Friday, November 25, 2011

EDUCATION AGENDA

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"We're on strike" -- with no financial risk of course, because they are receiving full pay. They aren't really on strike, they're just refusing to do their jobs. Best of both worlds really. Have the courage of your convictions and actually go on strike, get strike pay from your union and don't make the tax payers pay full price for a job only partially performed.

If the B.C.T.F. had their way, there would be no report cards (too time consuming and such an administrative pain I'm sure). Lambert indicated report cards only provided superficial reporting -- it's superficial because of they way the teachers do their reporting -- for instance, using a drop-down menu for descriptors. It doesn't need to be superficial.

Lambert said that parents should have a conversation with their child's teacher to find out how their child is doing and that that is a better indicator than a letter grade. I find that terribly amusing -- my son's school allows for five minute meetings per teacher twice per year, which we heard would be cut back to once per year and may not even happen this year because of the 'strike'. Last year we didn't get a meeting with even one of his teachers the first term because there wasn't enough time allotted and too many parents I guess wanted meetings -- the teachers weren't interested apparently in adding one additional evening of meetings -- even though, as Lambert said in this interview, when speaking of the three important components to learning -- the student, the teacher and the parent -- that the conversation between parent and teacher is very, very important. Why then, can't the teachers take one additional evening of teacher meetings (a day when the students get out of school early by the way) so that all the parents that wish a meeting will be guaranteed a meeting? I should also add that for the teacher info. evening (which didn't happen this year because of the 'strike') which happens at the start of the school year, the parents as a group, can meet each of their child's teachers, many of the teachers just don't show up because it's not mandatory. Professional?

And let's be clear, my son is not receiving additional teaching because the teachers are 'teaching only'. Nobody is buying this nonsense. Far from supporting the teachers most parents I speak with are fed up and can't wait to be through the public school system, in large part because of the attitude of the teachers.

Mo.

Jeff Taylor said...

Susan Lambert said in your interview David that report cards for students are just fine. So, with that comment in mind, where are the teach report cards ??? I'm almost 47 years old and I can still remember being used as a pawn in teacher's fights and demands of the Govt at that time in the 1970's. As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same ! How you could sit there and listen to her "speech" without throwing up, shows me what a strong stomach you must have David. I will never take away from the fact that people that decide to become a teacher commit to a lot to post secondary schooling. However, once they become a teacher, I'd kill for their wages, benefits, holidays, and PENSIONS FOR LIFE.