Non collaboration may be a pattern

Teachers, employers, advertisers, and others often deal with the psychological phenomena that people are creatures of habit. Often our present actions are a reliable predictor of our future actions.

Source: https://i.cbc.ca/1.4099945.1493927308!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_620/liberal-leader-stephen-mcneil.jpg

The CBC has reported:

McNeil acknowledges doctors weren't consulted enough in health-care overhaul.

While much of that change has been well received, McNeil said it's been made clear to him by doctors and the organization that represents them — Doctors Nova Scotia — they've felt left out of the overhaul process.
"I've made it clear that on a go-forward basis that we would continue to make sure that they're a big part of the decision-making process."

It appears that Premier McNeil bravely asserts that he is not a creature of habit. The future decision making process will include the doctors.

I fear that soon we might have a news story on education reform that reads:

While much of that change has been well received, McNeil said it's been made clear to him by teachers and the organization that represents them — NSTU— they've felt left out of the overhaul process.

Connections can be shown between the Glaze Report and the ideology of neo-liberal education. In the neo-liberal business model of education there are winners and losers as competition for resources is seen as a strength of this economic philosophy.

Fig 1. NEA Quality Education vs Neo-Liberal Education

Who are the winners when doctors are left out of making changes in the healthcare system and teachers are ignored when making reforms of the education system?

Unfortunately, the application of neo-liberal economics has coincided with the poor getting poorer while the rich have gotten richer. The winners in application of neo-liberal business models to health and education are those who can afford private health services and private schools. Savvy politicians learn after decades in politics that you should hang with the winners.

Fig 2. The beneficiaries of the business model

References

(2017, May 8). McNeil acknowledges doctors weren't consulted enough in health .... Retrieved February 19, 2018, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/stephen-mcneil-doctors-recruitment-shortage-cape-breton-1.4104829

Glaze Report and political ideology

Pauline Lipman (plipman [at] uic.edu) is an education activist and professor of educational policy studies at University of Illinois at Chicago who has studied education as an ideological project.

NEA 4C's for Education	Glaze Report for Nova Scotia	Neo Liberal Education
critical thinking		teaching is driven by standardized tests and performance outcomes
communication		principals are managers, and school superintendents are CEOs
collaboration		learning equals performance on the tests with teachers, students, and parents held responsible for “failure.”
creativity		Education, which is properly seen as a public good, is being converted into a private good
		Education in an investment one makes in order better to compete in the labor market.

Table 1 4C Education vs neo liberal education

Neoliberalization of public education is also an ideological project, as Margaret Thatcher famously said, to “change the soul,” redefining the purpose of education and what it means to teach, learn, and participate in schooling. Tensions between democratic purposes of education and education to serve the needs of the workforce are longstanding. But in the neoliberal framework, teaching is driven by standardized tests and performance outcomes; principals are managers, and school superintendents are CEOs; and learning equals performance on the tests with teachers, students, and parents held responsible for “failure.” Education, which is properly seen as a public good, is being converted into a private good, an investment one makes in one’s child or oneself to “add value” in order better to compete in the labor market. It is no longer seen as part of the larger end of promoting individual and social development, but is merely the means to rise above others.

National Education Association reports on the 4C’s of education to prepare 21st Century Students for a Global Society.

we interviewed leaders of all kinds to determine which of the 21st century skills were the most important for K-12 education. There was near unanimity that four specific skills were the most important. They became known as the “Four Cs”

The claim that the Glaze report contains elements of the neo liberal education ideology needs to be supported by evidence. The use of business language describing principals as managers is one link between the communication of the Education Minister and the neo liberal education ideology. Collaboration between educators and the government is essential for development of an education system to prepare 21st Century Students for a Global Society.

References

(n.d.). Neoliberal Education Restructuring | Pauline Lipman | Monthly Review. Retrieved February 16, 2018, from https://monthlyreview.org/2011/07/01/neoliberal-education-restructuring/
(n.d.). NEA - An Educator's Guide to the “Four Cs”. Retrieved February 16, 2018, from http://www.nea.org/tools/52217.htm

How much from each column

The Glaze Report on Education in Nova Scotia has created division between the teachers and the politicians about how the education system should be organized and some debate about the benefits of the Glaze Report model versus the status quo.

Business Model for Health and Education

This article looks at connections between the proposed reforms and ideas from the market focused advocates of a business approach to education and links to the National Education Association list of essential skills for students in the 21st century. The NEA has used professional methods to establish the 4C’s of 21st Century education. The Nova Scotia Education Minister has been recorded in recent CBC interviews referring to principals as similar to business managers and the people who work in the schools as a workforce. This and the details of a policy in a business oriented school make comparison to the neo-liberal movement in education appropriate.

Column A		Column B
NEA 4C's for Education	Glaze Report for Nova Scotia	Neo Liberal Education
critical thinking		School choice and competition
communication		schools to worry more about student test performance than about the school learning and well being environment
collaboration		high stakes testing –creating commodities out of smart kids and relegating others to a ‘take a sick day on testing’ status,
creativity		performance pay for teachers
		turning school quality into an international productivity competition

Table 1. Some from Column A and Column B
References

(n.d.). NEA - An Educator's Guide to the “Four Cs”. Retrieved February 16, 2018, from http://www.nea.org/tools/52217.htm

(2013, May 22). What have schools got to do with neo-liberalism? – Combatting .... Retrieved February 16, 2018, from https://educatorvoices.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/what-have-schools-got-to-do-with-neo-liberalism/

Fear of and for diverse communities.

Ideological or values tests imposed on minorities by government raise fears that are often connected to historical experience of oppression by majority groups.

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.3764426.1516236127!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/image.jpg

Two political events in recent Canadian history have revived concern among minorities in this country.

Tory leadership candidate Kellie Leitch proposed requiring applicants for immigration to Canada to affirm Canadian values to immigration personnel. Government Labour Minister Patty Hajdu, supported by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are requiring that groups seeking funds for student summer employment attest that the group’s core mandate respects human rights, including reproductive rights.

Source: https://i.cbc.ca/1.4004105.1488852741!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/conservative-leadership-debate-20170228.jpg

CTV news reported in January that an applicant must affirm that both the job description and the group's core mandate respect human rights, including reproductive rights.

The CBC reported that Tory leadership candidate Kellie Leitch wants immigrants to be asked: 'Are men and women equal?

If one Conservative leadership candidate has her way, immigrants hoping to start a new life in Canada will be pressed for their views on women's equality, the use of violence and how to provide for their families.
In a sponsored email sent to subscribers of the conservative website TheRebel.media, Kellie Leitch promises that if she becomes Conservative leader, and then prime minister, she would require each immigrant to Canada to be screened for Canadian values

Toronto Cardinal Thomas Collins has joined more than 80 religious leaders asking government to drop Summer Jobs attestation.

Source: https://catholicregister.org/media/k2/items/cache/400ca734b2b08335065d1ae9693c684d_XL.jpg

Collins is convinced the government didn’t intend to upset such a wide swath of religious Canadians.
“If the government has a problem with a particular group doing something they disagree with, they should talk to those groups,” Collins said. “The handing out of graphic anti-abortion material is very troubling, I know.

"To have a wide open ideological test for everybody, which we cannot in conscience sign, that's just not fair.”

Representatives of the Muslim and Jewish communities are very concerned about the application of ideological tests by government.

 Rabbi Chaim Strauchler emphasized how troubling it is for Jews to see the government impose an ideological or values test on any minority.
“We have been a minority throughout history. We are very sensitive to the possibility of the majority trying to impose values, even if we agree with those values… (forcing people) to believe or to act in a certain way not in accord with their basic values,” Strauchler said.

 “We’re worried about the future, not just now,” said Imam Refaat Mohamed of the Canadian Council of Imams.
Ideological tests, if allowed, could be used in other ways if it is permitted for this issue, said Mohamed.
“We love the differences we have in Canada. We are very proud of who we are. We are really proud of who we are. And we should always respect those with different beliefs,” Mohamed said.

The Conservative Party did not choose candidate Leitch as leader. The removal of the attestation requirement from the Liberal summer jobs program will be another step to reduce the anxiety of minority groups in Canada about values testing.

References

(2018, January 31). Anti-abortion group loses initial court bid over summer jobs program .... Retrieved February 2, 2018, from https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/anti-abortion-group-loses-initial-court-bid-over-summer-jobs-program-1.3783302

(n.d.). Tory leadership candidate Kellie Leitch wants immigrants to be asked .... Retrieved February 5, 2018, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/leitch-immigrants-canadian-values-1.4012764

(n.d.). Cardinal Collins joins more than 80 religious leaders asking .... Retrieved February 5, 2018, from https://www.catholicregister.org/item/26711-more-than-80-religious-leaders-ask-government-to-drop-attestation-for-summer-jobs-funding

Supporting national priorities

Supporting national priorities is great cliche to begin a politically inspired government program. The Liberal Government summer jobs program naturally claims to be one such support for national priorities.

Students working at camp

CTV news has recently carried a Canadian Press report on the rejection of a court injunction requested by group who argues that the Liberal Government cannot stipulate that groups receiving funds cannot oppose abortion as part of their core mandate.

The requirement stipulates that an applicant must affirm that both the job description and the group's core mandate respect human rights, including reproductive rights.

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/anti-abortion-group-loses-initial-court-bid-over-summer-jobs-program-1.3783302

CBC reporter Kathleen Harris reports that the Summer jobs program deadline has been extended as religious backlash grows. The news release reported from Labour Minister Patty Hajdu said applicants can receive funding to support local priorities and those that complement "this year's national priorities,". The news release enumerated five national priorities.

1. Employers who intend to hire youth in underrepresented groups, including new immigrant youth and refugees, Indigenous youth, youth with disabilities and visible minorities.
2. Small businesses that help create jobs. 
3. Organizations that support opportunities for official language minority communities. 
4. Organizations that provide services or supports to the LGBT community. 
5. Organizations that provide jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT), particularly for women.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/summer-jobs-hajdu-deadline-extended-1.4514044

Summer jobs that involve students in these “national priorities” can be created and completed with complete respect for the human and reproductive rights alluded to in the disputed attestation.

The sponsoring group can affirm that jobs connected to these “national priorities” respect human rights, including reproductive rights. There is no need to create a problem of conscience by drilling down to the core mandate of the organization.

Supriya Dwivedi of Global News comments

Politically, however, this is a slam-dunk for the Liberals. It conveniently reminds voters that Andrew Scheer is pro-life, as is nearly half his shadow cabinet. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that. Social conservatives have every right to make their voice heard in this country through their elected representatives, and the Conservative Party is where they feel most at home. Conservatives will chalk this up to diversity of thought. And that’s great! But the Conservatives themselves clearly know it’s not a winning issue, otherwise they’d run on it during elections, and Scheer himself wouldn’t have gone out of his way to ensure the Canadian public that he wouldn’t be re-opening the abortion debate.

The problem of sponsored groups acting against Liberal policy to respect human rights, including reproductive rights can be addressed by examination of the actual work proposed for the students who will be hired. 

The work can be assessed by comparison to the “national priorities” listed by Minister Hajdu.

 The attestation that the religious sponsors have been asked to agree to eliminates their participation as a matter of conscience. 

Politically the Liberals win. Unfortunately students lose work as camp counselors, parish maintenance workers, and charitable action workers. The communities who have benefited from these workers loose. 

The projects approved by the Liberals should be vetted for coherence with the five “national priorities” cited by the Minister. 

Application of criteria that may be perceived as a “morality test” or a clever political strategy will only return at election time to haunt the Liberals by comparison to the political manipulation strategies of other political parties who have appealed to their base at the expense of the political well being of the nation. 

References

(2018, February 2). Summer jobs program deadline extended as religious backlash grows .... Retrieved February 2, 2018, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/summer-jobs-hajdu-deadline-extended-1.4514044

(2018, February 1). COMMENTARY: Liberals will win the fight on Canada Summer Jobs .... Retrieved February 2, 2018, from https://globalnews.ca/news/4000609/commentary-liberals-will-win-the-fight-on-canada-summer-jobs-program/

(2018, January 31). Anti-abortion group loses initial court bid over summer jobs program .... Retrieved February 2, 2018, from https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/anti-abortion-group-loses-initial-court-bid-over-summer-jobs-program-1.3783302

Responding to Decision Making with Critical Thinking

In an earlier article, we explored the benefits of a moral compass to help us make decisions that are aligned with our dignity, well being, and integrity.

https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/styles/article-inline-half/public/blogs/82191/2012/01/86612-82412.png?itok=K-xBPV7G

Teachers in secondary and post-secondary education emphasize critical thinking practices to achieve deeper than surface understanding of issues. Critical thinking helps create worthy arguments to present a point of view.

Ransom Patterson writes that  an important element in the decision-making process is the ability to think critically.

It helps you make hard decisions. I’ve written before about how defining your values helps you make better decisions. Equally important in the decision-making process is the ability to think critically. Critical thinking allows you compare the pros and cons of your available options, showing that you have more options than you might imagine

The data expressed in the graphs below show current responses of Americans to questions about choice and abortion. To facilitate some critical thinking we will not identify the “red” or “blue” opinions. The graphs show that the alternate opinions are supported by approximately the same number of people.

Pro Choice Americans https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/01/18/poll-shows-strong-majority-americans-want-restrictions-abortion 

The chart above shows the number of people in the survey who self identified as “Pro-choice”.

Limits on abortion https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/01/18/poll-shows-strong-majority-americans-want-restrictions-abortion

The second chart shows the number of people who would accept “significant limits” on abortion.

Ransom Patterson suggests the strategy of Try Reversing Things to make progress on hard problems.

A great way to get “unstuck” on a hard problem is to try reversing things. It may seem obvious that X causes Y, but what if Y caused X?
The “chicken and egg problem” a classic example of this. At first, it seems obvious that the chicken had to come first. The chicken lays the egg, after all. But then you quickly realize that the chicken had to come from somewhere, and since chickens come from eggs, the egg must have come first. Or did it?
Even if it turns out that the reverse isn’t true, considering it can set you on the path to finding a solution.

Critical Thinking Exercise 1

List the Benefits to Self of a “Pro-Choice” approach to abortion.

List the Benefits to Others of a “Pro-Choice” approach to abortion.

	Critical Thinking about Pro Choice approach to abortion
	Benefit to Self	Benefit to Others
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Critical Thinking Exercise 2

List the Benefits to Self of “significant limits” on abortion.

List the Benefits to Others of “significant limits” on abortion.

	Critical Thinking about "significant limits" on abortion
	Benefit to Self	Benefit to Others
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Changes in demographics and the social and political environment result in shifts in the position of the population on important cultural questions.

Critical thinking exercises help identify the nuances that are too often lost in an uncritical dualistic treatment of these serious issues.

References

(2017, November 16). 7 Ways to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills | College Info Geek. Retrieved February 1, 2018, from https://collegeinfogeek.com/improve-critical-thinking-skills/

(2018, January 18). Poll shows a strong majority of Americans want restrictions on abortion .... Retrieved February 2, 2018, from https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/01/18/poll-shows-strong-majority-americans-want-restrictions-abortion