We need to be aware that the American experience is a great deal different than the Canadian situation.

1) 99% of Canadian teachers are certified and therefore better.
2) Huge numbers of American teachers are uncertified, came through “alternative routes”, Teach of America, or low level training institutions mainly in the south.
3) American ghetto schools, rural poor schools, isolated schools etc are aware that if the teacher you don’t want is fired, there will not likely be a eplacement.
4) One look at the blue pages of the OCT shows teachers fired all the time and just as many were fired before the OCT was created.
5) Both countries are full of lazy admin who can’t seem to get off their duffs and do the inspections.

Doug, American teachers are certified, and teachers who are fast track in the alternative routes, are fast track because of their specialized backgrounds. In Canada, we could do with a few more teachers that come from the alternate route, especially in areas of wood shop, and mechanic courses. Of course, lets not forget those who have a highly specialized background in reading, and the processes that are associated with it.
http://education.uky.edu/AcadServ/content/50-states-certification-requirements
As for your comments on teacher firings, better come up with the stats to prove your contention that there is just as many teachers being fired now, as it was before the OCT. By just reviewing the cases, it appears it was bad behaviour unbecoming of the profession. Even being convicted, and sent to prison does not end a career in education.
“The panel heard evidence that Zavarella was convicted of possession of illegal drugs for the purposes of trafficking and sentenced to one year of imprisonment in 1976. In 1979, he was convicted of importing illegal drugs and sentenced to seven years of imprisonment. In 1990, Zavarella was convicted of fraud against his employers and sentenced to two years imprisonment. He was convicted for impaired driving in 1995, fined $500 and banned from driving for one year. In 1998, he was convicted of conspiracy to counterfeit government of Canada bonds and sentenced to a two year and nine month term of imprisonment.

In his testimony, Zavarella admitted to all of his illegal activities except for the 1998 conviction of conspiracy to counterfeit money. He stated that he did not lie about his criminal record when he applied for a teaching position as he was not asked. The school board has had a criminal record check policy for new hires since 1996. He also stated that the one trust he never violated was the trust he had with students, parents, the school board and his colleagues.“
Boy, that is a real good one. I don’t know of too many working people, would have their job once release from prison.
http://www.oct.ca/investigations_hearings/decision_summaries/?lang=en-CA

http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2009/07/02/why-it’s-so-hard-to-fire-bad-teachers/

Now tell me Doug, why teachers within the school, not get off their duff, and demand the inspections. But of course, can’t have that now can we?

America is full of uncertified teachers, and alternative route teachers who unlike you say Nancy, are failing because specialized knowlege is of no use when you cannot manage a class or plan curriculum delivery. Teachers have told the government that the inspections are drive by if at all especially in the USA but here as well.

Before the OTC a committee of OTF removed teacher certification and they removed as many as OCT does. Many teachers are fired every year. Due process and a defence is all they get.

I would object to your reasons regarding alternative route teachers. The best teachers I had in high school, were teachers that were former lawyers, city planners, accountants before and after WWII in Europe. There classes were highly structured, with high standards expected from the students. Skipped one of their classes, they made the effort to phone the parent in question. The first time, was the free pass. The second time, 10 % was taken off, and the third time, well don’t bother to show up for class. Their courses where highly attended, not because of the rules, the teachers did their part to ensure each and every student walk out of their classroom, better equipped and have increase their knowledge. Kids will flock to teachers that have high standards, and is highly structured, and teachers who have real-time experience outside the education structure, bring a breathe of personal experiences, regarding debate   on economics, law, history and sometimes just a whole lot of common sense.
I really do not believe teachers are fired all the time, in all my years on this earth, only one that I know of was fired, and it took years to do it. The last straw, was another set of assault charges, that was particular violent for the victim. And many in my day, considered him the worst science teacher.

I hate to break it to you Nancy but they are just not working out as planned.

Are Current Models of Education Delivery Dysfunctional?  (Part One)

Many of the comments in this Newsweek story say the very model has become unwieldy. Yes, a lemon!

In BC, in our blogs, we talk about the need for a Royal Commission to start exploring more practical, efficient and effective models.  The government is not responding to such calls.  The last one we had was over 20 years ago.

On the discussion of better models I just brought forward the New Zealand model.  See below:

New Zealand’s Self Governance Education System

Considering different models in education, New Zealand immediately comes to mind.

What really sticks out is that in the early days it had a system like ours with large school districts handling many schools.

But this changed rather quickly when the government did an audit and saw that two-thirds of funding gathered for children’s education never reached the classroom.

School districts were abolished in 1989 and each school now has its own board of directors. A standard board of trustees’ membership includes:

-  between three and seven parent elected trustees
-  the principal of the school
-  one staff elected trustee
-  one student elected trustee (in schools with students above Year 9)

There are 2460 such boards in NZ.

“Well before American charter schools, New Zealand went much further in granting power to individual schools by abolishing all regional school boards and making each public school independent, with local parent and teacher involvement in decision making.  Although not called charter schools, each school does have a charter under which it operates with a board of trustees and has a high degree of autonomy.” (Wikipedia)

The belief is that those closest to where education takes place are best placed to create the optimum environments for their students and teachers. The dictionary term is subsidiarity—the principle of devolving decisions to the lowest practical level.

Are Current Models of Education Delivery Dysfunctional?  (Part Two)

Each of New Zealand’s public schools has a board of trustees. It is a Crown entity responsible for the governance and the control of the management of the school. The board is the employer of all staff in the school, is responsible for setting the school’s strategic direction in consultation with parents, staff and students, and ensuring that its school provides a safe environment and quality education for all its students. Boards are also responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance and administration.

The orientation and training of trustees is a massive endeavor with frequent workshops, conferences and certified trainers.  “Our training is practical, relevant and empowering”, says the school trustees’ association, NZSTA.  Their credo: Effective governance: no excuses, no exceptions, high expectations.

The benefits to schools, community, and country cannot be overstated.  Parent knowledge is a huge positive result of these responsibilities, a transferable skill to others, especially the young,. School-based management works.

On the 2006 OECD ranking of countries on Science both Canada and New Zealand scored in the top seven of 57 countries assessed.

Issues the school boards deal with are similar to ours, but handled at a local level: bullying, funding, special needs, student discipline, assessment.

Opposition to standards-based assessments are similar to our anti-FSA issues and from the same sources.  A newsrelease says: “School trustees say that scaremongering over league tables should not be allowed to overshadow parents’ right to know how their children are doing at school.”

New Zealand’s model is but one that can be considered in seeking fundamental and radical solutions to our current dysfunctional, frustrating and extremely wasteful education apparatus. It cannot be called a “system”!

Tunya, does the New Zealand system, empower the parents to become active in their kids education. A parent would be more apt to ask questions, and feel comfortable asking questions regardless of education and income background.
This sentence really struck a cord with me. “But this changed rather quickly when the government did an audit and saw that two-thirds of funding gathered for children’s education never reached the classroom.“
I wonder about the same thing from time to time. And I bet, for some districts the percentage is more than 75 % +, that do not reach the children.

And yet…

  Most of the studies cited by Doug are based on research conducted in the States, notably one based on poor kids in Detroit and another done in Tennessee, a southern state.

When it can be used to “prove” his claims the “American experience” and the “Canadian situation” seem pretty much interchangeable.

How does that work…?

I’d imagine several years of managing an organization or attaining professional credentials is a pretty good indicator of one’s ability to master skills that can be taught in two semesters at a Faculty of Ed.  Typically “certified” teachers have only limited experience managing/administering or overseeing other folks so if all the skills rquired can be taught in 8 months I don’t forsee it as being too onerous.

I suspect the real issue for Doug is that if people who haven’t gone to a Faculty of Ed before becoming capable teachers it opens up all sorts of issues around controlling the supply of teachers.

It becomes far more difficult to play the “teacher shortage” card if there’s a large pool of capable teachers.

Recall during the Harris days when there were dire warnings of a mass exodus of teachers out of the profession and no replacements…?  Wouldn’t work very well if the Faculty of Ed bottleneck wasn’t there.

Out of curiosity how many tens of thousands actually left…?

I

If only….........the teachers’ union would allow persons who have always worked in the education field, but their work is outside of the education model, in research and private services. Their main interests and commitment are the children and to ensure all will reach their potential. There is many in that group, would love to take their practices to the class room, but their practices are the same practices that are the political hot potatoes in public education. This group, is rarely called in for consulting jobs in the public education system. The consulting jobs, goes largely to people who work within the education department, of our universities. The education department controls the teachers’ colleges and who is admitted into teachers’ colleges.
Allowing this group in, would cause a lot of anguish among the faculty at the teachers’ college, where they may very well question many of the courses, the material, teaching methodology that may not represent their reality. The reality of what works in the real world, as opposed to a close system, that is rife with political and philosophy agendas.
John, I tried to search for the answer, regarding how many teachers have left the profession. I did not get any answers, but as I was reading, I came to a conclusion, that for the most part, our public education model does not allow or have any interest to ensure our children are truly educated, with the necessary knowledge and sub-skills needed to navigate in today’s society. Too many completing agendas, where children’s best interest are lost in the shuffle.