Well, this shouldn’t surprise me, but yet it still does…Canadians have been a little more progressive in a lot of ways, but apparently education isn’t one of them.
Given the recent statement by Canadian politicians on mulitculturalism, and the stealth racism of charter proponents here in the U.S., one has to wonder if racism isn’t at the heart of the attack on education, in Canada, as well.
Wow. I am continually amazed at what has been going on behind the scenes with the charter school engineers. Truly amazing how they have been able to get away with it.
This report from a teacher who spells out exactly what my fear is of the nonsense testing that really cannot test potential and does not allow for the obstacles to learning for kids in poorer districts….and then blames the public school teacher for things that are out of their control: student engagement and parent involvement. The resident troll, teaching economist, has finally revealed he has no clue about what teachers in k-12 are up against. He teaches lecture courses of 500 students, some of them online. There is no engagement with classes that size–that was my complaint about my classes in college–no class discussion to enrich the learning experience. The guy’s a robot who cannot engage in dialogue.
Parents United Philadelphia has this up.
Advice from a money manager….who actually likes public education.
From a comment:
As a teacher with wealthy connections, I can tell you that most of the rich don’t care much about public education either way. They send their kids to private school on principle. The public schools are for the “unwashed masses”. They use private schools to separate their children from the commoners. The old money saw public schools as giving back to their butler’s kids or their cook’s children, and they weren’t bothered by paying taxes (chump change anyway). The new money see taxes for public schools as irritating, and they want to keep as much money as they can, and don’t care about their cook’s children, city children, etc. The “new money” have no interest in community or helping others.
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Spot on. The wealthy do not care about public education. Period. It has always been for the “rest of us” who cannot or will not put our kids into private schools. The most annoying thing to the wealthy is that public education creates citizens who are….educated. Educated citizens cause all sorts of trouble–like being able to carry on arguments against the destruction of public schools; like asking intelligent questions of politicians; of fighting for civil rights….of fighting against things the wealthy hold dear: greed, selfishness, lack of social conscience…..
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The student who stood up to be heard at the *cough* conversation with teachers has a blog up explaining what went on. What a powerful young woman…this old lady was worried about the future generation, but Hannah gives me hope….
(hat tip to Diane Ravitch)
Lastly, a blog at Reclaim Reform on Arne Duncan. How can someone who failed so miserably be….promoted...?
What a brave phenomenal young woman. Truth to power.
Steve Perry sounds like a real nice guy….not. Cockroaches? Really?? Sounds like sour grapes to me…
Global News has this up on Al Qaida’s overtaking a village in Syria. So the question begging to be asked is–why are we supporting the rebels, if the rebels are linked to Al Qaida?
Rallies here protesting Syria strike.
Rehab Saad, who came to Canada from Syria 17 years ago, said the Obama administration should back off its calls for military intervention.
“Barack Obama: You got the Nobel Peace Prize not to start war… Don’t start a war that nobody will know when and where it’s going to end,” she said.
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The President had this message. I don’t think anyone is against helping people but going to war over it is not the answer. Diplomacy is the answer…or don’t we know how to do that anymore?
….or in other words, everyday farmers versus Monsanto.
It makes no sense whatsoever that farmers who want nothing to do with Monsanto are being charged with patent infringement when their fields become contaminated. If anything, they should be able to sue Monsanto for trespass.
Wow. Just wow. Multiculturalism is to blame for people acting violently? Unbelievable.
How about an unwillingness to accept differences as a reason for violence…?
The EU has urged the U.S. to wait until the U.N. report comes back before it takes any action. Note how the French have made a stupid statement that the U.N. report is basically not needed. Yep. That tells me more than anything the U.N. is very important to the assessment of what is going on and who is doing it. I am increasingly suspicious that it isn’t Syria doing it….then the question is…who is…?
Two topics that might not seem interrelated popped up this morning–the mindless demands that children perform like cogs….and the privatization of Walter Reed. Note that the only ones who truly benefit from this are the profiteers. The children don’t reach their true potential and the most vulnerable–the sick and elderly–don’t get the care we are capable of giving them….
(hat tip Diane Ravitch for Robert Rendo’s comment)
(This post is on religion, so if it’s not your thing…)
I thought I’d dig up info on churches that don’t believe in war.
First, the Quakers. …the belief of inner light…of God’s presence within…
Second, the Church of the Brethren.
The Mennonites and Amish are also peaceful churches. Some Amish were jailed during the Vietnam war because they refused to obey the draft notice.
From the Mennonite link:
It is easy to fall into the common belief that democratic freedoms can only be attained or preserved through war. But history proves that democracy and freedom have also been preserved by brave people who stood up for justice.
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**edited to add: Gah, how could I forget the Unitarians, who also believe in peace.
Finally, a bumpersticker I have:
Honor the dead…
…with peace
(which I have never put on my car, ironically because I feared my car getting even more scratched up than it did when I put the Kerry bumpersticker on it. Pretty sad, eh?)
It is truly disgusting watching the mainstream media falling all over themselves trying to sell this war. My past blog on the media’s culpability in selling Iraq….
As yet, I haven’t seen any of them mention the Russian warships en route to Syria. Putin states that Russia will help Syria. Note that “help” includes weaponry.
Last night, CBS shows a visual of people being forced to kneel as the captors aim their rifles. Scott Pelley then says “we won’t show you them being shot….but you will hear the gunfire…” and then proceeds to air the execution. Shame on you, CBS, for using such graphic tactics.
It’s hard for anyone to ignore that. You want to help these people. You don’t want to see anyone suffer.
…but what you don’t see is the media’s same concern, for, say, Chicago. To take a nod from Stephen Colbert, who rightly pointed out that “if we were going to war over people being shot, we should invade Chicago. ”
Why isn’t the media that concerned with what is going on at home?
Dianne Feinstein said that her constituents are very much against us bombing Syria….but with a smug smile on her face says, “…but they don’t know what I know….” She reminded me of a middle schooler who says “I know something you don’t know.” ::giggle giggle:: It was patronizing and once again shows how little D.C. is concerned with the opinions of war weary Americans.
Has anybody else noticed that they’re not talking about the uptick in the stocks since the announcement of going into Syria?
This just in from Canada’s Global News. Note that other world leaders are questioning whether Assad is to blame for chemical use.
Eagle 
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