Posted by: Cynic
on 08, May, 2012
Tagged in:
school choice ,
research ,
private schools ,
politics ,
Maori achievement ,
John Banks ,
charters ,
charter schools ,
Charter school working group ,
Catherine Isaac ,
ACT Party
Charter schools - New Zealand education for sale - - you can buy anonymously 
it's a captive market, guaranteed income from the taxpayer and regulation free, ... sign up here.
Well tie me to an anthill and smear my ears with jam! I just couldn't maintain my zen listening to Catherine Isaac on Native Affairs. Cynic is back.
Have a listen to this paragon of virtue on Native Affairs and then tell me she's objective.
Link to Native Affairs Maori Television (couldn't get an embed code) so choose 7 May 2012 broadcast Series 6 Episode 9 (Catherine Isaac is about 17mins through)
Posted by: PPTAweb
on 01, Mar, 2012
Tagged in:
school choice ,
research ,
Onehunga High School ,
National Party Education Policy ,
John Banks ,
education politics ,
Don Brash ,
Christchurch schools ,
charters ,
charter schools ,
ACT Party
Back in December 2011 John Banks announced that Onehunga High School is a charter school.
This was a surprise to Onehunga High School, it is not a charter school and neither is Bairds Road Intermediate.
We thought John, our Associate Minister of Education, might have taken the time to research this model and find out a bit more over Christmas ... but it seems not .....
Posted by: PPTAweb
on 09, Feb, 2012
Tagged in:
teaching ,
teachers ,
students ,
research ,
privatisation ,
PPTA ,
MOE ,
Ministry of Education ,
John Banks ,
Hekia Parata ,
Class size ,
ACT Party
Everyone seems to be back to their 'usual' lives. Teachers and students back at school, workers back at work, including me, so that means update the blog - as no elves updated it for me during my own summer(?) break.
Politicians are back prevaricating and obfusticating and some of their advisors advice appears to do the same. The announcements on charter schools, and class size - and the Ministry of Education briefing to the incoming Minister - are depressing examples.
So to advice from Bertrand Russell and the Skepticblog and referenced in the title of this blog - don't take people's (politicians in particular) word and check everything twice:
Posted by: Observer
on 07, Dec, 2011
Having been made Associate Minister of Education, John Banks immediately demonstrates how au fait he is with the portfolio by declaring that Onehunga High, a good ole state school, is a charter school. News to us John and probably to the board of trustees at said school.
BTW "Poor John" is a rather rude Shakespearean term but appropriate somehow.
Posted by: Observer
on 06, Dec, 2011
Tagged in:
teaching ,
teachers ,
students with high needs ,
students ,
school choice ,
public education ,
National Party Education Policy ,
John Banks ,
education politics ,
Christchurch schools ,
charters ,
charter schools ,
ACT
What are we to make of the two multi-millionaire politicians - the two Johns - signing an agreement whereby the state abandons any responsibility for education in poor communities and instead hands it over to various churches, charities, American multinational franchises and any fly-by-night concern that sniffs a buck to be made. Apparently, the two Johns think poor communities are disadvantaged by having to learn what everyone else learns, do the same qualifications and have trained and qualified teachers so they are giving poor kids that chance to miss out on all the the things that wee Keys and the little Bankses take as their birthright.
Amazingly, lowering standards like this is apparently going to lift achievement even though that's not what has happened in the US which invented charter schools. The studies don't show any educational benefits for the model, once you control for the tendency to manipulate the school's roll to keep out the more challenging kids.
