From the LD forums, LD parents from Florida raved about the system. They raved because the education system is targeted the weaknesses of the LD students. The weaknesses are often not targeted for remediation, and rather the goal of the school is to work around it, as we see in the Canadian public school system. By providing choice to all students, it provided the means to change the system, where it is all about the students, and meeting their needs, and not the needs of the system.

As for long distance learning, I absolutely agree that Atlantic Canada, could lead the world in this type of learning. Education of a child, would now be designed and adapted to the child’s learning needs, rather than the child adapting to the instruction and curriculum. The Florida virtual school, is the best I even have seen, in long distance learning. In Canada, I cannot compare it with Florida’s or another virtual school, because most of the long distance learning that is happening is a close shop, with not a whole lot of information. In some cases, students cannot connect to the long distance learning from home. What is the point on having long distance learning, if it is treated as though it is part of the regular scheduled classes of a school?

Go ahead identify with the Bushes. Let me throw you an anchor. Who next? Rush Limbaugh?

The Bushes have a high interest in education matters. LD runs in their family, and this is the reason, why they believe in choice. Often public school programs, are too rigid and not flexible enough for children who are struggling in learning. They need intensive interventions, as well as time-sensitive interventions. Being put on a waiting list, increases the difficulties for both teacher and child, and not just the child.

“Go ahead identify with the Bushes. Let me throw you an anchor. Who next? Rush Limbaugh?“

You’ve got it all wrong Doug. The real sinker in the education wars isn’t choice, it’s the public system at the hands of too many well-paid bureaucrats and entitled union executives.

Choice is on the move in Ontario and it’s Dalton leading the parade.

I don`t believe Dalton is into school choice-AT ALL.

I also believe the Ministry of Ed is front loaded without any consequences when the results are just not there and deteriorating to boot-a meritocracy it`s not.

Universal all day K and day care without the money to fund it is just one more assault on Ontario`s tax payers.

Dalton is(or was) very interested in the Charter School movement. I know this for a fact from his days as a parent with kids at a school in Ottawa which desperately tried hard(and publicly) to get charter status.
They were present at the Charter School conference in the late 1990s….teachers too attended in fear. The OSSTF was lurking also - Doug I believe shared with the Mended folks that he was there also. Remember that excellent conference Doug?

He may have changed his stripes but he’s not standing in the way of the TDSB’s move to move to more choice including those choices that aren’t open to any and all children.

TDSB-Optics-

The problem is that offering “choice” within the confines of a board really isn’t offering much choice.

The schools will still be bound by the same bureaucracy and rules as any other school.

Yes, I remember the conference Mr Sheep. I went back and reported that the conference was poorly attended, had no heavy hitters and that this crew could not organize a line-up to the washroom.

There is something that you need to understand Jo-Anne and the good people at the OECD understand this very well.

To mee there are three purposes for education, especially public education. First the individual is able to lead a more fullfilled life both professionally and probably culturally as well. Second, the school system produces the “human capital” for the advancement of society from a scientific and business POV. Thirdly, education is a major contribution to equity. It cannot solve equity problems by itself but it can really help.

The OECD is mainly interested in #2 of these reasons. They are the major think tank of the western capitalist nations and they say in so many words, invest heavily in ECE, it pays off in human capital prduction. Invest in education in general, it pays off. If you want a model look at Finland the world leader and the closest to western culture among leading nations.

Education including ECE is free and it is actually better than free. It returns more to the public coffers than it takes out. The taxes paid by the women (usually women) when they go back to work already covers 40% of the cost of child care.

Doug,I know this-and it makes sense-However I`ve lost faith in the System.

I`m afraid I`ve seen too much and know too much to feel confident that it will be done right.

Have you read TDSBNW postings as well as my experiences with educators in the boards-as well as the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat`s dictatorship of flawed pedagogical practice?
You`ll have to excuse me but to trust the little ones to them too is something I can`t do-not that it will matter.

How can they overlook research at the cost of human capital effectiveness-the ability to graduate,get jobs,succeed at University or College-

Speak to Keith Stanovich will you?After you get an excellent road map for the little ones we can discuss again.

“Do the ed schools still instruct teachers to encourage their students to rely on context clues (and picture clues) to determine unfamiliar words? “

As stated by Stanovich-the debunked theory-

“MANY still do. Perhaps about 85% still do. The National Council on Teacher Quality reported in 2006 that only 15% of the nation’s schools of educations provide “even minimal exposure to the science of reading” for future elementary ed teachers. Take a look at your school’s curriculum framework, if there is one. Does it state how your school teaches a child to read unfamiliar words?“

The flawed theories and myths still being honored.I believe you call it Progressivism.

Top down is stupid-just think about it.Modern day illiteracy-partial decoders-someone who can`t spell and students who cannot construct sentences and paragraphs.

Why doesn`t the Union get involved in this?Do some good!Be responsible for REAL PROGRESS!

“Education including ECE is free “

It’s not free at all. What nonsense. We all pay whether we want to or not. Some pay twice - one for the best education they need for their child and again to support a failing public system based not on the needs of children but on the whim and whines of the unions.

Re: charter conference - if you reported it a failure, the rest of those in attendance found it immensely beneficial. Just a few short years after that the folks attending the TFE/PN and FI conferences couldn’t get enough “choice” discussion.

The time is just about ripe for another provincial conference dedicated to schools of choice and parent empowerment. 

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Doug, the OECD has no interest in the methods of schooling. They have no interest in research what methods to use in education. They are the planners, but have no idea how to implement the plans. It is left up to the individual countries to sort it out, the doing. Often the high lofty goals, do not match the reality on the ground. It is not only in education, but as well as in economics, foreign aid, and even in climate/environmental issues.

Governor Bush shows strong leadership.  He went ahead with ways to improve education because he knew it was in the best interests of everyone in his state.  He was not afraid of what flack he’d get from the usual interest groups, because facts would eventually show that he was right—which they did, and they still are.  His answer regarding rural areas was obvious, yet ingenious at the same time.  We need a premier in Ontario exactly like him—fearless, unbending and with the confidence to know that in the end it will all work out.  Instead we have Dalton McGuinty, who panders to the public sector unions (which won him and his party their seats) inking raises with them that Ontario can’t afford, because of the shrinking revenue due to our beleaguered manufacturing (which for a long time were taxed higher here than anywhere else in NA).  The end result?  Bloated unaccountable bureacracies, spoilt unions, $25B deficit, and children who still aren’t learning properly in schools, but hey the kids do have more days off from school—our premier’s made sure of that too.

McGuinty reads the same polls I do and Hudak and Horwath read them as well. McGuinty is committed to building up the public schools not sqandering money on even more private education. Public support for private education is political suicide for whoever proposes it. It is time you realize that just because you want something does not mean the citizens and taxpayers of Ontario are prepared to tolerate or pay for it. Almost everybody supports the system as it is. If you don’t agree propose a referendum. You will find out very fast where people are.

As you like to say Bev that is the USA where they destroyed their public system and need to rebuild it. We still have a marvelous system in Ontario and Canada.

You missed Bush’s message completely, Mr. Little.  I do think that you’re deliberately obtuse.  Don’t twist my comments to fit your union needs.