MTS President Lillian Klausen addressed the delegates highlighting the importance of meeting members wherever they are located, across the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOver the past year, I have had the chance to visit schools and communities across our province. Those visits stayed with me. I saw dedication, resilience, exhaustion, humour, and hope in equal measure,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat became clear very quickly is that while we share common values, the realities facing members are very different depending on where they teach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said that the one constant in all her travels was that educators continued to show up for students with professionalism, care, and commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you to the educators and school staff who welcomed me into your schools, classrooms, and staff rooms. Your honesty grounded my understanding of what members are experiencing across Manitoba, she said. \u201cYou shared successes, frustrations, and realities that do not always make it into reports or headlines, and I am grateful for that trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Klausen said that this year has brought significant challenges like increasing classroom complexity, violence in schools, workload pressures, and the ongoing effects of underfunding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMembers have been clear about these realities, and they deserve meaningful action,\u201d she said. \u201cOur responsibility as a Society is to continue advocating with clarity, persistence, and purpose.\u201d
She said that despite the challenges she remains hopeful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHopeful because of the strength of our membership, the commitment in this room, and the care people continue to show one another and this profession, she said. \u00ab Je demeure optimiste parce que je crois profond\u00e9ment en la solidarit\u00e9 et en l\u2019engagement des membres de cette organisation. \u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congratulations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mbteach.org\/mtscms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AGMAwardWinners_square_inside.jpg\")
<\/figure>The Manitoba Teachers\u2019 Society\u2019s highest honours recognize outstanding contributions to public education and the teaching profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year, the 1922 Award is presented to Dr. Izzeddin Hawamda<\/a><\/em><\/strong> for his leadership in peacebuilding, anti-racist education, and community dialogue through storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Life Membership Awards are presented to Diane Beresford<\/a><\/em><\/strong> and Andrew Peters<\/a><\/em><\/strong> in recognition of their decades of dedicated service, advocacy, and commitment to teachers and public education in Manitoba.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Resolutions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Physical and psychological safety in schools were top of mind with the following resolutions leading the way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n RESOLUTION B38 Increasing violence in schools has exposed a critical gap in Manitoba\u2019s education system: the lack of a universal reporting system for workplace safety and health incidents in schools. Without standardized reporting, incidents are often underreported, inconsistently documented, or overlooked entirely \u2014 making it difficult to accurately assess risks or implement meaningful prevention strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A province-wide reporting system would create a more coordinated, transparent, and equitable approach to school safety across Manitoba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RESOLUTION B45 This resolution calls on MTS to advocate for members\u2019 safety in schools by creating an advertising campaign that highlights the increased incidences of violence occurring in schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RESOLUTION B35 Manitoba\u2019s Workplace Safety and Health Act recognizes psychological safety as part of workplace safety but it does not define psychological wellbeing with the same clarity, specificity, or enforceability as physical safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This resolution calls on MTS to lobby the Manitoba government for revisions to the Workplace Safety and Health Act and associated regulations, policies, and guidance to ensure that psychological safety and psychological wellbeing are clearly defined such that employer responsibilities are explicit, demonstrable, referenceable, and enforceable, and sufficient to protect the safety and wellbeing of workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>LOBBY FOR UNIVERSAL REPORTING SYSTEM<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>LOBBY FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY<\/p>\n\n\n\n