Structure and Governance

Decentralized vs Centralized

I am not sure where I want to stand on this spectrum. I think that there are definitely areas of our country that would need more knowledge on certain information and other areas that wouldn't need that information (perhaps at all). So I think it would be great to have some centralized knowledge that is mandatory (a baseline of knowledge) and areas that can be used for specific knowledge required to the specific area. I think that this is basically what is going on from the observations found on page 18. What knowledge should be baseline and what should be extra would be a national level decision, but heavily influenced by teachers as well as other important representatives of the society.

One thing that I don't necessarily agree on is the differing lengths of teaching time in secondary schools. Ontario is just above 3.7 hours a day and Alberta is just above 4.4 hours a day (Figure 1-3 pg 19). This is almost a complete hour difference! I think that students are really going to be under time restraints to learn all that they are supposed to in the little amount of time they are given. As well, it really takes away from the "educated teacher" vs the "trained teacher". We can't use too much variation because we don't have the time. What about creating a learning environment, would they have time for that?

Perhaps teachers have bargained down their amount of hours to teach, but I then think that students will need more after hours help. Students need to have the time to ask questions, do examples. These students aren't in university where it is more of an independent learning setting, they are still in secondary school. This isn't the year before they go and spread their wings in university and you are just trying to prepare them for that... and even so, some aren't going to choose to go to university so is it fair to them?

One of the current issues that school boards are considering is this - 3rd Friday off or no schools in the afternoon and in some cases no classes Friday. Not only does that affect the school but what about the parents who don't have every 3rd Friday off, or have to work afternoons. Who is watching the children? Keeping them out of trouble? or at least trying to steer them away from poor decisions?

As a student I may have loved this but is it in the students' best interest? I worked at a school who only had school on Friday until 1pm or so. I think this left students up to thinking that Fridays were kind of a "blow off" day. It is awesome when sports teams don't have to miss school in order to travel (as a student athlete it could get really challenging to play catch up missing every Friday afternoon class) but what about the rest of the students? Is it possible that they think, hey it is only a half day, lets go party Thursday night. Are they getting anything out of Friday?

Please comment on how you feel about going to shortened Fridays and even no Friday class at all. From both a teacher and a student perspective.

Hope this was a little more positive! :)
:) Brandie :)