"But we can't help but feel that adults are passing the buck. How can people in their 40s and 50s -- in the prime of their careers, with connections, influence and cash -- be so quick to wash their hands of the world's many messes, such as inequality, global warming, homelessness, and the injustices experienced by aboriginals? They don't realize the power they hold. There is solid evidence that when parents -- as well as teachers and mentors -- show their helping side, children internalize and adopt these behaviours."

The position causing the most controversy, however, is the statement that they oppose the teaching of "higher order thinking skills" -- a curriculum which strives to encourage critical thinking -- arguing that it might challenge "student's fixed beliefs" and undermine "parental authority."

Back to the future is not the way forward

Nine-year-old food blogger-turned-citizen-journalist Martha Payne from Argyll, Scotland, won the Internet's heart after using her cameraphone to expose the shoddy quality of her school meals.

The policy makes sense; the suspension does not. 

The predominance of data-driven education is a product of the eduindustry, not the basis for sound teaching and learning beyond the factory model. Data itself is not bad; standardized assessments though are just one assessment and cannot define achievement. "Fixing" a teacher's "deficit" in "understanding" "standardized" "test" "data" is as ideologically and practically flawed as the "data" we're talking about. Professionally-developing teachers on how to work with bad data is still going to yield bad data. Standardized test scores are not effective measures of student skill mastery, and that's the more pressing debate. -- reeveskd comment

Perhaps this is what we should do for our G9-10 exams?

ctivating Empathy is a global collaborative competition to find the best ideas, programs, and learning-models from around the world that: Encourage social and emotional development Unlock new ways of viewing problems, opening the door to a new world of potential solutions Address bullying or aggression in ways that advance understanding of others' perspectives Promote community diversity and a respect for differences Champion children as real-world problem solvers rather than simply bystanders Prepare to Enter or Nominate an individual, organization, or partnership with a solution online starting now.

Sounds like we can start moving again towards an international year-round school calendar

Interesting debate on freedom of expression in schools turned into a religious freedoms issue (though not about religious freedoms in my books). Guess my life has been a waste...and I'm guessing there will also be MANY "Life is wasted without..." shirts at school on Monday! I like "Life is wasted without evolution" OR "Life is wasted without gay marriage" Would that be OK? Isn't science a kind of religious freedom? And what is it with Nova Scotia youth and shirts? Anyway, hope they do a student-led forum on this one as it's loaded with teachable moments...