I read the whole article cited above.  My, but don’t they spend a lot of time patting themselves on the back!  Why didn’t they address the real issues:  refusing to do the job they’re assigned to do—disciplining errant teachers.  Many people who have filed complaints about teachers have come away knowing that they protect themselves (teachers) over and above the children, and the public who pay them generously.  And what’s all this talk about society and the environment?  Educating is supposed to be about academic achievement.  Not once is it mentioned.
I hope the tax payer wasn’t stuck paying for this useless conference.

Actually the article is an attempt to being amusing while advocating for the status-quo. I found the following to be quite amusing, especially in the glaring light of their actions and non-actions that clearly shows the hypocritical stances of the education establishment, and the OCT, an organization that aids and abets to support the status-quo even though the realities of the education headlines tells a much different story.

1. ““Stephen Lewis delivered an inspirational speech on human rights, the environment and the power we have as teachers to make a difference — all personal passions of mine having worked in Asia and the Middle East. His speech reminded me why I went into teaching — ‘the power of one.’”  Too bad the link to the speech is dead, a common occurrence on the education sites in Canada. I went looking for it, and of course the speech has been chopped down to 5 minutes, and not a very good job I might add that left me wondering what Lewis said in between the takes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZh5QocKLec

The public has to take the OCT word on that one. Nah, it does not inspired public confidence. Moving unto the the next one - 2. “The presenters addressed topics in three streams: professional regulation, acting in the public interest, and effective practices and research in teacher education…..........The workshop Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: The Building Blocks of a School that Welcomes All guided her through a “new theory of inclusive education in place of multicultural education.”

Nah, it does not inspired public confidence considering the negative outcomes being generated by the diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Thinking about the Supreme Court of Canada ruling on the Moore case and other lawsuits that have been launched in Ontario by parents and how hard it is for students to access education services beyond the inclusive classroom.

Moving unto the third - 3. ““Ultimately, he urged us to focus on educating ourselves and our students about the issues he defined as the most pressing of the day — gender equality, poverty and climate change. It was a real call to action.”  Nah, it does not inspire public confidence that the OCT is more concern about the social issues than rather the pressing issues of lowering math and science achievement scores, or why the students with learning disabilities only 4 to 6 percent continued unto post-secondary, and the fact they are at the bottom of the achievement charts.

The fourth one - “The College is here to serve and protect the members, the public and the children in our care.” More like the College is here to protect the members from the public, especially when the public is asking inconvenient questions, questioning the actions of the OCT and across the span in the public education realm.

Nah, the OCT does not have the public’s confidence. To be fair, did the OCT ever had the public’s confidence. I don’t think so. The only time one hears about the OCT, when one of their members got themselves in a spot of trouble with the law or with other members for being a whistle blower.

hat said, I decided to review the magazine of the OCT. Lots of advertisements trying to sell the educators from everything to discounts on insurance to the latest fashion to educational products. When reading the articles, I came across interesting tidbits of information, that the educator set as a rule will not admit to the public as easily as they do in the articles when they think the audiences who are reading the articles, are other teachers. In the September issue, an article called Subject to Change - a grade 8 teacher helping students to make the transition to high school math. The interesting tidbit of information - “Many students struggle with the transition to Grade 9 math. “They’re going from an environment where they were getting 80s to getting 60s,” says Andrew…......In grade 9, students encounter new mathematical concepts such as advanced algebra. To understand and succeed, students need to learn how to tackle novel math models….......The teachers hoped that equipping students with the latest technology would help them engaged with math curriculum.”  http://oct-oeeo.uberflip.com/i/169653

Its interesting in the light of the new OECD PISA results for Canada, the significant drop in math achievement , how the education establishment including the OCT will not inspired themselves to critique themselves and face the new realities - the teaching methods are not working out too well, in areas of math and science. Nor inspired parents who are too busy paying for the tutors to upgrade their children’s math knowledge, that includes fractions and long division, so they can readily understand the concepts behind advance algebra.

An article in the Globe and Mail - “B.C. parents: Grab those pitchforks. Don’t let the theorists and bureaucrats make the same mistakes again.”  Should be a warning for the Ontario education set as well, and perhaps in the next issue of the OCT magazine, articles about parents and other education issues that the education set do not want to talk about or even read about it in black and white text. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/no-time-for-educational-complacency-canada/article15741406/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=The Globe and Mail&utm_type=text&utm_content=TheGlobeandMail&utm_campaign=111457840

Time for a reality check for the OCT. They are going to need it, if they think the only problem with math achievement is student engagement. On CBC radio - an interesting conversation takes place - you will hear the disconnection on the part of the educators. http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/popupaudio.html?clipIds=2422113994
The same disconnection is present at the OCT and throughout the public education establishment.

POSTED ON BEHALF OF DOUG

I agree let’s close it.

Actually a lot fewer teachers in any trouble than anyone thought. teachers hate to pay for something they hate.

Malkin,

Thanks for the link.  Glad to see my good $$$ at work.

Did not get an opportunity to attend - busy doing the real work in education.

Would have loved to participate - but my board did not facilitate/support classroom teachers an opportunity.  This was strictly an *appointed and anointed* moment. 

Bev,

You will be relieved to hear that only teacher dues pay for this sort of extravaganza.  Teachers, those working hard in classrooms, cannot opt out of their obligation of funding the OCT or their union - it is simply the law.  And most them are shut out of these sorts of `celebrations`.  Politics are not for the weak of heart!

best,

Mirka

Don’t the teachers need an organization to run counter-operations when educators make big mistakes, or one of the education gurus has child exploitation charges laid by the police?

Nancy,

are you suggesting we need the OCT to protect Dr. Levine from the charges laid recently?

That is just silly.  Dr. Levine is not a member of the OCT.  The OCT is not involved.

always best to stick to our knitting,

Mirka

Levin - is an education guru that has acted badly and put another black mark against the profession of teaching. Just like mayors who are dealing with the fallout of one bad acting Toronto mayor, or the bad acting senators.

The OCT still has to deal with the fallout of bad acting education gurus. I am sure the OCT head brass have been reminded from time to time since the charges were laid from others within the education system and outside of the education system.

The reputation of educators are at risk and as well, the carefully crafted images by the OCT and the public education establishment that educators have the best interests of children, when educators act badly and tarnishes the reputation and images of educators.

Toronto has been having a real bad year, when it comes to educators acting badly. Perhaps, that is why the OCT has undertaken the path of regaining the public’s trust, but as you have stated - apparently only the appointed attends the OCT conferences. OCT still have not learn the lessons of being transparent and open. Not when the OCT wants to cocooned themselves away from the teacher members who pay their freight. Inspiring public confidence should probably start with inspiring the teachers members, and not the public.

The history of the OCT - quite the story of revisionism
http://www.oct.ca/about-the-college/what-we-do/college-history

On Wikipedia - “The college’s mandate is to license, govern and regulate the practice of teaching. It is also responsible for developing standards of teaching practice, regulating on-going teacher certification and professional development, and accrediting teacher education programs. The College of Teachers also has the responsibility to investigate claims of misconduct made against teachers.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_College_of_Teachers

The OCT has certainly expanded their mandate beyond the original of to license, govern and regulate the practice of teaching. They soon be telling the school boards and union brass what will be or not be concerning their operations. I can’t help thinking about the Toronto School Board, the few badly acting educators and questionable policies and what plans are afoot by the OCT to extend their mandate and political power to rule the roost. Really ironic, when the teachers members are paying the freight.

POSTED ON BEHALF OF DOUG

Levin has nothing to do with OCT, not a mwmber K-12 only. He is/was a prof.