The Pigeonhole

Welcome to the blog of the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers' Association / Te Wehengarua (PPTA), .... A blog that's not afraid to ruffle some feathers

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equity

So what?

Posted by: PPTAweb on 29, Nov, 2011

Tagged in: teaching , teachers , students , student achievement , social disadvantage , schools , research , power , NZARE , National Standards , equity , education politics , CLASS , change

Growing inequities - so what?

Today was spent in Tauranga, participating in the NZARE (NZ Association for Research in Education) conference (well listening anyway).

Professor Robert Tierney was the opening keynote speaker "Growing inequities: how do we contribute" was the title of his address.

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Robin blogs - dream on folks

Posted by: PPTAweb on 16, Oct, 2011

Tagged in: Tomorrow's Schools , teaching , teachers , student achievement , public education , PPTA , power , OECD , learning , equity , elections , education politics

PPTA president Robin Duff responds to the challenge of PPTA being 'dreamers' if we really think politicians of all stripes can work together for a better future for New Zealand students and our education system.

"Dream on"

Firstly, 'dream on' is quite a perceptive comment in that I believe that much of my work has, is and perhaps always will be based on 'dreams' for education as much as it was/is for other areas of my life.

The dream actually motivates and drives us all.

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Change averse or resistance as an appropriate strategy?

Posted by: PPTAweb on 21, Jul, 2011

Tagged in: teaching , teachers , students , secondary schools , professional learning and development , profession , Principals , Ministry of Education , equity , education spending , education politics , change

The first sentence was too long to Tweet :) - so I thought I'd blog.

At the MIT seminar Mon/Tues there were comments that the secondary sector is 'change averse', this wasn't intended as a compliment, ... although it could be.

Being change averse can be an entirely appropriate strategy when unproven initiatives are constantly being thrown at you in an environment of continuous policy churn.

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The Martians have landed

Posted by: Observer on 09, Jul, 2010

Tagged in: social disadvantage , school choice , privatisation , private schools , power , Heather Roy , equity , education politics , ACT

Associate education minister and trainee space cadet, Hon Heather Roy, has stumbled on the shambles that passes for an education policy in England and is advocating it here. Now anyone who has had the sad experience of teaching in a state school in England knows that it is not a system to emulate. Basically, the English system runs for the benefit of the elite private schools Eton and Harrow etc (though they call them public) and state schools are treated as either whipping boys or political footballs or both.

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