Doesn’t this read like Betsy Devos? Talk about “alt wrong”!!!

Found on Facebook

Patrick Batty is feeling annoyed.

28 STUDENTS PER CLASSROOM IN ONTARIO

My wife Boni (a retired Ontario elementary school teacher) and I were wondering about this proposed class size increase to 28 students per class in Ontario, made by the Ontario Minister of Education, Ms Lisa Thompson.

We also wondered what made her qualified to tell us, somewhat counterintuitively that putting 27% more students (from 22 to 28) in a classroom would somehow IMPROVE the education of children in Ontario, or as she somewhat cynically said "would make them more resilient."

Essentially, where does she get this info from and how does she know it will help, rather than harm the province’s children going forward.

I know my wife and I generally have been pleased with the progresses made in education that have occurred over the last 4 decades, as we've had student teacher ratios decrease, so teachers could pay more attention to each student and also have enough time to deal with special needs students properly as well.

There are many more children with identified special needs than there were 30 and 40 years ago. They existed before, but many issues were not identified or treated back then.

Somehow now, though, Ms. Lisa Thompson, the Minister of Education for the Province of Ontario, seems to think kids will get a better education with 28 students in a classroom, despite this contravening all historic academic evidence, data and analysis on optimum class sizes and student / teacher ratios.

To put 28 students per class into perspective, with the norms in North America, the rest of Canada has class sizes of 23, with 90% of classes fewer than 20 students. The US has average class sizes of 23.1.

Upon further investigation, it turns out, only 2 COUNTRIES in the world have class sizes of 28 or more, China and Korea. And they have vastly different cultures than we have in North America. Most wealthy families send their children to private schools, and many to other countries.

So at 28 students per class, we'd be among the largest class sizes on the planet.

That certainly sounds pretty risky to me. How about you?

So who is Ms. Lisa Thompson? What makes her so qualified to know that it won't be harmful, and to implement such a radical and risky policy?

What has she done, before being put in charge of education, by the current Doug Ford lead, Conservative Government?

Does she have decades of intense study on this subject?

Not quite.

It turns out, before entering politics, Lisa Thompson ran a GOAT COOPERATIVE ??

I have nothing against goat cooperatives, or any particular agricultural business. I eat meat, (not goat though) so I won't criticize and don't want to sidetrack the discussion.

And to be fair, I'm not really 100% certain what the heck a goat cooperative is.

I've never heard of one before. Have you?

But let's use our noggin a bit, and assume as a cooperative, it is a group of people banded together, that raise a bunch of goats, as inexpensively as possible, and then collectively, market and sell them for as much profit as possible, before the goats head off to slaughter.

Heaven forbid, this isn't the foundation of her education policies going forward.

Anyway, I don't know if was a large, small, or successful business, but let's face it, a GOAT COOPERATIVE doesn't have a hell of a lot to do with educating our children.

So, being her business background is completely irrelevant to education, let's hope her her ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS are more germain and impressive.

It turns out, somewhere along line either before or after she became a politician, she received a "certificate" in public administration online from the University of Guelph

In Ontario, certificates are normally 1 or 2 year programs, unlike Bachelor Degrees that are 3 or 4 years, Masters, a few more, and PHDs, a few more still

However, upon examining the University of Guelph website, this specific online "certificate" only has 5 half credit courses to it.

Yep, just 5 half credit classes. ?

Normally 5 half credits would take a single term if done full time.

But being it was an online program, we don't know how long it took Ms.Thompson though. Most likely she took the 5 courses, part time.

She does not hold a Bachelor's degree, a Master's degree, or a Doctorate.

There is also no evidence that she has studied anything related to to childhood or adolescent education at any time in her life.

We can find also find no specific business education, other than her personal experiences related to her GOAT COOPERATIVE.

Academically, therefore, she would NOT BE QUALIFIED to teach anything, at any level in Canada, from Pre-School through University.

So the person in charge of, and making decisions related to the entire education system in Canada's largest province, has precisely ZERO qualifications related to education, and only 5 half credit courses related to government / public administration.

The actual Ministry of Education, the Ministry she is in charge of, would not even bring on an INTERN with so few academic credentials, let alone any of their permanent staff.

Essentially, related to education, all Ms.Thompson is, is an inexperienced, uneducated politician, with an opinion, that was given a big job.

But she 1) ran a goat business, 2) took 5 classes online, and 3) is a conservative and friend of Premiere Doug Ford.

Which of those do you think got her the job?

Chances are it's #3. Wouldn't you agree?

The only criteria you need to be a Minister in the Ontario government is, you need to agree with Doug Ford, who is yet another person with no relevant education or background.

I understand politicians are always picked to head government ministries. But in the case of something as critical as the future of education in our province, I suggest the government should appoint someone with extensive relevant education and experience.

Without that this is simply the classic definition of the blind leading the blind.

That's how friggin crazy things are right now in Ontario..

Our children deserve so much better!

We cannot risk this change, just because some uninformed, uneducated ham fisted politicians thinks it will do no harm.

You can email Ms. Thompson at: minister.edu@ontario.ca
You can phone her office at: 416-325-2600

In support of Ontario's Students and Teachers.
Patrick Batty
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE AND COMMENT WITH SOMETHING OF VALUE.

What passes for a Canadian version of “Alt Right” is pablum.. comparatively.. to American or European stripes. Really the biggest distraction is a new government turning its energy to undoing what the previous administration implemented..

Undoing the social contract is more difficult here as things like universal healthcare seem entrenched in a way that even Conservatives see the value in it.

Possibly Immigration could see the biggest changes but I think Canadian society is overall far more tolerant snd educated than societies that have supremacist or nationalist parties marching in the streets.

The Alt Right in Canada?? Even if they win they are kinda lame in many respects.

The alt right is on the rise everywhere. can't stop it. just have to deal with it?