I love your point about traditional vs progressive.

Traditionals would NOT force all parents and students into progressive schools. They respect people’s preferences.

Progressives insist that ALL be socialized into the progressive mind-set—no choices.

People say that all major religions profess tolerance to other belief systems.  Why can’t the progressives tolerate different beliefs in education, even while they give lip-service to “diversity”?

149 comments to Wente’s column, and counting…

This is what I just published:

“Once again Ms. Wente hits the nail on the head. Our public education system is in decline.” ProfSarge

“Another pathetic article by Margaret Wente on education.” Paul Kropp

Who else, except Margaret Wente, is so conscientious as to keep nagging away at our public education systems in Canada? Yes, declining they are, and not only that, but they are creaking and cracking and croaking due to being backward, rigid, and having their own agendas, ie, not as responsive to their students as they could be.

The model is wrong. It’s wrong to have a monopoly system for 90% of those not going to independent or home schools. It’s wrong because it is a mandatory government-provided service, performed by public employees.

It’s wrong because the money collected from taxpayers for education does not follow the child, but instead is creamed-off by the empires and industries that feed off this precious money.

It’s wrong not to provide choices, freedom, innovation, creativity. It’s wrong to consign parents and children to these schools. And, it’s wrong to force creative, imaginative, skilled teachers to be bound, hand-and-foot, by regulations, administrative dictates, union discipline, etc., etc.

Thank you, Margaret Wente, for opening up these topics at the school and university levels. I loved your article on universities from April of this year: “We pretend to teach ‘em, they pretend to learn.” There were over 200 comments, many very helpful to advance the cause of scrutiny and public knowledge and involvement with public universities.

I particularly appreciated your earlier article this month on public schools: “My third grader still can’t read” because you added a resource where readers can go for follow-up for help and advice.

Keep it up, Margaret. I can give you more than a dozen topics to explore and will do so after I narrow-down the 101 possible topics to 12.

This is my earlier post to Wente’s column:

9/29/2009 9:29:44 PM
“Hang in there all you conservative parents ... someday all the old hippie school teachers will be dead along with their idiotic feel good crappola.” Jvossos

What kind of an attitude is that? Meanwhile the kids are grown up and having grandchildren which suffer the same miseducation. No, parents have to be able—in the here and now – to intervene as necessary. To get results from your present school, or find another school and maybe get a job to support a private school, or home educate. Yes, Grade 6 is a bit late to start, but even in Grade 12, intervene if you must.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Article 26, Section 3
Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

The conversion carries on about Wente’s arguments for choice and for direct teaching.  177 comments so far.

This is my latest post:

Not Been Taught Syndrome (NBTS)

Back to the topic of teaching being a radical alternative … Yes, radical—meaning effecting fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practice.  Teach the 3 R’s. No more NBT excuses!

The Howlett Academy stresses penmanship as well as other core knowledge.  It’s not just nice handwriting that is the outcome.  It’s pride, accomplishment, self-discipline and achievement of expected goals that contribute to self-esteem and a sense of advancement.  Encouraging one to go on to the next step. Success breeds success.

Critical stages and ages as child development people would say.

Here is today’s news on penmanship.
http://www.ednews.org/articles/arlington-county-teachers-become-students-in-handwriting-class.html

“Two dozen Arlington County public schools educators gathered last week to learn nitty-gritty details about how to teach their students handwriting—proof that, even in this age of ubiquitous and hand-held computers, old-fashioned writing hasn’t gone out of fashion… this is a skill, like tying your shoes or playing the piano, that really has to be taught, and it can’t be taught by passing out worksheets. It has to be taught by a person.”

The story goes on to describe how this program, “Handwriting Without Tears”, has grown exponentially and is effective for all students, including left-handed, special education students and autism spectrum disorder. 

I think, from the story, it has something to do also with concentration and working to task, learning work skills. And all made a pleasurable experience through integration with music and movement.  A holistic experience, eh?

“About 300 teachers have been trained in Arlington in the past two years” says the story. 

And, YES, this program is mounted by a private company, probably for small profit, but why shouldn’t professional development for skill-training of teachers be obtained from effective private sources rather than just the universities or teacher unions?