Read on Twitter
Just stop.
Schools are not widget factories. Students are not widgets.
Emergency remote learning has reminded us how relational teaching is. Schools are communities that need to be nurtured and resourced.
Competition improving schools is a false narrative
1/ https://twitter.com/jkenney/status/1275784812050083840
Schools are not widget factories. Students are not widgets.
Emergency remote learning has reminded us how relational teaching is. Schools are communities that need to be nurtured and resourced.
Competition improving schools is a false narrative
1/ https://twitter.com/jkenney/status/1275784812050083840
When we force schools to run leaner, that means fewer social supports, SLPs, ELL supports, supports for students with unique needs.
It means larger classes, fewer EAs. It means doing more with less.
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It means larger classes, fewer EAs. It means doing more with less.
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Competition means less teacher professional development, fewer classroom resources, supplies for science, CTF/CTS, art, music, and phys ed.
It means higher fees for parents for transportation and programming. It means downloading these costs onto parents.
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It means higher fees for parents for transportation and programming. It means downloading these costs onto parents.
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And how are schools measured? Standardized testing of course!
The UCP's argument for more competition relies on Fraser Institute data - based on standardized testing. The false assumption here being that better standardized test scores = better schools.
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The UCP's argument for more competition relies on Fraser Institute data - based on standardized testing. The false assumption here being that better standardized test scores = better schools.
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There are a plethora of reasons why standardized tests fail to measure what we think they do - socioeconomic factors being foremost.
This government wants to turn education into a Walmart shopping aisle.
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This government wants to turn education into a Walmart shopping aisle.
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And trust me, teachers can do this.. I can boost my standardized test scores. I start by throwing out all of the work I do teaching students lab skills, critical thinking skills, nature of science, and how to be scientifically literate citizens.
It's not on the diploma.
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It's not on the diploma.
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- Contributions of women? People of colour?
- Indigenous understandings of the natural world? Oral histories? Science of traditional medicines?
- Ethical issues?
- How to recognize pseudoscience?
All shit-canned - not on the test.
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- Indigenous understandings of the natural world? Oral histories? Science of traditional medicines?
- Ethical issues?
- How to recognize pseudoscience?
All shit-canned - not on the test.
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Teachers can turn school into a test-prep factory. And the ones who do can boost scores - they might rise in the Fraser Institute rankings.
And students might follow - drawn to those schools by the promise of a lie.
Trust me, teachers can do it.
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And students might follow - drawn to those schools by the promise of a lie.
Trust me, teachers can do it.
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But you can bet that I won't.
That's not what I signed up for. I became a teacher to help students discover their potential, to learn about the natural world, to think critically, to become scientists (professional and citizen).
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That's not what I signed up for. I became a teacher to help students discover their potential, to learn about the natural world, to think critically, to become scientists (professional and citizen).
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The promise that competition will improve education will never be realized - because it is a false promise
I do not know if @jkenney and @AdrianaLaGrange naively believe in the false promise or if they are pushing it to further their agenda
And I don't know which is worse.
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I do not know if @jkenney and @AdrianaLaGrange naively believe in the false promise or if they are pushing it to further their agenda
And I don't know which is worse.
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We teachers want to do the work of helping students become rounded, thoughtful, successful citizens of our province. These kids are our future.
Please just let us do that. Trust us. Support us. Give us the resources we need to do the job.
Right now you're kneecapping us.
Please just let us do that. Trust us. Support us. Give us the resources we need to do the job.
Right now you're kneecapping us.
