Specialized support classrooms coming to Sask. schools to de-escalate behavioural incidents

A pilot project focused on specialized supports for the classroom will be taking place in Saskatchewan schools in February.

The provincial government said a specialized support classroom will help teachers manage and de-escalate behavioural incidents.

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“We have heard from Saskatchewan teachers that they need to spend more of their time teaching rather than managing disruptive behaviour,” Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said.

“This pilot aims to support students to continue their studies uninterrupted but also assists students who need targeted interventions in the short-term.”

Eight school divisions will be taking part in the pilot project that runs until the 2024-25 school year, which the province said will help students practise self-regulation skills and address the impacts of disruptions in the classroom.

A minimum of one teacher and two educational assistants will staff these classrooms and they will have space for 15 students.

“Our staff is looking forward to working collaboratively with the Ministry of Education to develop a plan that supports our students. We know this project will have a positive impact on teaching and learning in one of our elementary schools. We are working with our team at Saskatoon Public to determine which elementary school will be part of this pilot,” Saskatoon Public Schools Board chair Kim Stranden said.

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“We are pleased to announce that St. Mary School will be our chosen site for the pilot in our division. We look forward to working with the Ministry of Education during this pilot as we discover a new support mechanism that will result in a positive experience for students and staff,” Light of Christ Catholic Schools Board chair Glen Gantefoer said.

Participating school divisions are in urban areas and the Ministry of Education said it will be working closely with these school divisions.

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Parents and guardians of students who are being supported by these specialized classrooms will be informed.

The province said $3.6 million is going toward this pilot project.

Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation president Samantha Becotte claimed this pilot project is trying to sidestep bargaining negotiations that the teachers’ union and province are currently going through.

She said a conciliation report was released on Monday that commented on the class complexity issue being seen in schools across the province.

“The board agrees with what teachers have been saying for the last 10 years, is that they have a right to negotiate their working conditions,” Becotte said.

“Teachers’ working conditions are our students’ learning conditions.”

She said articles revolving around class complexity have been a part of agreements with teachers in other provinces.

Becotte called the pilot project “an interesting start,” calling it an admission by the provincial government that it agrees that class complexity is an issue that needs to be addressed.

“Unfortunately, this pilot project is only planned for eight urban elementary schools, which accounts for approximately one per cent of the students in Saskatchewan.”

She said Saskatchewan ranks eighth in terms of per student funding, but they would like to be number one again.

Becotte said they are willing to go back to the bargaining table, but they need a renewed mandate.

The Ministry of Education said urban areas were picked for the project because of their size, saying it provided comparability and consistency.

“While some divisions may have similar types of approaches to helping students manage behavior, the ministry will assess the effectiveness of the various approaches throughout all participating divisions. By undertaking this pilot, the province will gain better insight to the types of interventions that are the most meaningful in terms of supporting teachers and students,” the ministry said.

“The Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC) will continue to bargain on items like salary and benefits that are a part of the provincial teacher collective agreement when the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation returns to the bargaining table. The GTBC also notes that the conciliation board did not recommend class size and composition be included as a part of the bargaining discussions.”

The ministry said it wants to work with education stakeholders on issues like classroom composition outside of the bargaining process.