School Boards Should Offer Parents Choices (~2min) – May 3, 2013
In recent years, many local school boards in Canada have been faced with declining enrollment because of competition from private schools. As well, a growing number of parents have been choosing to home school their children. One way to reverse that trend is by providing a broader range of choices in the public school system. The approach has been tried with some success in Canada.

Should We Stop Giving Grades to Kids? (CBC) (~1min) – April 22, 2013
School boards in Camrose, Alberta, and Ridge Meadows, British Columbia, have decided to stop giving percentage grades to their students. Jim Brown hears from guests on who debate the issue of the value of marks. (~18 min.)

Manitoba Liberal Party Policy Incubator (~77min) – April 16, 2013
The Manitoba Liberal Party Policy Committee organized a Policy Incubator on the topic of education which was held in Winnipeg on April 7, 2013. It involved a panel discussion where 2 experts presented 3 priorities the Manitoba Liberal Party should address on the education file. The panelists included Michael Zwaagstra, Frontier research fellow on education and Estelle Lamoureux, retired Principal from River East Transcona School Division. (1 hour, 17 minutes)

Curriculum in Our Schools (CJNI) (~10min) – April 15, 2013
A look at the way curriculum is taught in today’s schools in comparison with the way it used to be taught. The same emphasis on content knowledge which used to be at the forefront just isn’t there anymore. Michael Zwaagstra, research fellow at the Frontier Centre in Manitoba and co-author of “What’s Wrong with Our Schools and How Can We Fix Them?” (~10 min.)

Standardized Testing (CJOB) (~10min) – April 3, 2013
Michael Zwaagstra joins Geoff Currier on CJOB to discuss standardized testing and what is the correct way to go about incorporating it in education. (~10 min.)

Tom Flanagan Responds (The Agenda) (~18min) – March 7, 2013
Former Harper advisor, conservative pundit and University of Calgary professor Tom Flanagan recently offered a libertarian view of individuals who look at child pornography. As a result, he's been fired from his job as a CBC political commentator, dis-invited from a talk at a conservative think tank, and is facing condemnation from his former political allies. He explains his position to Steve Paikin.

Do Universities Exploit Undergraduates? (Rodney Clifton) (~39min) – March 4, 2013
Attending university is a significant financial investment for Canadian students and their parents. Since 1992, tuition fees for undergraduate students have increased by a whopping 215% while the Consumer Price Index has increased by only 43%. Between 2001 and 2007, total university expenditure in Canada increased by almost 95%, from $19 billion to $37 billion.

Students Sense of Entitlement (CJME-R) (~25min) – February 26, 2013
Michael Zwaagstra, policy analyst for Frontier Centre for Public Policy, discusses students sense of entitlement when it comes to their grades. (~25 min.)

Students Sense of Entitlement to Excellent Grades (CJME-R) (~13min) – February 21, 2013
There have been recent incidents of students suing in court over the marks they receive. Did Megan Thode, the student who sued Lehigh University over a C+ she got in 2009, have a case or was she just a spoiled brat member of an entitlement generation? Joined by Michael Zwaagstra, Manitoba High School teacher and author of ‘What’s Wrong With Our Schools and How We Can Fix Them.’ (~13 min.)

Different Learning Styles in the Classroom (CJME-R) (~15min) – February 12, 2013
A new report from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy says individual learning styles in the classroom is a damaging myth. Do you believe in different learning styles? Michael Zwaagstra, high school teacher in rural Manitoba and research fellow with the FCPP joins John Gormley to discuss this topic. (~15 min.)

Merit Pay for Teachers Can Improve Student Performance (~2min) – February 1, 2013
The minister of Education in Alberta recently angered the province’s teachers’ union by thinking out loud about the possibility of introducing merit pay for teachers. It’s an idea that has been receiving quite a bit of attention across Canada recently. There is evidence that well designed systems can produce good results. (~2 min.)

Making Schools More Efficient (CJME-R) (~11min) – January 29, 2013
Joined by Michael Zwaagstra, co-author of ‘What’s Wrong with our schools and how can we fix them”. Michael is in to discuss whether provinces like Saskatchewan, now with more instructional time, have students who outperform those who have less instructional time. (~11 min.)

Merit Pay - Does it Work? (QR77) (~14min) – January 23, 2013
Michael Zwaagstra, author for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, discusses the advantages of having a merit pay system for school teachers. (~14 min.)

The Video 'Common Sense Education' (News 957) (~7min) – January 18, 2013
Michael Zwaagstra on the release of a new education video called "Common Sense Education".

School Safety (CJOB) (~11min) – January 16, 2013
Michael Zwaagstra, for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, joins the Roy Green Show to discuss school safety. (~11 min)

What Should Be Done About School Safety? (CJOB) (~7min) – December 21, 2012
Roy Green, has Michael Zwaagstra and Lyndon Dorval speak to the tragedy in a Connecticut elementary school and what can and must be done to effectively reduce the liklihood of further such acts of madness. (~7 min.)

Should Teachers Be Permitted to Hand Out Zeros for Work Not Done by Students? (CJOB) (~15min) – December 11, 2012
The Edmonton school board appears to be having a change of heart on teachers not being permitted to issue zeros for work not done by students. So why put veteran and well liked teacher Lynden Dorval through the suspension and eventual job loss for giving out zeros for work not done? Lynden Dorval and Manitoba high school teacher and author Michael Zwaagstra join us. We’ll take your calls to hear your views on this “interesting” move by the Edmonton board. (~15 min.)

Changes in the Modern Classroom (CBKR) (~20min) – November 30, 2012
Do you welcome changes in the classroom and what do you think is gained or lost with the new approaches? Michael Zwaagstra, research fellow for Frontier Centre for Public Policy, joins Garth Materie on Blue Sky Radio. (~21 min.)

How We Can Get More Great Teachers In Our Schools (~2min) – November 16, 2012
Governments can and should be doing more to attract and retain great teachers. All of us want great teachers for our kids. In most Canadian provinces, the wrong criteria is used to set teacher salaries. Salaries are generally determined by the number of years spent in the classroom and the degrees that a teacher holds. (~2 min)

Remembrance Day in Schools (CJOB) (~7min) – November 13, 2012
Michael Zwaagstra is a high school teacher in Steinbach, Manitoba and also a research fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. He discusses the importance of educating children about historical figures in school. (~7 min.)