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Professional Development Funding Applications for the 2018-2019 School Year:
Good afternoon STJATA Members,
As per our guidelines, PD or course applications for the period of September 1st to November 30th, 2018 will be accepted from June 1st- June 15th, 2018. The application process will be shut down as of June 15th and will resume in September. If you are looking to apply, there are application forms in the STJATA Conference on First Class or you can visit the Professional Development link on the website to apply electronically. Funds for conferences and coursework that are applied for between June 1st and 15th will not be dispersed until the beginning of September when the office reopens for the the 2018-2019 school year.
We look forward to receiving your applications!
STJATA Members Invited to Join the Rally for Public Education
On Friday, May 25th from 4:30-5:00, there will be a Rally for Public Education outside the Manitoba Legislature. STJATA Members are invited to attend.
- STJATA is looking to provide transportation for Members interested in attending. The following criteria should be considered:
- Minimum of 25 Members needed in order to book a bus, maximum of 55 Members.
- Bus would need to be loaded by 3:40-3:45 location to be determined.
- Anticipated return of 5:30
- Any Members interested, please contact info@stjata.ca by noon on Friday, May 18th so necessary arrangements can be made.
Public Services Rally as Organized by Manitoba Federation of Labour
Professional Development Funds Still Available
For any Members wondering, there are still funds available in the STJATA PD Fund for anyone looking to attend a conference, or to take coursework. Members are still eligible to apply for PD Funds to attend conferences or take coursework that may take place during the summer months of 2018.
If interested please contact:
pd@stjata.ca
STJATA News and Upcoming Dates
Resignation Dates
For those Members who may be looking to retire or for employment in another School Division, the following dates are important:
- For those Members who were hired after 2004 and under what is now called a Teacher General Contract, your resignation date is April 30th.
- For those Members who were hired prior to 2004 and under a Form 2 Contract, your resignation date is May 31st.
- Written notice must be given to the School Board in order to terminate one's service to the employer.
Call for Nominations
Nominations for the 2018-2019 STJATA Executive are now open.
The Nominations Chairperson, Geret Coates is now accepting nominations for anyone interested in serving on the STJATA 2018-2019 Executive. (All positions are 1-year terms)
Currently, there are no vacant positions on the STJATA Executive, therefore, any Member looking to run for a position will trigger an election for that particular position.
If you are interested in joining the STJATA Executive, please contact the Nominations Chair at: nominations@stjata.ca
The following positions are open yearly for election:
A) Five (5) Table Officers:
• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Professional Issues Chairperson.
B) Five (5) Members-at-large.
Members-at-large take responsibility for various portfolios that are assigned at the first meeting of the new executive
Procedure:
• Nominees not currently on the STJATA executive must submit their nomination on a STJATA Executive nomination form along with the signatures of 15 members in good standing (as defined by MTS Bylaws) to the Nominations Chairperson.
• Nominees currently serving on the STJATA executive wishing to serve an additional year in their current position must submit their intention in writing to the Nomination Chairperson.
• Nominees currently serving on the STJATA executive wishing to serve an additional year in a new position that is one of President or Vice President must submit their nomination on a STJATA executive nomination form along with the signatures of 15 members in good standing (as defined by MTS Bylaws) to the Nominations Chairperson
Changes affecting your Paystub:
It may or may not have gone unnoticed, but changes to your monthly pay have occured. The changes didn't occur as a result of a change in salary, but rather in the premiums that we pay to maintain our Long Term Disabilty Plan.
Upon recommendation from the Disability Benefits Plan Committee and the Actuary for the plan, the Provincial Executive, at its January 19th meeting, approved a premium of 1.9% on all salaries and allowances effective March 1st 2018 for the Long Term Disability Plan, (LTD). This increases the previous premium of 1.39% on all salaries and allowances, to the 1.9% on all salaries and allowances. On an $80,000 salary this represents a $34.00/month increase.
The increase is a result of an increasing frequency of claims in the previous fiscal year and this increased frequency continuing into the present year. Overall the number of claims in 2016/17 rose 6% but the actual income replacement cost of the nonphysical claims rose 10 times as much as the increase in income replacement for physical claims. This is probably reflective of the increasing stressors on classroom teachers particularly at the higher end of the salary scales. Couple this with increasing costs of service providers to the plan, example, Clinical Psychologists, Physiotherapists, and Vocational Rehabilitation Therapists the resultant effect is of course, cost increases.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact:
Glen Anderson
Staff Officer Benefits, Manitoba Teachers’ Society,
204 831 3052 or, at ganderson@mbteach.org
Teacher Bursary from Canadian Geographic
Phyllis Arnold PD Bursary
Two Awards of $300
Deadline May 1
For any PD relating to geography or social studies (does not have to be indigenous, but all indigenous studies would qualify)
The Bursary being offered may be applied to PD which has already taken place during the current school year(2018). Applications can be found at the link below:
http://www.cangeoeducation.ca/programs/prodev/arnold_subsidy/default.asp
You could also contact Ellen Curtis directly at the following e-mail:
curtis@rcgs.org
Canadian Museum for Human Rights Passes
STJATA will once again be offering passes that will provide members with free admission to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. There are 10 passes available to be booked.
To Book the CMHR Passes: Please e-mail cmhr@stjata.ca or call the office directly at 204-888-1314
The passes can be picked up at the STJATA Office at 203-2639 Portage Avenue, Monday through Friday. Please arrange a time for pick-up and return.
UPDATES from MTS
Update on Critical Issues
Unkindest Cuts: Article from The Teacher
Let's Talk Teaching: Taking Back the Conversation Meetings
Links for up to date information on critical issues (Click Below):
March stories on issues from The Teacher
Be Heard On Brochures (Click Below):
Last month the provincial government announced sweeping changes to education funding that will have a huge impact on every public school teacher in the province.
So far, the government has said it will:
• Essentially cut K-12 funding by keeping direct financing of education to less than the rate of inflation and limit the amounts school boards can raise through taxation.
• Freeze salaries of school staff, including teachers, for two years and limit increases for another two years after that.
• Institute a system of provincial bargaining whereby most, if not all, collective bargaining is done at a central table.
• Implement a full review of the education system that the province says will lead to the most profound changes in a generation.
While details of some of the changes are still unclear, it is apparent that the immediate changes will come at a cost to teachers and students.
Last month the provincial government announced sweeping changes to education funding that will have a huge impact on every public school teacher in the province.
And the education minister promised there is more to come.
So far, the government has said it will:
o Essentially cut K-12 funding by keeping direct financing of education to less than the rate of inflation and limit the amounts school boards can raise through taxation.
o Freeze salaries of school staff, including teachers, for two years and limit increases for another two years after that.
o Institute a system of provincial bargaining whereby most, if not all, collective bargaining is done at a central table.
o Implement a full review of the education system that the province says will lead to the most profound changes in a generation.
While details of some of the changes are still unclear, it is apparent that the immediate changes will come at a cost to teachers and students.
For the complete story, please click on the link provided below:
Meetings Set to Hear From You:
The purpose of these consultations is to bring teachers together to talk about teaching and learning in Manitoba in a climate where innovations continue to be planned with less and less teacher input. Honouring the voices of trained and experienced educators is intended to take back the narrative.
The dialogue will focus on four topics: effective teaching practices, literacy, numeracy, and early learning. For each topic, information will be gathered on the following questions:
- What specific strategies are you using to make a difference?
- What challenges are you experiencing?
- If you could change one thing in the Manitoba education system, what would it be?
Community meetings for parents, teachers, students and all others interested in the future of French education in the Province of Manitoba
President's Message:
Good afternoon, STJATA members;
The Public-School Funding Announcement of Thursday, February 8th, has cast a dark cloud upon public schools, students and teachers. As teachers who serve on the front lines of the public education system, we need to become ever more informed about the issues, developments and challenges we will face in the coming months. Reaction to this announcement will stand as a testament to teachers and their willingness to be vocal about what they feel is fundamental in providing the highest level of education possible to the students of Manitoba. STJATA members can take action in a number of different ways, ranging from communication with fellow colleagues, friends and relatives to making sure we are signed up with MyProfile through the www.mbteach.org website.
For those of us who have yet to sign up, or update your information with the MyProfile site found on the MTS homepage, this is one of the first things we can do to take action. Signing up with MyProfile, will allow the Manitoba Teachers’ Society to contact members on short notice, with MyProfile being the vehicle for that communication. MTS will not bombard you with messages through this medium, but will ensure that you receive up to date and accurate information regarding the state of public education in Manitoba. Being able to contact the 15,000+ members of our Society is a valuable tool when faced with a situation of this magnitude.
I will be looking to increase the profile of STJATA through the use of social media. Up to this point, STJATA has had a limited presence on Twitter and Facebook. Our Twitter handle is @STJATA for anyone who would like to follow us, as we attempt to augment STJATA’s means of communicating with the membership.
On the STJATA website, I have included the list of MLAs and their contact information. This will provide STJATA members an opportunity to contact the MLAs in their respective constituencies and indicate to them their concerns with the direction this Government has chosen to take regarding public education. The template, provided by MTS, for written correspondence with public officials has been posted on the STJATA website, I would encourage all STJATA members to contact the MLA in their riding.
As teachers, we all believe in the importance of public education. We also believe that our students need greater supports, not fewer. As members of STJATA, we need to take action and show solidarity while our public education system is under attack. We need to stand together with the 15,000+ Manitoba Public School Teachers across our Province in a show of strength for the profession we represent.
Yours in solidarity,
Kent McPherson
Manitoba Government's Public-Schools Funding Announcement
Yesterday the Manitoba Government announced it's plans for the funding of it's Public Schools. For those who haven't had the opportunity to view the announcement and the subsequent question period please click on the link below:
MTS President Norm Gould responded to the announcement in the following press release calling the announcement a "huge disappointment" and questions the governments commitment to kids. Click on the link below to read the MTS President's News Release
In the link below you will find the contact information, both phone number and email, of all the MLA's and their constituencies in the Manitoba Legislature. There is also a link to a template suggesting how to address your MLA as well as some guidelines to help direct your correspondence regarding the issues facing Manitoba's Public Education system.
Within the upcoming days, I will be providing further information regarding steps that STJATA members can take to voice their concerns over the recent developments in Manitoba's Public Education system.
Highlights from the Regional Issues Meeting held at College Sturgeon Heights Collegiate can be found in the links below:
STJATA Wellness Committee Newsletter:
Upcoming STJATA Seminars:
Pre-Retirement TRAF Seminar
Saturday, April 14, 2018
9:00am-12:00pm at the Holiday Inn Airport West
2520 Portage Avenue
If you are age 48 or older, you should have received an invitation from either The Manitoba Teachers’ Society or your local association to attend a Pre-Retirement Seminar. If you were unable to attend the Pre-Retirement Seminar held in September, here are a couple other opportunities to attend a seminar regarding your pension.
To Register:
You will need to have the registrant number that was included in the original invite letter sent from TRAF. Included in that letter is a user ID that is required for the login process. If you don't have the user ID that was given to you please contact Billie Couture at bcouture@mbteach.org or call 204-888-7961 ext. 239 and she will help set you up with a number so that you may register for the seminar.
Once you have a user ID, you will need to go to the mbteach.org website and click on the Health and Benefits tab. When you scroll down you will see a heading called Pension and Retirement Information, click on that heading and it will take you to the page where you will find the Pre-Retirement information. In order to register, you must click on the "continue" at the bottom of the Pre-Retirement Information section, this will take you directly to the TRAF website where you can log in with your name, the user ID that was sent to you and the School Division for whom you work. If you don't have the user ID that was given to you please contact Billie Couture at bcouture@mbteach.org or call 204-888-7961 ext. 239 and she will help set you up with a number so that you may register for the seminar
E-mail info@stjata.ca
Professional Development Opportunities
If you are interested in attending Professional Development and aren't sure where to find a conference that may pertain to you, below is a list of PD Conferences as well as a couple of links to a variety of content areas and locales to get you started:
Links:
https://www.solutiontree.com/events.html
http://www.mbteach.org/mtscms/2017/05/02/pd-workshops/
- Canadian Educators Conference on Mental Health - Toronto November 8th and 9th, 2018
- Teach Like a Pirate - Glacier Canyon Conference Centre Wisconsin Dells July 31, 2018
- The Science of Emotion - Banff, Alberta July 23rd-25th, 2018
- Association Canadienne Professionnels de L'Immersion - Winnipeg, October 25-27, 2018
If you have any questions regarding professional development please feel free to contact pd@stjata.ca or info@stjata.ca
MTS PD Day
Congratulations to all members of STJATA who either presented or helped in the organization of the numerous Special Area Group sessions held throughout the Province this past Friday, October 20. The time and effort involved in running events of this nature are immense. Your interest and involvement in MTS PD Day goes a long way in making it a rewarding and enriching experience for most.
I'd also like to take the time to thank all STJATA members for your attendance at this year's MTS PD Day. This is our opportunity as educators to attend professional development sessions of our choice. Thank you for taking the time to provide your knowledge and insight, demonstrate your interest in learning, as well as taking the opportunity to make connections with colleagues throughout the province. I hope everyone's experience was rewarding.
Phone: (204) 888-1314
Fax: (204) 831-0140