The STF says school trustees should advocate for increased funding for public education, instead of “seeking ways to divert funds to private schools.”
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Less than two hours after the provincial government announced a new student literacy pilot program, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) condemned it as privatization.
“This announcement of Prairie Spirit School Division partnering with Roadways Literacy, a qualified independent school, is yet another choice of this government to privatize education,” STF president Samantha Becotte said Friday in a news release.
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“Literacy support programs already exist in school divisions but aren’t fully meeting students’ needs due to ongoing budget cuts. Many remain in existence because charities fundraise to fill the gap.”
On Friday, the province announced the partnership in its own news release, celebrating the pilot it says is designed to improve literacy outcomes for students during the 2024-25 school year — also a goal of the Provincial Education Plan.
Announced in November 2023, the Provincial Education Plan was said to be developed with the “direct involvement” of the education sector, Indigenous organizations, post-secondary institutions and school community councils representing parents. It covers pre-K to Grade 12 students up until 2030. According to the province at the time of that announcement, one of the four main pillars of the plan emphasizes learning and assessment, with a goal to “improve student outcomes through effective assessment and instruction.”
The new student literacy pilot program “seeks to improve literacy through a structured and supportive educational environment,” states Friday’s provincial press release.
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“Classroom teachers and educational assistants involved in the Prairie Spirit School Division pilot will receive training from Roadways Literacy Academy in delivering structured literacy lessons, providing them the knowledge to deliver the content in subsequent years.”
The Saskatoon-based independent school teaches Saskatchewan curriculum to students in Grades 1 to 8.
The Science of Reading methodology “is not owned” by Roadways, the STF argued.
“It is a well-known teaching method that hasn’t been fully used due to understaffing and reduced professional learning for teachers and educational assistants,” the STF said Friday.
The STF has called on the government and Prairie Spirit’s board of trustees to immediately reverse the decision and “start offering solutions for all Saskatchewan students.
“I want to be very clear: this is a calculated government choice to prop up private enterprises rather than address the challenges of their own creation in public schools,” Becotte said.
“This is not in the best interest of the majority of Saskatchewan families.”
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Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said he was disappointed that the STF would politicize an initiative aimed to help improve student outcomes and spoke about Roadways’ “proven track record” in improving reading and literacy for kids with learning disabilities.
“Our government is pleased to see that Prairie Spirit School Division is partnering with Roadways as they take concrete steps to improve student success,” Cockrill said in an email to the Leader-Post Friday afternoon.
The PSSD operates more than 45 schools in communities surrounding Saskatoon. In a news release Friday, board chair Bernie Howe said the school division appreciates “the opportunity to learn with and from other schools and school divisions” as it plans “targeted and intentional reading supports that will have a significant impact on student learning.”
The division is “committed to providing supports for students, including engaging in innovative partnerships,” Howe stated in an emailed response to the STF’s criticisms. The initiative is in line with the board’s strategic plan, which was developed based on “extensive consultation” with families, students and staff, he added.
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The board is always looking for ways to access funding, he continued, and thanks to the new pilot, the division will be able to hire two additional literacy support staff members and provide “targeted professional development” for two teachers within the division.
Also on Friday, the NDP said the partnership with Roadways “opens the door to further privatization” and that entering contracts with private schools is “not the answer.”
This comes on the heels of an announcement earlier this month by Opposition Leader Carla Beck, who unveiled a planned $2-billion investment in education over the course of the party’s first four-year term if it were elected this fall.
Both the STF and Saskatchewan NDP voiced concerns over government support for private education following the 2024-25 provincial budget in March. At the time, the government said it supported parental choice with respect to children’s education. The NDP criticized what it characterized as a discrepancy in funding provided to public and private schools and the STF argued the province was digging in its heels to move toward a privatized education model.
— With Regina Leader-Post files from Angela Amato, Alec Salloum, and Saskatoon Star Phoenix files from Bryn Levy
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