Current Issues
Re-elect an experienced advocate who is committed to safeguarding our publicly-funded system
Securing sufficient and sustainable provincial education funding.
For years, education has been treated as a cost savings exercise in Saskatchewan, despite clear evidence that education is a significant economic driver and a good investment in our collective future. Learn more about the Economic Impact of School Divisions on the Saskatchewan Economy, here. This needs to change. Public schooling is a common good and the best longterm investment in the future of Saskatchewan.
If provincial funding for all 27 publicly funded schools kept pace with inflation and enrollment growth over the past decade in Saskatchewan, there would be more than $271 million dollars more in the system and $85 million more for school maintenance. Underfunding publicly funded schools erodes our education system.
The solution is securing sufficient, sustainable and predictable funding to boards of education that reflects increasing enrollments and inflationary costs.
After we eliminate the funding gap created by years of underfunding, then boards of education need new investment for things like inclusion, full time Kindergarten and school food programs.
If re-elected, I will explore all options to restore the funding that school boards desperately need. I will advocate, locally and provincially, for boards of education to secure predictable funding that covers inflationary costs and enrollment growth on budget day.
Learn more about solutions to restoring education funding in Saskatchewan, here.
Preserving the integrity and independence of school boards, keeping partisan politics out.
Increasingly, education is becoming highly polarized and politicized. School boards hold a position of trust in our democracy and must remain independent. Local governments, including school boards, are non-partisan. School boards work in collaboration with all levels of government to co-govern education, but must remain non-partisan in their roles and independent.
If re-elected, I will work hard to ensure that school board governance remains laser-focused on what’s best for Saskatchewan students, their education and their future success. This means keeping partisan politics and organized special interests in check. Trustees swear an oath of office to maintain the public trust, to make decisions in the best interests of publicly funded education, our school divisions and our students. The Trustee Code of Ethics compels trustees to act with integrity and honesty, while supporting the value of publicly funded education.
The public and my constituents can trust that I am independent, non-partisan and solely focused on providing the best possible education for our students.
Safeguarding Saskatchewan Education from centralization and privatization.
Increasingly, education policy and legislation is being made by ministerial directives, without local consultation with school boards, our education partners and our communities. Examples of one-size-fits-all policy directives include: banning third parties from supporting classroom learning, introducing pronoun policies and ‘parent rights’ legislation, suspending and renewing health education curriculum without consultation, dissolving the Provincial Education Plan Advisory Council and Provincial Curriculum Advisory Committee, centralizing distance learning programs, a province-wide ban on cellphones in schools.
Centralized decision-making in Saskatchewan’s healthcare system hasn’t improved health care and it doesn't work for publicly funded schooling, either. Why doesn’t centralization work? Because Saskatchewan communities are unique and diverse. Public services belong to communities and benefit from local innovations and local consultation. Because, education belongs to communities.
At the same time as boards of education are experiencing centralization of decision-making in education, there have been significant legislative and regulatory changes that have allowed for the creation of independent ‘private’ schools in Saskatchewan.
Creating private schools that exist outside of the publicly funded system that is co-governed by 27 locally elected and accountable boards of education creates inequity among students and communities. It contributes to the erosion of education as a public service and a common good. Publicly funded schools cultivate social cohesion and respect for diversity. The legislative and regulatory changes that have occurred over the last decade or more have created fundamental changes to our publicly funded system, enabling the (growing) privatization of education in our province. This shift means that public tax dollars are funding private schooling in Saskatchewan. This shift would benefit from intentional and transparent public engagement.
If re-elected, I will advocate to preserve local voice and autonomy in education by putting forward a provincial resolution to invite the development of a formal consultation protocol with education sector partners, boards of education and the Government of Saskatchewan when considering all new policy initiatives.
If re-elected, I will oppose the further erosion of the publicly funded school system through privatization, specifically the largely unscrutinized proliferation of Certified, Qualified and Registered Independent Schools that operate outside of the publicly funded school system and the oversight of 27 democratically elected boards of education.
The publicly funded education system delivered by and overseen by 27 locally elected boards of education plays a critical role in providing equitable and high-quality education for all Saskatchewan students while promoting social cohesion.
Keeping public tax dollars in the publicly funded system governed by Public, Catholic and Francophone school boards.
The introduction of amendments to the Registered Independent Schools Regulations (2011 & 2023) created new categories and funding streams for private independent schools in Saskatchewan. This has resulted in public tax dollars being diverted away from our publicly funded system overseen by 27 locally elected boards of education and into private, independent schools. This is privatization. It’s contributing to the erosion of our publicly funded system and it’s growing.
While respecting treaty rights to education and other historic school agreements:
If re-elected I will advocate to keep public tax dollars in publicly funded schools.
If re-elected, I will advance public engagement and dialogue about the use of public dollars to fund private education in Saskatchewan.
Why? Because Saskatchewan education is slowly being transformed through privatization. So, it’s time to have a big, transparent public conversation about it.
Should the Government of Saskatchewan provide private schools with our public tax dollars?
Click image to view Provincial Sales Tax Revenue Figures, Government of Saskatchewan
Exempting schools from provincial and federal taxes.
Schools are funded with taxpayer dollars and serve a common purpose; we all benefit from an educated society. Provincial schools are subject to increased and new forms of taxation by other levels of government - provincial and federal.
In 2017, Provincial Sales Tax (PST) was increased from 5% to 6% and added to school construction labour costs, adding significant expense to school construction and forcing boards to do more with less. The expansion of PST to events, insurance and membership fees have also taken more public tax dollars out of the classroom and put them back into the general revenue stream. School boards should be exempt from provincial taxes.
In 2019, carbon pricing was introduced by the federal government and applied to things like school utility costs and fuel for school buses. School boards are paying a significant amount towards carbon pricing, annually. When provincial education budgets do not keep up with inflationary pressures and enrollment growth - including the rising costs of carbon pricing without any way to recoup those dollars - this exacerbates operational challenges. School boards should be able to fully recoup the cost of carbon pricing to support capital projects that make schools more efficient. In 2019, Saskatchewan School Boards recouped ‘carbon tax’ dollars through the Climate Action Incentive Fund. This should happen on an annual basis.
Provincial and federal governments shouldn’t tax local governments like school boards and they shouldn’t tax schools. Period.
If re-elected I will advocate locally and provincially to for the removal of PST from school construction and other areas like insurance and events in order to redirect those dollars back to classrooms.
If re-elected I will advocate locally, provincially and federally for Saskatchewan schools to recoup the cost of carbon pricing to make schools more efficient.
Centering all policies in the educational, human and Treaty rights of children and youth.
School boards play an important role in safeguarding the rights of children and youth.
If re-elected, I will continue to champion policies and legislation that center every decision on the educational, human and Treaty rights of children and youth.
If re-elected, I will advocate locally, provincially and nationally for the adoption of a National Strategy for Children and Youth that will help to safeguard the rights of all children across Canada.
If re-elected, I will continue to oppose policies and legislation that may be contrary to the education, human and Treaty rights of Saskatchewan children.
“Boards of education would not be doing their due diligence from both a legal and human rights perspective, serving the students of this province, unless we have assurance that sudden policy changes and directives are not putting young people in harm’s way and are not contrary to their human rights”