Minister of Education Everett Hindley Responds to Teachers’ Priorities
By Allie Hearnden, STF Communications
As Saskatchewan teachers prepare for another round of provincial bargaining, concerns about recruitment and retention, classroom complexity, safety in schools and working conditions continue to dominate conversations across the province.
Those concerns are reflected in the STF’s bargaining priorities, which focus on stability in the public education system, fair compensation, safe and supportive learning and working conditions, and a continued commitment to public education.
In a conversation with the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, Minister of Education Everett Hindley discussed many of the same issues, reflecting on the state of Saskatchewan’s public education system, lessons learned from the last round of bargaining and what teachers can expect as negotiations begin this fall.
Recruitment and Retention Remain Front and Centre
Recruitment and retention is at the heart of the STF’s bargaining priorities. Saskatchewan schools continue to face pressures related to shortages of substitute, contract and permanent teachers, alongside increasing workload demands and rising classroom complexity.
Hindley agrees that recruitment and retention has become a growing challenge. While staffing pressures have historically been associated with some northern school divisions, he says the issue is now being felt more broadly across the province.
“We’ve got some work to do there,” he says.
At the same time, Hindley acknowledges there is no simple solution to the problem.
“Nobody quite has the perfect solution.”
When asked whether teacher working conditions are part of the recruitment and retention challenge, Hindley says the government wants to hear directly from teachers about the barriers they face and would welcome feedback on whether working conditions are among them.
“If working conditions are one of the barriers, that’s something we as the provincial government would want to know about,” he says.
For many teachers, however, working conditions are not a new concern. Workload, classroom complexity, access to supports and time to meet student needs have been recurring themes in member feedback for years. Many teachers continue to look for concrete actions that address those challenges and make the profession more sustainable over the long term.
Class Complexity: Positive Feedback, But Questions Remain
Classroom complexity remains a significant concern for teachers and was a major focus of the last round of bargaining. One of the most notable outcomes of the agreement was the introduction of class complexity teachers, a role intended to provide additional support for increasingly complex classrooms. Hindley says the feedback he has received during the first year of implementation has been largely encouraging.
“I’ve heard some very positive things about classroom complexity teachers and the benefits that they have brought to the classroom,” he says.
Yet Hindley says there is still room to improve the model. “I have heard from some of those who are actually in the role that there perhaps needs to be some refinements and tweaking.”
While Hindley says the government is open to hearing feedback about how the role can be strengthened, he did not outline what those refinements might look like.
Questions about how classroom complexity supports will continue to evolve are unlikely to disappear. STF President Samantha Becotte has described class complexity teachers as an important first step, while emphasizing that implementation is still unfolding and further improvements may be identified as schools gain more experience with the role.
Safety in Schools
Concerns about violence and aggression in schools remain a priority for many teachers and are part of the broader conversation about learning and working conditions.
Hindley says the issue is one the government takes seriously.
“We would expect that anyone going to work, regardless of where they work, would be safe. That would include our schools.”
While the minister acknowledges the seriousness of the issue, he says education partners are collaborating on a broader strategy to address violence and aggression in schools. Although he does not outline any specific new supports, staffing measures or policy changes, Hindley says the government expects to have more to say about that work in the months ahead.
He also emphasizes the complexity of the issue.
“I don’t think there’s going to be a simple solution to it. I think it’s going to be a work in progress.”
Looking Ahead to Bargaining
Perhaps the biggest question heading into the school year is whether this round of bargaining will unfold differently than the last. The previous round resulted in unprecedented job action, widespread public attention and, ultimately, binding arbitration.
Hindley acknowledges that lessons were learned throughout the process.
“I think both sides would say that there were lessons to be learned and things that would have been done differently.”
As negotiations begin this fall, Hindley says he hopes government and teachers can take a more collaborative approach.
“I would hope that it is a much more collaborative and positive round of bargaining going forward.”
When asked how he is working to rebuild trust, Hindley pointed to regular conversations with the STF, local teacher associations and individual teachers. While acknowledging there will continue to be disagreements, he says respectful dialogue remains essential.
“We’re not going to agree on everything,” he says. “But I think that’s where we can have an open conversation about things.”
Hindley also notes that governments face competing priorities and finite resources, realities that will continue to shape decision-making at the bargaining table.
Whether the next round of negotiations results in a different experience for teachers remains to be seen; however, Hindley’s message heading into bargaining is that collaboration, communication and relationship building will be important to the process.
A Shared Focus on Students
Throughout the conversation, Hindley returns repeatedly to one theme: keeping students at the centre of decision-making.
“Everybody is in [education] for a particular reason. It’s because they feel that’s where they can have the biggest impact as an individual,” he says.
As bargaining begins this fall, teachers will be watching closely to see how discussions about recruitment and retention, classroom complexity, safety and working conditions translate into action at the bargaining table. For Hindley, keeping students at the centre of those conversations remains the guiding principle.
“If we can all remember those young people that are sitting at a desk in a classroom, that’s who this is about at the end of the day.”