No discussion of edu-babble would be complete without mentioning the overused phrase “hands-on learning.” If this term means that students should be able to acquire their learning in life-like, direct, even tactile, ways, we agree that this is one way to learn. After all, who would seriously advocate “hands-off” learning, especially when we know, for example, the value of demonstrations, laboratories, and apprenticeships? But, hands-on learning is frequently used to favor project-style methods and to disdain whole-class, direct instruction or lecturing as being too verbal or abstract.
On Friday, Michelle Rhee, chancellor for the District of Columbia schools fired 241 teachers -- roughly 6 percent of the total -- mostly for scoring too low on a teacher evaluation that measures their performance against student achievement. Another 737 teachers and other school-based staff were put on notice that they had been rated "minimally effective." Unless these people improve, they too face the boot.
The mass dismissals follow a landmark agreement Rhee negotiated with the Washington Teachers Union (WTU) at the end of June. The quid pro quo was this, says the Wall Street Journal:
o Good teachers would get more money (including a 21.6 percent pay increase through 2012 and opportunities for merit pay).
o In exchange, bad teachers could be shown the door.
At the time, many gave the teachers union credit for approving this deal. Here's how another New York-based newspaper described the contract:
"Teachers' unions around the country are realizing that they can either participate in shaping reforms or have others' reforms forced upon them. The latest example comes from Washington, where the union has wisely negotiated and ratified a contract that gives the city greater leeway to pay, promote or fire teachers based on performance."
The danger, of course, was always that the taxpayers would make good on the money, but the promised accountability would never materialize. In this case, however, the accounting has begun. Apparently Rhee is a lady who means what she puts her name to, says the Journal. The same cannot be said for the other side:
o WTU President George Parker told the Washington Post that the union would appeal the firings -- and he threatened to file an unfair labor practice complaint with the District.
o Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, accused Rhee of "stubbornly adhering to the destructive cycle of 'fire, hire, repeat.'"
Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform, a national voice for charters and school choice, says the responses from union leaders show they are not used to dealing with a chancellor willing to call their bluff. "The union has been given so much credit for 'coming to the table,'" she says. "But if you really believe what you signed, you don't then announce to the local paper you are filing a grievance when the other side tries to make good on that contract."
Source: William McGurn, "Giving Lousy Teachers the Boot; Michelle Rhee does the once unthinkable in Washington," Wall Street Journal, July 27, 2010.
Do political boundaries have economic relevance? The discussion over “our” Potash Company in Saskatchewan has brought this question to a head this week. Most of the resentment of foreign investment stems from fear of the unknown. In my home town, Auckland International Airport was subject to a bid from the Canada Pension Plan. The only people who won were the small minded people who think nationalism trumps other people’s freedom; let’s not make the same mistake with Potash Corp.
Join us weekly across the prairies for our hard hitting policy commentary broadcast across the Goldenwest Radio Network - Click here for a list of 13 stations and broadcast times.
~56 min
August 31, 2010 —
Back to School 2010 (CJOB)
~2 min
August 27, 2010 —
Political Boundaries are Irrelevant to Economic Interests
~17 min
August 25, 2010 —
What’s Wrong With Our Schools (CJME)
~27 min
August 25, 2010 —
What’s Wrong With Our Schools (Michael Zwaagstra - 27 minutes)
~2 min
August 20, 2010 —
Specializing In Educational Nonsense
~15 min
August 18, 2010 —
Is Standardized Testing Necessary? (Corus)
~2 min
August 13, 2010 —
Unintended Consequences of Regulation
~9 min
August 11, 2010 —
Thinking Beyond The Daily Commute - CHQR
~12 min
August 11, 2010 —
Thinking Beyond The Daily Commute - CFAX Victoria
~2 min
August 6, 2010 —
Call For End To Indian Act A Good Sign
~24 min
July 29, 2010 —
What's Wrong With Our Schools? (Corus Network)
Sadly, there are many factors affecting climate change that the IPCC ignore or underplay to achieve the political result that human CO2 is the sole cause. [T]hey ignore many variables and admit they know little about the ones they study. It is a total abrogation of scientific and social responsibility to let these results form the basis for draconian and destructive energy and environmental policies.
"It is truly astonishing to watch how determined the economics orthodoxy is to defend its inexcusable, economy-wrecking performance in the run up to the financial crisis. Most people who preside over disasters, say from a boating accident or the failure of a venture, spend considerable amounts of time in review of what happened and self-recrimination. Yet policy-making economists have not only seemed constitutionally unable to recognize that their programs resulted in widespread damage, but to add insult to injury, they insist that they really didn’t do anything wrong."
“Drugs, prostitution and illegal gambling are all activities that bring harm in many instances to individuals, families and communities and many feel they are immoral. But, one needs to look at the unintended consequences of prohibiting all these activities. People will always want to do these things and criminals often reap the benefits because they can provide them at exorbitant prices and people will still pay.”
"Zwaagstra believes that curriculum content isn't specific enough, academic standards in schools are not strong enough and that schools shouldn't possess a no-fail policy. He went on to say that our school system has an anti-testing bias and that there isn't a balance of standardized testing and teacher-created assessment."
As the average location of the Arctic air front moved inexorably toward the Equator the Jet Stream meandered further north and south so temperature and precipitation fluctuated widely from year to year. It also resulted in more blocking systems so that instead of weather patterns changing on a 4 to 6 week cycle in the middle latitudes they became prolonged to 12 weeks and longer. This meant in many years it became difficult to tell summers from winters.
Thank you for your excellent column in the Toronto Star, July 15.
What you're saying needs to be said, and it doesn't appear that anyone else has the intelligent grasp of it that you have.
I like how you said that even among the most well-meaning advocates for female equality tends to preclude discussions of cultural values and traditions, because I know a woman just like that, extremely well-informed and intelligent, but not beneath stepping far, far back when culture is thrown into the mix.
Thanks again for your thorough and truthful article.
Please keep up your advocacy and your teaching of us, the public, of this very real and deadly clash of cultures/ideology. - E-mail from Toronto
I refer to your column in the Winnipeg Free Press on July 9th, "It's time to focus on healing", where you appear to encourage moving on in the Residential Schools issue. Over the years I have spoken to a considerable number of former staff members, teachers and students from the Indian Residential Schools and I can assure you, from my perspective, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will discover very little of the truth they are seeking and there will never be a true and full reconciliation. The "truth" in this matter is something other than that which is propagated and promulgated by aboriginal leadership, governments, churches and the media. more -- E-mail from Bill Steele, Winnipeg
I was extremely impressed with your article about the lack of competition among North American air carriers. I fly within Europe fairly frequently and I am endlessly astonished by their low "domestic" prices in comparison with ours. Keep making noise Mark Milke! You hit the nail on the head. Who knows? Maybe one day the Canadian governments will wake up its slumber and truly support the competitive spirit it purportedly supports! Good for you! -- Email from Eric Scott, Montreal
RE: Conversation on the Frontier with Lawrence Solomon
— July 18, 2008
While I think that it is appropriate to retain a stance of sober objectivity, and even skepticism with respect to global warming, it seems that we are in a period of general warming, judging by the evidence of mountain glaciers and polar ice.
However, this trend has been going on for over 150 years, starting long before human activity or carbon dioxide production had significant influence on the atmosphere. The longer trend extends from the last ice age. More-- E-mail from Kolkatta, India
RE: Let's Dance the Dutch Minuet on Schools
— March 31, 2003
The Frontier Centre's highlight on the Dutch Education System demonstrates
that our current education model and governance structure can be changed to
achieve better performance, accountability, and value for both students and
taxpayers. Only those with vested interests, fear of change, and/or
disbelief in the room for improvement would be afraid of learning from the
success of others. - E-mail from S. Mark Francis, Winnipeg
RE: Euro-Canada Consumer Health Index
— January 22, 2008
Very professional and objective study. Congratulations. Dr. Jacques Chaoulli
RE: Unravelling Child Poverty
— December 10, 2003
Well said! Short, to the point and factual – but facts that are black and white not grey.
Too often it seems that groups and politicians twist facts around for their own agenda. The fact that your article points out that governments have spent gobs of cash on the poor yet the levels of poverty have not changed proves that the methods don’t work. Email from Winnipeg
RE: Why the Public School System Exaggerates Student Disabilities
— June 27, 2003
I read with interest your comments regarding special education students in the public school system and whether or not these children end up learning any socially useful skills. As you pointed out, some have the ability to do so but maybe the learning should not be in a regular classroom. I know parents want their disabled children to be part of the mainstream - but is this realistic? Last year I sat in my granddaughter's class for a morning as part of "Grandparents' Day" - there was one little girl who played cards, got up and walked around, left the room and then returned, and generally her only participation in the class was that she had a desk there. She wasn't learning anything that I could see, and I could see that everytime she shuffled the cards or moved around, the other children looked up which disrupted THEIR learning process. This had to be frustrating for the teacher... - Email from Winnipeg
Dear Mr. Sandberg: I have to say, kudos to you for being so honest regarding the new ideas by the Liberals to pour money down the drain.
I used to work as a probation officer and I saw first hand how money is abused. Your right, the money gets to the reserves and the leaders spend it on themselves, their family and friends and everyone else suffers. It made me sick to my stomach and I was so glad when Robert Nault was trying to change things... then it all collapsed and my hope for accountability was gone because I agree with you 100%, the leaders are the reason their communities are poor.
It just made me ill.... and if someone was doing their job i.e. keeping in budget and had money in their account, the leaders help themselves to it without asking.
I am currently at another reserve and its very similar, the Chief is always gone (in the cities, hanging at the fancy restraints, casinos, bars) while the community is left to deal with whatever misfortunate is going on i.e. sexual assaults, spousal assaults (all deemed as every day regular occurrences and don't warrant the chiefs presence) he may show up for a suicide if its a friend or relative.
I have worked in the correctional system, the court system and its all the same, its everybody else's fault, never those that are actually accountable "the leaders of their communities", we cannot heal other peoples back yards, they have to do it themselves and your right, money is not the answer, unless it is used for its intent over a long period of time.
Anyway, I am always angry when I hear so much about how the white man does this and that and its their fault because what I have seen, is this: The white man isn't around to abuse anymore, natives are harming each other, they are full of hate, jealousy and negativity because their leaders aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing, taking care of their issues and their people.
So, what can we do about it? E-mail from Manitoba
User Fees can fix downtown The city can lick the dreaded "sprawl' only by tying service provision costs to a localized system of user fees. It would see higher cost, lower density areas pay more for their services. Denser areas, less expensive to service per capita, pay less. This makes them an attractive place to live.
Pre-industrial CO2 Levels were About the Same as Today Proponents of human-induced warming and climate change told us that an increase in CO2 precedes and causes temperature increases. They were wrong. They told us the late 20th-century was the warmest on record. They were wrong. They told us, using the infamous “hockey stick” graph, the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) did not exist. They were wrong. They told us global temperatures would increase through 2008 as CO2 increased. They were wrong.
A 2007 Ranking of Manitoba and Saskatchewan First Nations This second annual Aboriginal Governance Index is intended to provide Manitoba and Saskatchewan First Nations with a convenient benchmark through which individual bands can measure their progress in achieving responsible self-government. It is also hoped that individual band members can benefit from the information. Knowing where their band government places can be a source of empowerment for individuals. These members can then use the information as a source of encouragement for their own community to adopt better institutions of governance.
Light in the Tunnel SOAs are different because they reconfigure the relationship between the delivery of government services and the protocols that normally entangle it in red tape. Most important, they focus on results instead of the process that generates them. Rather than accommodating complicated processes, SOAs focus on providing a valuable service to "customers" (even internal ones). They free bottom-line managers from internal red tape ¾ complicated, chains of command and paper intensive accounting systems.
Let's Vote on a New Stadium There’s another way to defuse issues like this, one that worked well when our city was clearly an ascendant, successful city. It’s a formal, democratic mechanism for decision-making, one with a proven track record. For a large part of the last century, the people of Winnipeg had the power to approve or disapprove such spending, through money bylaws.
Back To The “Good Old Days” Thousands of climate and other scientist say there is no climate crisis, and CO2 plays little or no substantive role in climate change. A new Rasmussen poll finds that 48% of registered American voters now believe climate change is caused by planetary and other natural forces. Only a third still believe it’s due mostly to humans.
When Elections Are Rigged, Stop the Money A great many are employed by band officials to ensure election victory and they have the band’s funds to back them up. Voters list are commonly manipulated and potential candidates have had their names struck off band membership lists prior to an election. Appeal committee members are appointed by the incumbent council members, many of them blood relatives. Where does one appeal when the process is rigged and the government does not care one way or the other what the outcome is?
Pulling Back the Curtain: How Transparent are Regina and Saskatoon? The municipal governments of Regina and Saskatoon report their performances far less often than do other cities cited in this report. As a rule, neither city discloses its performance as extensively as other cities do. There are exceptions as noted and where due. Regina has measured increased numbers for sporting and cultural activities resulting from its online registration option. Saskatoon measured the increase in fines paid because of its COPE program.
Sunflower Success The success of alternative crops like canola, oats and sunflowers, among others, depends not on the bureaucratic marketing process that hampers wheat and barley, but on the independent actions of rural entrepreneurs responding to market signals.
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