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Recent news of school children being taken to a Pro-Palestinian protest has rightfully caused quite a stir from parents and has led the Ontario Minister of Education to investigate further.
You may ask why schools would allow field trips to participate in political protests altogether - most don’t, but the line between what is deemed “political” is quite blurry.
Read more at Public #onted https://gregcawsey.substack.com/s/public-onted-with-greg-cawsey
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Been some discussion lately about what real life skills should be taught in Ontario High Schools. The bigger question we must all decide in the AI world, what are we going to leave for us humans to do?
https://gregcawsey.substack.com/s/public-onted-with-greg-cawsey
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Response by parents to the new province wide school cell phone ban will determine if it has any teeth.
https://gregcawsey.substack.com/s/public-onted-with-greg-cawsey
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This episode Greg applauds the decision for school boards to sue social media companies, but cautions that schools need to do more to get cell phones out of the classroom.
Ted also asks Greg about Parent Teacher interviews and the Tech teacher shortage.
Follow past episodes and articles at the Public # onted Newsletter at https://gregcawsey.substack.com/s/public-onted-with-greg-cawsey -
The need to shock people to gain attention is nothing new. Advertisers have been doing it for years. Remember those cheesy ad headlines - SEX - now that I have your attention. Well now the protest movements have taken a page from Madison Avenue to do their own version. They describe anything they believe needs changing and describe it in alarmist terms.
Canada is a racist country that commits genocide. Excuse me, what was that?
Now that social justice warriors have your attention a stunned public can continue to be enlightened on how everything they thought they knew, is in fact, wrong. Dare to temper their extreme views with nuance and context - good luck. Your comeuppance will be to be labelled the very thing you question. Many learned it was best to just let them continue.
Trouble with that, is that silence is often misinterpreted as acceptance. While often the exact opposite is true. The pressure to comply can lead to a bitter resentment and retrenchment. I have heard the grumblings from reasonable people. It certainly doesn’t lead to greater understanding if dissenting voices are silenced.
It is why I can’t hold my tongue when I hear claims that the very public education system I so proudly serve and cherish is charged with being systemically racist. In a lifetime spent as a student and now teacher in very diverse school settings I have not seen hateful acts of discrimination against individuals based on their race. Prejudice, bias, sadly yes. But actively discriminating students based on their race - thankfully, no.
Our system continues to produce countless talented grads of all races that contribute every day to this incredibly diverse province. Just last month I witnessed a student led provincial competition, DECA, where I was heartened to see so many kids of different backgrounds thriving once again. They are living proof of the equality of opportunity we provide to all our students.
This is not saying that our school system, does not suffer from other less inflammatory, but still deeply concerning charges. Our system, like society does have racial bias and prejudice that we must continue to overcome. But calling everything racist does not serve that goal. First, by throwing around that word so loosely it diminishes its power. Much worse is that using such inflammatory language to make people feel uncomfortable isn’t working. It is sowing resentment and is counterproductive in creating the open dialogue necessary for honest discussions on how to address and extinguish the darker qualities all humans possess. This door in the face sales technique may work selling something to customers, but making extreme accusations puts people on the back foot and cause them to ignore the very issues that need addressing.
That is a shame because we need to lean in to find common ground. We can’t put our heads in the sand to stark realities that need fixing. Achievement and student success results are too tilted to believe there is nothing wrong. Too many school faculties do not represent the ethnic backgrounds of the communities they serve. We can and must do better.
If reading this you still believe in your world that racism in our society is systemic and those opposed are only wanting to protect the status quo, you are entitled to your opinion. As am I. But passing off incendiary remarks as facts - is wrong.
Sadly, there are people who identify everyone by their race and see all of us as either being oppressed or an oppressor. Their ends justifies the means logic makes them think its fair game to use inflammatory rhetoric to accuse, abuse and intimidate others.
There is a word for people who think like that. We can’t let them speak for us and take us backward.
By Gregory Cawsey
https://gregcawsey.substack.com/s/public-onted-with-greg-cawsey
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Today Greg offers classroom management tips to foster a positive learning environment for students. Check out essays and comentary at: https://gregcawsey.substack.com/s/public-onted-with-greg-cawsey
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Students face a number of stressors in their lives from many things out of their control. Today, Greg gives advice on how teachers and students can alleviate test anxiety by taking ownership of what they can control - preparation and letting go of what they can’t - the mark.
Greg also answers Ted questions on Alberta’s Parental Rights legislation and updates on teacher contracts.
Check out the past posts at Public #onted Newsletter:
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Discuss the recent kindergarten curriculum revision announcement from the Ministry. While the update is welcome, it does continue a pattern of top down changes. While some call for more teacher union input in the curriculum process, Greg calls for more input from teachers that are actually still in the classroom.
Check out the Public #onted Newsletter at https://gregcawsey.substack.com/s/public-onted-with-greg-cawsey -
I do appreciate the importance of always looking at something with a fresh set of eyes. We should always be looking at how we can do things better. The desire to improve should also come with some reverence for how we got here. Without that understanding we tend to tear down rather than build upon.Take for example the decision from some Ontario school boards to remove uniformed officers from visiting or working within schools. The rationale is that the police uniform is a negative emotional trigger for people and communities who have faced police brutality and mistreatment. I do not doubt their fear and concern. Children from war torn countries have also have legitimate feelings of fear and anxiety seeing people in anything that resembles a military uniform.
So, one might make the simple call to remove the source of that fear from the safe space schools hope to create for all students. Avoidance is not how problems are solved, however. Students need to see uniformed officers in non – threatening situations and interact with them personally, so negative associations can be undone, and trust established. It is also important for officers to interact with all members of the community in these same environments to dismantle any of their own prejudice.
Having liaison uniformed officers in schools is...
https://www.justcaws.ca/2023/05/briing-back-uniformed-officers-to.html
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Today’s episode discusses Ontario’s move to de-streaming. Explain the rationale and implications as we navigate through this transitionary period in Ontario secondary education. Greg also offers why parents need to stay involved throughout the entire K-12 school years.
Follow the Public #onted Newsletter on Substack and @publiconted
https://gregcawsey.substack.com/s/public-onted-with-greg-cawsey
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Just like the province tries to play catch up on falling math scores, we will catch up on the two math related stories from the last two weeks. Today, discuss the reinstatement of a mandatory math qualification test for new teachers and the recent PISA Math results from the OECD. Ended with a teaser to the next Public #onted episode on de streaming.
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Plenty of discussion on mandating or beefing up Holocaust education, which I fully support. But where is the oversight to make sure this actually followed? Will outline the issue and the solutions to make sure what is supposed to be taught - is taught.
Will also discuss the recent deal between the Elementary Teachers’ Union and the Province. Listen to all episodes at justcaws.ca, apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow @publiconted on X or facebook as well.
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Today discuss Bill 98 and the recent historical role of provincial school boards. Greg will explain why he believes that they are still needed even if under greater provincial control.
Greg will also answer Ted’s questions asking for updates on this show and contracts. Finally, an update on how implemented changes in the class this year are going thus far to manage cell phones and AI. -
In today’s hyper sensitive climate, school boards’ disciplinary process is under increased pressure. The process itself is not the issue, but the time taken to adjudicate a complaint is hurting the system.
Today examine the issue and explain why more resources are needed to be employed by school boards to ensure the quality of everyone’s education is not compromised. -
Today Greg warns of the coming crisis in many parts of the province as more homes will soon mean we need more schools. In fact, the crisis is already here but attention has been on other things. Speaking of which Greg addresses Ted’s question on the protests and whether Greg will be wearing an Orange shirt tomorrow - he will - along with a Canadian Flag pin. Listen to let him explain why.
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In a system that is an accountability wasteland, the EQAO is the report card for the publc system. Today discuss why despite its expense and challenges the EQAO not only should remain, but should expand to a graduation assessment tool.
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Today examine the merits of the binding arbitration process being endorsed by the secondary union provincial leadership. See where this all goes, but no news is usually good news.
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Today Greg asks, how much would you give up in the next contract if all public schools in the province had air conditioning installed?
Also, get into how the first week back has gone. For full episode summary subscribe to the Public #onted newsletter at https://gregcawsey.substack.com -
Former teacher union District VP and nomination candidate for the Progressive Conservatives, Greg shares his unique perspective on the current #onted dispute.
Dark clouds are hovering over Ontario public education, right now. Whether you blame the government or the unions it doesn’t matter, schools are closed – again, and parents are fed up. This will be a pivotal week in determining if the Ford government cares about public education or is purposely creating havoc in the system to undermine it in the eyes of Ontarians.
As for the education unions, from my experience at the negotiation table – I know they don’t care about public education – it’s not their job. They work to get their due paying members the best compensation deal they can. Since their union dues are a percentage of gross pay – it is in the union’s self-interest to get their member pay raises. I don’t begrudge them for that, but they spew a whole of bunch B.S. when they say, “we are doing this for the kids”.
If you believe the government is making public education, stronger by finally ending the constant work stoppages and disruption – then this the end justifies the means approach better happen quickly. If that means contracting out cleaning services and fining the union to the max – do it and bring an end to the work stoppage. Ford started down this road by imposing a contract – he had to anticipate a major push back would come.
Union supporters like to make the charge that Ford Nation wants to dismantle public education and push further privatization. If that is proven to be the case, then what good comes for standing by and letting that happen. Go back to work and push the feds to act and make our charter mean something again.
Public education does need a hero right now – we will find out soon who that may be.
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Today we will hit upon three topics for our back to school episode. First, discuss the latest contract talks and the arbitration proposal by the government. Next, a reminder for teacher’s to check their privilege when back in class this fall. . Finally, will weigh in on the parents consent issue and discuss my post “Love and Respect - https://gregcawsey.substack.com/p/love-and-respect-we-can-do-both on the Public #onted newsletter last week.
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