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‘Opinions in media’ Category

  1. biology trumps everything – educrats, etc.

    May 12, 2015 by Tunya

    BIOLOGY Trumps Everything: Teacher Unions, Marxists, Academics, Passionate Education Leaders, Textbook Publishers, Snake-oil Salesmen, Education Gurus & Charlatans, Misled Politicians, Unemployed PhDs, Social Engineers, Totalitarians, Teacher Trainers, Political Junkies, etc., etc.

    Watch this video from Ontario showing the mixed ethnicity of parents protesting the new, untested, soon-to-be imposed without consent or consultation, SEX EDUCATION — http://on.aol.ca/video/thousands-protest-ontarios-new-sex-education-curriculum-518766302

    The Parent Veto is an awesome thing and is constantly under attack by usurpers of parental primacy in education. In 2011 when a surge of votes propelled Alison Redford to instant Premiership of Alberta it was claimed that promises to the teacher establishment was the key to her success. It was easy for her to quickly find $107Million in extra education funding and to scrap Gr 3 & 6 standardized tests. The third demand, abolish the parent veto, was never accomplished due to parent backlash.

    The parent veto doesn’t have to be written into law or legislation. It is there as a biological right in the Free Western World.

    As the American 2016 Presidential election machine gears up watch for the family rights backlash against the views of the leading Democratic contender, Hillary Clinton. Her statement that education is a “non-family enterprise” encapsulates the welfare state mentality perfectly and will “enjoy” a well deserved backlash from all stripes on the political spectrum.

    The empowerment bestowed on parent protests against imposed, flawed, developmentally inappropriate, sex education is a signal that the sleeping giant of family rights in education is awakening.

    Even now, sophisticated preemptive programs are being assembled by education establishments to mount “leadership training” programs to cut parents off at the pass!

    http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2015/RevisedDraftISLLCStandards2015.pdf

    By careful reading between the lines we see yet another barrier, an enforcement layer (trained leaders), being mounted to continue keeping sovereign parents at bay while shifts and “transformations” are being inflicted on children.

    Yes, parental priorities about their children’s reading and math and knowledge, etc. will also rise up from the general dumbing-down so presently evident in public schools. The sex education protests are a taste of future parent sovereignty asserting its own place.

    [To SQE, Huff Post, FB, and below to ISC 20150512]

    Yet One More Layer For Assured Transformation — Education Adjusters

    Thanks, Robin, for the link to the CCSSO Revised. What sent me into "orbit" was the visual imagery that popped into my head about "adjustments" — screws tightening !
    The yet-to-be trained "leaders" will “make adjustments as necessary” or appropriate for the "well-adjusted" student. I had to respond to a Canadian story on Huff Post and wove in this link — hope you don't mind my long comment below:

    Category Opinions in media, Parent Tribal Memory, Teacher Unions, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  2. Manifesto for education ?

    May 4, 2015 by Tunya

    PERSPECTIVE NEEDED — Policy, Philosophy, Practical Economics

    After viewing this presentation one might just think differently about questions that trouble us.

    https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IDN6GC5umKRIYBkHazM5yOxP15iC2w8FhS9we7zD-j0/embed?hl=en&size=m&slide=id.p4

    Without quibbling about small details, this graphic (not sure what its TITLE is) could, hopefully, pull us out of our privileged navel-gazing to consider our issues against a broader perspective.

    POLICY — In nation states, who does policy?

    In democratic settings is it the elected representative politicians, the dynamics of catering to influential vested lobbies, strong central control vs subsidiary local decision-making or other forms of problem-solving that should provide the governing mechanisms?

    PHILOSOPHY — Do social norms arise from belief systems or practical daily realities?

    Where do values that fuel action come from? Live and let live or . . . ? Do they need to be entrenched and declared in Constitutions and Charters of Human Rights and Freedoms?

    PRACTICAL ECONOMICS — Do the notions of truth and science inform decisions? On a binary continuum do things veer to the objective or the subjective?

    In the field of education it is so heartening to see so-called “research” being seriously questioned. Increasingly we are seeing an emphasis — a movement — on “evidence-based” indicators in choosing methods, approaches and policies — very different from mission statements about “changing the world”. Once goals are agreed upon it’s the demonstrable results that matter when proven standard practices are followed.

    [NOTE: GRATITUDE FOR LITERACY — At this stage, and after viewing the above-recommended presentation, we should be so grateful that we are enabled through reading to grapple with the complexities of the day and the uncertain futures ahead. For the sake of posterity we ought become humble pioneers — based on knowledge we know and learn from history and the written word — in developing guiding principles for the current and future eras.]

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

  3. Democracy – open to stealth

    April 30, 2015 by Tunya

    [Thoughts on “Democracy”.  Letter to Editor, submitted but not published.]

    Dear Sirs: North Shore News, re editorial “The Biggest Loser” – May 15, 2009

    Having been a candidate in the last three elections in the past 8 months (federal, school board, provincial) I would like to pass on a few observations:

    1. Of the 18 provincial North Shore candidates I scored the lowest number of votes. However much that shows disfavor with my philosophy (minimum government) it does not equal a zero value — to me anyway..

    2. I think people do not equate democracy or even freedom with voting at general elections. I felt that many people did not vote because they accept the status quo – there was no urgent need to switch, especially in mid-stream of serious economic problems.

    3. Though many really do crave a voice in decisions that affect them, STV was not seen to be of immediate benefit. The delay before any real changes could happen was discouraging. Benefits were too far away in the distant future, with no assurance of voice anyway.

    4. Voting, in my opinion, is neither a duty nor a privilege, and non-voting is not a shame. Compulsory, government-mandated voting (under duress of fines) is coercive and unthinkable and shouldn’t even be mentioned in editorials in Canada.

    5. No, democracy is NOT just about elections, with the opportunity to “throw the bums out” from time to time.

    6. BUT, democracy still can be stolen from under our feet by stealth and persistence. Here is one example I am familiar with:

    My long experience with education made me very frustrated about the why’s and wherefore’s of the obstacles to meaningful reform. This was so upsetting until I discovered an incredible expose of our own Ministry of Education which documents the effective takeover by the BC Teachers Federation. Please read the paper easily found on the Internet, “The Decline and Fall of the BC Ministry of Education” by Dr. Thomas Fleming of the University of Victoria. Through assiduous application of “cold war” tactics the teacher union has become a seeming “parallel” de-facto government in education. Regardless of which political party is in Victoria this makes no difference. Since 1972 the militant union pursues its relentless agendas. It is an eye-opener to read this short paper about how parents, public and ministry have acquiesced to this aggressive extra-parliamentary power.

    The newly re-elected government has promised a review into education. This is an opportune time to exercise our democratic rights to present complaints and suggestions.

    If I was active in other fields, I wonder how many other pieces of research I could find where our so-called democratic institutions are eroded or being undermined by stealth, either through organized lobbies, business arrangements, union aggressiveness, or other forces beyond citizen oversight.

    No, apathy is not a threat to democracy when people fail to vote in elections. But democracy is seriously compromised when we, citizens and media, fail to keep our governments accountable or we turn a blind eye to opportunists seizing power behind our backs.

    Sincerely, Tunya Audain,

    Category Opinions in media, Teacher Unions, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  4. Accelerate the transformation !

    April 25, 2015 by Tunya

    Accelerated BC Education Plans
    An education conference in BC, Jan 29th heard David Albury, a UK consultant, proclaim:
    “This is a pivotal moment for BC . . . if we can continue to work together in this way we can build on how far we've got and really accelerate and sustain this — we'll achieve what nobody else has yet achieved and that is to transform the system across the whole province . . . to enable all young people to have the skills and knowledge to be successful in the 21st Century.”


    We’ve noticed the frenetic urgency that seems to permeate so much of the literature and planning for these 21st Century Learning transformations. What’s the rush? Where is the field-testing for these radical imperatives? Shouldn’t we be concerned — since we’re dealing with tender minds and hearts of the young — that proper protocols are in place as safeguards against amateur applications? Just what is this future that is being projected that requires these “competencies” of collaboration and communication for upcoming careers and college? Is there actually some global convergence happening that so many nations have to get on board — US, AU, NZ, UK, Can, etc.?


    Like having a magical cataract operation in both eyes I think I see what’s up! There IS a celebration to happen next year, in Washington, DC, to commemorate 100 years of the “progressive project”. AND, to top it off, it is also the centennial celebration of John Dewey’s 1916 pivotal book, Democracy and Education.


    With 15,000 attendees just wrapping up the 2015 AERA (American Educational Research Association) conference in Chicago here is the ANNOUNCEMENT of the 2016 event —http://www.aera.net/EventsMeetings/AnnualMeeting/2016AnnualMeetingTheme/tabid/15861/Default.aspx


    The theme will be — “Public Scholarship to Educate Diverse Democracies”.
    We know, indubitably, that “peer review” and “research” done by like-minded partisan members should not be taken seriously, nor be considered “evidence-based”. But, it’s disconcerting how “research” and foundation papers are ground out as objective truths and are used to influence policies and programs as proofs of effectiveness or need.


    Well, WE ARE to prepare not only for these centennial celebrations — AERA and Dewey — but also for the positioning of “research to inform civic participation, engagement and organized action.” Pretty presumptuous, eh? Awareness and skepticism should be our response.

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

  5. A profound education – Will Stack

    April 14, 2015 by Tunya

    Will Stack – What A Profound Education !

    When blame is placed on parents, schools, culture, poverty, etc. for illiteracy and bad morals we should ask — Just where did Will Stack get educated? He seems to have got it ALL RIGHT !


    “Not all officers are bad people” https://www.facebook.com/FBNewswire/posts/878539738850815


    Will Stack’s traffic stop video goes viral http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/watch/will-stacks-traffic-stop-video-goes-viral/vi-AAaTS3M


    The significance of this monumental event is summarized in the last point and you may want to go there first to share WHY this is such a RARE sighting — something hopefully not totally obsolete (See *** 7).


    1 First, Will Stark has the courage and self-confidence to speak up.


    2 He has the knack to produce, publish, and broadcast a selfie video on Facebook.


    3 His message is clear, hits a chord and obviously speaks to millions — gone viral.


    4 His media follow-up is equally articulate, even after some serious criticism that he fails to understand the issues. He, nevertheless, does show a rich grasp of the issues and does not diminish the seriousness of current race/policing relationships.


    5. He is humble and straightforward and not showing ego or “change the world” advocacy. He is surprised by the celebrity attention he has drawn.


    6 The BIG QUESTION is — Where did this 21 year old get his education: 1) parents; 2) schools; 3) military training; 4) culture; 5 other? This is important because with the problems we now have — domestically and worldwide — people like Will Stack are seriously needed to stop the political, polarized, knee-jerk behaviors, which demonstrate so much ignorance and poor judgment.


    What can we learn about Will’s education so that others can also gain the qualities of heart and mind so commendable here?
    *** 7 This is part of what his message is about:

    A – A police officer is a public servant who is there to protect and serve.
    B – There are protocols to follow.
    C – “Not all officers are crooked… racist, bad people”.
    D – “Just because you're black doesn't mean you're a victim, just because you're white doesn't mean you're a racist, just because you're a cop doesn't mean you're a bad person.”
    E – “This world really needs to stop putting labels on people and things and see them as who they are: people doing things. Ignorance has no color. God doesn't see color. Why should we?

    Category GOOD NEWS, Opinions in media, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

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