Education Minister Everett Hindley calls new teacher contract a win for students

The province is hearing from the Minister of Education Everett Hindley for the first time since the new teacher’s collective bargaining agreement was announced.

On Wednesday, Samantha Becotte, Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) President, called the agreement a win for teachers, as it saw $20 million committed to addressing classroom complexity.

On the Evan Bray Show, Hindley said the government believes it’s a win for the students.

“How do we achieve that through supporting our teachers or educational assistants and other support staff within the school system,” Hindley said. “A bit of a sticking point throughout the last couple of months about classroom complexity, so we have some different views around that.”

Listen to Hindley on the Evan Bray Show:

Hindley said he is hopeful both sides will continue to work together going forward.

He also said the province has been making positive steps when it comes to addressing classroom complexity.

“The specialized support classrooms pilot project that we initiated a year ago and have talked about in the Throne Speech, there will be more details coming out in the budget here in a couple weeks time about the expansion of 200 more of those sorts of classrooms,” said Hindley.

The classrooms are equipped with specialized support to help students with self-regulation skills. It also has a 15-student capacity with one teacher and two educational assistants.

Hindley said he wants to make sure the STF and government are working together to ensure students get the best possible learning environment.

The two sides have been given 60 days to figure out the language of the contract, if they fail, the arbitrator step in.

Hindley said he believes the relationship between the province and the teachers is in a good spot.

“We (Hindley and Becotte) connect from time to time as issues pop up and it’s been a great working relationship,” he said. “I have no reason to believe that we can’t continue that in the weeks and months ahead.”

Hindley said he tries to get around to schools across the province to meet with board members.

“To talk to teachers and those on the front lines and see what is happening in our schools and learn from where we have some really great success stories but also where we have some challenges,” he said. “And then how those within the education system like teachers, EAs, you name it, school board trustees, are trying to find those sorts of solutions.”

The two sides are a year away from heading back to the table for more negotiations surrounding the teachers’ contract and Hindley believes these negotiations could go better this time around.