The B.C. Teachers’ Federation and Education Minister Shirley Bond met last week to talk about the Foundation Skills Assessment, but agreed to disagree.
According to a “School Staff Alert,” published Tuesday, BCTF table officers met with Bond last Friday. “While the meeting did not resolve the issues, a frank exchange of views on the FSA took place and it was clear the minister did not want the situation to escalate.” More from the alert:
BCTF President Irene Lanzinger gave an overview of the concerns teachers have with the FSA and their growing frustration with the reluctance of government to acknowledge and discuss these problems.
In turn, the minister reiterated that it was expected that teachers would administer the FSA and that it is part of a teacher’s job.
Both parties agreed that ranking schools is undesirable but at this point the minister has taken no steps to bring an end to the practice.
However, Lanzinger emphasized that there were many other significant problems with the test that could also be addressed by moving to a random sample and made it clear that in itself was a compromise since teachers see little value in the test.
The minister did not seem intent on pursuing a confrontation over the issue and expressed a desire for the dialogue between government and the BCTF to continue.
Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.
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Luke Skywalker
3 years ago
I Dunno...
Again, the BCTF wants the FSA shelved as the results will be used by the Fraser Institute to rank schools. Is that professional or political? People can decide for themselves.
The NDP introduced the FSA around 10 years ago. However, the NDP's position on the FSA?:
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/reportcard/archive/2009/01/20/ndp-s-position-on-the-fsa-tba.aspx
Now back to the Fraser Institute and the NDP.
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/reportcard/archive/2009/01/19/b-c-prevents-hospital-rankings-but-not-school-rankings.aspx
Typical B.C.Typical Lotusland politics. :)North of Hope
3 years ago
Luke you're quoting
JANET STEFFENHAGEN from the Vancouver Sun.
NDP Education critic Norm Macdonald said, "It needs to be handled by sitting down and - in a respectful way - working through the issues," he told me in an interview. "One perspective has been put forward very strongly by the teachers. So that's one perspective that needs to be considered, but there is a range of partners." A much different approach. Much more like one Obama suggested earlier today.
Stump
3 years ago
Apples and Oranges
Unless the patients took tests to determine the amount of medical knowledge they gained while at the hospital, or the FSA measured teachers' abilities to render medical assistance, it seems to me that there are probably different methodologies for assessing hospitals compared to assessing students. To suggest one must have the same position regarding publishing the results of both scenarios is sort of silly.
They are clearly two different kettles of fish and it's no surprise to anyone who gives it a moment's thought that one could conceivably support disclosure in one case and not the other.
Luke Skywalker
3 years ago
Guys... I'm Having SCRAMBLED EGGS for Breakfast Tomorrow... :)
North of Hope:
Let's see ... the NDP introduces the FSA ~10 years ago as a matter of public policy. And now they don't want to take a position on their own policy???? ;)
Even a well known New Democrat, Charles Menzies, commented on that story:
Anyway, speaking of Obama... ain't this the same thing?:
http://www.news1130.com/news/local/more.jsp?content=20090116_160156_42988
In any event, the chaos and disruption by this BCTF-induced matter next month is gonna resonate with the public heading into May, 2009. Insubordination by the BCTF? It will overshadow all other educational matters. No doubt about that.
Stump:
It's quite simple. The NDP approves the rankings of hospitals by the Fraser Institute but now takes no position on its own FSA policy involving the ranking of schools hospitals by the Fraser Institute.
Goofy, ain't it? :)
sirjohna
3 years ago
politics, pure and simple.
politics, pure and simple. i knew when the bctf signed their five year contract that they'd need to create a cause before the '09 election. the problem for them is that they're not going to get any public support on this one, and the ndp are going to lose again anyway. in the meantime the teachers are getting lambasted in the newspapers over this ridiculous issue.
Stump
3 years ago
Wake up Luke, you're sleep-typing
"It's quite simple. The NDP approves the rankings of hospitals by the Fraser Institute but now takes no position on its own FSA policy involving the ranking of schools hospitals by the Fraser Institute.
Goofy, ain't it? :)"
Did you even read what I wrote? Don't waste my time. It's perfectly reasonable to have a different outlook on the two situations... because they are probably totally different.
quarry bay
3 years ago
Luke/ Sir Johna-------( I )
Perhaps this letter might give you a better perspective,somehow I doubt it will.
http://vancouversun.com/opinion/letters/perspective+teacher+administers/1197136/story.html