Can Canada escape American educational trends?

The trend in higher education, so-called, is toward low-paid "educational workers" here.  It is the factory model, pure and simple.  This is why I am gravitating toward training and development, for at least it is still honest about what it offers, how it offers it, and aligns with the emerging workforce needs.  Yes, you are right.  It is destroying the traditional university model.  A few elite places will survive, but most of the others are degree mills, and if they are not, they are on their ways to becoming them.  IN Wisconsin, the state cut the state university system budgets by 40%.  They are running around like "chicken little" with the "sky falling on them."  The powerhouse places like Madison, of course, have the R&D base to secure grants and an alumni network to secure $150 million yearly in donations.  The others are treading water for dear life.  Yes, the rules are changing.  Right now, we are, if we are honest, not sure what the new ones are.  For instance, I have proposed a workshop for the 2013 Chicago conference of the World Future Society on the "Death of Teamwork."  Enter Harry Pink's Free Agent Nation.  More and more people are no around long enough to establish teamwork.        

 

 

Branch Plant Economy in Canada

This writer first learned about the toxins of branch plant economies when he lived and worked in Canada for eight years.  It was at the heart of the debate about Canada's future.

 

Barbara, this is a first-class analysis of the social impacts of a business. Recently, I attended a meeting with the director of the Wisconsin Technology Council, which seeks to bring jobs to the state. Note the word bring. Instead of growing new businesses here his idea is to get big companies to open branch plants here. However, since the branch plant's owners do not live here, they care little if anything for how operations impact the community, as long as it makes money for them. In short, absent owners have no loyalties to the branch plant communities. This is what passes for economic development in this state.

Bullying of Teachers in Ontario

The following message went to an American online doctoral student of educational administration.  However, friends in Ontario, Canada tell this writer that such bullying is standard practice there too.

Ylonda, this is first-rate, and it earns full credit. Here is something for you to consider. In the view of this writer, one of the key reasons students arrive under-prepared, or not prepared at all, is bullying of teachers by students. Yes, our systems allow students to bully teachers by not backing teachers to set standards for academics and behaviors. Teachers ought to have total control over who is in their classrooms and on what terms persons are in their classrooms, not principals or guidance counselors. This would restore dignity to teaching as a profession with professional audotnomy and respect. Right now, overall, they are treated like cogs in a machine. The result is student bullying of teachers for the system in effect permits, encourages it. Until teachers can discipline, magic word there, discipline, students again we can expect standards to continue to crumble. Perhaps your research ought to explore bullying of teachers. What do you think?