Posts by giovanni tiso

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  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    But acting as if some vicious con has been pulled on parents -- please...

    Still eagerly awaiting your factual, informed assessment of the merits of the reform.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    Translation: "We're leaving out the parts that my officials and advisors have told me are stupid and ill-advised."

    If she had done that, there would be no policy left. But I agree with the poster who made the point that it's a face-saving issue at this point. She needs to be seen to have implemented the standards in order to remain viable as a politician, but hopefully with as little repercussion on students and teachers as possible.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    So. Do we actually know details of what is proposed for NZ yet? If so, has anyone who knows what they are talking about analysed it in enough detail to say whether it is different?

    They are not tying funding to test results, that's the main difference from the American system especially. However, league tables would have a similar and detrimental effect, also in terms of a school's finances. It's less ghoulish a policy, but it doesn't make any more pedagogical sense than its UK and US counterparts and it's hard to see what possible benefit it could have.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    I'm not really interested in dealing with people who didn't bother reading the policy

    Ah, so you have, have you? Care to enlighten us about its merits? Feel free to include in your answer an account of why there are no educators in favour of it, including some of the ones that the Ministry itself cites out of context.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    Occasionally you will find a very, very low-achieving school that has a sudden leap in test scores on account of a gung-ho new principal or some school-wide initiative. Which is wonderful, and presumably what the whole apparatus is aimed at. It's also the exception rather than the rule.

    It's also something that can be achieved without a rigid obeyance to national standards. Schools already measure student performance against a national benchmark, and it's a source of vital information for the educators.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    As Jolisa says, overseas experience shows this is one battle worth being fired over.

    A lot of people aren't aware that if a board is dissolved and a commissioner is installed, the school has to pay for the commissioner. And if the commissioner runs down the school's finances, it will be the school that gets the rap for that and has to climb out of the hole. The consequences for small and low decile schools especially can be catastrophic.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    There are Board of Trustee elections in March next year

    May, the elections are going to be in May. Nominations will be due some time before that obviously. Trolley has already threatened to dissolve the boards that should choose to fight the implementation of the standards.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    Speaking of democracy, I see Anne Trolley is deploying the famous "bring 'em on" manoeuvre that worked so well for George W.

    Fixed that for you.

    Yep, did that.

    Argh! Vote for Nathalie, you fools!

    (Jack, please ensure you bare those forearms on Thursday so I can recognise you, 'kay?)

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    The idea that Colin might be living up to his obligations under the Treaty fills me with a certain amount of joy.

    Speaking of joy, I linked to the wrong video before. Here it is.

    The excitable Italian journalist is just reporting what happened. He was hit, then they whisked him to his car but he decided to come out to show his face to the cameras.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    tremendously symbolic

    Could you explain how so? Out of interest tis all...

    Milan is the centre of Berlusconi's empire. That's where he made his money, with backing from the corrupt local politicians of the Eighties, and that's where the hardcore of his electoral support resides.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

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