Trustee calls for review of its SSBA membership

A Regina Public School Board trustee is bringing forward a motion to review what it gets from a membership with the Saskatchewan School Board Association (SSBA).

Ted Jaleta, trustee for Subdivision 1, plans to bring forward his motion on May 14. He said as school divisions deal with funding shortfalls and the prospect of cutting programs, school boards should take a look at the SSBA contract.

“When we are struggling, every program that has merit has to be reviewed. What are you getting back?” he said. “For the SSBA, do we need it really? In my opinion, to be honest, we don't need it.”

The motion, a copy of which was sent to the Leader-post, outlines the proposal which would seek to “Conduct a review to assess the value of SSBA membership and Regina Public School Division expenditure and provide recommendations to the Board,” reads the resolution.

Jaleta says he brought this motion forward due to positions taken by the SSBA during the long labour action and contract impasse between the government trustee bargaining committee (GTBC) and the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation bargaining committee. Most notably, he referenced the SSBA'S position that classroom complexity and composition not be included within a collective bargaining agreement.

On Thursday night, a resounding no vote was tallied as teachers rejected the GTBC'S offer.

“They are more bureaucratic or political wings for the government rather than they are actually helping us advocate for public education,” Jaleta said of the SSBA.

He added there has never been a membership review during the 100-year relationship between the two institutions.

Jaimie Smith-windsor, SSBA president, said the organization is not political and “needs to be prepared to work with any government. We also need to be prepared to work productively with all of the partners in education.”

Smith-windsor said she understands the need for review but feels confident in what the SSBA offers, such as insurance, policy advice, advocacy, management of out-of-scope employee benefits and legal services.

“We certainly welcome the scrutiny of a board reviewing their membership in the organization and fundamentally believe that we do offer significant value,” she said.

Jaleta says the amount of money the public school board spends on its SSBA membership is “significant,” saying it costs approximately $220,000 per year.

“In an era of increasing accountability and financial scrutiny, it is imperative that every dollar spent directly contributes to the enrichment of our educational environment,” read the motion.

Smith-windsor said she was not aware of how much Regina Public Schools spend annually on the membership.