Dalton's one achievement goes bust

[Moviefan-2]

Of course you and Rockslinger are entirely ignoring the effect of deliberately reducing class sizes—generally considered a good thing—has on such numbers. Whether you achieve better ratios by retaining teachers as enrollment shrinks, or by new hires, or by some of each it will skew the numbers because it will be more expensive.

So is owning a car compared to transit. But I imagine you and Rocky would both say the extra cost gives me what I want. The over-populated classrooms McG inherited after the mindless cost-cutting and tax-cutting that packed them sure weren't giving us what we wanted.

BTW: Mf-2, as a newspaper reader (and borderline Dalton-obsessive) you might enjoy today's column by Rick Salutin. Nothing on the political front, but intriguing to read a playwright's take on the drama. You do have to wonder the hows and whys of the lame-duck with nothing left to lose just walking away instead of sitting down and at last doing and saying stuff that politics makes impossible for anyone with a future in it.

Thanks, I did see the Salutin column. He raises some interesting points about McGuinty's wonky moral compass.

I'm not so sure reducing class sizes is such a good thing. It's popular, but there are doubts about whether it does any good. Certainly, when Malcolm Gladwell spoke at the Ontario Liberals' idea-fest (or whatever it was called) a couple of years ago, he wasn't a fan. The Liberal audience was rather stunned when Gladwell said the reductions in class sizes in Ontario weren't nearly significant enough to have any impact on the quality of education provided.

 

[oldjones]

I could have sworn that McG was touting reduced class sizes as HIS contribution to education. Now he uses it to blame teachers. Just another example of political speak.

Huh?

 

[oldjones]

Thanks, I did see the Salutin column. He raises some interesting points about McGuinty's wonky moral compass.

I'm not so sure reducing class sizes is such a good thing. It's popular, but there are doubts about whether it does any good. Certainly, when Malcolm Gladwell spoke at the Ontario Liberals' idea-fest (or whatever it was called) a couple of years ago, he wasn't a fan. The Liberal audience was rather stunned when Gladwell said the reductions in class sizes in Ontario weren't nearly significant enough to have any impact on the quality of education provided.

Having baby-boomed my way through the oldest public and high-school buildings in Ottawa, sharing desks, staggering lunch hours and with two grades in a room, I still think I got a decent education.

But when you're talking numbers—or any facts—to make a point, you do owe it to everyone in the discussion to be complete in your presentation. I just added what you had perhaps not considered. Whether or not class size reduction is A Good Thing, it has been a mantra since Bill Davis, the previous Education Premier. McG getting even partway there when previous Premiers failed was part of his platform, and would account for your numbers.

TANSTAAFL.

 

[Moviefan-2]

Whether or not class size reduction is A Good Thing, it has been a mantra since Bill Davis, the previous Education Premier. McG getting even partway there when previous Premiers failed was part of his platform, and would account for your numbers.

It would account for some of the numbers, but we shouldn't overlook the significant pay increases that McGuinty oversaw when his government essentially took charge of the bargaining with teachers.

He was a big fan of salary increases for teachers when the unions were backing him and spending millions on campaign ads endorsing him. Suddenly, when relations get a little rocky, Dalton starts musing about how the teachers are kinda greedy.

 

[FAST]

Bought and paid for

It would account for some of the numbers, but we shouldn't overlook the significant pay increases that McGuinty oversaw when his government essentially took charge of the bargaining with teachers.

He was a big fan of salary increases for teachers when the unions were backing him and spending millions on campaign ads endorsing him. Suddenly, when relations get a little rocky, Dalton starts musing about how the teachers are kinda greedy.

Its really just that simple, isn't it !!!

FAST