Lori Jeschke Receives 2025 Arbos Award

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Former Prairie Spirit School Division Director of Education Lori Jeschke was recognized at this year’s STF Annual Meeting of Council with the 2025 Arbos Award for Distinguished Support of Education and the Teaching Profession.

Lori’s 34-year career in education included roles as a classroom teacher, principal, and administrator, ending with four years as Director of Education before retiring in 2021. Her biography and interview reflect on her experiences, the challenges of the profession, and her perspective on teaching and learning.

Read her biography and interview (pdf)

We congratulate Lori on this recognition and thank her for her contributions to education.

2025 PSTA Student Scholarship

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The Prairie Spirit Teachers’ Association is pleased to award three scholarships of $1,000.00 to Prairie Spirit students graduating in 2025 who have enrolled in any post-secondary institution.

The Prairie Spirit Teachers’ Association is also offering the Cindy Clarke Memorial Scholarship of $1,000 to a Prairie Spirit student graduating in 2025 who has enrolled in a post-secondary institution in a Bachelor of Education program for 2025-2026.

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 28, 2025 and the four successful applicants will be notified by Monday, June 16, 2025.

To view more information and download a copy of the application form, go to the PSTA Student Scholarship page.

Get to Know your GSCS Trustee Candidates

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The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation asked Greater Catholic School Board Trustee candidates to complete a survey to provide voters with a clearer understanding of their positions in key education issues.

GSCS Board Trustees Survey Responses

Download the PDF and share with your friends, family and neighbors.

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Learn more:

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Get to Know your SPSD Trustee Candidates

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The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation asked Saskatoon Public School Board Trustee candidates to complete a survey to provide voters with a clearer understanding of their positions in key education issues.

SPSD Board Trustees Survey Responses

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Get to Know your PSSD Trustee Candidates

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The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation asked Board Trustees candidates to complete a survey to provide voters with a clearer understanding of their positions in key education issues.

All 19 candidates were contacted and asked to complete the survey. Eight candidates completed the survey and we have their responses ready for you to download.

PSSD Board Trustees Survey Responses

Download the PDF  and share with your friends, family and neighbors.

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Subdivision No.CommunitiesCandidate
* completed STF Survey in bold
1Blaine Lake, Laird, Leask, & Waldheim, & Green Leaf, Leask, and Riverbend ColoniesFriesen, Wendy
Wieler, Pamela
2Duck Lake, Hague & RosthernKading, Kate (Acclaimed)
3Borden & LanghamHosegood, Melissa
Maksymiw, Neil
Summach, Emily
4Dalmeny, Hepburn & OslerLalonde, Carrie
Willems, Christa-Ann
5Asquith, Perdue, & Eagle Creek & Sunnydale ColoniesFriesen, Cindy (Acclaimed)
6Delisle, Pike Lake & Vanscoy & Willow Park ColonyHowe, Bernard
Poggemiller, Shelby
7Clavet, Dundurn, Hanley & South Corman Park & Hillcrest ColonyLavoie, Rhonda
Martineau, Bernard
Spray, Michelle
8Aberdeen, Allan & Colonsay & Lost River & Riverview ColoniesRichards, Michael
Wudrick, Grace
9City of MartensvilleMacLean, Kimberly (Acclaimed)
10City of WarmanDereniwski, Adin (Acclaimed)
11Muskeg Lake Cree NationGreyeyes, Kimberly (Acclaimed)

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2024-2025 PSTA Election Results

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I am pleased to report the results of the PSTA Executive and Committee elections held at the PSTA Representative Assembly on May 21, 2024. Members of the Representative Assembly voted to elect our new executive and committee members for the 2024-2025 term. These elections are essential for determining the leadership and direction of our association, so it is notable this year that the number of nominees required elections for the Vice President, and the STF Councillors and LINC groups.

Vice President Election: Heather Wolfe has been re-elected as Vice President.

STF Councillors:

  1. Amanda Nelson (re-elected)
  2. Brett Berry (re-elected)
  3. Diana Jemieff-Hayes (re-elected)
  4. Dustin Chahley (re-elected)
  5. Justin Sauer (re-elected)
  6. Kathy Spence
  7. Lisa Kuchler
  8. Marcy Racicot (re-elected)
  9. Mark Perry (re-elected)
  10. Michelle Fong

Local Implementation and Negotiations Committee (LINC):

  1. Amanda Nelson (re-elected)
  2. Amy Orth (re-elected)
  3. Carmen Kingsbury (re-elected)
  4. Cary Pepper-Martens (re-elected)
  5. Heather Wolfe (re-elected)
  6. Jaren Vetter

Professional Development:

  1. Amy Korver (re-elected)
  2. Jen Mason
  3. Lisa Kuchler (re-elected)
  4. vacant 
  5. vacant

Communications:

  1. Cary Pepper-Martens
  2. vacant
  3. vacant 

Two vacant positions remain on the Professional Development Committee and two vacant positions remain on the Communications Committee. The executive may appoint members to fill these vacancies (12.2.3 PSTA Constitution). Please contact PSTA President, Scott Woods-Fehr if you are interested in joining either committee. 

Thank you to all who participated and voted in the elections. Your involvement is crucial to the continued success of our association.

2024 PSTA Student Scholarship Recipients

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This year the PSTA received 25 applications for the 2024 PSTA Scholarship. Three scholarships of $1,000 were available to all Prairie Spirit students graduating in 2024 who have enrolled in any post-secondary institution, and the Cindy Clarke Memorial Scholarship of $1,000.00 is available to a Prairie Spirit student graduating in 2024, who has enrolled in a post-secondary institution in a Bachelor of Education program. Six of the 25 applicants were eligible for the Cindy Clarke Memorial Scholarship.

The PSTA Student Scholarship Committee chose Jada Mahussier of Delisle Composite School, Erika Roberts of Blaine Lake Composite School, and Sana Arora of Warman High School to each receive a $1,000 scholarship to help toward the cost of their post-secondary education.

Tylar Wolfe of Allan Composite School is the winner of the Cindy Clarke Memorial Scholarship for a Prairie Spirit graduate entering a Bachelor of Education program.

We wish all of you the best in your future education endeavors!

Notice of PSTA Presidential Election for 2024-2026

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PSTA members are invited to submit nominations for the office of PSTA President for the term of July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026.

The PSTA President’s duties are described in PSTA Policy and Guidelines Section 3.6 President. Please forward completed nomination forms to Returning Officer, Jason Brose by 4:00 pm on March 5th.

We encourage you to provide a photograph of yourself and a written statement, which will be posted on the PSTA web site leading up to the election.

Nominees will be given an opportunity to record a video response to questions provided by the Returning Officer. Questions will be made available to nominees on March 5th and posted on the PSTA website on March 12th.

The general membership elect the President through a secret ballot. All PSTA members are eligible to vote.

Voting for the PSTA President election will be facilitated by your School Staff Liaisons and occur using Election Runner on March 18th and 19th.

Please contact Jason Brose if you have any questions.

PSTA President Nomination Form

2024-2026 PSTA President Nomination Form
Download Now!

Provincial and Local Bargaining

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Funding Model’s Impact on Negotiating Local Agreements

In 2009, the Saskatchewan Government revised the education funding model, significantly impacting the PSTA’s LINC Agreement negotiations. This new model introduced a uniform provincial tax rate for residential, commercial, and agricultural properties, replacing the previous system where each school division independently set property tax rates to meet local needs and fund budgets.
Previously, if negotiating a LINC Agreement required additional funding, a school board could raise the mill rate accordingly. Under the current model, school funding is mainly based on student enrolment, and school boards must finance any additional expenses from teacher negotiations without extra funding, while ensuring they present a balanced budget to the Ministry of Education.
For context, increasing prep time by 1% in our LINC Agreement costs the school division approximately $850,000 per year and must be funded through the current funding model. To fund this increase, the PSSD Board would need to increase class size or cut programs.

1915SSBA established. School boards have autonomy to set the mill rate to fund school budgets.
2006PSTA formed through almalgamaation of Sask Valley, Sask West and Sask East Teachers’ Associations.
20075% prep time on calendar
2009Government removes School Boards’ ability to adjust mill rate
20105% prep on calendar and 3% added to timetable
20125% prep on calendar and 5% on timetable.
20206% prep on calendar and 5% on timetable

Related:

PSTA LINC Agreement (2020)
Historical LINC Information