It is difficult for individual teachers to speak out on the ongoing impasse with government, but P.A.'s Troy Parenteau has commented in his capacity as a local NDP candidate for the upcoming provincial election. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

teacher government impasse

Time to take a stand: local teacher on start to sanctions

Mar 9, 2020 | 4:55 PM

Parents don’t want their kids getting less at school, but teachers need to take a stand.

Those are the thoughts of a teacher in Prince Albert with job action set to start on Thursday as there are no clear signs of a solution to the impasse with government over class complexity. The government meanwhile, has accused the STF of walking away from kids.

“Teachers don’t want to not be a part of extra-curricular services, they don’t want to withdraw services,” Troy Parenteau told paNOW in his capacity as the NDP candidate for the Prince Albert Carlton riding come the provincial election. “But we’re in a situation right now where we have to take some of these actions for the betterment of education into the future.”

Parenteau, who is also chair of the local bargaining committee, a provincial counsellor, and on the P.A. and Area Teachers’ Association (PAATA) executive, said he hoped the action taken by teachers later this week would resonate with the government and parents.

“I don’t think that parents want their students getting less, and I think there is a lot of support out there for teachers and for the future,” he said.

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Asked if he would be prepared to take tougher job action down the road if there was no progress with government, Parenteau said that would be a decision for the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF).

Threat of sanctions acted upon

On Monday, STF President Patrick Maze announced the sanctions including no voluntary or extracurricular services, and that teachers would not offer their services for more than 15 minutes before or after the school day. Teachers voted by over 90 per cent for sanctions last month in their efforts to see change.

“It is extremely frustrating that government admits there is a problem, but refuses to address it,” Maze said in a media release. “Students are paying the price. Teachers have made it clear that securing adequate classroom resources for students is worth fighting for.”

paNOW reached out for comment from Ted Zurakowski, the president of PAATA, but he said at this stage all communications would be coming from the STF.

Education minister not happy

Meanwhile, Saskatchewan’s Education Minister said he was disappointed by the STF move and is pointing a finger at them.

Gord Wyant says the government offered a new fund of $25 million over five years to help address classroom complexity with more supports.

Teachers say that’s not enough. But Wyant maintains the province can’t solve the issue overnight.

“The suggestion that we just simply throw $125 million at a problem without having a pathway forward to solving it I don’t think is the right way to go,” he told reporters. “The STF and the union has walked away from the bargaining table, from conciliation, and now they’re walking away from kids.”

He said the province offered up an extra fund of $5 million per year to pay for more classroom supports like education assistants or psychologists to help address classroom complexity.

With files from CJME.

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow