MiddleClassCentrist

I like that they are another spot to vote for on the Ballot in the event that I completely disagree with all other options. They are my protest vote.

It's tough to do. I don't deny it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYR2bMXxf6s&list=UUmGRXuwpyh6F1kqABnSb7ug&index=1&feature=plcpEND Dalton McGuinty's request to teachers to bend over and take it without any negotiating. (I think that is what annoy's teacher's about this, again, the ones I know were expecting freezes and benefit reduction)

Maybe we shouldn't call them sick days at all. Maybe that is the problem. Just lump all peronal days (vacation, medical, personal etc) into one category that is expected to be used up by the end of the year. Can't remember which "right to work state" had a company that did "25 days, use for illness or vacation"

In the real world, I talk to my boss tell him my kids are sick and have him write it in as a vacation day.

What do you do? Just curious.

Does nobody get retirement bonus or retirement bonus anymore? I'm not trying to justify it. I just remember that being something that happened at one point in high skilled/professional jobs. Maybe I'm thinking of something else.

I don't think that teachers care about the gratuity, I have spoken to really cares about the retirement gratuity. It's not something they pay into. Their pension on the other hand... 12% of their pay goes into that so they will likely fight for it.

That didn't take too long if the polls are accurate. Maybe this province vs province banter in the news recently is reigniting different political allegiances.

Actually, John Tory's plan should have been implemented. Costs would have skyrocketed with dozens or hundreds of more boards forming and everyone realized that it was a bad idea. Then we'd be back to a single school board.

Absolutely. We need to put all of the schools in one system, coordinate efforts and organization. If two schools are across the street, have one specialize in technical training, the other specialize in academic. It would improve our education system more than anyone realizes and at the same time it would be saving money.

Teacher's I know reacted poorly for one reason: This plan wasn't presented as a list of negotiable demands. It was presented as "This is how it is, take it or leave it" They were expecting austerity to come to some degree, especially after 2 rounds of pain free negotiations (courtesy of Dalton to get re-elected). But, being given the list of parameters... Except that all teachers should share the burden equally... Just roll the wages back a few years and let the younger teachers progress up the grid. They still have student debt to take care and are trying to start families. Maybe they should focus the grid... right now it starts at 50k and goes to 95... Maybe a more moderate gain would save money in the long run with a lower cap eg. 60k-80k (just tossing the idea out) The number of sick days are low. 6 days? Teacher's work in one of the most germ ridden environments of snotty nosed kids who weren't taught how to cover their mouths when they cough. They have 20 now... how about we just cut it down to 10. I've read elsewhere that this plan is being put in place to prevent having to lay off a large number of teachers. If that is true, keeping people working is more important than wage increases. If I was a young teacher who wanted to teach, I'd choose lower pay over no job for sure.

The thing that pisses me off the most about this whole education thing, Is that the biggest waste of money goes toward running two separate publicly funded boards. We need to be addressing the fact that the Catholic School system is causing a huge, unnecessary drain of public tax dollars. It's the elephant in the room that needs to be addressed but, no one is willing to address it.

Take this one for instance, I predicted a brush off but not the essence of self-importance on this one. I'll try again some other time.

I use the manage ignored users for internet trolls and the "no discussion, I'll beat on my chest louder than you can" posters. I might read maybe 10% of posts they make for interest. Like when someone blows out a troll/hyper-ideologue's argument. I like to try and predict how the unsavoury user would respond and then click "view post by" to check my answer. Turns it into a game instead of an annoyance.

Have you not noticed the trend in unethical and immoral behaviour of conservatives in the news? Making phone calls suggesting that a Liberal was retiring... (They fully admitted this one) Making phony election calls to annoy the opposition supporters. Making phony election calls to make people go to the wrong polls. Spending money on Gazebo's. ... To name a few.

I don't care if you read my post. It was straight from the Globe and Mail. Maybe the subtitle was my doing, but I was just making a connection to our current government. Either way, your loss not mine.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/cheat-lie-break-the-law-chances-are-youre-rich/article2351690/

Imperial is algorithmically flawed. http://i49.tinypic.com/14v63rn.jpg Most complex machinery/technology is made using metric. (CPU's and microchips are made on the nanometer level.) Measurements are converted to imperial so that the end user can live in the days of old.

I know of enough cases to know how it actually works. You are listed as a Sexual Predator Risk, sure privately but still there for police to access, with a case that lists the students as victims and the adult as the perpetraitor logged in Children's Aid. Only takes one source to make you look guilty. You will be moved schools and it will look like you were found guilty of being a sexual predator risk.

The problem is that they could kill the wrong guy. If I knew that 100% of all death penalties handed out were for murderers, rapists, child molsesters, etc. I'd have no moral problem with it. I find it more moral that society not be forced to pay for them to live out their life.

They obviously should have bussed it and paddled the rest.

Imperial will eventually disappear. Fahrenheit is one of the dumbest measurement systems that anyone has ever come up with. It's amusing that people still use it.

I've heard a few things coming down the line. Can't comment on specifics at this time. They are running a "further right than Mike Harris" campaign against public unions which will unfold over the next year. Though, nothing may come of it at this point. Ontario might be following in Wisconsin's shoes. It seems as though Dalton might be ramping up to do some union busting.

Children's Aid can have you recorded as a sexual predator in their database on the word of a student alone. There are teachers guilty of doing nothing more than having standards of student behaviour on that list, then a student decides to get back at the teacher by making outrageous and untrue claims. There was no trial, no evidence in defence of the teacher, just an "Airing" of hearsay and an entry of "sexual predator" with the true victims name attached. I'd wager similar stories like the one in the OP are as follows - Child sees parent playing video game with gun or holding a gun - Parent says that they are "getting the bad guys" - Child makes picture but does not have full capability to explain - Child communicates true nature incorrectly to teacher - Teacher, hearing something that doesn't sound right, is LEGALLY REQUIRED to contact children's aid. Because if that teacher didn't and something happened, that teacher could lose their job. Does it suck that it happened to someone who didn't deserve it? Yeah. Would everyone here be slandering the teacher/process if they didn't follow it and something happened? yeah. It's a lose lose as a teacher. You are always wrong, no matter what.