access to the resources they need to achieve, regardless of where they live in the province or their personal circumstances.

On behalf of boards of education, we invite you to share with those running for office your priorities for education in Saskatchewan as well.

Sincerely,

Connie Bailey
SSBA President

For a printable, PDF copy of this letter, please click here.