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I found this interview by Jane Williams of Bloomberg concise and informative. She interviewed a former education official from Ontario, CA named Ben Levin. Bloomberg EDU Podcast - Bloomberg
If you click on 'download' you can instantly hear the interview, at least it worked for me.
Canada ranks around 6-7 in the world in student performance, compared to about 25 for the US.
As a conservative, I don't buy everything that he says, but he does have the results to back up his words. Ben Levin gives four basic reasons for the shellacking:
1) NO FEDERAL involvement in education. This makes perfect sense to me. It makes no sense to have a layer in Washington DC directing education, which is an inherently personal enterprise.
2) Reduction of inequity. This too makes perfect sense to me. As a conservative there is an argument to be made for equality of opportunity. Why should a kid in a wealthy zip code get a more expensive ediucation than a kid in a poor zip code? Either make the parent and/or charity responsible for funding, or make it equitable. Right now we've got a system that is neither fish nor fowl. We know that funding does not always translate performance, viz DC, but obviously funding does tend to matter.
3) High caliber teachers. Teachers in Canada come from the top tier of college grads, while teachers in the US come from the bottom tier.
4) School choice. Levin says that there is a lot of choice in Canada, but it is not as 'divisive' an issue as in the US.
5. No swarm of illegal aliens by the millions who speak no English and have very little education illegally crossing your borders and Govt giving them "sanctuary".
6. No large population of minorities who puts no emphasis on education and expect Govt to support and raise their kids.
I found this interview by Jane Williams of Bloomberg concise and informative. She interviewed a former education official from Ontario, CA named Ben Levin. Bloomberg EDU Podcast - Bloomberg
If you click on 'download' you can instantly hear the interview, at least it worked for me.
Canada ranks around 6-7 in the world in student performance, compared to about 25 for the US.
As a conservative, I don't buy everything that he says, but he does have the results to back up his words. Ben Levin gives four basic reasons for the shellacking:
1) NO FEDERAL involvement in education. This makes perfect sense to me. It makes no sense to have a layer in Washington DC directing education, which is an inherently personal enterprise.
2) Reduction of inequity. This too makes perfect sense to me. As a conservative there is an argument to be made for equality of opportunity. Why should a kid in a wealthy zip code get a more expensive ediucation than a kid in a poor zip code? Either make the parent and/or charity responsible for funding, or make it equitable. Right now we've got a system that is neither fish nor fowl. We know that funding does not always translate performance, viz DC, but obviously funding does tend to matter.
3) High caliber teachers. Teachers in Canada come from the top tier of college grads, while teachers in the US come from the bottom tier.
4) School choice. Levin says that there is a lot of choice in Canada, but it is not as 'divisive' an issue as in the US.
That's just not true about US teachers. If you are talking about bottom tier then you should blame the states for their criteria on teachers. I think some states don't care what you major in but if you have a teaching certificate then you can be hired. In my state you have to be accepted into the education major and it's not easy. And then there is no guarantee you will be hired as a teacher because it is very selective. Only the best get hired, one reason our schools are some of the best in the country.
People blame the unions for bad teachers but that's not really the problem. Blame each state for their requirement of a teachers education.
That's just not true about US teachers. If you are talking about bottom tier then you should blame the states for their criteria on teachers. I think some states don't care what you major in but if you have a teaching certificate then you can be hired. In my state you have to be accepted into the education major and it's not easy. And then there is no guarantee you will be hired as a teacher because it is very selective. Only the best get hired, one reason our schools are some of the best in the country.
People blame the unions for bad teachers but that's not really the problem. Blame each state for their requirement of a teachers education.
I blame the unions for a complete lack of accountability.
You can't train a teacher, they either have it or they don't.
Ok sorry, I meant educate a teacher to the criteria that each state has for their requirements. And what do you mean by....they have it or they don't. You really don't understand what involves teaching do you.
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