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February, 2014

  1. Open Letter to Minister of Education

    February 19, 2014 by Tunya

    Open Letter To Peter Fassbender, Minister of Education, BC — November 08, 2013


    Apparently there is consultation going on concerning some “new” curriculum in our public schools in BC. I saw an item about this in the Vancouver Sun, but the story ended: “The Ministry of Education was not available for comment by press time.” (Oct 23)

    Then an opinion piece by an educator/author (Zwaagstra) from Manitoba complained about the “edu-babble” in these consultation papers, Sun Nov 05. BTW, this story went international so I was able to read it twice. But I, as a member of the public and as a grandparent with grandkids in the education stream in BC, still am not being consulted or invited to do so. An educator from Manitoba is involved, however.

    In contrast, regarding Finance and Government Services, the BC government did buy advertising to invite input — to which I did respond.

    Today (Nov 08) a letter to the editor (Sun) from a BC teacher (Moser) was published that defends the new curriculum. 

    From what I am gleaning, there is to be a full 180-degree reversal of what we “old-timers” were used to. From an even earlier story decrying “edu-babble” in teacher training (Sun, Oct 12) we learn that a teacher is to become a “facilitator” of learning and will be “a guide on the side rather than a sage on the stage.”

    All this worries me very much. Looks like we are going into uncharted waters into something experimental, confusing, and maybe even dangerous.

    I am very, very worried because I have been following the common core discussions in the US. It seems the education systems there are also to have this shift, without the consent of large populations of people who are seriously questioning two things — the rather coercive processes and the intended outcomes. Concerns range from teachers being unprepared to indoctrination of students.

    Since I closely follow issues about school indoctrination I recently wrote a comment to an American blog:

    http://www.educationviews.org/public-school-teacher-why-is-my-daughters-fourth-grade-class-studying-pro-union-common-core-material/comment-page-1/#comment-159245

    In the “olden days” parents used to complain about “mystification” and jargon in education and that they felt left out of discussions because they were made to feel foolish and inadequate. I think that the “edu-babble” concerns that have been emerging lately are testimony to the same, probably intended (?), result. Gagging people to refrain from participating in important societal discussions is similar to voter suppression in democratic elections. 

    There was but one comment to the Zwaagstra online story so far, asking the simple question: “Why is the ministry watering down the curriculum? Is it the result of the lobbying of a vocal minority?”

    Suspicions are indeed aroused when there is so little transparency in this matter. Is it really some plan for constructing one international worldview as voiced by some American critics? And, why is it such an either/or issue? What if teachers and parents and public want more choices than a 100% Zwaagstra or 100% Moser philosophy imposed on them? And why the stealthy imposition anyway? What is there to hide? When and how can we get involved?

    Category Education Reform, Obstacles, Parent Tribal Memory | Tags: | No Comments

  2. Is Phonics Education Malpractice ?

    February 18, 2014 by Tunya

    Phonics As Education Malpractice – Where Did This Belief Come From?

    Surely, everyone would agree that being able to read is key to living a full and useful life. After following the “Reading Wars” issue, I’m still not clear why some teachers resist using phonics as part of their range of approaches to teaching reading. Why is phonics — a proven approach — treated as “malpractice”?  Could it be

    §         teacher training bias?

    §         lack of training in phonics approaches?

    §       political ideological agenda?

    §         deliberate dumbing down?

    §         evidence-based research?

    §         conflicting literacy theories?

    §        Other

    Surely love of reading has to be grounded on the ability to read. To me it verges on professional misconduct for a teacher to deliberately avoid a method that might do the trick for that percentage of students who are not being reached by today’s practices.  Couldn’t parents, on behalf of their affected child, sue because of a denial or withholding of services?

    So, Bruce, are there articles or books where we can find why there is this resistance? This resistance itself needs to be dealt with?  Where do we start?  Is there any good news on this front?

    This decades-long “Reading War” is unfinished business and needs to be settled.  We’ve got urgent challenges ahead with Data Wars lurking.  We can’t afford to have mindless, illiterate people trying to make proper decisions in the 21stCentury.

    Category Education Reform, Opinions in media, Parent Tribal Memory | Tags: | No Comments

  3. Fascism — Takes One To Know One

    February 17, 2014 by Tunya

    Takes One To Know One

    While New Age education (Common Core, Personalized Learning, 21st Century Skills, etc) is plainly being forced into place — in many places internationally and in tandem — it may not actually become embedded and irreversible as intended. 

    Way too many people are starting to wake up and challenge not only the premeditated results of this project, but also the means.  Just looking at the methods tells you something questionable is being sneaked in.  When Sandra Stotsky, an original member of CC Validation Committee, calls the process “Rather Shady”— that says a lot.  http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/01/14/Expert-Dr-Sandra-Stotsky-On-Common-Core-We-Are-A-Very-Naive-People    70+ comments

    A professor at Hillsdale College, Terrance Moore, says that teachers presenting common core scripts are “‘instructed’ to teach that “all right wing extremist groups are fascist”.  Here is a video of Prof Moore http://dailycaller.com/2014/01/18/teachers-instructed-to-teach-all-right-wing-extremist-groups-are-fascist-video/      660+ comments

    And note that he explains three different kinds of “progressives” in education.  His recent book, The Story-Killers: A Common-Sense Case Against the Common Core, I’m glad to note, is recorded by Amazon.com as being purchased alongside “Credentialed to Destroy”. 

    So, if “Fascism” is not to be taught as part of history, it will still be part of the vocabulary if CC pushers are calling their opponents “fascist”.  Won’t curious students still want to look up commonly used words?  And won't young people want to check, at least with their parents and grandparents, if name-calling is not part of these "old-fashioned" sayings:  "The pot calling the kettle black", or "It takes one to know one" ?

     

    Category Book Reviews, Obstacles, Parent Tribal Memory | Tags: | No Comments

  4. Education Oppression — 101

    February 16, 2014 by Tunya

    When an oppressed people witness a call-to-arms, yet are held back, an outsider from M*A*R*S will ask:

    W*h*y don’t these people rebel?  They are not hungry so aren’t storming the warehouses.  They aren’t slaves and escaping to freedom.  They aren’t without voice as there is an abundance of media to help their cause. 

    Here is a man hollering for school choice, the crowd is yelling “NOW”, but nothing is happening.  W*H*A*T IS THE PROBLEM?

    To help this M*A*R*T*I*A*N understand, we can list 100 obstacles.  Here is a start to name “NAMES” and PERCEPTIONS

    1          POLITICAL CORRECTNESS               Self-censorship happens because years of conditioning and ridicule prevent one from calling a spade a spade — speaking to TRUTH is blunted by expectations of what “politeness” demands.  

    2          FEAR               Actual or perceived HARM limits natural responses to threats.  Speaking out invites possible injury to students held captive, to advocates who may be shunned, to reporters who

    UN

    Dewey

    nanny state growth

    BOOKS

     

     

     

     

     

    Category Education Reform, Obstacles, Parent Tribal Memory | Tags: | No Comments

  5. Emancipatory Math — Who Needs It?

    February 15, 2014 by Tunya

    While studying Math issues, I found myself overwhelmed by how much of school curriculums are seen "emancipatory".  I found reference to schools needing to be "emancipatory". 

    Where is this coming from.  Is the customer asking to be emancipated?  I remember the big discussions and concerns we had when 8 boys from a small village in Italy wrote the little book, LETTER TO A TEACHER.  They said that in fact this was NOT a letter to a teacher but to parents.  They wanted parents to arise and demand good education for them and other children.  

    Now, these are "customers", asking to be emancipated — freed from ignorance.

    But this wave of emancipatory educators seem to be self-appointed to free the world.

    The Internet produces much such references, and I hope to distill some of this new :transformation" we are to be " grateful" for.

    Perents in particular DO NEED to become aware of these self-appointed heros, utopians, totalitarians, whatever that are imposing untested experiments on our school children who are really often captive audiences.

    I particularly am keen on reading this article — The End of the Fairy Tale of the Customer as King 

    Aboriginal Math – What is That?

    I need to find what this is all about, but Paige MacPherson, a journalist with Sun News TV mentions this as a program in BC's new curriculum.  

    This video is worth watching — POLITICS IN THE CLASSROOM — and has a short clip at the end about the Aboriginal Math program.  But, the whole show is with Michael Coren on the topic of public teachers and their political behavior.  One part is about a visit Prime Minister  Harper made to Vancouver Island in January and when a teacher took her class to protest where one student says something like this:  "I am here because I heard in history class that the Prime Minister is bad for the environment."  Coren thinks these are all inappropriate behaviors for public teachers.

    http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/3029383846001

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Category Book Reviews, Education Reform, Parent Tribal Memory | Tags: | No Comments

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