Nomination for PSTA President

Scott Woods-Fehr, PSTA Presidential Candidate

CANDIDATE FOR PSTA PRESIDENT

My name is Scott Woods-Fehr and I am seeking your support to become President of the Prairie Spirit Teachers’ Association (PSTA).

I have been teaching since 2002 and have a variety of experience including teaching middle years and high school at Chief Poundmaker School and six years at Hanley Composite in the role of K-12 Special Education Resource Teacher. Currently, I am in my fifth year teaching grade 7 at Warman Community Middle School. I believe that my range of experience allows me to truly speak for all teachers in our school division.

My partner Andrea is a teacher and works as a special education consultant. We live in Saskatoon with our kids Liam (age 10) and Jonah (age 8) and our dog Sam (age 13!). I am passionate about computers and technology, and I enjoy BMX racing, family bike rides, and playing beach volleyball with friends. 

I have over 11 years of experience with the PSTA. As a substitute teacher, I started attending School Staff Liaison meetings to better understand the roles of the STF and local associations.  In 2009 I was elected as STF councillor and have served in that role to date. This year I am also serving as Councillor Chair.  Since I joined the PSTA Executive, we transitioned to a new provincial funding model for education which has changed the shared work of the Board, Division Office, and PSTA Executive. As a councillor, I have met with our school board to share members’ concerns and discuss ways the board can best support teachers and students.

I am proud to say our relationship with the PSSD board and senior administration is positive. Board members consistently seek to understand teacher working and student learning conditions and we enjoy an open flow of communication. However, there have been times in previous years when we were obliged to engage in difficult conversations with the director and senior administration to discuss emerging and challenging issues on behalf of Prairie Spirit teachers.

As PSTA President, I pledge to maintain the positive and open relationship past presidents have developed with our board and division staff. At the same time, I will advocate for the needs of teachers with a strong voice. My experience in a variety of K-12 classroom settings, as a special education teacher, and in small and large schools allows me to understand the different positions and perspectives of teachers across our division. Teachers are the experts in what our students need to thrive as learners however, we continue to face numerous challenges that contribute to the intensification of teacher workload including underfunding, a lack mental health supports for students, and increasing class complexity.

The work of the PSTA is incredibly important for the future of our profession and I look forward to the opportunity to represent you locally and provincially. Thank you for your support.