Some Saskatchewan students and teachers will get an extra day off following the spring break as rotating strikes affect some schools.Teachers will not report to school and will not perform any teaching-related duties March 4 in the divisions of Holy Family, Prairie South, Regina Public, Regina Catholic, South East Cornerstone and the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Corporation campuses in Moose Jaw and Estevan. Francophone schools will also be closed in Regina, Moose Jaw, Gravelbourg and Bellegarde.Striking teachers from the local associations listed above will gather outside the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina. This action coincides with the first day of the spring legislative session. The Saskatchewan Teachers Federation has invited supporters to join them on the strike line between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.STF President Samantha Becotte says they are turning up the volume of their complaints.“Government has ignored calls, emails, meeting requests and office visits from teachers, parents and concerned citizens. It will be awfully difficult for them to ignore us on Monday as they return for spring session,” said Becotte."Saskatchewan residents have sent over 110,000 emails to government and school board trustees since the beginning of January. In the face of this overwhelming support for the actions that teachers are taking for their students and publicly funded schools, it is deeply troubling that government remains so intransigent in their position."Teachers province-wide are also denying students their volunteer time on March 5 and 6. This includes the organization, supervision and facilitation of activities, including athletics, non-curricular arts, clubs, field trips, student travel and graduation preparations.On March 5, teachers will also refuse noon hour supervision in the school divisions of Chinook, Horizon, Northern Lights, Northwest, Prairie Spirit, Prairie Valley, Saskatchewan Rivers, Prince Albert Catholic and Sun West.Citing figures from the provincial government, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the average teacher in Saskatchewan makes $92,000 a year, compared to $90,300 in the rest of Western Canada. The average Saskatchewanian earns about $61,000 per year.Saskatchewan schools average 190 school days a year. This means teachers are earning $484 per day for each day they are at work, or about $60 an hour based on a typical eight-hour workday. Teacher salary and benefits made up 50% of total school division spending in 2021.The teachers' union is seeking better pay, smaller classes and more resources to deal with the complex learning problems of some students. While teachers want a 23.4% increase, the government has offered 7%.
Some Saskatchewan students and teachers will get an extra day off following the spring break as rotating strikes affect some schools.Teachers will not report to school and will not perform any teaching-related duties March 4 in the divisions of Holy Family, Prairie South, Regina Public, Regina Catholic, South East Cornerstone and the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Corporation campuses in Moose Jaw and Estevan. Francophone schools will also be closed in Regina, Moose Jaw, Gravelbourg and Bellegarde.Striking teachers from the local associations listed above will gather outside the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina. This action coincides with the first day of the spring legislative session. The Saskatchewan Teachers Federation has invited supporters to join them on the strike line between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.STF President Samantha Becotte says they are turning up the volume of their complaints.“Government has ignored calls, emails, meeting requests and office visits from teachers, parents and concerned citizens. It will be awfully difficult for them to ignore us on Monday as they return for spring session,” said Becotte."Saskatchewan residents have sent over 110,000 emails to government and school board trustees since the beginning of January. In the face of this overwhelming support for the actions that teachers are taking for their students and publicly funded schools, it is deeply troubling that government remains so intransigent in their position."Teachers province-wide are also denying students their volunteer time on March 5 and 6. This includes the organization, supervision and facilitation of activities, including athletics, non-curricular arts, clubs, field trips, student travel and graduation preparations.On March 5, teachers will also refuse noon hour supervision in the school divisions of Chinook, Horizon, Northern Lights, Northwest, Prairie Spirit, Prairie Valley, Saskatchewan Rivers, Prince Albert Catholic and Sun West.Citing figures from the provincial government, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the average teacher in Saskatchewan makes $92,000 a year, compared to $90,300 in the rest of Western Canada. The average Saskatchewanian earns about $61,000 per year.Saskatchewan schools average 190 school days a year. This means teachers are earning $484 per day for each day they are at work, or about $60 an hour based on a typical eight-hour workday. Teacher salary and benefits made up 50% of total school division spending in 2021.The teachers' union is seeking better pay, smaller classes and more resources to deal with the complex learning problems of some students. While teachers want a 23.4% increase, the government has offered 7%.
