Bullying of Teachers by High School Kids in Canada

Dr. 123, I just finished grading ABC assignments, and the parallel XYZ assignments for the same students. These, as you know, are doctoral courses. Grading has become stressful after the university humilitated me because a student complained that I asked her to follow directions. The student threatened to drop out; the result was it was easier to humiliate me than to maintain standards. I actually had to apologize to her in front of six other staff and faculty for simply asking the student to follow directions. I experienced this in high school with teenage whining to guidance counselors. Now the whining has found its way into what once was higher education. We read and hear about bullying of students constantly, ad nauseam. Let's take a good hard look at the bullying of teachers by students today because of the desire to maintain enrollments at any cost and make money at any cost. Kiss standards good riddance. You are afraid to enforce stated directions because you, the teacher, come under attack, not the student for not measuring up to meet simple assignment requirements. This is what we have come to. Tonight, I graded assignments; the stress of it has caused me to reach out to you for some relief, since you know full well of what I speak. It is time to find the exit door, save my health, and let the rotted game destroy itself. Fight or flight. I vote for flight. You cannot fight the system. Get out and away from it. When high school kids bullied me through guidance counselors I decided it was time to become a librarian. I have come full circle; it is time to exit for research pastures.

Immigration Offsets Prolonged Adolescence in Canada

Mark, if this is the case, we are wasting billions of dollars on prolonged adolescence in high schools. If K-12 does not hammer skills into students good and hard - the essence of educational Essentialism, the educational philosophy of this writer, not sentimental psycho-babble - we are wasting our money. This writer would oppose susidies for such catch-up programs. Apprenticeships that do not require basic academic skills are the option for those who will not learn. This has been the essence of the European systems, which have not had "gazillions" of dollars to waste on baby sitting. Third World countries are even more pressed to get return on investment, ROI, from their scarce dollars and do not put up with the adolescent antics that our K-12 tolerates. Do not worry. The crashing economy will sort things out. We do what we can afford. When we cannot afford it, it stops.

 

Canada relies on immigrants with hard skills, work ethics, and intact families to make up for the lack of discipline in its K-12 educational systems.  At some point, the immigrants will tire of paying for the prolonged adolescence of their neighbors.  In this, there is hope for Canada to avoid US model. 

Canada Shares Juvenile Consumer Culture with US

Walter, we share the same opinion about war. A profound study of the relationships between mindless consumerism and militarism in the USA is The Limits of Power by Andrew Bacevich. He correlates "good and hard" the directly cause and effect between mindless consumption of resources and military advantures abroad to steal resources to maintain this "shop -to-you-drop" culture. He is a retired senior US military officer who now teaches at Boston University. He is no amateur. He is also amazing because his extended military service has not cramped his ability to think clearly, logically. Yes, in effect, we have an adolescent culture that wants free stuff without having to work for it, an adolescent culture that no longer understands concepts like duty and limits - basic to classic Conservative thought. As you observe, the materialistic, juvenile culture is degenerate, and it will destroy itself.
Take care. Paul

Educational Standards Crisis and Jobs Crisis

From first-hand experience as a high school teacher in Ontario, Canada, this writer knows that the same erosion of educational standards in the US is underway in Canada.  This is why the US and Canada need immigrants with hard skills, work ethics, and intact traditional families.

 

Mark, this is first-class, thought, thorough, and very timely. In particular, your observation about how higher learning is moving away from degrees toward continuing education, also known as workshops and skill certificates, is exactly what MIT economist Lester Thurow predicted in his 1995 The Future of Capitalism. Thurow argued that nobody more and more knows what a degree means, if anything. How much knowedge and skill mastery does it represent, for instance? As a result, employers, the marketplace - as he predicted - is turning away from degrees toward training and development. In short, we have a jobs crisis because in large part we have a standards crisis. This is why your humble servant here belongs to ASTD, the American Society for Training and Development. Look to, prepare for the future. Great job!

Thank God for the Canadian Example

Erik, wow, yes, dentistry is a key measure of social health. In the past, I have taught in one of the poorest counties in Ontario, Canada, Wiarton District High School. Fully a third of our students of a student body of 300 came from three nearby Indian reservations. Anyway, the absence of dental care hit you "right between the eyes" as a measure of the economic health of the area. During the Great Depression folks did not know there was a Depression! Nothing changed for them! Yes, your humble servant here is ardent about proper care for all - without bankruptcy. Canada's single-pay system works. I lived in Ontario for eight years. You cannot tell me otherwise. Recently, I told one of my old teaching friends in Ontario by email that yes thank God for Canada. It is living proof of what fairness is and how it works.

Canadian and Wisconsin Progressive Values

Walter, Amen, Amen, Amen. One of the reasons why I love Canada dearly is its fairness. It factors fairness in its policies. This Republic does not any longer. It is time to restore fairness, the Progressive tradition here. What is amazing is Mt. Horeb, WI where we live is the hometown of Robert M. La Follette, the great Progressive at the turn of the 19^th century into the 20^thcentury. Is this some kind of fate, destiny? La Follette stood for fairness, US style; your humble servant here, in fact, grew up in this tradition. La Follette, for example, opposed US entry into WWI, rightly so. I recall walking in the park at night in Wiarton pondering on how I got there. My mind went back to La Follette and his stance for justice. Canada has had the advantage of the British connection, and with it cam acceptance of the NDP, UK Labor tradition as legitimate. Here the Wall Street vampires shouted down such stuff as un-American, anti-American. The USA has paid a price for it nativisitic break with the UK and Europe. Anyway, I wholly concur with the Holy Scriptures, which I seek to honor in my life. Yes, we are accountable in the final analysis. I hope I am a sheep, not goat. I need to get to bed after completing module 7 of 8 for the online university course, for which I am under contract. Thank you for your health considerations for me. I have noted them, and I have said to Jane I need some down time over the weekend. Anyway, I stand in the Progressive tradition. I recall reading the autobiography of E.C. Drury at U of T, who was a great Canadian Progressive. He lived in Barrier. His autobiography was Farmer Premier, if my memory serves me tonight. As I type this, I think of Simcoe, Barrier, Ontario, Canada, you and your family. You are blessed to live where you are. Meanwhile, I must weigh my duty here. Yes, as you observe, we are called. I want fairness here. Thank God Canada exists as an example of this fairness. It proves it can be done, starting with medical care for all. Thank you for the dialog. It is bedtime, now, for your old friend here in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, hometown of Progressive Robert M. La Follette. Paul

Future of Prolonged Adolescence in North America

Jeanine, your concern is absolutely valid. Industrial psychologists tell us the average American today does not reach emotional maturity until age forty! Yes, we have a prolonged adolescence with no demands on people to grow up, contribute, accept responsibility, and embrace living beyond video games. In fact, young women in their early twenties have told me that they have a hard time finding potential husbands because of this prolonged childhood in our society. They said often their friends would consier marrying a man in his forties with emotional maturity. This is a sad, sad comment on our society. However, the coming Depression will wipe out the resources that support this extended adolescence good and hard. We will not be able to afford prolonged adolescence much longer. You are right. Dr. Rux