The last question is intriguing.

Robert’s Rules of Order does address such a scenario. A deliberative (parliamentary) assembly may revisit a previous decision. To do so requires motion(s); would take some digging. I suspect if they followed parliamentary procedure and their constitution, and had a competent person in the chair, there should be no issue.

As for funds; it is their money, their professional association. I don’t recall teachers being sanctioned for previous overtly political (partisan) public expressions. Remember the infamous Skydome/Mandela affair?

World Vision (USA), an organization with over a billion dollars in revenues, yesterday announced a policy reversal on a hiring issue, which they had announced the day before. Both decisions made by their board. I’m guessing a group lime this is aware of their legal obligations and powers in such matters.

Um, hold on…........I feel a little stupid, like I just don’t quite understand…................

So if I’m a Catholic teacher working in the Toronto Catholic School Board, I MUST belong to this association, and I’m assuming pay my dues?

Can I opt out? Are there repercussions for doing so?

Now, whether I get to go to this meeting or not, the idea is that my dues are going to support one political party over another, because the majority voted to do so?

So as a teacher, working in Ontario, specifically Toronto, it is necessary to have this group of professionals dedicated to formulating foundations of understanding on many subjects to commit to supporting one particular political party and funding their cause?

How is that fair?

How is that non-partisan?

How come teachers couldn’t vote to decide whom to support first? Maybe the association would prefer to support the NDP or the Conservatives. Basically all of Malkin’s questions at the end of her blog apply?

How is this legal?

Wait! Now I’m angry, so I as a parent of two, pay my taxes. I send one to private school and homeschool the other because I’m unhappy with the schools in my area and I don’t want to move.

Now my taxes, go towards paying for teachers’ salaries for people who “shape the nation” (so to speak) and these people have decided to fund the campaign of one party (which I abhore) over another….............so in essense, my money, indirectly is going to support a political party I want ousted.

Am I missing something?

I’d like to shout: “Oh Ombudsman!!! Over here!!!”

Or should I shout: “Help, Police!”  No, wait, my taxes also support them, and I’m sure they are in cahoots with a political party,..............never mind.

So as I see it, we are doing something illegal in a “semi-legal” way, and it’s all okay.

So basically, it’s okay to trample all over me, and I just have to sit quietly and take it.

Great! Got it. Now I’ll just go and explain to my kids that bullying is okay, as long as it’s done nicely and then I’ll explain how democracy really works.

As I was thinking, ethically speaking - one should present all sides. Invite one political leader, one might as well invite the other two, for a fair and balanced representation of all the facts. Just prior to reading the post, I just came off the phone with my my 18 year old, where we had a conversation crossing the span on dyslexic traits to discrimination to the misconceptions held by educators including professors regarding dyslexic and the barriers imposed up the dyslexics and as well as other disabilities to assert their fundamental rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms….......I bet you want to know what this has all got to do with the OECTA and their general meeting. All will be revealed below, to conclude that teachers’ unions whether public or catholic, will do everything in their power to prevent not only students, the parents and the public from asserting their rights under the legislative acts and/or under the Constitution. On the flip side of the coin, the OECTA is no different from other teachers’ unions using the children they serve to act only in the best interests of the teachers’ union.

A press release - the provincial PC leader was not invited but the NDP leader was.  http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1318901/ontario-english-catholic-teachers-association-annual-general-meeting-2014

What was on the agenda? http://www.oecta.on.ca/wps/portal/!ut/p/c1/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3jDIBNLI2cfIwP30GBjAyNLdyNzc4sgQ3c_Y6B8pFm8e6iTa6iRob-Bv3GgmYGRR6iFe6iPh7GBgQEB3eEg-3Cr8DKCyOMzHyRvgAM4Guj7eeTnpuoX5EYYZAakKwIAozlFfw!!/dl2/d1/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnB3LzZfMVI0OTJDTDIwMFFFOTAyOVBBTDQxTDE4TTQ!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/web+content/OECTA/News+and+Events/Events/AGM/

Day 1 - all about the politics - “In thanking Premier Wynne for her remarks, OECTA President James Ryan said that the Premier’s rejection of austerity agenda is comforting. Austerity measures don’t work, said President Ryan, and are bad for Ontario’s economy.”

Day 2 - One never reads or hears about the teachers unions taking action against federal or provincial policies that lies outside of education, such as the Fair Elections Act - misnomer.  But at a general meeting, it is an item up for discussion.
The next item up for agenda was this one - “Delegates told her that too many allegations against teachers reaching the College are frivolous, such as pronouncing a students name wrong and eating donuts in class.: Frivolous indeed?  Took a search to see what type makes it to the College. I wanted to know if any complaints such as consistently denying accommodations because the teacher simply does not believe the said child has a learning disability. So the old trick is pulled using outrageous examples such as eating donuts to prevent parents/students from asserting their rights by filing complaint to the College. It is rather ironic that a human rights advocate speaks about human rights at a teachers’ union for K to 12, that consistently works against or suppressed the rights of others, so one and all are working for the best interests of the teachers’ union.

One example - http://www.oecta.on.ca/wps/wcm/connect/6cff9c804a14712d9b2fbb5de0050128/OnThinIce-Feb12.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=6cff9c804a14712d9b2fbb5de0050128 
“Each year, more teachers face investigations by the Children’s Aid Society (CAS), the police, the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) and applications from the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO), following allegations of abuse, professional misconduct and discrimination.”  Too bad, the teachers’ unions don’t have the same concerns for their students and parents concerning their rights.

What did the NDP leader had to say - ” The same government policies that are squeezing Ontarians are also affecting the classroom creating inequality and having teachers pay out of their pockets.”  Suffice to say, children don’t vote but teachers do.

Day 3 - “In his address to AGM attendees on key priorities and challenges for the coming year, OECTA President James Ryan said that fighting the right-wing agenda will be a large priority for the Association. AGM delegates vote to march in World Pride Parade on June 29, 2014, in solidarity with one of most marginalized groups in Catholic community.”

Why wasn’t the PC leader invited - a meeting to begin the fight on a right-wing agenda, that will have little to do with the education of children but a lot to do with teachers, their jobs, the union and their legal authority to educate children. Perhaps if there was a balanced approach, representing all the facts - I would not have been on the phone for a hour and a half to my 18 year old on a topic that the overall K to 12 education establishment refuses to acknowledge , that students and parents do not assert their rights via through the teachers’ union or the classroom educator. Nor would the OECTA spend 3 days having a war council against the PC politicians, the public and the students.

Everything 100% legal.

Hudak has been to court twice to stop it. Lost both times.

Teachers spending member $ however they please has been to Supreme Court twice. Unions won.

Federations and unions are private organizations. They invite whoever they like. In Bill DAVIS years Tories were invited. When PCs decided they were totally anti teacher invitations were no longer extended.

You can shout whatever you want. The teachers are not a nonpartisan organization. It is their choice alone how partisan they are.

Your public money does finance the system but it becomes private money the instant it is paid to a teacher the same as if the board paid a private bus company.

Then why is it, pray tell, that teachers MUST join their union.

If it is all legal and kosher and on the up and up, then they should still receive fair pay for services rendered, benefits included, and have the option to OPT OUT of belonging to any unions or associations.

The minute one MUST do anything outside of regular job descriptions, then that is equvlent to bullying, and in my view SHOULD be illegal.

In a democracy, I may choose to belong to any organization I choose, but I should never be forced or threatened to do so.

And just because something is legal doesn’t make it right, or just, or morally acceptable.

Nancy it is none of your business what the teachers’ union does.

All unions are compulsory membership in Ontario. Teachers made a deal with the conservative government in 1943. It is illegal to trach in publically funded schools unless you are in the union.

To A Parent.

There is not one party in Ontario that supports your point of view. Mr Hudak thought about it but changed his mind. Liberals, PC, NDP, Green all support the closed shop as a compulsory union system is called.

The teachers’ union is under no obligation to support all parties. They support pro Public education parties. They oppose parties that support privatization of education.

Thank you for enlightening me.

And of course what was done in 1943 is oh so much necessary to remain the same for 2014.

You are very right, privatization of any sort goes against the agenda to keep control.

And government control in all aspects of our lives is exactly what we need. Let us learn from North Korea and Russia. We need one grand over-seer, and then let’s just test our citizens at birth and in the citizenship classes and place them where the grand overseer sees fit: Abnigation, Erudite, Dauntless, Candor, Amity, and all who fall through, will be Divergent!

The fact that keeping the system status quo will create incompetent sheep who will be followers, and only those who are already the creme de la creme will rise to the top, as they will be the few competent ones able to implement anything, is of course untrue.

I should stop homeschooling and making my little one memorize the timestables. Afterall, she will have a calculator, and if she needs to add up many numbers, maybe she will discover how to do it. 

Choice only enables development and competition and ambition and improvement. We do not need this.

You are so right to want to crush this movement. Support should only go to pro-public education parties by the unions, and if that means funding the hotels and meal plans and all other costs for the meeting at the fancy hotel, by the comrades, er I mean the teachers and their unions, then all that money of course went to such good use towards the students who will directly benefit in the classroom.

It makes me want to fork over more of my hard earned money, to supply another lunch for another well deserving teacher, and key note speakers, because obviously this will improve the way math is taught, and make kids more numerate.

Once again, and I quote (Lenin, in case you ask): “More power to the proletariats.”

Let us never change. May we always stay the same.

So Doug, you expressed the usual talking points about the rights of the teachers’ unions while remaining silent the rights of the teachers’ unions are at the expense of the rights of the individual, the union member, the student, the parents and at the end the taxpayers’ purse. How? The government institutes collectively hold the authority and political capital to control human and civil rights. The public sector unions are in good company with the other government agencies and institutes to suppressed the civil and human rights of the individuals.

Doug, really doesn’t want to talk about suppression of the individual rights when it comes to teachers’ unions. He gets all huffy and full of himself, and says,  it is none of your business what the teachers’ union does. If so, the teachers’ unions should stopped publishing their business for the world to see it. So why does Doug attack, instead of engaging in a conversation or as the educators like to say, let us collaborate, and find solutions?  The greatest worried among the public sector unions, and government and employers is that the individual will assert their charter rights, making accusations of discrimination and brought before the courts.

It is the latest concern for the teachers’ unions. So worrisome, the union brass offers workshops for their members the how-tos’ to limit and prevent others from asserting their charter rights.

After all can’t have a teacher take the union brass to a human rights hearing, or the parent filing a complaint of discrimination against a classroom teacher. But the teachers’ unions are not alone in their concern, the entire K to 12 education establishment are also very concern about the growing trend of individual asserting their charting rights. Just one of the many law firms, predicting the steady stream of court cases in areas of human and civil rights. Number one court case is of interest, and you shake your head at the antics of the school board. “Above I speculate that the employment bar will likely continue to see an influx of human rights matters. Unless the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario changes its system to either a gatekeeper type system or starts awarding costs, especially in cases such as Doe v. A&W, the number of cases is only bound to continue to increase – especially with decisions like Fair.”  http://www.ottawaemploymentlaw.com/2013/12/top-five-employment-cases-2013.html

Amazing when I read the OECTA considers the complaints of the public that are put forward to Ontario College of Teachers are frivolous. and without merit. It be at their peril, if the complainants decided the human rights commission was just the right forum to present a case of discrimination by an educator, and was awarded a tidy sum of monies to take their child to another school more suitable for their child.

I know Doug arrogantly dismisses the rights of the individuals, but when he does and in the same way our government, its agencies and the public sector unions, they should respect the rights of the individuals, and not chastised the public or worse yet make legislation and new education policies to suppressed the rights of the individuals to benefit the union or the government. A hot spot is in the K to 12 establishment. where the teachers’ unions run roughshod over the rights of parents and students alike. It will be at their own peril, when the court rules, that the school compulsory law is discrimination. Organizations and employers who hold political and social capital in the 21st century should be tiptoeing around the charter of rights, instead like the herd of elephants stampeding through a forest, looking for fresh meat to support their stances to discriminate for personal gain or agenda.

By the way Doug, it is coming down the pipeline when individual Canadians will just skipped the formal protocols created and designed by the education establishment, and take them to court or a human rights hearing in many different hues, shapes and sizes. You run an organization or a place on employment based on the politics in the 21st century. To do so, will run counter to the rights of the individuals. The federal and provincial governments, no matter its political stripe are learning that people are fed up with the politics that provides poor services, and are now asserting their charter rights to get some justice - a service that was denied to them.

1) teacher unions are democratic individuals are free to express their opinions and frequently do. They are very popular with their members.Of course the very PC teachers around Don’t like it when the union supports Liberal and NDP all of those decisions ate democratic. The losing end has gone to the Supreme Court twice and lost. Who decides charter rights? Yup the Supremes.

2) Too repeat ALL major political parties in Ontario support closed shop policy. A conservative initiated it.

3) A PARENT still seems to think teacher money is their money. It is not. It is the teacher’s private money that they have earned.

4) There is zero groundswell within teachers unions to change direction. Just as there is zero groundswell to privatize education.

5) Teacher unions are private organizations. They are of concern to members only. They have zero obligation to invite anyone to their meetings that they do not like.

6) Mr Hudak has gone out of his way to attack teachers unions. Why would anyone expect they not to fight back?

7) teachers’ unions across the democratic world act in exactly the same fashion.

Teachers’ unions are no more democratic than they are bastions of free speech. Teachers unions like their counterparts in the public sector, are places of political power to picked their own boss. In one paper, “When it comes to advancing their interests, public-sector unions have significant advantages over traditional unions. For one thing, using the political process, they can exert far greater influence over their members’ employers — that is, government — than private-sector unions can. Through their extensive political activity, these government-workers’ unions help elect the very politicians who will act as “management” in their contract negotiations — in effect handpicking those who will sit across the bargaining table from them, in a way that workers in a private corporation (like, say, American Airlines or the Washington Post Company) cannot. Such power led Victor Gotbaum, the leader of District Council 37 of the AFSCME in New York City, to brag in 1975: “We have the ability, in a sense, to elect our own boss.”
http://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-trouble-with-public-sector-unions

In another paper - “As long as the teachers unions remain powerful, America’s schools cannot be organized in the best interests of children. At the local level, the unions use their power in collective bargaining to impose special interest work rules that make no sense from the standpoint of effective
schooling. In the policymaking process, they use their power to block or weaken reformist attempts to correct for the system’s pathologies and produce top-flight performance.” 
http://www.hillsdale.edu/file/outreach/free-market-forum/archives/2013/Terry-Moe.pdf

Where are the American teachers’ unions? It can also be applied to the Canadian teachers’ unions as well. Two different sides talking different but still essentially talking about the same thing - the struggle to maintained the status-quo of keeping the American public schools an egalitarian system. In other words the status-quo, that best fits the needs and best interests of the teachers’ unions. 1. Under siege—and in bid to stay relevant—teacher unions evolve - http://hechingerreport.org/content/under-siege-and-in-bid-to-stay-relevant-teacher-unions-evolve_11890/  2. The Anti-Egalitarian Mission to Destroy Public Education in America - http://www.nea.org/home/53421.htm

Now I won’t bother to provide further links to define egalitarian or Egalitarianism - it is only a google search away. What I will provide are two papers providing the opposing arguments. The first paper is written by a parent, and the vast majority of parents will easily relate to the experience of being stunned into silence - “Oh my, the light of child-rearing progressivism beamed upon us in its full glory. “Amen and hallelujah,” we would surely chant at this moment — were this not a secular school where we dare not utter such archaic words.
At this point, I turned white. So did most parents in the room. The presentation did not garner the applause and high praise theses sophisticated and enlightened educators expected.
In fact, there was stone silence. Many in the audience simply grimaced.”  http://www.worldtribune.com/2014/02/24/egalitarian-wasteland-welcome-new-parents-to-the-public-education-system-you-are-paying-for/

The second one is called, An Egalitarian Argument for Privatizing Education (Part 2) - “Public education is often held up as an egalitarian institution on the grounds that it provides educational opportunities to those who might otherwise not have them. In fact, public education is an extremely anti-egalitarian institution precisely because it insists on forcing students of disparate talent and intelligence into a unified pool in which schools teach to the average. Those of exceptionally high ability and exceptionally low ability are negatively affected by this collectivization: the gifted are held back by their less intelligent peers, and the below-average are dragged along by their more intelligent peers. This is perfectly acceptable if you’re content to settle for whatever happens to benefit a majority, but it’s absolutely inconsistent with egalitarianism and the protection of minority rights.” http://www.ricestandard.org/an-egalitarian-argument-for-privatizing-education-part-2/

Teachers’ unions are no more democratic than the the whole K to 12 education model, its structure and the education establishment. If it was democratic, the very least one will see, 96 to 97 % of the student with good to excellent skills in the 3 Rs. Teachers’ unions don’t want to see 96 to 97 % of the student population to acquire good to excellent skills. Why? Their political capital would shrink, to where they no longer hold the big stick of picking their own boss.

NANCY I think you would actually have to BE a teacher to understand
the internal democracy(voting for everything) the loyalty, the gratitude and the solidarity teachers feel towards their unions.

BC made membership voluntary. 95 resigned. Ontario once thought the strikes votes were so high the results must be crooked. The ERC was created to supervise strike votes. No difference.

Of course teacher unions impede the ability to privatize the system as you would like. They are doing EXACTLY what their members want. 

Your attitude leads me to conclude if I don’t get the results I want it could not have been democratic.

Face reality. Most people do not share your vision..

Remember Canada’s Hilroy awards for great teachers?.They were shut down by the company when it found out the awards had been hijacked by the teacher unions. The awards were being handed out only to approved union nominees. The prize had a monetary value of $2.5K.Most of the winners were first year teachers with very strong union support. There were a lot more deserving candidates in the system than rookie teachers. Saw it firsthand for years. Ah yes the teacher unions.. now you see ‘em. now you don’t

Get used to them. They are rock solid and permanent.

The 3 bigger federations each give the Liberals and NDP $100 000 in a slow year. Much more at election time and Working Families Coalition.  They also release dozens of professional political operatives into strategic ridings. Can you compete with that?

Part 1 of 2

BS Doug. The teachers’ union like other unions like other organizations where people gathered together under one umbrella such as certified teachers are only democratic in appearance, but not in its operations. Peel back the facade of democracy of a teachers’ union, which is really a picture of teachers voting on job related issues. If the brass should not happen to like the vote, a new vote is taken until the brass is satisfied. In behind the political machinery are turning their wheels 24-7 to ensure compliance of the union members to the dictated goals and agendas of the union brass and associated members with the desired education background in social equity, whole language, constructivism and other progressive pedagogy that works well with the stated goals and agendas of the teachers’ union.

That Catholic teachers meeting of 3 days, was simply a war council to discussed strategies to take down the Ontario PC party. EFTO has the same agenda planned, and it is the number one goal. So what about the education part of the equation under the union banner - ETFO - “Our reputation is based upon providing professional learning that is relevant, grounded in social justice and equity, and teacher-friendly.” http://etfo-aq.ca/aqs-pqps/

No need for children to have a solid foundation in the 3 Rs, because under the Egalitarian dogma, social justice and equity has replaced the 3 Rs. I spent the better half of this afternoon, just shaking my head, in search of what does not exist in the 21st century teachers’ union - to provide an education for one and all and where each student will reached their full potential. No dice, but what they do have let us pretend everyone is equal…ideologically imposed egalitarianism and the promise of equity is what is on the education menus among the education establishment. After all imposed egalitarianism is the lifeline for teachers’ unions to thrive and grow in the number of teachers.

I came across this in the money maker of the teachers’ unions - the credited courses where the courses are linked to the salaries of teachers. Take a course, get a pay raise. On the front page, a notice - “OTF is offering $450 for members who take an Math AQ of ABQ course. Information is found on the OTF site at…”  http://etfo-aq.ca/

Part 2 of 2

Well now, the forces within are paying the teachers to attend math courses?  Let us investigate…...press on the FAQ link.. http://www.otffeo.on.ca/en/learning/4594-2/

The funding comes from the Ministry of Education -
“The Ministry of Education has provided a generous
but limited amount of funds to enable this subsidy program. We anticipate that 2,960 teachers will be able to access this funding through OTF. The
subsidies will be provided on a first come first served basis. This means that we cannot guarantee a subsidy to every teacher who applies, but we will do our best to let you know when the funding is coming to an end.”  Further down, this is where the Egalitarian model costs taxpayers big bucks to keep the teachers happy and contented. “If you have received a subsidy from your school board, you MUST let OTF know that this is the case, and you will receive a reduced subsidy. The reduced subsidy from OTF will depend on the amount
received from your board. It is understandable that
we want to make sure that everyone is eligible for the same subsidized amount and that no one ends up getting more than their fair share.”

No wonder the Ontario teachers’ unions are in love with the new Ontario premier. Paying teachers to attend AQ math courses must be a real selling point, and so wonderful to be so egalitarian and generous with taxpayers money. What about the courses?  http://etfo-aq.ca/faqs/  And here -http://etfocreditcourses.ca/courses/#anchor19
And here -  http://etfo-aq.ca/?s=Mathematics,+Grades+7+and+8#guidelines

The cost and a short summary of the course - could not go further - http://etfo-aq.ca/catalogue/mathematics-grades-7-and-8/
There is another section under ETFO courses - with more details on the courses - http://etfocreditcourses.ca/wp-content/uploads/OnlineCourseSyllabi-EDMA183.pdf
And for other courses - http://etfocreditcourses.ca/courses/#anchor19

Egalitarian dogma is throughout the K to 12 education model, and for the most part it is the measuring stick that is used as to what will be or not be in the classroom. Another ETFO credited course is this one called, Brain-Based Ways We Think and Learn -  http://etfocreditcourses.ca/wp-content/uploads/BrainBasedWays.pdf

The last one is all about discovery learning. Only the kids with excellent reading, writing and numeracy skills will be successful. A small minority and that is why the teachers’ unions pushes for this type of training for classroom teachers because it requires a small army of teachers in behind the classroom teacher to deal with the majority of students who do not have top reading, writing and numeracy skills. More teachers, means more union dues that means more political clout at the government tables. At the end more funding to managed the fall-out when students in the classroom begin to struggle. Which usually means more hard sells to the students/parents/public by the teachers’ unions and more war councils being fronted by the teachers’ unions.

From all I have read this afternoon, coming out of Yale, Harvard and other respected institutions - the teachers’ unions are at a crossroad for the 21st century. If they don’t change, the public will do it for them, by choosing choice for the best interests of their children’s education. As for Canada, not as advanced as in the United States, but the same pressure points from all sides are being applied to the teachers’ unions and the overall K to 12 education establishment. It is why, Doug gets so huffy when I provide links of the teachers’ unions…he thinks it is none of our business, but it is. This afternoon I even touched on papers how 21st century technology, the teachers’ unions no longer have the ability to hide in plain sight. Now they have to spend three times as much money in their political lobbying and keeping the political machinery well greased to have favorable outcomes for teachers’ unions.

I find it troubling that left -wingers ( and here I count the unions )  don’t seem able to accept the results of elections when the outcome is one which is unexpected. Ford is elected mayor and immediately the media reaction is one of .....how could this mistake have happened ? According to the left, Harper is not the people’s choice for PM and the fact that the Conservatives have won several elections proves that our electoral system is unfair. Looks to me that the Left believes we should have elections as long as the outcome is one which they can live with. If not, redo the process until the voters get it right.

If conservatives defend Ford they must wear all of him.

In any PR system Harper would have 0 chance. He can win due to a divided opposition only.

Ford and Harper still have reasonable support from voters but they were written off ,by the left, before they even took office. On the flip side, left wing darlings like Justin Trudeau or Obama, are given sainthood status before they do anything. The left wont listen to or tolerate anyone they haven’t elected.

Of course, what do you expect? Note the GOP treatment of Obama. Same thing.

I expect political views and discussions to remain outside of the classroom and unions should stop scaring their members into believing that certain political parties are bad for the profession. It’s frightening when professional teachers, some of the “brightest” citizens in our society vote with only their own self interest in mind. A union supporting only one party and making their concerns the prime issue of every single election highlights their selfishness.

Partisan politics does stay out of the classroom. Politics is actually s subject.

The union is totally different. Teachers, public education have both friends and enemies. They support their friends, oppose their political enemies. Duh.

Part 1 of 2

No brownie points for Doug. His claim of partisan politics staying out of the classroom is false. Our kids are constantly being used as political pawns in and out of the classroom. Teachers’ unions are no different in their use of partisan politics in and out of the school. In the Sun - “. But there is something deeper and more sweeping than this and it’s sociological as much as political. A culture has developed in the past 30 years where teachers assume that they and not parents are the primary educators and even guardians of the children in their classes.”  http://www.torontosun.com/2014/01/09/teachers-stay-out-of-politics-parenting

In BC 2005 - “Sims said it’s about teachers having the right to put the educational needs of their students into perspective.
“If you come to me as a parent and ask me how your child is doing, I may have to say your child needs three hours of learning assistance a week. But your child is only getting half an hour of learning assistance. So naturally, you ask why.
“This is about the right to tell you, as a parent, that it’s because of political decisions that have affected how we provide education.”  http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/harwood-dont-use-kids-as-pawns/

The above solution by the teachers’ unions is the answer to solved the pesky problems of parents asking inconvenient questions about their children’s progress. Little Suzie having problems in math. Teacher response - small class size. Little Johnnie misbehaving. Teacher response - small class size.

Straight from a teachers’ union - their solution to continue to use the kids as political pawns is to declare teachers have the right under freedom of speech in order to respond to parents, stating small class size in response to a parent’s question, their kid is struggling in the classroom. Small class size still won’t solve the problem of the student struggling in learning, but teachers’ unions has never been about the best interests of the kids. It has always been using political tactics in the business of educating students. “xpression by teachers: The courts have recognised that teachers’ contribution to the democratic dialogue on education funding and other issues fosters
political and social decision making in Canada…In the absence of evidence of harm to the education system generally or to any student specifically, it will be difficult to justify infringement of this
fundamental freedom.”  https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/National Office/2013/11/osos113_FreedomofSpeechforTeachersConfirmed.pdf

Part 2 of 2

I bet one will never hear a teachers’ union calling for a full investigation on reading and math instruction in the primary grades, but one will always read about the latest political attack and/or agendas of the teachers’ union. ” The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation has called on the Toronto District School Board to launch an investigation into the “on-line conduct” of the trustee who urged the board to withdraw its float from the annual Pride parade if the city would not enforce Canada’s laws on public nudity.” http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/teachers-union-calls-for-investigation-into-toronto-trustee-who-criticized

I supposed that trustees are not entitled to the right of freedom of speech. Only teachers unions…....but parents/students are providing they followed the protocols put in place by the K to 12 public education establishment. A parent shall never go to the media or seek a legal solution before all processes and protocols have been exhausted in the K to 12.  Most parents decide to cede their rights to the K to 12 education establishment, and hope or pray that the teachers know what they are doing in educating their children.

Political Pawns? Teachers unions are quite good at it. Also very good at playing the victim as well. “Teachers keep casting themselves as undervalued victims in Ontario’s latest political power play — crushed by the jackboot of Premier Dalton McGuinty.” http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/09/12/cohn_the_moral_high_ground_that_ontario_teachers_unions_claim_to_occupy_is_slipping_away.html

But the teachers’ union won’t tolerate a group of parents casting themselves as undervalue victims against the jackboots of the teachers’ unions. In their eyes, the only rights that parents have, is to be the cheerleaders of the public education system, and never never criticized their actions and policies that makes the children political pawns, having their education being hijacked to work for the best interests of the public education establishment and their political goals.

The 21st century public K to 12 model, only educate children based on the political dynamics of the day. Teachers’ unions play a starring role to ensure compliance within and outside.It is why, one will never see or hear a teacher or a teachers’ union going public to voice, the instructional and curriculum policies are harming students and their education. It is up to the parents to prove harm, and than infringement of their rights.

Keep on laughing Doug, but the day is coming and soon, when the parents will no longer complied to the public K to 12 establishment. The partisan politics in the classroom will be booted out by the parents. In the Children of the Code - ” Partisan politics, ideologies, methodologies, institutional funding needs, profit motives, and marketing hyperbole all contribute to obscuring the issues. They also tend to advocate “solutions” to a problem that, for the most part, educators and parents don’t sufficiently understand.  Thus, despite decades of literacy campaigns and advances in the science of reading, there is little evidence of any significant improvement. The lives of tens of millions of children and adults are still being seriously-adversely affected by reading improficiency and its insidious collateral consequences.” http://www.childrenofthecode.org/

A school board - “School groups are not to be used to promote partisan politics, sectarian religious views, or commercial enterprises. ” http://www.ralstonschools.org/board_of_education/board_policies/i__instruction/

Could provide more, but the word partisan is being used more often today, in describing the public K to 12 policies and practices. Who started it all? The K to 12 education establishment and whole language advocates. “. The struggle pitted advocates of skills-based, phonics-based approaches against partisans of naturalistic, “whole-language” strategies.” http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED498005.pdf

In BC the teachers used parents night to and out material on underfunding of education. The government took the Teachers to court for it. The teachers won.

What is partisan politics in the classroom?

Courts have said teachers should not promote one political party or denigrate one party however on a daily basis lessons conclude

polluters are bad, the rich are too rich, the poor are too poor, nothing wrong with gay marriage, evolution is the truth, abortion is ok, stuff like that.

Some GREAT facts about the College of Teachers.

Toronto Star

The longtime chair of discipline at the Ontario College of Teachers is the co-author of a soft porn book for teens that chronicles the sexy adventures of Grade 9 girls and boys at a mythical Toronto high school.
The Sexteens and the Fake Goddess is a lurid tale of striptease, breast fondling, bum grabbing, orgasms, drugs and blackmail that features a deputy headmaster who sweeps a sex assault under the carpet and tells male students at a pep rally that if he was younger he would have sex with all the girls in the audience. Another teacher gives a boy advice on French kissing and as the plot unfolds we learn that the deputy headmaster and a third teacher once had a threesome with a female student.
It’s hard to believe, but the co-author is teacher Jacques Tremblay, one of the most important education officials in Ontario.
Tremblay presides over many of the tough cases that come before the College’s disciplinary committee. The cases deal with teachers alleged to have violated the trust of students and the public through sexual assault, verbal and physically abusive attacks, or incompetent behaviour. Tremblay and other members must decide if a teacher is innocent or guilty, hand out punishment if they deem it necessary and decide if a teacher found to have behaved inappropriately should be named.
Tremblay, in a written response to questions from the Star, said his work as an author is separate from his “public interest” work at the College. He said The Sexteens book “is meant to empower teenagers, to encourage them to be strong and resist or avoid peer pressure.”
Tremblay has been chair of the watchdog’s discipline committee since 2006 and was first elected to the College’s council two years before that, said College spokesman Brian Jamieson. The Sexteens was published in 2008.
A Star investigation has found that over the past three years the disciplinary panels are, more and more, shielding bad teachers by keeping their names secret.
One recent case he dealt with involved Hamilton teacher Ryan Geekie. Female students said he called them “whore,” “pole dancer” and “retard” and said he told them tongue studs were for oral sex. Geekie’s identity was kept secret by Tremblay’s panel.
He received a three-month suspension.
Asked about Tremblay’s book and his watchdog role, Jamieson provided two short responses to questions from the Star.
Tremblay is “a member of council and chair of discipline and his writing does not have an impact on his ability to act in the public interest and there is no evidence of such,” he said.
“Council members must be in good standing to seek an elected position and must be employed as full or part-time teachers. Once elected, council members are required to take an oath of office. It’s up to council members themselves to elect their colleagues to the various statutory and special committees. The committees meet to select their chair and then provide a recommendation to council on a candidate of their choice.”
Tremblay’s College bios notes he is a wine lover, lives “an organic lifestyle” and is a certified trainer in infant massage.
Every few pages, the authors toss in descriptions of young girls’ breasts (“regardless of their modest size, her firm and wonderfully rounded breasts arouse in Tony desire, fascination and concupiscence.”)
As the book progresses, the heat is turned up. Tony (another student) observes a “short dress” revealing “perfectly carved, smooth and irresistibly fleshy buttocks.”
For a school setting, the behaviour is pretty inappropriate.
Some of the images and comments in the story are similar to cases the Ontario College of Teachers deals with.
When the cheerleaders are preparing for the big football game pep rally, Dick, female student teacher in tow, arrives in the gym to announce to the cheerleaders, “My boys don’t have the right to lose tomorrow with hotties like this to encourage them,” adding that if he was still young, “I’d give everything to win the match and please these hot chicks.”
There’s a game of strip poker and if a female student is losing she has to pull down her pants and be swatted by a male student with a fly swatter on the butt until blood is drawn.
Then there’s Frank Malenfant, the 20-year-old son
Every few pages, the authors drop in some more light sex. Wet dreams, “swelling in the underwear,” “exploring these burning fleshy hemispheres,” you get the picture.
One student makes the rounds of the male teachers, getting her marks raised for, well, flirting.
The book is listed on Chapters/Indigo, Amazon, Kobo and other sites, where its description reads: “Confrontations and conflictual relationships with adults in position of authority explode throughout the school.”
Kevin Donovan can be reached at (416) 869-4425 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Watch the news tonight Joe?  Ford was one of the headlines for news broadcasts, and even made it on ET. The story that you outlined, I remembered it well, and it hardly cause a ripple among the media, let alone the Toronto folks. The public sector brought off the media a long time ago, so they can continued on with their outrageous expenditures such as $165 to installed a pencil sharpener. Education for kids? Not on the menu, which makes the Ford problem a big problem for the Ontario public sector, since they no longer was able to contained the Ford story by keeping it in Ontario. When the former President Clinton makes comment on Ford that Ford smashed all the stereotypes that people have on Canadians, just imagine what it is doing to the city of Toronto and the biggest school board in the country.

Soon we be hearing for the European counterparts on what they think of Ford, and when that happens, the reverberations will reach into the big Ontario teachers unions. They better tread lightly, or they may live to regret their actions of partisanship and self-serving interests.

Funny….when it comes to the Toronto Star, and other left wingers…...what Rob Ford does in his private life has everything to do with his duties as mayor. I wonder how many of theses same “lefts” agree with Tremblay when he says” his work as an author is separate from his “public interest” work at the College “

In Nova Scotia, I see that the teachers’ union are having influence over the new Liberal government. Reading Recovery is returning after being dumped and rightly so in 2011, for poor outcomes in such a very expensive program. And the teachers’ unions keeps on insisting they are not partisan nor self-serving.

“The government is also adding some money to early literacy initiatives and bringing back a reading program that was axed in 2011.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/nova-scotia-liberals-first-budget-forecasts-279-million-deficit/article17799773/

When Reading Recovery was axed in 2011, the teachers’ union was one mad nest of bubble bees in a bonnet. Reading Recovery, every though it has only a 30 % success rate, is teacher intensive and heavy into professional training that cost big bucks. I only mentioned it, because if one cares to roam the teachers’ unions websites, Reading Recovery is their top recommendation. The horrible discovery learning math don’t make sense is their number one recommendation. Why? To served their self-serving interests. If 95 to 97 % of students in a classroom had fair to good skills in the 3 Rs, there be no need for all the teachers running around managing the behaviour of students, the fallout concerning low achievement and for a change students would be learning.

How is this legal?
So I as a parent, pay my taxes. I send one to private school and homeschool the other because I’m unhappy with the schools in my area and I don’t want to move.

Now my taxes, go towards paying for teachers’ salaries for people who “brainwash the nation” (so to speak) and these people have decided to fund the campaign of one party (which I abhore) over another. So in essense, my money, indirectly is going to support a political party !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpT-TtskHjE