In a sun-drenched conference room at the University of Saskatchewan last week, education leaders from across the country gathered to tackle what many are calling a perfect storm in Canadian classrooms. The air was thick with urgency as superintendents, school board trustees, and university educators confronted twin crises: plummeting teacher retention rates and escalating safety concerns.
“We’re seeing dedicated professionals walk away from careers they once loved,” explained Sandra Davidson, chair of the Canadian Association of School System Administrators. “When a 20-year veteran tells you they’re leaving because they don’t feel safe coming to work anymore, we have a fundamental problem that requires immediate attention.”
The Saskatoon meeting highlighted alarming trends. According to recent Canadian Teachers’ Federation surveys, nearly 70 percent of teachers have experienced or witnessed violence in their classrooms over the past year. Meanwhile, provincial education ministries report teacher vacancies increasing by roughly 30 percent since 2019, with rural and northern communities hit hardest.
For Saskatchewan Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill, who addressed attendees on the opening day, the challenges are deeply interconnected. “Teacher retention directly impacts student outcomes. When we lose experienced educators, we lose institutional knowledge, mentorship capacity, and ultimately, learning quality suffers,” Cockrill noted while introducing a new provincial framework that includes safety audits for all schools by 2025.
The meeting wasn’t just about identifying problems. Prairie Spirit School Division Superintendent Darryl Bazylak shared a promising pilot program that pairs early-career teachers with mental health specialists for monthly check-ins. “We’ve seen a 22 percent improvement in first-five-year retention rates,” Bazylak explained. “It’s not just about dealing with crisis situations, but building resilience before burnout occurs.”
Barbara Smith, a Grade 8 teacher from Moose Jaw who participated in a teacher panel, offered a frontline perspective that silenced the room. “In my 16 years of teaching, I’ve never seen such complex classroom dynamics. We have students dealing with unprecedented mental health challenges, post-pandemic learning disruptions, and families under economic stress. Then we’re expected to manage increasingly complex behaviors with fewer resources.”
The data supports Smith’s observations. The Canadian Institute for Health Information reports a 57 percent increase in youth mental health emergency visits since 2019. These challenges inevitably spill into classrooms, where teachers must balance curriculum requirements with increasingly complex social and emotional needs.
Ontario’s recent commitment to violence prevention training for all school staff drew particular interest. The program, launched in Toronto and expanding provincially, includes de-escalation techniques and trauma-informed approaches that recognize behavioral issues often stem from underlying challenges.
“This isn’t about blaming students,” emphasized Dr. Raquel Martinez, education professor at the University of Regina. “It’s about creating environments where everyone can thrive. When teachers feel equipped and supported to handle complex situations, students benefit from stability and consistent relationships.”
The financial implications loomed large in discussions. British Columbia’s representative shared that replacing a mid-career teacher costs approximately $22,000 in recruitment, training, and lost productivity. Multiplied across hundreds of positions, the financial argument for retention becomes compelling.
Several First Nations education authorities presented community-based solutions that show promise. Flying Dust First Nation’s school director Thomas Littlebear described how integrating Elder support and cultural programming has improved both teacher retention and classroom climate. “When we center Indigenous knowledge and community connections, we create belonging that benefits everyone in the school ecosystem.”
Technology’s role generated heated debate. While some districts advocate for increased surveillance to document incidents, privacy advocates caution against creating school environments that feel monitored rather than nurturing. The consensus seemed to favor investment in human resources over technological solutions.
“We can’t surveil our way to safety,” remarked Manitoba Teachers’ Society representative Caroline Reimer. “What we need are appropriate staffing levels, training, and multi-disciplinary supports that address root causes.”
As the three-day gathering concluded, participants drafted a comprehensive framework for provincial education ministers. The document calls for dedicated funding for mental health supports in schools, class size and composition guidelines that account for student needs, and standardized incident reporting to better track classroom safety concerns.
For Davidson, who will present these recommendations to the Council of Ministers of Education next month, the path forward requires political courage. “We know what works. The question is whether we’re willing to make the investments necessary to create environments where both teachers and students can thrive.”
Back in her classroom in Moose Jaw, Smith remains cautiously optimistic. “Teachers don’t enter this profession expecting it to be easy. We just want it to be possible. When I see education leaders taking these issues seriously, it gives me hope that we can rebuild sustainable careers in education.”
As provincial budgets tighten and demands on schools continue to evolve, the Saskatoon gathering made one thing clear: the future of Canadian education depends on solving these interconnected challenges. The classroom safety and teacher retention crisis isn’t just an education issue—it’s a national priority that will shape the next generation of Canadians.
