Tag Archives: philosophy

I support teachers, not a strike – Part 4 / 5 – Public policy issues are not labour relations

The Writing Life of a Tadpole
March 5 2020
 

So at this point in my logic chain, I have:

  1. People should support education, which is mostly about teaching (a narrowing);
  2. The Government made a bad policy decision
  3. Teachers are willing to strike for the bad policy decision i.e., the issues

Except the issues aren’t really “strike worthy”. Funding levels are not significantly off from what they were — we’re not talking cuts like Alberta is seeing for health care. Larger class sizes have actually been more or less settled already with the latest offer, regardless of how few schools would actually see those theoretical limits. Layoffs will be done by attrition, local priority funding is going to school boards and has been increased, and violence in the classroom is based on faulty data.

Not exactly a strong rallying cry when you look at the substance. Which leaves only two other items — pay and benefits. The nuts and bolts of labour relations.  » Read the rest

Share

I support teachers, not a strike – Part 3 / 5 – Are the real policy issues “strike-worthy”

The Writing Life of a Tadpole
February 22 2020
 

So at this point in my logic chain, I have:

  1. People should support education –> People should support education, which is mostly about teaching (a narrowing);
  2. Teachers disagree with the government’s approach –> The Government made a bad policy decision

The next sub-element is that teachers believe the government made a bad policy decision.

Bad policy

In order for us to decide it was a bad policy, let’s first articulate what exactly the elements of that “policy” are that are irking the teachers:

  1. Education funding levels;
  2. Larger class-sizes;
  3. Firing teachers;
  4. Non-renewal of lapsing “local priorities” funding;
  5. Violence in the classroom; and,
  6. Salary increase of 1%.

I confess in advance that I’m going to fall off the logic chain pretty fast in this list. Let’s start with the overall heading — education funding.

Education funding

While the Government is claiming an increase in education funding of $1.2B, it’s a misleading figure, mainly as it includes a lot of money in there for child-care.  » Read the rest

Share

I support teachers, not a strike – Part 2 / 5 – The government made a policy decision

The Writing Life of a Tadpole
February 14 2020
 

In my post earlier this week (I support teachers, not a strike – Part 1 / 5 – Education is mostly about teaching), I was okay with the argument that education is important and teachers are responsible for the most important part of the delivery network. So I’m still on the logic train the teachers union argue leads to people needing to support a strike. The next link in the logic chain is:

  • Teachers are striking to change the government’s bad approach to education

That is a very complicated sentence that has three components:

  1. The government decided
  2. They chose a bad approach to education
  3. Teachers are striking to change it

For (a), it is easy or even popular to say a specific person (the premier, perhaps) decided something. The chain is that this one person were wrong, so let’s change things. Except that is highly misleading. And doesn’t reflect the basic tenets of democracy in Ontario.  » Read the rest

Share

I support teachers, not a strike – Part 1 / 5 – Education is mostly about teaching

The Writing Life of a Tadpole
February 11 2020
 

I find it odd, and a little offensive, the constant rhetoric that gets launched at times at people who might disagree with teachers striking “for the kids”. The argument is not very complex, but bears laying out:

  1. People should support education
  2. Teachers deliver education
  3. Teachers are striking to change the government’s bad approach to education

Ergo, people should support a teachers’ strike. And, of course, the reverse MUST be true — if you don’t support a strike, you obviously hate teachers, kids and education.

Which leaves me with a puzzling conundrum. I cannot support strike action, yet I don’t hate teachers, kids or education. So where did I fall off the train above? I initially wrote a REALLY long post and realized it is way too convoluted to share as a single post. As such, I’m breaking it into five parts. This first part deals with the first two arguments above and the scope of “education”.  » Read the rest

Share

The Ninja Daughter by Tori Eldridge (BR00166)

The Writing Life of a Tadpole
November 10 2019
 

The Ninja Daughter (Lily Wong)PLOT OR PREMISE:

A Chinese-American woman trained as a ninja and now protects abused women in L.A.

WHAT I LIKED

The story works on three levels for me. First, there is a mystery to solve involving multiple bad guys, politics, and a new subway being constructed (the motive is obvious, the details are not). Second, she helps women get away from their abusers, and feels a bit in places like the Jane Whitefield novels by Thomas Perry. Third, she is choosing romantically between a nice guy and a danger guy, similar to the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich. I had a small sense of deja vu that I knew this storyline as it progressed.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

As the first story in a series, there is a lot of exposition going on. Explaining Lily’s background, her mixed Norwegian / Chinese heritage, and even some of her relationship with her parents.  » Read the rest

Share