I thought this article was interesting following Friday's history Class.
B.C. teachers dream of . . . Alberta?B.C. teachers have a reputation for left-wing activism, but these days some are gazing longingly at a province they once derided as redneck.Not only are teacher salaries higher in Alberta, but its Conservative government is taking steps that would cause the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) to rejoice.The following email with news from the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) is making the rounds this week in B.C. education circles:The new Conservative premier of Alberta, Alison Redford, has restored the more than $100 million cut by the previous premier from the education budget, as promised in her leadership campaign. Redford also said she would eliminate the Grade 3 and 6 provincial achievement tests used by the Fraser Institute to rank elementary schools in Alberta. Opposition to this kind of testing and use of test results has become mainstream.Also, Dennis Shirley, a researcher working with an Alberta/Finland research project which involves both the Alberta ministry of education and the ATA with counterparts in Finland, says that he is hopeful that Alberta can adopt the approach that Finland uses in place of this kind of testing.The ATA News reports that Shirley said that instead of “accountability” based on an accounting approach, Finland uses what Shirley calls “public assurance.” It involves “parents and community members trusting educators, thereby allowing them to focus on teaching and learning, rather than spending time on public relations campaigns or high stakes testing strategies to assure the public that the education system is working.”For many educators, Finland is utopia. Could Alberta be next?
After hearing about BC's issue's from Dr. Fleming...How do you feel about BC's education system compared to Alberta? Would you consider moving out of province based on what we heard in class on friday?
Alberta is still Alberta any way you slice it, try a few winters there and see what you think...utopia it ain't.
ReplyDeleteYeah the BC Education school system has many holes. After hearing Dr. Fleming’s lecture, I have to say I agree with him about getting rid of the school boards and trustee’s and using those funds and resources to help the schools. This would help alleviate a number problems, such as class size, lack of resources for specials needs, teacher-government dispute over pay raise etc. As for working in Alberta, I can see why teacher’s would want to teach there. You get better pay, reasonable work load, and better facilities. When is BC going to catch up to Alberta’s standards? I feel like we know so many things of what’s wrong with our system and what should be done. But how do you implement these ideas for a better future? How do you go about making a change? If you don’t know how or can’t, do we just sit back and watch the BC Education system sink further or do we pretend everything fine and dandy (be ignorant).
ReplyDeletego to alberta. there are no spiders in alberta.
ReplyDelete