Teacher Free Speech Summer 2018 News y Views!

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EDUCATION BEAT

Sex Ed Chopping Block: Premier Doug Ford is promising to "repeal and replace" sex education in Ontario's classrooms despite warnings from educators that it's a bad move. So much for teaching "consent" and recognizing "diversity" and "inclusiveness" within our province. But the premier's social conservative backers won't have it any other way @ Globe

Sex Ed Cons: Contrary to popular misconception, Ontarians' were widely consulted on the province's 2015 sex ed curriculum. It's focus on consent, cyber safety and gender identity had all three party support. It was soundly based upon widespread, leading, expert advice for keeping our youth safe and healthy as we enter the new millennium. However, during the spring provincial election, some pretty mean spirited, extremist, right wing, social conservative lobbyists made a secret backroom deal with our new premier. He is acting upon now that now, among his first acts in office, in ways that clearly don't protect the better interests of our modern, inclusive society @ Huff

Tanya Gracie Allen leads the social conservative charge to "repeal and replace" Ontario's leading edge sex ed program. She explains how and why it must be nixed @ PM

Social Conservative Televangelist Charles McVety, a Ford booster, is now calling in the chips for his election support, in getting Doug to axe the sex ed program. The ugly behind the scenes story is @ PressProg

Meet MOE [Minister of Education] Lisa Thompson: She once defended the very sex ed curriculum she's now repealed as part of Premier Doug Ford's Social Conserative offensive @ PressProg

PC MPP Sam Oosterhoff has been named Parliamentary Assistant to the Lisa Thompson, our new Minister of Education. The young whipper snapper is eager to get back to the "drawing board" so he can help make our sex ed programs adhere to yesteryear's, outdated, social conservative values @ SCS @ Xtra

Human Rights Issue: United Church Minister and former NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo explains how Ontario's sex ed reversal is rooted in a very misguided and unChristian opposition to LGBTQ rights @ UCOb

TDSB Sex Ed Bluez: Toronto public school board expresses their serious concern over not teaching the inclusive 2015 sex ed program.  A failure to do so might violate the Ontario Human Rights Code, Education Act and their own board policies. Expect some Supreme Court challenges ahead @ TDSB

Going Backward: Ontario's OECTA Catholic teachers warn that Fords Sex Ed repeal will harm their students. President Liz Stuart explains @ PressProg

Dept. Of Dirty Secrets: Get this -Deputy Premier Christine Elliott advises teachers to meet privately with their students to discuss the controversial LGBTQ and consent issues etc. etc. that have now been chopped from the Sex Ed curriculum. The province's teacher unions and boards quickly oppose the notion. Not only is it highly inappropriate but doing so could put the unfortunate teachers career in jeopardy if their actions or words are misconstrued. The NDP's Andrea Horwath says enough with the 'dirty secrets' approach. Just goes to show how little the new PC government understands the education portfolio! Hold onto your hats ..... More trouble ahead @ CBC

LGBTQ Students are particularly vulnerable and at risk as a result of Fords "repeal and replace" of Ontario's sex ed curriculum @ 519

A young gay man explains what happens when sex ed classes fail to represent LGBTQ youth and teach them about relationships too @ Xtra

Download Ontario's 2015 Sex Ed Curriculum Guide aka "Health and Physical Education Grade 1-8" before it disappears from view @ ON.CA

Sign The Petition: Doug Ford -Keep Ontario's Sex-Ed Curriculum! @ HERE!

School Funding Attack: The new Ford government attempts to balance the provincial budget on the back of Ontario's schools. Much needed school repair funds are slashed, along with some very important, summer, curriculum workshops @ Globe

Austerity Binge: $100 million in badly needed school repairs have been cancelled. The NDP's Peggy Sattler questions the Ford government's priorities while explaining why this is a very bad idea @ ONDP

Colleges Academic and Applied Trades Task Force is also  quietly cut mid summer by the Ford PC's without advance warning or notice. It was set up after last fall's college strikes to address issues of academic governance structures and precarious work. The aim was so to reduce labour-management turmoil over issues like "casualization"; the replacement of stable full-time jobs for short, part time or contract work. So much for that @ Sarasoapbox

Ontario Truth and Reconciliation?: Indigenous educators and elders express their concern over the Ford government's cancellation of  a TRC curriculum rewrite that would've helped increased indigenous content in our province's school's @ CBC @ Star

Nishnawbe Aski Nation speaks out against this grave step backwards from truth sharing and reconciliation @ NAN

Everyday Ontario Teachers had already eagerly begun implementing the new province's new TRC curriculum to better help their students understand our indigenous peoples history and culture in the face of past and present injustice @ ON

ETFO: Ontario's public elementary teacher union has been working long and hard on developing TRC. They speak out @ ETFO Also, on the terrible situation with our crumbling schools @ ETFO

MOE No: As the shit hits the fan, the Ford government explains that the curriculum writing sessions were cut by ministry bureaucrats, not the Ontario Ministry of Education itself, as a cost saving "austerity" measure. They argue they are just on "pause", tho no further details are forthcoming @ Star

No 2 Ford: Premier Dougie seems unaware of the TRC recommendation that it be taught in our schools, rather than covered up and ignored, so that justice can be served. There's even more injury and insult. Meanwhile, he has also rolled Indigenous Affairs into the Energy Mines and Northern Development portfolio, eliminating it as a specific cabinet post @ IPol

Teacher Charged: A Toronto teacher is charged after a student drowns on a school field trip to Algonquin Park. Truly, it's an awful tragedy. But note how the school admin and board culpability isn't even an issue. That's because they legally wash their hands of the whole affair, often fearlessly sending staff off on mission impossible with their hands tied behind their back, when it comes to extracurricular activities, long a bone of union-management contention. Teachers -proceed with extreme caution! Or perhaps, alas, not at all, when it comes to school trips @ OC

Janus Decision: The US Supreme Court targets union membership dues in a vicious right wing attack on America's flourishing, activist, teacher movement and other more challenged US labour groups @ NYT

OH CANADA

Harris Redux: In the wake of the election of PC Neo Conster Premier Doug Ford, Ontario's right and left mobilize for a 90's style Harris Era fight to the death befitting the new millennium. Some opening volley's: The view from the right @ Sun @ Rebel And the view from the left @ FB @ Now

By The Numbers: How PC Doug Ford won the Ontario election according to one polling company, Pollara Strategic Insights. Basic focus is on perceived affordability of promises and that Ontario elections are fought and won in the political centre. Interesting, but will definitely look around for a second and third opinion. Despite Ford's win, more folks voted for NDP/ OLP social programs like universal daycare/ dental care and support services, which the PC's also paid lip service too. Perhaps we are looking at a subtle shift left/ centre left; the new middle ground? More @ Enterprise

Fight Back: Here's a Marxist take on the Ford win, and the collapse of Ontario's political centre. The NDP clearly failed to mobilize a mass movement against the status quo. So we progressives end up polarized on the left with a populist right winger for Premier instead. In short, Andrea Horwath is no Bernie Sanders. Then again, as the official opposition, and with the Liberals in ruin, the NDP certainly now has the platform and resources to really fight for change. That's if they've got it in them .... More @ Marxist.ca

"Pat Brown Tells All" or "Nothing But Secrets": Former PC leader Patrick Brown is writing a "tell all" book about his "political assassination" to be published this fall. Remember Patrick? How got dumped last minute in a surprise sex scandal? Then Dougie took over, and the PC platform got mysteriously dumped too? Stay tuned: Plenty of neo-conster fireworks are sure to follow! @ CTV

Racism Ontario Canada: In a Trump like gesture, Premier Ford decides to target immigrant asylum seekers to our province, in one of his first moves in office. PM Trudeau perhaps quite rightly accuses him of being ignorant of our obligations under international law. But sadly, the federal government isn't adequately providing the funding and resources we need to help properly accommodate them either, despite Trudeau's many kind words and sentiments @ Vice

Mulroney Revisited: Back in his day, former Canadian PC Prime Minister Brian Mulroney pragmatically embraced diversity and inclusion within the Conservative party. Today, a lot of his accolades are involved with the Ontario Ford PC government. It will be interesting to see how they will spin the immigrant vote in our very multicultural province, over the next four years @ Globe

No Janus Decision Here: In Canada we have a constitutional right to collective bargaining, unlike in the US. In 1991, our Supreme Court ruled in the unions favour in upholding the Rand formula, unlike the recent Janus decision stateside. That's because paying union dues does not violate our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms @ CanEnc @ GBP @ WP

UNIFOR: Don't be fooled into thinking all is well though! Canada's biggest and best organized union denounces the Ford Throne speech for failing to reflect worker priorities in our province. They outline their concerns. The gauntlet has been dropped. Dougie can expect a tough but fair union labour ride ahead @  UNIFOR

OFL: The same goes for the Ontario Federation of Labour @ OFL

Canada United: How did that happen?!? Thank Donald Trump, in this case, for achieving the impossible in a positive sense, and not for himself but for us @ Macleans

Canada Invades The US: Well, not really, we too nice for that, but one could make a very good case for it, as the Trumpster goes totally off the rails @ Macleans

Fake News North Is Very Busy Making Up Lotsa Terrorist Stories!

Toronto Shooter Faisal Hussain inexplicably opens fire on the Danforth injuring 13 bystanders and killing 2. Although it's still early in the investigation, it seems clear that he had a lot of mental issues. So what's the relationship between mental illness and violent crime? The link is not always as strong as we might think for most of the mentally ill @ Vice @ Star

Fake News Storm: Another flurry of false news stories followed the Danforth shooting, just like after the Yonge Street massacre this May. The Islamophob's were back in force. Even ISIS tried to claim blame. None of the claims, of course, were verifiable, and were quickly dispelled by Canadian authorities as patently false @ BuzzF

Toronto Sun: In particular, our infamous right wing Toronto tabloid is reduced to sheer hate mongering and conspiracy theories about Faisal Hussain in the wake of the Danforth shootings. "Journalists" Joe Warmington, Candice Malcolm, Anthony Furey and the appalling Sue Ann Levy are leading the hate cheerleading squad. Moreover, they've been working closely with Ezra Levant's Fox North style Rebel Media to help stir up lots and lots of Canuck hater shit, all of it fake. Check them out and beware. Ultra diverse  Toronto the Good doesn't need this BS @ PressProg

IN THE NEWS

Right Wing Horror Show: How the conservative news media in the US tried to manufacture consent for Trump's "child separation" immigration policy. Oh, and then he backed down. Kinda sorta @ Slate

White Fight: Trump is leading a GOP charge to preserve America's shrinking white majority. However the existing trends make demographic changes ahead inevitable. Hate to sound cliche, but what goes around, comes around. What better time than now to do-unto-others, but alas! Seems it's not to be @ Slate

"Fog of Trump" or "There's A Method 2 His Madness": Here are the 5 tactics that the Donald uses to confuse, bewilder and distract us from the real damage he is doing to the U.S of A's most valued and cherished democratic traditions and institutions @ RReich

Real Mike Pence: Meanwhile, the US VP for one, has been a very busy boy behind the scenes amassing great power, and exerting influence with impunity, while the Donald grabs all the headlines. Check it out @ HRC

IREALLYDOCARE.COM: Web domain goes viral countering Melania's "jacket stunt", redirecting readers to activist groups whom are really working to help the innocent kids caught up in this truly ghastly, state sanctioned, child snatching scheme of the Donald's. Jeez. Isn't it usually taboo to hurt little children?!? No matter what?!? God help us all @ Adage

4 Explanations: Here's the 4 main explanations floating about the internet to explain Melania Trumps's "I don't care" jacket. Take your pick. Whatever. Complete chaos grips the US, from the top all the way down. Mission accomplished? @ HR

Un 4 The Road: Kim Jong Un and the Trumpster not only failed at the summit to define what "denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula actually means, but it now seems that the North Korean dictator is doing nothing of the sort. Often frequently overlooked -he expects the US to reduce it's military presence in the region and perhaps "denuclearize" them too, for "security reasons" @ VanityF @ WP @ Atlantic

Reality Fix: Ditto China! Here's why they won't do what Trump says when it comes to North Korea either! Far from it, for a variety of very important, overlooked reasons, from their point of view @ SCMP

NATO Divided: Trump praises Russia and continues to sow division amongst his allies and trade partners at the latest NATO summit. Putin must be laughing @ Bloomberg

"Putin's Pet" or "Treason Summit" or "Playing Him Like A Fiddle": Here's the full transcript from the Donald's imbecilic and arguably quite treasonous press conference statements in Helsinki. Not only is he aiding and abetting the Rooskies in Crimea and on the human rights front, but he is also totally ignoring the threat of Russian election meddling. Moreover, with congressional mid terms coming up this fall, he's seemingly just treating the very dire and worrisome US intelligence warnings as a personal affront. Very sad. Scary even! Read @ Politico Watch @ Youtube

#KremlinAnnex: Protests still continue, weeks later out front the White House, after Trump's Treason Summit. Follow @ Twitter

Election Meddling: There's nothing new here! Truth be told the US has a long history of doing so too, all the time, in lots of other countries. But now the shoe is on the other foot! Unfortunately, amongst all the anger and outrage south of our border, the real issue remains unaddressed @ Atlantic

US Trade Wars Galore: US President Trump has initiated "America First" trade wars everywhere with friend and foe alike. Experience shows this story does not end well, for anyone @ WP

China Card: China decisively steps forward into the Trumpian world leadership void encouraging America's former trade partners and allies to enter into a new global trade agreement with them at the WTO [World Trade organization]. The goal? To preserve multilateralism on a go forward basis without the US @ SCMP

Yuan Number: There's more super duper, big trouble ahead in the escalating US-China trade war, even by Trump's standards, or lack thereof, if China ever retaliates by devaluing the yuan and cashing in the US debt @ SCMP

Trump Travel Ban: The new right wing enriched US Supreme Court upholds the Donald's travel ban 5-4, because .... well just because he's the prez. That's despite his Islam phobic rants, now that Trump appointee Justice Neil Gorush is onboard @ WDT

Janus Decision: The US Supreme Court veers far right in supporting so called "Right To Work" laws on voluntary union dues, delivering organized labour a sharp blow @ NYT @ NYT Read the Janus Decision @ PDF

Koched -The Attack On The Left: Republican billionaire's like the Koch brothers and right wing non-profit foundations such as the "Freedom Foundation" are behind the effort to weaken America's struggling union movement. The goal?  Oligarchical rigging -to increase profits and forward the corporate agenda @ AmProsp @ BloomB

KULTURE KULT INK

Beautiful Toronto: Well, I've heard it called a lot of other less becoming names. Here's a "curated love story in photos and quotes" to honour Canada's largest city and our hometown ... Hey! We could be living in the United States of Donald Trump!!!! Ooops! Sorry US readers... eh ... heh ... er ... er @ Medium

True Smut: Premier Doug Ford is replacing Ontario's sex ed curriculum with .... with .... with ... er .... ahhhh ... an old copy of Playboy that he found in the woods .... or something like that!?! @ Beaver

Kim's Inconvenient Truths: Kim's Convenience actor Andrew "Kimchee" Phung is witness to a jaw dropping case of police racism. He exposes it very responsibly, and with class @ Star

Poet's Korner: Mary Oliver is a "poet of a different dissidence" in exploring the deeper undercurrents of our life and times via her disarming verse! Enjoy @ WD

Guns?!? Shhhh! Country rocker Eric Church reflects on the Mandoley Bay massacre in Vegas, where he was a headlining act. A second amendment right supporter himself, he then suggests that the NRA should be more reasonable about gun control and gets shot down real bad! No wonder Amerika's country stars are so silent on the important issues of today @ WP

Eric Church: Read the "Rolling Stone" interview and weep. Ahh, but fret not! Eric can take it in a strum. Still ..... @ RS

A Desperate Man: Eric verses the Nashville hit making machine! Here's a taster from his next album @ YT

Japanese Innovators: They are the real pioneers in underground, experimental sounds. Yup! There was the Yellow Magic Orchestra and the Travellin' Flower Band, but there is so much more! Trez Kool @ Barbican

Summer's Here: The 30 worst bathing suits of 2018! Need I say more? @ OB

Secretly Queer: Snow White? Sleeping Beauty? Xena? Frodo? Sam? Spider Man? Captain Janeway? Mulan?Buffy? The "butler" in just about any t.v. show or movie?!? LGBTQ folk speculate on who is and who isn't in a homophobic media world where many can't openly show their character's true colours, though they still somehow do ... @ Vice

RIP Koko the Gorilla: She could actually speak with humans using sign language. She liked nipples and kittens. Perhaps Homo Sapiens are not as special as we think? More @ CBC

COMMENTS:

My Visit To The Cuban Schools!

Coming: Photos y More Links ...

Spring 2018

Disembarking from my Toronto flight is like walking into a blast furnace. I step off the shiny, new aircraft onto the creaky, old, metal steps. Stop to wipe the steady stream of sweat from my eyes. 

The heavy air is almost too hot to breath. Lowering my sunglasses in place, I gaze out at the formidable, Sierra Maestra mountains towering around me. Out to the shining, sparkling Caribbean Sea.

Here I am, back in Santiago de Cuba, to visit the Toronto Friendship School. Meet with my colleague, Professor Jose Tejaro, to discuss printing more copies of "Ingles Para Ti/ English For You", our Cuban School Project teacher and student English instruction workbook.

My thoughts drift back. I began the Cuban School Project after a class trip here in 1992. As a Canadian teacher, I was only too happy to assist in providing some educational relief work during the Special Period throughout the nineties, following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Socialist block. 

Back then, the island was teetering on the brink of near chaos and total economic collapse. Overnight the peso became worthless. Jobs disappeared. Hunger and sickness were the order of the day. 

Unlike the United States, Canada has maintained a policy of constructive engagement with the beleaguered socialist nation, from the 1959 revolution through until today.
Often during my frequent trips back then, I was the only English speaking person from the outside world most of the Cuban teachers and students had ever meet. 

I'm a strong believer in social justice, a still relevant takeaway from my strict, now long abandoned, religious upbringing a lifetime or two ago, as a young man. The Cubans were eager to learn how to speak English. Acquire some basic business skills. Make contact with the world beyond their tightly shut and embargoed borders. It seemed a perfect fit.

I donated what I could to the cause, mostly my time and effort. With donations from the Ontario Teacher Federation, OSSTF public secondary and the OECTA Catholic teachers, we set out to build a small two room rooftop school house in the hillside barrios of Santiago de Cuba. Also, a instruction booklet that was specifically adapted to meet their quite different social, culture, and economic needs. 

Having retired 5 years ago, I've continued work on "Ingles Para Ti" with my good friend and colleague Professor y Jose Luis, from the Oriente Pedagogical Institute. Last year, I once again decided to drop by the Toronto Friendship School after a few years absence, happily surprised to find it was still there.

A flood of memories hit me, as I climbed up the wrought iron steps to the rooftop school, in the unforgiving sun. The tired, creaky, old fans feebly rotated back and forth in a last ditch effort at desperate relief from the stifling heat. From the street below the mad cacophony of old beat up cars, trucks, donkey carts and wagons echoed off the school's brick and mortar walls. Still the classroom was packed with students of all ages. Also, a new teacher. There was nobody whom I recognized, or for that matter whom recognized me.

Of course, it was 25 years later. Everybody whom I once knew and worked with there, was now long gone. But, as I saw for myself, the teaching and learning was still going on. Plus, it was a happy place, with a very dedicated teacher. Enthusiastic students. All eager to learn. Nobody putting on any airs. At best now mildly intrigued, by an old white haired stranger from far away, visiting their crowded classroom. 

Sitting there quietly, watching and thinking back to much more desperate times, I could have cried. Amazingly, everything had worked out just as we had once hoped, so very long ago! How often in life do our deepest, hopes and dreams actually come true? And after all Is said and done, do they really make a difference? 

I long ago gave up any hope of saving the world from itself. Thinking that perhaps, if we just tried to help out in the little corner of it where we find ourselves, one might yet still somehow make a difference. 

As a teacher, I've started up a lot of school programs and taught a lot of Special Education classes over the years, mostly in Toronto's Jane Finch corridor. Usually been confronted by our first world malaise. Ultimately, everything ends up on the chopping block of economic efficiencies and blatant indifference for the human cost of those whom are poorer, weaker, and get left behind. Not so in Cuba!

In my old age, I'm not religious anymore, but this was definitely a very spiritual moment, realizing that perhaps, in some very small way, here in the barrios of Santiago de Cuba, the Cuba School Project had actually helped make a very big difference. Quite frankly, back in the nineties, I really wasn't very certain if anyone we worked with or taught there would even survive under the added weight of the crippling US economic embargo, as it kicked into overdrive. But they have.

After class, Professor Omara told me that her students enjoy many job advantages nowadays in learning English and some basic economic skills as Cuba works to integrate itself back into the international community. Basic English is now also taught in the public schools, but they are keen to learn much more, even if it is just to dream and discover more about life outside Cuba. Perhaps the Toronto Friendship School is even a victim of it's own success. There are now so many English language schools, that her own student numbers are down. 

As I talked with Professor Omara on the sidewalk outside the school, a neighbour walked by. He recognized me with great surprise, claiming that I was one of the "founding fathers" of the Toronto Friendship School. Omara was quite shocked, not knowing what to say. I myself was quite embarrassed. Soon the whole street knew. Folks started leaning out their window, waving, checking me out. Very unreal. I don't want to sound vain, nor overestimate my own importance in the greater scheme of things in our life and times, but it was a truly a homecoming of sorts that I will never forget.

This spring, I came back to volunteer and teach at the school. It's the only "formal" teaching I still do. Nothing too laborious, I helped with the reading, discussions, and to happily serve as more of a language resource than anything else, to Professor Omara and her 3 classes of about 60 students. 

It's quite different now. Books and school supplies remain in short supply but the students have more food and medicine now. Cruise ships come and go from the harbour. There is much hope, as always, that perhaps soon the US embargo will be lifted. Like the battered, old clock on the classroom wall, life does not miss a beat. It still ticks on in the now long forgotten, little barrio school that we once built.

After class, I relaxed in my room at a century old Spanish hotel in the city centre, frequently enjoying the live traditional "sons", "bolero's" and "salsa" music at the Casa De Trova/ House of Music, across from the cathedral in Cespedes Parque, the town square. Everybody at the school wants me to come over to visit. For lunch, dinner, or just to watch TV. 

We sit in battered old chairs, watching Cuban soaps, old subtitled movies and pirated North American TV shows, on ancient, beat up tube sets. Lost among our reverie of Cuba and the night in the ancient decaying grandeur of this crumbling, 500 year old city. A very simple evening joy in any language, in a world so very far removed from our own.

I'll keep going back, even for just a few weeks here and there. I have found my place in the sun.

VIDEO LINKS

Traffic Jam: Yup! A lot of folks in Santiago de Cuba still ride round in horse drawn buggies and wagons @ HERE!

Casa De Trova: After school in the evening, I'd enjoy live salsa music in the city centre. Here's the Grammy award winning "Septeto Santiaguero". Only $5 -cheap! @ HERE!

Ladies Night: The women put on a traditional music show at the Case de Trova featuring breathtaking bolero's y sons @ HERE!

The School: Here's the view from the classroom as we enter and classes begin @ THERE!

BLOG LINKS

I've written a lot about Cuba and the Cuban School Project over the years. A lot of these true stories are now gathered here on my blogsite. You'll find some of the links below, which will lead you to many more. They are all true. Real life. They happened. I was there:

The Cuban School Project Story: Here's how it got started in the 90's @ HERE!

The Cuban School Projects: The two key initiatives that I continue today, the Toronto Friendship School and "Ingles Para Ti" are outlined in greater detail @ HERE!

Toronto Friendship School: Join me for an early visit to the school during desperate times -the "Special Period" @ THERE!

Rumours of War: A day in class with the students back when everyone at the school feared that a US invasion was imminent. A US fleet was poised off the coast, with jet fighters taking low run practice flights over the school. Yikes! Lotsa learning, for me too @ HERE!

My Cuban School Project Links: More school links from back then @ HERE!

What the Heck is Going on? More links on the situation in Cuba @ THERE!

What Do They Think? The local view from my friends, students and colleagues now at the school and from others I still see from back in the day @ HERE!

COMMENTS: