Discussions

fuzzy slippers said "I was just looking at our child's school calendar. There are 185 days of instruction this year. It varies from 14 days-21 days per month. Every month there is a day off school, if it's not a Professional Development day it's an Administration Day, which brings down the time kids are actually in school, not to mention Spring break, and Christmas break. I know a family who are struggling to have an EA for their child and "it's not in the budget"       Edited by fuzzy slippers, 2015-09-10 11:52:00"

Ea funding is determined by the Province. Not by individual school boards. The Province looks at the population of the school and the needs of the funded students and then decides what money they alot.  
 
That said any funded student in MB. is accessed to fit into one of three levels of funding. Level 1 students are fund by something called "block funding". The Province just looks at the population of a school and says "Well you have 300 students that means you should probably have about 10 kids who qualify for level one funding. So you get X number of dollars to provide help for them all." This is done regardless of the schools location or entrapment area. So a school in an area like LindenWoods in Wpg will get the same number of dollars as a school in the town I live in, in Noethern Manitoba. Which school do you think is going to have more FASD or unidentified learning challenged students?  
 
Level 2 students are funded for 1hr 45min of individual help a day. Level 3 get full time funding 6hrs per day (which does not even cover the full day if the student stays at school for lunch). Believe me level 3 funding is not an easy thing for a school to get.  
 
Also during all those school closures most EA's are taking as unpaid days because they don't have enough holiday to cover them all.  
 
 
Edited by Veil, 2015-09-19 12:59:19

loeog said "I bet this would work in Canada.     Singapore:   As part of its goal to create a meritocratic society, Singapore follows a very strict system of exams and tracking that starts from an early age. Even by the end of the equivalent of 3rd grade, primary schools start tracking their students internally in order to best teach to their ability. By the end of 6th grade, students take an exam that determines the type and ranking of their secondary school and life trajectory more generally. This determination can still be altered, but only in rare cases. By the end of 10th grade, the students have a another exam (which can differ based on their previous track) which determines whether the students can continue on an academic path.     Are we ready for Sorbet's solution?       Edited by loeog, 2015-09-19 10:28:46"

solution of increasing and improving standards for Manitoba kids? You're against that I see.  
 
You prefer a dumbed down curriculum that keeps everyone down. You prefer a system that does not prepare kids for university level math or science courses. You want a system that will make it difficult for a majority of kids to become doctors, pharmacists, engineers, etc. You prefer a system of everyone passes, while giving kids a false sense of academic achievement?You prefer a system in which you can blame all parents for problems.  
 
Are we ready for loeog's solution? Oh, never mind. We already have it and we are at the bottom in math and reading.  

Veil, just wondering do your EA's have to do that or do they choose to take days off when the schools are closed? Ours are expected at work or to use a personal day or take it as unpaid. If you don't come to work, you don't get paid. It's a choice, and I don't think they should be able to take those days off paid. The funding structure is frustrating and it is so hard to get EA time.

Yes, that is one thing I would agree with for sure - Singapore knows how to teach math and anyone who wants to give their kids an edge in math or who has a child struggling with our curriculum - they could google 'Singapore math' to find excellent resources. It's a great way to open our eyes to what kids can and should be doing in math. Years ago our curriculum chose to swing in a different direction, and I think our kids have lost ground as a result. It would be good to see it swinging back in the very near future. Demanding change only works when you know what you want and what is possible. Lots of other countries and school systems look to Singapore to see what is possible with math and how they do it.  
 
It doesn't matter where good ideas come from - I do think what works there could work here. Taking a look at what they are doing with their math curriculum doesn't mean anyone is suggesting we do *everything* like Singapore does.  

Starhc said "Yes, that is one thing I would agree with for sure - Singapore knows how to teach math and anyone who wants to give their kids an edge in math or who has a child struggling with our curriculum - they could google 'Singapore math' to find excellent resources. It's a great way to open our eyes to what kids can and should be doing in math. Years ago our curriculum chose to swing in a different direction, and I think our kids have lost ground as a result. It would be good to see it swinging back in the very near future. Demanding change only works when you know what you want and what is possible. Lots of other countries and school systems look to Singapore to see what is possible with math and how they do it.     It doesn't matter where good ideas come from - I do think what works there could work here. Taking a look at what they are doing with their math curriculum doesn't mean anyone is suggesting we do *everything* like Singapore does.   "

agree with you. My question is why have standards in Manitoba become so low?  
 
Math needs to focus on mastering basic skills. Once basic skills are mastered, one can progress to more difficult mathematics. But if a junior high students is stumped by 6x8 or needs a calculator to perform that fact, then that is a student in trouble.  
 
Math needs to focus much more on basic skills and less on open ended style questions that require very little skill. But the well-paid consultants disagree with me, and they call the shots.  
 

When a new idea comes around in education, sometimes we throw out everything that works along with what wasn't working and go 100% in a new direction. I think that is what happened with our math curriculum.  
 
However recent test scores along with demands and criticism from parents AND educators should start the process. What we are doing now isn't working. Unfortunately there was a decade or so of kids taught the new/old way that have missed out.

I'm not a teacher. I just wonder if math is failing from the bright and cheery retail staff I've dealt with in the last few days. After the amount is punched in the point of sale system, and I come up with an old style "Oh! I think I have 55 cents, they're like deer in headlights. Just can't figure it out. Not generalizing, but I see it all the time. This is basic math.  

Reviewing the Brandon School Division Year End Progress report and teachers contract here are some numbers.  
-Students: 8388  
-For teachers/Principals/Support staff/Clinicians/Specialists there are 1157.  
-In their contract they are allowed 1 day for every 9 days of teaching t o20 days/yr max.  
-1 personal day  
-60 min lunch  
-Extra Curricular Activities Voluntary  
-Prep time:  
-K-8 ranges from 30-40 min per day  
-9-12 is 65 min day  
-467 workshops  
-2498 registered for workshops  
-Average # bookings per month  
-Secretarial/EA-1242 (530 average same day call in)  
-Custodial-156 (69 average same day call in)  
-Teachers-1866 (702 average same day call in)  
 
Comparing wages with other provinces.  
-Alberta and Ontario have the highest paid wages. Manitoba ranks 3rd. Comparing wages to say Prince George BC wages are on average $10,000 per year higher in Manitoba with same ranking.  
 
Looking at a bigger picture we definitely have room for improvement. When we have one of the lowest scores it seems that we want to find ways to justify it rather than improve it. Who to blame? Everyone is to blame, school boards, teachers, parents, government, and students. Everyone is to blame. I really think the government, teachers, and school boards need to really look at what we are teaching our kids and revamp the system. Reading many posts it questions about teaching the kids to enter college or university. I really think we need to shy away from this system and teach them about living first. People say parents need to step up and teach their children life skills. That is fine until you ask mom and dad what the differences are in life insurance, do I lease or buy?, do I chose fixed or floating? Many of the taught stuff when trying to help my daughter do her homework I didn’t understand, nor have I ever come into a situation where I needed it. If one wants to enter a certain field in college or university why not take the advanced stuff where needed such as algebra, trig, etc. Let me see a percent on a report card. Let me see a student fail that isn’t making the grade. Show me teachers that are empowering the students of all races to succeed.  

Who is to blame? Everybody in Manitoba...for lots of reasons. But to be blunt...everybody is to blame for not demanding better education in our k-12 school system: everybody is to blame for allowing the loss of textbooks and standardized testing: and everybody is to blame for the NDP provincial government who instigated this education system of the present and the costs of it.  
We can blame the school boards, teachers and ministry of education. But truth is that "we" put the government in power to make those educational decisions, and "we" have repeatedly voted to keep the same provincial government in power.

AndreaD. said "Who is to blame? Everybody in Manitoba...for lots of reasons. But to be blunt...everybody is to blame for not demanding better education in our k-12 school system: everybody is to blame for allowing the loss of textbooks and standardized testing: and everybody is to blame for the NDP provincial government who instigated this education system of the present and the costs of it.   We can blame the school boards, teachers and ministry of education. But truth is that "we" put the government in power to make those educational decisions, and "we" have repeatedly voted to keep the same provincial government in power. "

We need to fix that. It could start with the upcoming Provincial Election.