Accountability in BC Education?

[Live From China]

How accountable does one have to be? Let me explain.

I teach at a private school. "Suddenly" the administration wants each teacher in each department to be teaching the same topic on the same day. For example, if you are teaching acceleration in physics, then on Sept. 15th, all the physics teachers must be teaching the same aspect of that topic on the same day. No allowances for student abilities or difficulties. In addition, all tests must be identical. All labs must be identical. At a meeting, we were even told we should not tell an interesting story if it was not directly related to the topic at hand. Finally, no marks can be deducted for an assignment being late because that is a behaviorial issue and not an academic one.

Is this part of the BC government's aim at accountability in education? I personally have never heard of anything so kooky!

How was I able to teach (and very successfully I might add!) for over 20 years without be hampered by this ultra-right-wing-control-to-the-nth-degree attitude?

[ToadBrother]

How accountable does one have to be? Let me explain.

I teach at a private school. "Suddenly" the administration wants each teacher in each department to be teaching the same topic on the same day. For example, if you are teaching acceleration in physics, then on Sept. 15th, all the physics teachers must be teaching the same aspect of that topic on the same day. No allowances for student abilities or difficulties. In addition, all tests must be identical. All labs must be identical. At a meeting, we were even told we should not tell an interesting story if it was not directly related to the topic at hand. Finally, no marks can be deducted for an assignment being late because that is a behaviorial issue and not an academic one.

Is this part of the BC government's aim at accountability in education? I personally have never heard of anything so kooky!

How was I able to teach (and very successfully I might add!) for over 20 years without be hampered by this ultra-right-wing-control-to-the-nth-degree attitude?

First of all, how do you know the Ministry of Education has anything to do with it?

[Hydraboss]

Perhaps it is a necessary reaction to all of the 100% unaccountable under-performers that have dominated the teaching profession for decades while being protected by a semi-militant union. This is a forseeable outcome when kids are graduating without the ability to read at a secondary school level and the public (or private PTA in your case) decides that they've had enough. Pressure is brought to bear on the school board and the hammer comes down on all (even the "good" teachers as you claim to be).

As for the issue of not deducting for late assignments, that is the way the education system is moving. It turns my stomach, but it's a fact.

[Live From China]

[First of all, how do you know the Ministry of Education has anything to do with it? /quote]

I don't. That's why I am asking.

[Live From China]

First of all, how do you know the Ministry of Education has anything to do with it?

I don't. That's why I am asking.

[Griz]

The system is all cock-eyed! I mean even the PM proved that with his recent statement and how his first 12 years of free-education did very little in educating on basic history The IRP's etc are all symbolic and it's so true at the end of the 12 years many are leaving who can't even write or use basic math. Then they blame the indians for everything when the whole system is crap. I've heard of white parents getting the principal to override a teachers grades just so some snotty nosed kid can win a scholarship and go to university. Then they whine on posts forums like this and accuse indians of free-education. The system is cockeyed and when it falters it's so easy to just blame the indians

Perhaps it is a necessary reaction to all of the 100% unaccountable under-performers that have dominated the teaching profession for decades while being protected by a semi-militant union. This is a forseeable outcome when kids are graduating without the ability to read at a secondary school level and the public (or private PTA in your case) decides that they've had enough. Pressure is brought to bear on the school board and the hammer comes down on all (even the "good" teachers as you claim to be).

As for the issue of not deducting for late assignments, that is the way the education system is moving. It turns my stomach, but it's a fact.

[Live From China]

Griz, where does this stuff about "indians" come from? No one has made a single reference to this on this thread!

[Guest TrueMetis]

Griz, where does this stuff about "indians" come from? No one has made a single reference to this on this thread!

Just ignore him.

[Griz]

Everything is connected! In making a point here I also make points to other threads on here and in our cock-eyed society. Education is tied in with idiotic comment from politicians to the bureacrats to doorknobs in forums like this.

Griz, where does this stuff about "indians" come from? No one has made a single reference to this on this thread!

[Molly]

I teach at a private school.

Doesn't that answer most of your wonderings?

[Live From China]

Sorry, Molly, teaching at a private school doesn't answer the question. The school is required to teach the BC curriculum. Thus, I am assuming this is a province-wide edict.

[Guest TrueMetis]

Sorry, Molly, teaching at a private school doesn't answer the question. The school is required to teach the BC curriculum. Thus, I am assuming this is a province-wide edict.

I've seen the opposite, they're getting rid of the standard exams and letting teachers make them up.

Edited October 5, 2009 by TrueMetis

[Live From China]

I still don't get your point, Griz. I have a hunch a lot of others don't either.

What really bugs me about this is the unilateral way in which these decisions are made. Bloody wankers

in Victoria sit in their offices with their master's degrees and act superior and think they know what's best for

everyone. Just become someone is in a position of power and is supposedly well educated doesn't mean they come up with good ideas. In fact, education is, plain and simply, full of bad management making bad decisions.

Edited October 5, 2009 by Live From China

[Disillusioned]

How sad is it that I checked this forum out back in about 2002 and find the same level of ignorance, self interest and moronic jerks are still posting here. Live from China why waste your time on these left wing drugged out exe hippies and indians and huggers? If they all got together they couldnt form on solid brain among all of them. The collective intelligence on the forum is equal to that of an alcoholic gnat. They are too dumb to even understand what you are saying. NO the Board of Education should not be in the business of selling licenses to privates owned schools in China that are big business that exploit and abuse Canadian teachers, and said teachers should not be forced or intimidated into being classroom clones aka drones for the Nzai Chinese Government. Its a process of promotion and servitude as well as privilege that begins with retired Canadian Principals landing 6 figure jobs in China, members of the licensing boards being bribed by the Chinese business men with holidays, persk and eventually brown nosing their way into a Superintendent postion with a private school they previously issued the licensing for. Campbell has been implicated in their bribery as have a mutlitude of other political hacks. The BC news media is doing its best to investigate just how crooked the licensing board and practises of the BC Dept of Education really is. As one person said Chinese students graduating with a BC Dogwood dilpoma who cant speak, read or write English. This stinks to high heaven. But this is not the forum to ask an intelligent question on, all you will get is a bunch of drooling idiots responding with complete asanine nonsense.

[Live From China]

One of the things that bothers me about all of this is that we must adhere to very tight time lines. There is literally no time for remedial work or extra practice. Students who are struggling or having difficulty, continue to do so. Their needs are sacrificed to the "gods of timetabling" and scheduling. There are year plans, unit plans and endless forms about forms. All this garbage takes away from the real reason for teaching: the students. And teachers become nothing more than clones.

I predict many problems will arise from this slavish, mindless nonsense!

[Nat]

This has nothing to do with the "Ministry of Education" and everything to do with the private school rules that you teach at! I have two daughters who teach in public schools and believe me they don't have any such stupid rules to follow. In fact the BCTF would have a fit if a public school tried to enforce such rules.

Edited October 5, 2009 by Nat

[ToadBrother]

This has nothing to do with the "Ministry of Education" and everything to do with the private school rules that you teach at! I have two daughters who teach in public schools and believe me they don't have any such stupid rules to follow. In fact the BCTF would have a fit if a public school tried to enforce such rules.

That was rather my point. I cannot imagine this being anything other than the school's policy.

[Disillusioned]

Ok once more, from the top, for those of you who are just a tad slow on assimilating information:

Canadian International Highschools overseas: in this case BC international schools as an example, Grand Canadian Academy, Sino Bright, Mapleleaf Internaitonal schools, etc

1. The BC Board of Education licenses overseas schools which are considered to be LEGITIMATE BC HIGH SCHOOLS

2. These schools which are privately owned by business people and run as private schools are given the right by the BC Govt to award the BC DOGWOOD DIPLOMA to overseas students.

3. These schools employ teachers who are licensed within the BC SCHOOL SYSTEM and have taught within the BC school system or are teachers on leave for a year or two from BC in order to travel overseas and experience another culture

4. These teachers have degrees, they have teaching certificates, they are CANADIAN TEACHERS

5. These teachers are NOT in the same class as a high school graduate who heads to Asia to teach ESL without a clue what they are getting into.

The LICENSING of these schools is monotered and authorized by the BC Board of Education and the BC Government. The Vancouver Sun has done a number of articles about these schools questioning the ethics of the Licensing Board and the "selling" of the Dogwood diplomas to wealthy Asian students.

Is THAT clear enough for all of you to understand? Or are you still stuck on the term "Private School?"

Canadian teachers are being forced to work, think, act and behave like clones. This is NOT the way the BC curriculum is supposed to be or should be taught is the point Live from China is trying to make.

THIS IS WRONG and the BC govt is responsible for supporting this type of misconduct. And profiting from it, at the expense of Canadian teachers overseas.

[Pliny]

How sad is it that I checked this forum out back in about 2002 and find the same level of ignorance, self interest and moronic jerks are still posting here.

Check back in 2016 and let me know what you think.

[Griz]

Check back in 2016 and let me know what you think.

Yep Im amazed myself! It's absolutely incedible the mentality of some of the posters on here. Canada should be outright ashamed of what the education system has created if you want to base it on the mentality of posters on here. It's absolutely pathetic. However, I have made gains on here with the likes of Dog and Lictor etc etc. But you quell one and like a bad weed another one pops up

[ToadBrother]

Ok once more, from the top, for those of you who are just a tad slow on assimilating information:

Canadian International Highschools overseas: in this case BC international schools as an example, Grand Canadian Academy, Sino Bright, Mapleleaf Internaitonal schools, etc

1. The BC Board of Education licenses overseas schools which are considered to be LEGITIMATE BC HIGH SCHOOLS

2. These schools which are privately owned by business people and run as private schools are given the right by the BC Govt to award the BC DOGWOOD DIPLOMA to overseas students.

3. These schools employ teachers who are licensed within the BC SCHOOL SYSTEM and have taught within the BC school system or are teachers on leave for a year or two from BC in order to travel overseas and experience another culture

4. These teachers have degrees, they have teaching certificates, they are CANADIAN TEACHERS

5. These teachers are NOT in the same class as a high school graduate who heads to Asia to teach ESL without a clue what they are getting into.

The LICENSING of these schools is monotered and authorized by the BC Board of Education and the BC Government. The Vancouver Sun has done a number of articles about these schools questioning the ethics of the Licensing Board and the "selling" of the Dogwood diplomas to wealthy Asian students.

Is THAT clear enough for all of you to understand? Or are you still stuck on the term "Private School?"

Canadian teachers are being forced to work, think, act and behave like clones. This is NOT the way the BC curriculum is supposed to be or should be taught is the point Live from China is trying to make.

THIS IS WRONG and the BC govt is responsible for supporting this type of misconduct. And profiting from it, at the expense of Canadian teachers overseas.

I'm still not sure what you're upset about. The Ministry of Education sets up basic requirements, but in the case of private schools the curriculum is largely in their hands. If you feel that a private school is not teaching the required curriculum, then you need to compile the evidence and go to the Ministry. But, frankly, I don't think you have a case.

[Pliny]

How was I able to teach (and very successfully I might add!) for over 20 years without be hampered by this ultra-right-wing-control-to-the-nth-degree attitude?

Sounds like something China would ask of it's institutions. Of course, Hitler may have had similar ideas to the Communists as far as dictating the terms of the education for their children.

Just a comment to place the ultra-right-wing-control to-the-nth-degree attitude on the correct side of the political spectrum. Communists hated Fascists because they were similarly vying for State monopoly not because they were polar opposites.

Do you suppose that China would allow some ultra-right-wing-control fascists in their midst?