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Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation President Patrick Maze congratulated all candidates in the Regina by-election and urged everyone to consider public education issues when voting. 

“Today a by-election was called in Regina Northeast with voting to take place on September 12,” Maze said. “This is an important democratic process and we honour those from all political parties who have stepped forward to sacrifice time and energy so they can be a part of this vital event.”

Spend a few minutes with Evan Cole and his enthusiasm is readily evident, if not contagious.

The other impression that comes to mind is that although he is very much on the cutting edge of technology, he is equally intrigued by more traditional props.

That ability to combine the better of two worlds made it a natural fit for Cole to hang out with like-minded folks in the makerspace area at the recent Saskatchewan IT Summit held in Saskatoon. It is a safe bet that those in the room would not be offended by referring to themselves as grown-up kids. Their shared enthusiasm and curiosity would doubtlessly be mirrored by their students.

Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation President Patrick Maze said the end of June is a time to celebrate accomplishments, plan for the future and honour those who are concluding a lifelong career in teaching. However, Maze said it should also be a time for talking about the new dollars needed to cope with increasing enrolment.

These days it has been well-documented how resources can be difficult to come by in the public education sector.

Other than the fact that they feed off each other’s enthusiasm while also having the opportunity to try out their latest creations, how come this group of science teachers working to develop new curriculum for robotics are downright giddy?

How best to describe the leadership life of a teaching principal in rural Saskatchewan today? Given the number and diversity of rural communities across Saskatchewan, metaphors range from hero to workhorse, to street entertainer to fully charged batteries! And according to recent research out of the University of Saskatchewan, each of these aptly describes the unique and complex role of a large percentage of principals in western Canada’s rural and remote schools (Wallin & Newton, 2014; 2013).

Principals, as the recognized formal leader of the school, provide a vital link between the school and community. Across Canada, rural principals often have a deep “personal-historical link to the school community” (Foster & Goddard, 2003), a fact that contributes to their sense of ownership and/or responsibility as a local leader.