This post is for all Ontario parents. Take a good look at this link. It is a “collection” of possible comments that teachers can copy and paste when they complete their students’ November 2010 progress report — you know the “new” and “improved” report card that the Liberal government is trying to “sell” the Ontario public. The tragedy is that parents don’t seem to realize that it is nothing but a sham.
For example, recently on Global TV news, I listened to a well-meaning parent saying how helpful this new progress report was because it was personalized and explained exactly how her son was doing. Unfortunately, that is simply not true when you look at the comment collection. Need more proof? Check out all the links on this Google page where readers will note that the issue of developing a compendium of “comments” was being discussed back when the progress report was first announced.
What on earth has happened to professionalism? First the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) union manages to get the Dalton McGuinty government to reduce the number of report cards. Then, they both try to pull the wool over parents’ eyes by writing comments that are not individualized — unless you assume the teacher said ”Now, which pre-packaged comments fit this child?” But, you know what? I am not going to blame the teachers. I think they are being told to use these comments so as not to cause any flak in the year before there is an Ontario election.
Well, I hope the Ontario PCs, under its leader Tim Hudak, take a good look at this “collection of comments“ and promise the parents of Ontario that, if elected, they will bring about a report card that actually does reflect how each child is performing.
Anyway, when you go to the above link, scroll down a bit for this sample. The comment collection, which could also be called “Comments for Dummy’s” seems to include various subjects for both the secular public and Catholic public systems (since under values there is a reference to liturgies).
Update: It appears that the Ontario PC leader has come out in favour of putting grades back into report cards. I totally agree, particularly if there are anecdotal comments that explain the grades. That is the only way parents and students can know how they are doing, both personally and in relation to their peers. Can you just imagine giving comments to university students who depend on knowing their marks? It is no different. An A, B, C, or D gives an immediate “picture.”
On Global TV, I listened as an educator suggested that a low letter grade can have an adverse affect on a child’s self esteem. I am so fed up with that line of reasoning. I ran a reading clinic and the adults I worked with had a lot more problems with self esteem when, as grown men and women, they couldn’t read properly - even after graduating from the public system.
Children need to learn about their learning strengths and weaknesses. They also need to deal with reality. In other words, the latest Ontario progress report is just another example of a so-called “Success Strategy” that is nothing more than a ”no-fail/social promotion” policy —a policy that does not prepare students for the real world.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveseven/4969468655/
Firstly I have 3 kids in Ontario public school and I got one of these for each of them. We thought it was vague and so did our kids teachers, who thought it was terrible.
Further, they tell me that the regular graded reports still come out at Xmas, so its not like letter grades are totally gone (despite what Tim Hudak says). Considering how much time needs to be spent preparing for Tory-created provincial exams that do no good at all, Hudak hardly has a leg to stand on in this fight.
I say get rid of the Catholic system, reduce redundancy, trim the fat and give teachers smaller classes so they have time for individualization of grades and comments.
Nothing good ever comes from decrees from Queens Park, whether those decrees are from Liberals, PCs or NDP hacks