THE CREAM AT THE TOP HAS GONE SOUR

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this Opinion piece "Sometimes students deserve to get a zero". It is written by Michael Zwaagstra, a professional educator. Quite clearly his knowledge and opinions are not in line with those of various School Boards across Canada. He has written a book titled "What's Wrong With Our Schools and How We Can Fix Them". Clearly in the good old days before the Teachers were unionized, oops sorry I meant part of a professional organization, the Board could simply have fired his ass for daring to have a contrary opinion and more significantly, expressing it.

The issue is giving students a zero for assignments that aren't handed in. Not late but simply not done and handed in, at all as in never. The well publicized most recent case involves a 35 year teaching veteran in Edmonton. Lynden Dorval with union protection doesn't seem particularily cowed or intimidated by his local Board. He's more than old enough to retire and thus basically is telling his Board to fuck off and wake up. He's been handing out zeros to deserving students and receiving lots of support for so doing. Except of course from a School Board who like and appreciate educational baloney, theories and bafflegab. Apparently both Ontario and Manitoba also had these stupid policies at one time but strong opposition from the public straightened them out. Quoting Mr. Zwaagstra "School administrators have a choice. They can focus on common-sense assessment reforms that would have broad-based public support or they can stand behind a foolish no-zeros policy supported by a handful of education consultants."
Furthermore Mr. Zwaagstra suggests "Let's hope common sense prevails for once in our education system. Teachers should be able to give zeros to students who choose not to submit their assignments.".

While I agree this is an important issue, what leaps out at me is the intellectual deficit at the top of our School Boards. The appearance is that our schools are being run by a bunch of second rate minds focused on educational flavour of the month trends and theories. These people are big into their own authority and power and if they like some cockamamy theory coming from an underexperienced but overpaid consultant, then you should too. Please don't confuse them with facts or commonsense.